Sadowsky Metroline - Extremely Disappointing Customer Service from **Warwick**, not Sadowsky

[Nebadon2000]

There's no issue with grasping the concept, Professor. It's the fact that it's a brand vew $4k bass, not a $1k import made in a factory that produces hundreds of basses a day, or whatever the number is. Apparently my naivete expected a level of customer service that doesn't exist. It's still good info to know that when you buy a new product direct from the manufacturer that arrives in less than perfect condition, you get no support for it - regardless of the issue.

My comment about saying "You all need to chill out" didn't focus on only you, it was meant for anyone that thinks we should accept sub-par customer service from a huge brand when paying substantial amounts of money for "quality".

From your own post you did not buy the bass direct from factory but Fret Nation yes it was direct shipped

You seem to admit begrudgingly that even a 4K Bass can develope Fret Sprout in transite or warehouse

Yes Warwick CS person could have been more empathetic ( but he/she is German)

I had bad experience with Fender CS person on a 2K Ultra then called back and got another Rep and she was extremely helpful and arranged to get it taken care of for me

Also had sorta dismissive reply from EBMM in which I had similar reaction as you had but contacted GC I bought it from and they explained what may have caused problem and how to deal with it knowing I still had 35 days to return

The problem went away in time frame and bass has been perfect

Yes the manufactures could have showed more concern for both of us

But I managed Home Audio store at one time and we felt responsible for customer Service for buyers and told them any problems contact us we dealt with manufacturer CS

 

[toastw]

I bought a new fridge recently. I coulda saved a couple bucks by buying a scratch-and-dent. But I didn't, I bought a new fridge. That means it shouldn't have a scratch or a dent on it.

This is a brand new, hand crafted bass. When it's in your hands, that's how it should feel. You didn't take the discount for the scratch-and-dent version. You expect it to feel, play, and sound brand new. I don't think that's asking too much.

And I live down south where it's 100% humidity so maybe I'm a little naive but I don't think you should feel like you're responsible because your brand new, precision crafted instrument caved at the first sight of cold. I don't think the issue you're experiencing is because you mistreated or improperly stored the instrument. I think the manufacturer should believe that their new instrument was designed and built to withstand a short window of inclement weather and stand by their product.

 

[markbmbass]

I bought a new fridge recently. I coulda saved a couple bucks by buying a scratch-and-dent. But I didn't, I bought a new fridge. That means it shouldn't have a scratch or a dent on it.

This is a brand new, hand crafted bass. When it's in your hands, that's how it should feel. You didn't take the discount for the scratch-and-dent version. You expect it to feel, play, and sound brand new. I don't think that's asking too much.

And I live down south where it's 100% humidity so maybe I'm a little naive but I don't think you should feel like you're responsible because your brand new, precision crafted instrument caved at the first sight of cold. I don't think the issue you're experiencing is because you mistreated or improperly stored the instrument. I think the manufacturer should believe that their new instrument was designed and built to withstand a short window of inclement weather and stand by their product.

With the exception of a the outlier that commented with a Simp-like, emotionally-charged argument, I think most people would have this same perspective. We pay for quality and expect nothing less. It's really that easy.

This could be a bass from any company that offers products in the same price range, and the expectation should be the same for the consumer. I won't ever agree that it should be any different.

 

[staccatogrowl]

The fret sprout issue apparently extends beyond poor customer service, possibly entering the area of customer fraud. IFT is specifically designed and intended to prevent fret sprout. That a customer experiences this quality failure, and Sadowsky Warwick does nothing to remedy the obvious design flaw/execution is surprising. From the Warwick forum:

"The IFT system allows for fret installation with perfect precision and previously unmatched, constant quality. Compared to traditional fretting techniques, the fret slots are not cut across the entire fingerboard. Instead, two millimeters of wood remain on each side. This results in a U profile which increases neck stability against twisting and improves the transfer of vibrations into the instrument.

State-of-the-art engineering and measurement techniques ensure perfect accuracy when laying the frets. This not only allows for extremely high precision. Thanks to the aforementioned U profile, the IFT system also prevents frets from extending beyond the edges of the fingerboard and impairing the user’s enjoyment of the instrument." Source: Warwick forum official post

So much for a first-class instrument that "raises the standards within the craft of instrument making. ." So, is IFT technology puffery or promise? When puffery extends into promise it creates an "express warranty" of performance.

