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I feel genuinely dissapointed.

#41
For the OP - this is an important lesson that I learned the hard way too. If you find a bass that speaks to you - as the first bass did in this example - you simply buy it and resolve any issues that may be encountered as part of the new ownership. For every GREAT instrument in a particular model line there are 6 average instruments and 3 dogs. You had a GREAT one in your hands. See what you can do to get it back. Couldn't hurt to offer return shipping on the dog you have to make the deal happen if they are reluctant. At the end of the day it will be worth it. I'll bet you will be pleasantly surprised that they will be happy to send the other bass back to you to finish the deal.

I passed on a Precision Bass Special that was used and abused many years ago. That bass needed a TON of work. It was overpriced. The repairs would have added significantly to the cost of the instrument and it never would have been a collector grade instrument. It was the BEST P-Bass I ever played bar none. I wish I didn't have my head up my a$$ when I was looking at it and simply bought it. Lesson learned....
 
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#45
tb4sbp said:
A pick up problem is not a big deal compared to finding that 'right' bass
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mouthmw said:
If the bass otherwise felt great, it should have been a keeper
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Spidey2112 said:
You get three darts... two have been used. Make the next one count.
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good luck, OP! :thumbsup:
 
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#46
ElectricBass72 said:
Your experiences differ from mine. My overall disappointment has been around 5% or probably less in online purchases. Maybe I'm lucky? I've been buying online since the mid '00's. Last time I bought an instrument in a guitar store was in 2001... it was a BC Rich guitar. I've never had any kind of cosmetic blemish on any instrument I've bought online. I guess it depends on who you buy from. Musicians Friend and AMS have been golden for me.

I can post pics of all my "online" basses and guitars... still in borderline mint condition, and some were bought as early as 2004. I had two of my guitars, a Carvin 7-string and Mexican Fender Strat, recently worked on by a local tech. Other than that... only minor adjustments for intonation, etc... were needed on basses and guitars.
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It's less about expectation/reality of imperfections that I'd readily see in person purchase, which is Not as Bad as it could be (they try their hardest to send good stuff) (Although I maintain it's healthy to not get your expectations up realizing accidents happen) And it's less so with basses and guitars that are relatively simple mass produced things...
It would be more inconceivable to buy a top level violin or a saxophone, flute or a trumpet without trying the same model in store at least preferably the actual instrument. Especially with violin/cello/viola etc., these things are made one at a time and vary greatly one to another. Minute differences make for huge differences in physical playing characteristics and tone and an advanced player sure can tell. Not a beginner...random selection is fine until they get many years into it.

Something I know about, trumpets, it isn't uncommon to buy on a pilgrimage (like to NYC or a horn store like Dillons in NJ) where you try every instrument in stock to find the "Good One." I have a friend who owns a Bach Strad 37 a local professional assessed against every horn in the store, and you know, it Is one of the good ones.

I also wouldn't buy 3rd world instruments without playing them. I own clay ocarenas from Peru, Indonesian ankalang, talking drums (Ghana), Indian Been and Dholak, Tibetan Gyaling, none of these would I buy on line because they are probably tourist junk. With the ocarenas sometimes I had to try 3 or 4 to find one with great sound because they are tourist junk but some play pretty well, some don't play at all.

Every once in a while here someone writes about how they bought the Ideal bass on paper, they get it via UPS etc., and it doesn't sound as good as old Bessie in the cellar, it's has no spirit...and it goes un-played. Maybe trying in person would be good for bass players too.
 
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#49
I think you may still have options with the store. For example, I imagine you can still return it. You could probably try to go down the road of asking them to repair the original, but to be honest, that sounds like exactly the type of situation that turns into a months-long logistical nightmare where you follow-up a million times with people who don't really care about your problem.

If you don't/can't return the silver one, buy a new set of strings and pay a good luthier to give it a proper set up. There's a very good chance you will like the results. And that's a cost you should incur from time to time anyway, as opposed to paying for a repair out of the box.
 
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#56
Yeah, OP is definitely entitled to that blue one being fixed and returned to him by the store IMO. The silver one sounds like it was probably returned by someone or was some lemon or dud the store was trying to get rid of. Upside is the blue one will be covered under warranty and even if Fender won't fix it, there are TONS of drop-in solutions that wouldn't even require soldering in some cases. Your dream bass can be realized, don't fret about it! ;):thumbsup:
 
#57
Richard Martin said:
Ummm... No. 2 weeks ago the tone pot in my Fender Aerodyne started getting scratchy. It wasn't what I'd call a cheap bass so I wondered why it was doing this after only 2.5 years of use. I figured that I'd just lube with some Deoxit and everything would be fine. I was still wondering why it was getting scratchy already. I popped the cover off of the back and much to my surprise there were cheap JS pots in there. These pots go for 69 cents all day long. I expected CTS pots. Since an upgrade was in order, I thought that I'd take a look at the pickups. There was no identification anywhere on them and they weren't potted. I had noticed a tendency for the guitar to feedback at higher levels and now I know why.

Now the Aerodyne is fitted with CTS brass shafted pots, an orange drop cap and Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounders.
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The OP has a Players series not an Aerodyne. The stock pickups are basic Fender Alnico and they sound great. I have a Players Precision and the stock pickup sounds as good as any of my other more expensive Precisions.
 
#59
I'm with most of the others here. If it was purchased new from a retailer it should be fully warranted - it's not your fault it arrived defective and you shouldn't be made to settle for the silver if it doesn't suit you.

It may be a PITA for you with shipping back and forth and what-not, but in the end but the manufacturer should be responsible, as it seems the dealer cannot fulfill your needs. I would fight any additional charges either one of them may try to stick you with. At the end of the day you spent your money on a specific product that was expected to work perfectly and you shouldn't be made to settle for anything less.
 
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#60
It's a pain but you can't change the wood and it's the last one in that color. I bought a MIM P Bass in 2007 and the pickup stopped working within a month. I had to wait a while for a replacement to come in, but the store replaced the pickup under warranty and I still own the bass.

If the Tidepool one is the one you want, then that's the one you should get - repaired is just fine!
 

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