Fender Customer Service Experience

[40Hz]

There’s a bit more to running a genuine custom shop than just setting up a small operation in some obscure corner of your plant where guys in cool leather woodworking aprons and fine wood tool chests loaded with their carefully curated collection of antique tools ply their craft skills.

“Custom shop” also involves personalized service, attention to detail, rapid problem resolution and good communications.

I tend to shy away from “custom shops” operated by companies whose main business is mass producing affordable products. Too many times it’s just a side ‘hobby’ type operation set up to make a few of their most senior craftsman happy enough to not completely retire from the company.

I’m sure Fender does offer a true custom shop experience - just not to every custom shop customer. Fender is a big company. Huge. Gigantic. So the bigger your name, and the more willing you are to promote their products, I think the better your custom shop experience will be. For the ordinary Joe or Jane (with the money to spend) who orders a custom shop instrument, I think the experience may well be very different.

I suspect it’s very like the situation you’ll run into with some (not all - but some) ultra-upscale boutique shops you’ll find in NYC and other big cities. Walking in with nothing but the cash to spend won’t impress them one iota. All their customers have plenty of that. And while (most) will be willing to sell you something, you’re not exactly the customer they’re looking for. And they certainly won’t care if you never come back.

 

[davidchampoux]

When someone takes a year to build something, that might be OK - assuming you knew that going in. But if they mess something up, and it takes a year to fix their mistake? That's NOT OK.

Exactly!!

 

[FFEJY]

I got rid of the giant Fender P neck on this new Vintera 50s P, and replaced it with a superior Chinese Squier Classic Vibe Chinese P neck. The gold foil Squier logo even looks better and matches the pickguard. A huge improvement. I suggest you try it. The NOS neck was$149 and was headache-free.

 

[Lownote38]

Great idea. Probably 10 years ago (maybe even more), I had a '98 Epiphone Jack Casady in Vintage Sunburst. The little round disk for the Vari-tone selector switch was missing. No big deal, but I wanted to get a replacement.

I went to Guitar Center and they ordered the replacement for me. A month or two went by. Crickets. The G.C. guy kept saying he wasn't able to get any updates.

So I wrote a letter to Gibson's CEO, Henry Juskiewicz explaining the delay and asking why it was so difficult getting that small part. A couple days later (barely enough time for them to have gotten the letter), I got a phone call from a guy at Gibson. He told me that Mr. Juskiewicz was not happy about the hassles and delay I was experiencing, and told him to take care of the matter immediately. The guy told me that he would be sending me the disc at no charge to me.

Sure enough, a few days later I received the disc. But not only did I get the disc, I also received a very nice coffee table book about the history of Gibson instruments.

I've read a lot of criticisms of Henry Juskiewicz. But I can only speak of my experience, in which he went above and beyond to ensure I was taken care of, and was happy with their customer service. Simply outstanding. So yes, write that letter and give it a try. It sure can't hurt...

Outstanding on your end, but the delay was most likely caused by a policy put in place by Henry (which he never would have admitted). Your letter most likely got a few innocent people fired after Henry went into a toddler rage about something that was his fault in the first place. That's how Gibson worked under his rule.

 

[Lowendchamp]

Did someone really just say superior and Chinese in the same sentence? I think some people in Mexico would disagree but hey to each their own I guess.

 

[40Hz]

Did someone really just say superior and Chinese in the same sentence? I think some people in Mexico would disagree but hey to each their own I guess.

I have a few 2014 MIC CV Squiers. Both the necks on those are decidedly superior in build quality and feel to their MIM counterparts, which I also own.

So based on my own experiences as an owner/player, I have to think it’s not a stretch to say ‘superior’ and ‘MIC’ in the same sentence.

 

[FFEJY]

Did someone really just say superior and Chinese in the same sentence?

Yes.

 

[makanudo]

Did someone really just say superior and Chinese in the same sentence? I think some people in Mexico would disagree but hey to each their own I guess.

I have a few 2014 MIC CV Squiers. Both the necks on those are decidedly superior in build quality and feel to their MIM counterparts, which I also own.

So based on my own experiences as an owner/player, I have to think it’s not a stretch to say ‘superior’ and ‘MIC’ in the same sentence.

Say what you will about old MIC stuff. I'm born in 92 so by the time I got my asian made instruments it was 2009 for an Ibanez SR505, Squier CV 70s J and Harley Benton MB5 this year 2021.

