Quality Control issues

[Geri O]

Wow, they allow you to touch their basses with tools? At the GCs I've been in in L.A., they don't even allow you to touch any of the basses you would actually want to buy. They hang those way out of human reach. All the other, crappy basses are sitting there and they ignore you and the bass room, so you could even change strings on those if you wished.

Here locally, I can take tools in to the GC with me. It took a couple of times, but once I showed them I can do basic setups, they were fine and even said, come try basses anytime!…..

That was a few years ago and since then, I never see anything I’m interested in. I just glance at the wall, think “harrumph”, and go on….

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Would you say that QC issues are mainly an issue with ordering online? Most of your small in store shops from my observation have their basses set up quite well as far as what is on their display wall. I’m sure they get lemons from their distributors that they have to send back or choose to sell as B stock provided the issue isn’t too bad. How many QC issues could actually be shipping issues from where the bass or amp was thrown or kicked around by Fed Ex. I guess a true QC issue would be a misaligned bridge or a dead preamp or even a finish blemish. Fret sprout, etc could be set up issues and easily fixed by a qualified technician. I’ve seen some online basses arrive perfectly in tune or very close which probably means someone looked it over(or someone tried it out). Earlier I mentioned small stores. I’m sure a lot would agree with me in saying that a lot of the employees at guitar center don’t know how to even play an instrument much less recognize a misaligned bridge.

I think that there is a winnowing process that goes on with online sales where slight imperfection are returned and resold over and over again increasing the odds of you getting a bass with some flaw, and or worse flaws as the merchants run through their inventory. Eventually merchants will sell these as new old stock, or if they are bad enough they are sent back to the factory for repair.