SX (essex) fretless with damaged varnish on the fretboard...

[Jumpno]

Hi all!

So I just picked up my brand spanking new fretless SX Ursa 2 today. HOWEVER, when I opened it up when I got home the fingerboard had some damaged parts where the varnish was either completely missing, or looked like it had been hit by something and was compressed in.

Normally, I dont think this would be a big deal, as it is something that can be returned and I'm sure they would fix that up. BUT I live in Canada, and it is a half decent road trip down to the P.O. box in Washington state to pick up / drop off the bass to return it (International shipping is way too much these days, and is impeding).

So as for fixing it up, does anybody know how much a job like this would cost to get professionally done (I know i cant get an exact number, but a shot in the dark would be appreciated )? Or is it an easy fix by myself?

I have attached pictures, but my camera is currently hiding somewhere beyond my reach, so I have to resort to my webcam sorry!

[Hopkins]

Being that is probably a poly finish, I doubt you could drop fill those spots and sand it flush. So to correctly repair it it would require refinishing the whole neck.

You will be better off just making the drive and exchanging it.

[Turnaround]

Given that this is a brand new bass, I think it should be covered under warranty. Most brands that I service will pay for the job to be done locally rather than pay shipping to them and back. And you are certainly entitled to have them pay every cost to make it like new - shipping, brokerage, etc.

Contact the vendor and see what they will do for you. If the answer is not satisfactory, contact the manufacturer.

As far as repair is concerned, this problem can be corrected by a competent tech and be essentially invisible and every bit as good as new. But don't leave it uncorrected - it will only get worse.

[Jumpno]

Yeah if things fall through with the dealer, Ill call up visa and take advantage of their insurance. Thanks for the tips! I think ill try to return it, though it is just SUCH a pain in the butt, as i have to make a 4 hour road trip *sigh* Suppose its worth it though.

Im still waiting for a reply though, things will probably be sorted by tomorrow

[bassbenj]

Originally Posted by Jumpno

Yeah if things fall through with the dealer, Ill call up visa and take advantage of their insurance. Thanks for the tips! I think ill try to return it, though it is just SUCH a pain in the butt, as i have to make a 4 hour road trip *sigh* Suppose its worth it though.

Im still waiting for a reply though, things will probably be sorted by tomorrow

I presume you got this from Rondo which has a "no questions" easy return policy. They'll send a new one pronto.

But given that this is only an SX one might ask how the frets are? If this were mine, (and including the road-trip shipping hassle) I'd be trying to decide if there was any damage to the frets that caused that chipping.

If so, if the frets weren't perfect, that bass would be going back. But because there is a certain amount of luck involved in buying an SX if every thing else was perfect (wood grain, hardware, general care in construction etc.) I might have a go at fixing the missing finish.

What that takes would be to fill in the bad places with clear epoxy. Usually this is best even though the finish is poly because of the thickness of the SX poly. It leaves pretty deep voids when peeled. I just put a dab of epoxy in the bad spot and cover it with clear shipping tape to produce a decent matching surface to surrounding finish.

Then when hard, (may take several applications to get it built up just right) you file/sand the whole thing smooth as you can. And finally I apply several coats of minwax poly urethane rub-on gloss until I get an nice finish that matches the rest.

There will be some "step" from one finish to the other, so if you want perfect you need to buff the whole thing out with an electric drill and one of those sheepskin deals it will look decent. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. I've fixed a few basses like this that had some major dings and gouges.

Personally I'd just ship it back unless I was really, really tickled about everything else about it.

[testing1two]

Originally Posted by bassbenj

I presume you got this from Rondo which has a "no questions" easy return policy. They'll send a new one pronto.

But given that this is only an SX one might ask how the frets are? If this were mine, (and including the road-trip shipping hassle) I'd be trying to decide if there was any damage to the frets that caused that chipping.

I believe the frets are completely missing!

[phmike]

It's fretless and the damage probably won't affect the playability -
Figure the cost of gas to drive 4hrs (twice?), shipping cost to you/Rondo, hassle, etc -
I'd ask Rondo for some credit back on your card instead of driving/shipping and then play the doo-doo outta your new (but slightly blemished) bass.