I can't speak for the old days but I can certainly vouch for the love the CV series is getting in this thread. And it is currently made in Indonesia in the Cort factory where like 80-90% of instruments sold worldwide get made.

You're free to choose your country of origin for whatever you purchase. But I would be damned if Asian manufacture practices aren't at least on par with anything here in America. At least in the niche where musical instruments are.

Not only is asian manufacture culture way different than over here (hey we still use 5S, Kaisen and all that Japanese manuacture principles), CNC machines work the same way worldwide and AFAIK Copper wire and Magnets don't work differently around the globe.

I'm sorry, it's not a Fender hate comment. I'm genuenly sorry OP is having a crappy time with a Bass that should make him happy for a lifetime. But IMO it's our (customers in general) fault that Fender is pretty much the Apple of the music industry. People will flock to whatever offering has "The logo/name" on it regardless of the quality/value/reason to be sold anyway.

And for the price of the MIA Fender ultra/custom shop instruments you could be getting so much more value elsewhere if you just look past the MIx tag.

I don't see people snobing on iPhones because they're made in china.

 

[Dave Hill]

I’m going to go and hug my Sadowsky.

 

[Mastermold]

This is the scariest thing in this thread to me. While a custom shop is not necessarily about better instruments (usually it' s just that you want something different than the standard offering), Fender definitely tries to differentiate their custom shop as a cut above their standard production. That, to me, would definitely include enough attention to details that the things coming from there should be bulletproof. If half of the instruments coming from there need additional support, that's just not good.

I guess pre-CBS is still the only way to go!

 

[micguy]

I guess pre-CBS is still the only way to go!

Pre CBS Fenders are worth a lot, so long as the nostalgia market holds up. A few of them are even decent musical instruments.

If you really want a great playing "Fender" for that kind of money, though, there are a bunch of folks who make them - they just don't say Fender on the headstock.

 

[Mastermold]

Pre CBS Fenders are worth a lot, so long as the nostalgia market holds up. A few of them are even decent musical instruments.

If you really want a great playing "Fender" for that kind of money, though, there are a bunch of folks who make them - they just don't say Fender on the headstock.

I own and have owned too many P-basses in my life and the best P-bass of the bunch is a ‘64 but if I were to get a new one today it would say Mike Lull on the headstock.

 

[micguy]

I own and have owned too many P-basses in my life and the best P-bass of the bunch is a ‘64 but if I were to get a new one today it would say Mike Lull on the headstock.

A reasonable approach. Mine have my initials on the headstock (I build my own, and literally sign my work). I'm sure Mike makes stellar basses, but oddly I know exactly what I want better than anyone out there.

 

[Mastermold]

A reasonable approach. Mine have my initials on the headstock (I build my own, and literally sign my work). I'm sure Mike makes stellar basses, but oddly I know exactly what I want better than anyone out there.

Before he passed away I used to see Mike every year at the winter NAMM show and always enjoyed playing his instruments. He was a good guy who loved his work and made great stuff, and I hear the folks at the company are continuing with his legacy.

 

[Bikeguy57]

Say what you will about old MIC stuff. I'm born in 92 so by the time I got my asian made instruments it was 2009 for an Ibanez SR505, Squier CV 70s J and Harley Benton MB5 this year 2021.

I can't speak for the old days but I can certainly vouch for the love the CV series is getting in this thread. And it is currently made in Indonesia in the Cort factory where like 80-90% of instruments sold worldwide get made.

You're free to choose your country of origin for whatever you purchase. But I would be damned if Asian manufacture practices aren't at least on par with anything here in America. At least in the niche where musical instruments are.

Not only is asian manufacture culture way different than over here (hey we still use 5S, Kaisen and all that Japanese manuacture principles), CNC machines work the same way worldwide and AFAIK Copper wire and Magnets don't work differently around the globe.

I'm sorry, it's not a Fender hate comment. I'm genuenly sorry OP is having a crappy time with a Bass that should make him happy for a lifetime. But IMO it's our (customers in general) fault that Fender is pretty much the Apple of the music industry. People will flock to whatever offering has "The logo/name" on it regardless of the quality/value/reason to be sold anyway.

And for the price of the MIA Fender ultra/custom shop instruments you could be getting so much more value elsewhere if you just look past the MIx tag.

I don't see people snobing on iPhones because they're made in china.

And...We're off...Again!

