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Just wanting some opinions...

Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by vegas532, Jan 7, 2009.

  1. Jan 7, 2009 #1
    vegas532

    vegas532

    Nov 10, 2006
    Pensacola, FL.
    I had a bass commissioned by Eric's Guitars in Van Nuys last year. After being paid in full and a six month wait, he built me a bass with the wrong pickups. I wanted him to put single coils in it and he put in humbuckers. I wanted him to recut the body (not reroute it like he offered to do) and I had him change the body slightly. Today was more than a year after the original (with a 90 day completion promise) order and after all was said and done, he charged me an additinional sum of money (a rather large one) for:

    A) the new body
    B) the new paint job and
    C) tried to charge me for the correct pickups that were in the original order!
    D) labor

    I feel that I was totally ripped off since he screwed up the original order, but I like to keep my integrity and paid it anyway.

    Am I completely insane for having done so, and do you guys feel he sould've eaten the cost?

    Opinions are appreciated...and let this be a warning for his custom work. He's a great tech, I'll give him that...but c'mon!! :scowl:
     
  2. Jan 7, 2009 #2
    RobertPaulson

    RobertPaulson

    Dec 11, 2008
    Des Moines
    Were the body and paint he initially built for you not up to spec?
     
  3. Jan 7, 2009 #3
    vegas532

    vegas532

    Nov 10, 2006
    Pensacola, FL.
    The paint job (and a fairly poor one) was what I asked for, but his solution to getting the pickups wrong was to cut routes for a pair of G&L single coils (which I initially ordered) after the body was already completed with G&L humbuckers (which I didn't)...So in my opininon, not the body.
     
  4. Jan 7, 2009 #4
    RobertPaulson

    RobertPaulson

    Dec 11, 2008
    Des Moines
    The fact that it was poorly done suck, but i'd say that could go either way. It sounds like he ****ed up the body, there is no way I would have payed him to fix something that he screwed up in the first place. Honestly I probably would have called the whole contract null and void and if he didn't refund my money I would have taken him to small claims. I have a pretty short fuse when it comes to people ****ing me over.
     
  5. Jan 7, 2009 #5
    Jay Terrien

    Jay Terrien

    Dec 2, 2003
    LOS ANGELES, CA
    It doesn't sound like he got the custom order right at all. In this case, he should simply start over and fix the errors. Ughhhh.....
     
  6. Jan 7, 2009 #6
    Blake Bass

    Blake Bass

    Jan 10, 2006
    Houston, Texas
    That does suck, but I don't understand why people spend their hard earned money on custom basses that are basically a crap shoot when there are so many great basses available right off of the shelf. Roscoe, Sadowsky, Lakland, MTD, Zon, etc..
     
  7. Jan 7, 2009 #7
    mikeswals

    mikeswals Supporting Member

    Nov 18, 2002
    Seattle / Tacoma
    I wouldn't have accepted an incorrect build, and I sure as heck wouldn't have given him a dime more to fix his own screw up.

    But on a side note...when you accepted the first build, why didn't you just have a coil tap switch installed?
     
  8. Jan 7, 2009 #8
    Slackerprince

    Slackerprince

    Aug 7, 2008
    State of Hockey
    Do you have documentation of the initial order?
    He was contracted to build to certain specs, if he didn't, then he didn't fulfill the contract.
    If you're not happy, negotiate it out.
    Good luck, and always get documentation of every step of everything, every time.

    S.
     
  9. Jan 8, 2009 #9
    koobie

    koobie

    Jul 11, 2007
    Portland OR
    Was your order in writing? If so, did the builder deviate from it? If so, end of story. If not, it's your word against his.

    As a general rule I would never pay 100% up front for goods or services. Ever. After all, what incentive does the vendor have to meet a deadline or redo work if he's already paid in full? None.
     
  10. Jan 8, 2009 #10
    vegas532

    vegas532

    Nov 10, 2006
    Pensacola, FL.
    Ever since acquiring an old G&L SB-2, I've fallen madly in love with those G&L single coils. Those are the pickups I specifically wanted in my bass, they're waaay better than the standard G&L humbuckers.
     
  11. Jan 8, 2009 #11
    stflbn

    stflbn

    May 10, 2007
    Nashville
    I'd think some or much of the blame needs to fall on both sides. Him for not keeping you up to date during the build to avoid problems and you for not forcing contact and info on the build as it went on.

    There's no way I could pay for a custom build and not see a sketched up piece of wood before routing pickups and verifying what was being done prior to it being done each step of the way.


    .
     
  12. Jan 8, 2009 #12
    vegas532

    vegas532

    Nov 10, 2006
    Pensacola, FL.
    The problem is I tried to communicate. In true snobbish Angelino fashion, he would have his assistant "field my calls", wouldn't return my messages, or just tell him he's too busy to talk. There is a certain sub-group of LA techs that treat stars like stars and laymen like crap...and he's the worst offender of this mentality that I've personally ever seen in my life.

    Some people think that Bob Bradshaw is like this, but Eric makes him seem like a down-to-earth guy! :rollno: