Thanks for the advice, it doesnt sound mean, you are just covering the basics of troubleshooting with me. But yes, i made sure the needle was in correctly, i tried all tension settings, the thread is brand new and singer brand, the bobbin is filled properly and i pulled the loop through. after taking the bottom off and rotating by hand, i was actually able to see the the hook is not where it needs to be when the needle is at its lowest point, which is why i think it is a timing issue.