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OK, I've gone from disappointed to a bit angry.

#61
I have to say it's been a while since I bought a new bass (last was my Squier CV Matt Freeman P, which is awesome). I tend to go for used because the lower cost makes me far less intolerant of blemishes, dings, and other such flaws. I agree with the hands-on approach, but Sweetwater is pretty good. They give you pictures of THE bass you are buying along with the serial number and weight. If you wanted to spend over $1k on a bass, I'd look to them for the purchase.
 
#62
Back around February - March of this year, I bought a Schecter Ultracure VI through MF - new, not open box or blemished, and the fingerboard was absolutely shredded at the 12th fret. It shouldn't have left the factory like that, it shouldn't have left the warehouse like that, but all the same it ended up with me. No, didn't take any photos. It was frustrating, but at least they took it back and refunded me promptly.

I can totally see the OP having a less than killer experience ordering online. Here's hoping they make it right for you.

It's been a weird year for buying instruments.
 
#63
Jonithen said:
Back around February - March of this year, I bought a Schecter Ultracure VI through MF - new, not open box or blemished, and the fingerboard was absolutely shredded at the 12th fret. It shouldn't have left the factory like that, it shouldn't have left the warehouse like that, but all the same it ended up with me. No, didn't take any photos. It was frustrating, but at least they took it back and refunded me promptly.

I can totally see the OP having a less than killer experience ordering online. Here's hoping they make it right for you.

It's been a weird year for buying instruments.
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MF offered a prompt refund and emailed a return shipping label, so they did the right thing....,once they got called out for shipping a blemished item.
 
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#71
bikeplate said:
Have a small, hands on luthier make you a j or p to your specs. Not cheap but all your disappointments will be squashed
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Good call! Here's my shameless plug -

I had Jerome @ Little Guitar Works | Handcrafted Ergonomic Basses and Guitars build me the J bass I've always wanted. I decided everything down to the smallest detail, and no detail was assumed.
(32" scale, swamp ash 1 piece body, maple neck w/pau ferro fb, hipshot everything and nordy nj4se pups...weight 7 lbs. 6 oz.)

Honestly, I've seen J basses from others have a starting price much higher than what I paid.
 
#72
+1 for Sweetwater, bought an amp from them and it arrived double boxed, a professional folder with invoice in it and who to call if there are any issues.

I bought a cab from MF, arrived with the box bashed in on the corner, cab was dented. They wanted me to make a claim with UPS instead of doing a return. I no longer do business with the mf's at MF.

I bought a bass from zzounds, great experience and service.
 
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#76
musician's friend has taken good care of me since 1996 when they sent me out a bass with NO relief and then paid the luthier to adjust the truss rod and give me a setup. since then whenever something's wrong, they've been very responsive. are they perfect? no - things go out that shouldn't, but at no cost to me, and so far they've always made things right.

i'd have simply contacted them and gotten another exchange, but then my experiences with them have always been good.

no company is perfect, not fender, not anyone. i know most people have great experiences at sweetwater, but my only purchase from sweetwater went wrong. i ordered a practice amp that was supposed to kick back, but the one that arrived didn't. i called "my" rep, who told me to email support and gave me an email address. i never heard from them, and emailed several times. i ended up selling the amp at a small loss and didn't hear from sweetwater till they assigned me a new rep who pushed me for a while to buy from them. since AMS offers no-credit-check payment plans, i live near 7 guitar centers and they let me return to a store if there's a problem with an online purchase, we live near 2 sam ashes when we want to try brands GC doesn't carry and MF and i have a long, positive history, i may try sweetwater again someday, but for now i'm pretty well covered.
 
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#78
I bought a "new" amp from one of MF's main competitors a while back. It arrived via UPS from a Reno warehouse in two days (I'm in SoCal). It was obviously a repacked return as there weren't any of the usual removable labels on it, the cord was just tossed in loose and the instruction book was missing. I plugged it in and it sounded like the speaker had blown. No problem getting it replaced; new one arrived a couple days later in perfect condition. Seems to be the way the big retailers operate.
 
#79
Stealth Fighter said:
I would normally agree with you. However, we are trying to judge an "imperfection" that none of has seen. Perhaps, to many people, it wouldn't be an anomaly at all. Maybe, it is just the grain/coloring of the wood. Who knows?
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Nah, it was Lake Placid Blue. There isn't going to be any wood grain or wood coloring showing through that finish. If there was, then that would be a finish blem.
 
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#80
Stealth Fighter said:
I would normally agree with you. However, we are trying to judge an "imperfection" that none of has seen. Perhaps, to many people, it wouldn't be an anomaly at all. Maybe, it is just the grain/coloring of the wood. Who knows?
Click to expand...

Did you read where the bass was Placid Placed Blue? If the grain is showing through, there is a big problem with the finish.

(Templar beat me by seconds!)
 
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