You're not anywhere near the "middle". The Ibanez 4 string line currently on both GC and Sweetwater's lists goes from $2400 to $200. That would put "middle" around $1100, you're 1/3 of that.
I wish you the best finding a perfect $350 band new bass.
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NDB Blues, Ibanez body finish question...
- Thread starter zenabi
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You're not anywhere near the "middle". The Ibanez 4 string line currently on both GC and Sweetwater's lists goes from $2400 to $200. That would put "middle" around $1100, you're 1/3 of that.
I wish you the best finding a perfect $350 band new bass.
Everyone has their own expectations, of course, and if it seriously bothers you, send it back.
I just know that for me, instruments (even my high end custom builds) are tools and get a certain amount of normal wear and tear. That’s probably why most of the “production” instruments I buy are used, so I don’t have to fret about putting the first ding or scratch on them!
I just know that for me, instruments (even my high end custom builds) are tools and get a certain amount of normal wear and tear. That’s probably why most of the “production” instruments I buy are used, so I don’t have to fret about putting the first ding or scratch on them!
I think this sort of comes with the territory for these kinds of jack recesses. If it doesn't have that chip when it gets to you, you'll get to do it yourself in relatively short order.
FWIW, I've only owned natural finish Ibanez basses in the past, but I always found their guitar finishes to relatively prone to chipping compared to other brands unfortunately.
FWIW, I've only owned natural finish Ibanez basses in the past, but I always found their guitar finishes to relatively prone to chipping compared to other brands unfortunately.
That’s a bad design to expect paint to hold up to use for even a week with sharp edges like that. I don’t know what could be done to try and prevent future damage other than to cut some electrical tape into strips to cover the hard edges.
Ibanez used to put hard plastic in those at one point to protect the edges but they dont do it anymore to my knowledge:
+1
Funnily enough I just brought home the 5 string model like, an hour ago, from GC and it also had some imperfect finish issues in the jack cavity. It's kind of a funky cavity, hard to plug in and out of. Not a deal breaker for me personally... I'll fill it in with marker or paint if I care.
Have you ever played a Rickenbacker 4003? Janky paint = part of the charm! Heh
That’s a good idea and one the OP maybe able to do with very thin walled plastic tubing or pipe. Maybe even a toy plastic baseball bat from the dollar store or something similar ?. The Edges of the plastic could be touched up black with a Sharpie.
True, unfortunately. Particularly that "Brown mahogany" stain they used on the SR500's that almost universally chips off at points of contact. It was essentially Minwax Polyshades, which is just tinted varnish. The stain stays in suspension, never soaking into the wood, so any chip goes right back to bare wood. I'm fine with wear and tear, as long as it's ME that puts it there in normal use. I think most people would be pissed off if their brand new car was delivered with a scratch in the hood, not sure why the expectation should be any different on a relative scale. Again, the careful QC process every guitar manufacturer claims to adhere to is either reality or BS, in this case it looks like BS.
I would not be happy with that on a brand new bass. I have an Ibanez gio that was less than $200 new, and it was flawless when I got it. I also have quite a few Harley Benton guitars and basses that were all way cheaper than $350, and none of them had any finish issues.
I don’t see where the OP deserves any ridicule for expecting a $350 bass to be unscathed when he received it.
I don’t see where the OP deserves any ridicule for expecting a $350 bass to be unscathed when he received it.
I used a camera to show the issue, not a microscope. I started the thread and I am responding to comments. How is that arguing exactly?
Exactly. The retail industry I worked in, I sold electrical items from under £100 to over £30k each. Other than the odd one-off here and there, I can only think of one product where there were numerous issues, but it was down to poor packaging and they used to get damaged quite easily. But after the first issue, every one of them was then opened and checked, so customers did not have the hassle of receiving a damaged item and having to get it collected and replaced.
When I see imperfections such as this, the first thing that pops in my head is, 'I smell discount!'.
Generally, they don't want that bass back.
Generally, they don't want that bass back.
Thanks. I have also purchased a couple of much cheaper basses and not had any issues with them, as well as similarly priced models from Ibanez a couple of years ago. Unfortunately the prices have gone up in the past year or so, while quality control has gone down. They are currently producing less basses because of supply shortages, so it shouldn't be difficult to keep up the quality with previous years.
I must admit, I feel quite disappointed with some of the comments. It's one thing to post an opinion, but I don't see the need for getting personal or judgemental about things.
The Dealer has been great, they offered a replacement or refund, but it will take a few weeks or so to get stock. So, not really wanting to wait, I did ask the question about a partial refund and I was offered 10% back, but I don't feel it's worth it.
As a final thought and to add some context...
I suppose if I was as wealthy as others who see this as acceptable, I would prefer to let it go and not have the hassle. But it's not like I have excess cash floating around and just decided to drop money on this because I had nothing better to do.
With very little income right now, I have managed to save a little and also sold some things to get the money together to buy some bass guitars that I hoped would bring some joy in to my life. A new challenge. Something to keep my mind occupied. To help with my mental health and well-being. Something that I've wanted to do for many years, but just never managed to.
So receiving a damaged bass guitar was disheartening, to say the least.
Anyway, I'll just let this thread die now, as I've learnt enough to know not to bother in future.
I suppose if I was as wealthy as others who see this as acceptable, I would prefer to let it go and not have the hassle. But it's not like I have excess cash floating around and just decided to drop money on this because I had nothing better to do.
With very little income right now, I have managed to save a little and also sold some things to get the money together to buy some bass guitars that I hoped would bring some joy in to my life. A new challenge. Something to keep my mind occupied. To help with my mental health and well-being. Something that I've wanted to do for many years, but just never managed to.
So receiving a damaged bass guitar was disheartening, to say the least.
Anyway, I'll just let this thread die now, as I've learnt enough to know not to bother in future.
Yep, lotsa variables involved when it comes to scenarios and opinions. You're doing what's best for you, and that's what is important.
Nah dude, I'm on the fence to what I'd do in your position. I would probably take the discount and let it go as it doesn't bother me that much, but that's me spending my money. I like my new purchases to be perfect and my decision would also be based on whether I really liked it otherwise* and what the lead time would for a replacement from the store you purchased from, or whether available from another store. I also live in a small rural town a bit off the main highways so repacking and returning is a PITA which would factor into the decision as well.
I pray you find another you're happy with after you return this one. As this is one of those personal decisions, I'd ignore the peanut gallery, me included, and do what you think is right for you.
* I own 6 SRs, so likely, yes.
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