Frustrating upgrade experience...

bad_andy · #1 01-18-2009, 04:56 PM

What started as a simple upgrade seems to have mutated into a setup that now requires a small repair. I have this SX Jazz http://www.rondomusic.com/sjb62mglpb.html that I bought as a low-cost way to have a passive Fender sound in the arsenal for the odd blues and classic rock gig. It's been a great player so far and I just had a set of split-coil Bartolini's installed to improve the sound. Here's where things go sideways:

My usual luthier was busy so I went to a different local to get the Barts installed in time for a pair of gigs I had this weekend. Guy agrees to do the job for $50 including re-stringing the bass and setting the pickup height. I think, "great price for a rush job" and drop off the bass.

I come back 3 hours later and the bass is done, so I take it out of the gig bag to plug in and notice two things. 1) He's taken it on himself to adjust my truss rod so that there's more relief in the neck. 2) There was a chip out of the blue paint on the headstock right at the recess for the truss rod. The pic below shows why this would be noticeable.

Repair guy has already left for the day, so I ask the guy behind the counter for an Allen wrench to straighten the neck back out. That's when I notice that 3) the very end of the truss rod's hexagonal receiver is chewed up.

Before I took this instrument in to this guy, I could quickly and securely slip an Allen wrench in between the strings and make small adjustments to the the relief. Now I have to spend time finding a good spot for purchase instead of worsening the wear on the part.

I'm casual friends with the owner of the store, so I told him not to worry about things. They were doing me a favor in the first place. I'd touch up the paint with nail polish and live with the truss rod. After all, it's a cheap bass. But it doesn't look, feel or play like a cheap bass, and for the most part the pickup installation seems to have been done competently, so it doesn't sound like a cheap bass now, either.

Now I've sat on this for a couple of days, I'm tempted to take the instrument back and get at least some of the money returned that I'd paid for the installation. I didn't ask for a free setup, I just wanted it re-strung after the upgrade. I've had to spend time tweaking the truss rod, the pickup height, the intonation on the bridge and I'll have to spend a little time and money on the paint and eventually replacing the end cap on the truss rod. Does at least a partial refund sound fair?

bassbully · #2 01-18-2009, 10:07 PM

Yes, I agree. I dont understand some shops. If they dont know what they are doing then leave things alone.You didnt ask for the neck to be setup but i will bet the guy who did it will say the relief was needed for the tension of the new strings. How the heck did he chip the headstock and chew up the nut? Sounds like a ham fisted attempt with the wrong size allen key. I would inspect the soldering too if i were you, never know. I dont use shops unless it is something i cannot do. I do all my setups and pup changes ,soldering pots etc. Working on my gear is part of the fun and i can handle it. A shop like this need to avoided and you need a refund of some kind.

bad_andy · #3 01-18-2009, 10:14 PM

Thanks, bassbully. You might be right. I'll pull the pickguard before I go back and have a glance. I ended up doing some more tweaking and discovered that I could get the pickups *significantly* closer to the strings without any issues. Really improved the volume and responsiveness. In other words, he didn't even get that right. *sigh* Guess it's time to learn how to use a soldering iron.

slyjoe · #4 01-18-2009, 10:19 PM

How to use a soldering iron:
Step 1: Figure out which end to hold.
The rest is pretty easy, just takes some practice. The main thing is to get over the fear that you might do something that causes a catastrophe to all mankind. Doesn't happen.

Seriously though, as bassbully said, learning to do your own setups is great - you aren't tied to someone else's schedule or mistakes.

bassbully · #5 01-19-2009, 10:54 AM

I think the key here and your arguement for the guy who did the work is that you asked for the Barts to be installed. He also put strings on and was to set pup height...period! Setup was never an issue and a poor one at that including defacing the bass ,damaging the nut and not having the pups even close.
Learning setups will save $ and IMO priceless to any one who plays and takes playing serious. Installing pups or modding i can understand a guy taking it to a shop. I know i can cut a nut from a bone blank but I pay my guy $30.00 to do it and i have it back in a day with top work. I soldered way before i ever cracked open my first bass and it is easy to learn. Practice on the old pots etc before you do the real thing. I need a fret dress on a new 51 RI i just got, thats something i will never touch myself. I dress fret ends etc but i know what i am limited too. Good luck and let us know what happens.

202dy · #6 01-19-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bad_andy

What started as a simple upgrade seems to have mutated into a setup that now requires a small repair. I have this SX Jazz http://www.rondomusic.com/sjb62mglpb.html that I bought as a low-cost way to have a passive Fender sound in the arsenal for the odd blues and classic rock gig. It's been a great player so far and I just had a set of split-coil Bartolini's installed to improve the sound. Here's where things go sideways:

My usual luthier was busy so I went to a different local to get the Barts installed in time for a pair of gigs I had this weekend. Guy agrees to do the job for $50 including re-stringing the bass and setting the pickup height. I think, "great price for a rush job" and drop off the bass.

I come back 3 hours later and the bass is done, so I take it out of the gig bag to plug in and notice two things. 1) He's taken it on himself to adjust my truss rod so that there's more relief in the neck. 2) There was a chip out of the blue paint on the headstock right at the recess for the truss rod. The pic below shows why this would be noticeable.

Repair guy has already left for the day, so I ask the guy behind the counter for an Allen wrench to straighten the neck back out. That's when I notice that 3) the very end of the truss rod's hexagonal receiver is chewed up.

Before I took this instrument in to this guy, I could quickly and securely slip an Allen wrench in between the strings and make small adjustments to the the relief. Now I have to spend time finding a good spot for purchase instead of worsening the wear on the part.

I'm casual friends with the owner of the store, so I told him not to worry about things. They were doing me a favor in the first place. I'd touch up the paint with nail polish and live with the truss rod. After all, it's a cheap bass. But it doesn't look, feel or play like a cheap bass, and for the most part the pickup installation seems to have been done competently, so it doesn't sound like a cheap bass now, either.

Now I've sat on this for a couple of days, I'm tempted to take the instrument back and get at least some of the money returned that I'd paid for the installation. I didn't ask for a free setup, I just wanted it re-strung after the upgrade. I've had to spend time tweaking the truss rod, the pickup height, the intonation on the bridge and I'll have to spend a little time and money on the paint and eventually replacing the end cap on the truss rod. Does at least a partial refund sound fair?

This is a tough case of politics. He should have replaced the truss rod nut, at a minimum. Whether or not you want them to do touch up work on the finish is something that you would have to decide. The first thing to ask yourself is, what is the goal of the action? The other thing to ask yourself is that, if you achieve your goal it is worth the time and effort you will put into to it?

Most of it depends on your existing relationship with the store owner. Does he try to meet your needs? Does he sell things that you use and does he do it at a discount that is good for your budget? Do you need to do business with him in the future? Because what is really at risk for you is whether or not you will be able to walk back into his store if the negotiation fails.

You have already made him aware of the problem and exonerated him when you said, "...not to worry about it". If you go back to him now and tell him it's still bugging you he may be sympathetic. Or he may decide you're a flake. Or he may show you the street.

There are a couple of lessons here. Obviously, don't use his repair shop again. Secondly, until you are confident in the quality of any shop's work, always inspect the work before you leave the shop. You don't have to be a jerk when you do it. Be discreet, and admire what they do right. Don't be afraid to ask questions, as it helps establish a rapport with the tech(s). But more importantly, don't be so quick to let them off the hook when you see there is a problem.

One last observation: It doesn't matter if it's an inexpensive Rondo or a five thousand dollar Bassmaster V6.2 with the hand rubbed nitro-polyester-oil finish and kung fu grip. Once the price for the repair is established, it is also understood that the work will be of the best quality. The price of the repair or of the instrument doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the repair.