 

[Black Out Jazz]

This is the scariest thing in this thread to me. While a custom shop is not necessarily about better instruments (usually it' s just that you want something different than the standard offering), Fender definitely tries to differentiate their custom shop as a cut above their standard production. That, to me, would definitely include enough attention to details that the things coming from there should be bulletproof. If half of the instruments coming from there need additional support, that's just not good.

Yep that post convinced me I never need a CS bass.

 

[TrustRod]

I suspect it’s very like the situation you’ll run into with some (not all - but some) ultra-upscale boutique shops you’ll find in NYC and other big cities. Walking in with nothing but the cash to spend won’t impress them one iota. All their customers have plenty of that. And while (most) will be willing to sell you something, you’re not exactly the customer they’re looking for. And they certainly won’t care if you never come back.

We all have different experiences and mine is just one case but both Ken Lawrence and Mike Tobias treat me like a rock star and I have nothing to offer them except the price they ask. Though I have definitely seen what you're talking about in other builders.

I lost all respect for the Fender CS when I saw an article with a photo of a master builder shown picking through a stack of bodies to choose one for his "masterbuild". I have seen the same flaws in the CS that I see in normal Fender products that I think of the CS the way I do that Supreme label.

 

[TrustRod]

Did someone really just say superior and Chinese in the same sentence?

Over a few decades of dealing with manufacturers in the US and China I prefer to work with the Chinese for price and quality. Many American companies feel the same way.

 

[TrustRod]

I guess pre-CBS is still the only way to go!

My 1985 Tokai was one of the best pre CBS Fenders I ever played.

That's kinda funny because they also made "real" Fenders and not just the blatant copy I had.

 

[gwangi]

I would like to start by saying, this is not a smear campaign. It’s just my personal experience and I wanted to share it with anyone who might be looking to buy or order a Fender Custom Shop.
In early 2020, I purchased my dream Fender; a Postmodern Precision Bass. And did I ever get lucky. It was everything I’ve ever wanted in a Precision Bass; a beautiful quarter sawn neck with a 1.5 nut width, light weight, perfectly balanced, and sounds just like a P bass should. I have owned many vintage Fender Precisions and for what I’m looking for, this one knocked it out of the park. After I initially setup the bass to my personal preference, I noticed the neck would move very quickly (within a couple of days) into an up bow. I own many basses, both new and vintage, so I didn’t panic or think much of it initially. I’m aware the neck will need time to acclimate and settle. However, it never really did. I would even find myself adjusting the truss rod between sets at gigs. The truss rod is now officially maxed out and will not budge. The neck has way more relief than I would ever want and it is no longer a pleasure to play.
So I reached out to The Custom Shop (this part of the story is very long. I will spare you a lot of the details). I work in the industry and CC'd all the appropriate contacts, both at Fender and at the Custom Shop. No response for two weeks. I finally received a response that wasn’t directed to me, but was merely an email passing the buck to another employee, with me CC’d. After many follow up emails and phone calls, I spoke to someone at Fender that basically told me I had to send the whole bass back to them and I would be without the bass for 4-6 months while they fixed the neck. I replied with, “Ok. The neck is obviously weak and would fixing it involve adding washers to the truss rod so it can continue to be adjusted? And does 4-6 months without the bass really mean closer to a year?” His reply was, “Yes, probably.” I asked if they could just replace the neck like they would if it was an American Pro. I was informed that they will not do that with Custom Shop instruments. After another couple of weeks, and another couple of emails that were basically ignored, I was told they will be sending the proper documents to have the bass sent back and they will potentially build me a new neck. I thought, okay, fair enough. I will send the bass back and wait to see what happens. However, at this point, I still haven’t received the email with the proper documentation to return the bass to Fender. I have reached out twice to inquire about the documents. I received one reply, again passing the buck and blaming another department on the delay. At this point, I would have sent the bass back as defective and requested a credit, except that I love this bass so much (when it's properly set). I am very disappointed and saddened with this entire situation. I honestly don’t know if I ever want to play any of my Fender basses on stage again. I have played Fender basses for over twenty-five years, and I genuinely love them. However, this lack of customer service has changed a lot for me. I am going on 7 weeks now and my bass is still at the shop waiting to be sent back. Don’t think that you will get premium or even adequate service from Fender just because you paid a premium price.

I’m aware that the pandemic has affected everyone and that most companies may be short staffed, but I expected a lot more from Fender’s Premium line.

Sorry for your BS thru Fender Custom Shop, did this ever get worked out?