 

[toastw]

The fret sprout issue apparently extends beyond poor customer service, possibly entering the area of customer fraud. IFT is specifically designed and intended to prevent fret sprout. That a customer experiences this quality failure, and Sadowsky Warwick does nothing to remedy the obvious design flaw/execution is surprising. From the Warwick forum:

"The IFT system allows for fret installation with perfect precision and previously unmatched, constant quality. Compared to traditional fretting techniques, the fret slots are not cut across the entire fingerboard. Instead, two millimeters of wood remain on each side. This results in a U profile which increases neck stability against twisting and improves the transfer of vibrations into the instrument.

State-of-the-art engineering and measurement techniques ensure perfect accuracy when laying the frets. This not only allows for extremely high precision. Thanks to the aforementioned U profile, the IFT system also prevents frets from extending beyond the edges of the fingerboard and impairing the user’s enjoyment of the instrument." Source: Warwick forum official post

So much for a first-class instrument that "raises the standards within the craft of instrument making. ."

This is a very interesting read.

That first paragraph has a qualifier in it. "... allows for ..." (not promissory). That second paragraph, on the other hand, explicitly states that "State-of-the-art engineering and measurement techniques ensure perfect accuracy ..." and that perfect accuracy of the IFT system prevents frets from extending beyond the edges of the fingerboard.

That's strong language.

 

[staccatogrowl]

"The Uniform Commercial Code (or UCC) is a set of business laws now passed in generally the same form in all 50 states. Express warranties described under the UCC carry with them rights and remedies afforded to purchasers of products which are sold under these express warranties, along with a significant body of case law that supports these statutory rules in each state." Source (link paraphrased): When puffery becomes warranty

 

[Kubicki Fan]

It should not have sharp frets at 4K. Ernie Ball basses certainly don't and if they do they'll correct it. and currently they are under 3K Shame on Warwick for dealing like this

I have a BFR and a short scale, both have the ability to slice skin open.

 

[Jugghaid]

Yes and he offered to cover the expense. I don't feel right asking him to do that. The bass was shipped to me directly from Warwick Distro in the US.

He is the authorized dealer you purchased it through. It is his responsibility as part of the dealer network to handle these issues. He also probably made a nice margin when you purchased the bass through him. This is why manufacturers have dealer networks. You even mentioned that if you would have bought from Sweetwater, you would expect they would have handled it. In this case, Fret Nation is Sweetwater. Drop shipping doesn't change that.

 

[jd56hawk]

I thought fret sprout wasn't supposed to be an issue with IFT.

 

[markbmbass]

He is the authorized dealer you purchased it through. It is his responsibility as part of the dealer network to handle these issues. He also probably made a nice margin when you purchased the bass through him. This is why manufacturers have dealer networks. You even mentioned that if you would have bought from Sweetwater, you would expect they would have handled it. In this case, Fret Nation is Sweetwater. Drop shipping doesn't change that.

Yes he's involved now.

 

[fishdude101101]

To clarify, I purchased from Fret Nation but it shipped directly from Warwick. I guess it's possible that it degraded in playability due to the fret issues during transit. I just fail to see how or why the burden of that problem should be on the buyer. It shouldn't and I find it ridiculous. If the bass arrived with the issue, it's the manufacturer's responsibility to make it right. I'm not being sarcastic or dismissive to you, so please don't take it that way.

I could get better customer service from a Chik-Fil-A as I mentioned earlier.

I'm not familiar enough with German customer service, apparently. So you're saying German customer service sucks? I sense some sarcasm

It does suck. They dont care. No concept of American level service.

 

[fishdude101101]

He is the authorized dealer you purchased it through. It is his responsibility as part of the dealer network to handle these issues. He also probably made a nice margin when you purchased the bass through him. This is why manufacturers have dealer networks. You even mentioned that if you would have bought from Sweetwater, you would expect they would have handled it. In this case, Fret Nation is Sweetwater. Drop shipping doesn't change that.

Sweetwater once overnighted me a bass to replace one with a cracked fretboard. I noticed the Crack about a month after I got it.

 

[gln1955]

He is the authorized dealer you purchased it through. It is his responsibility as part of the dealer network to handle these issues. He also probably made a nice margin when you purchased the bass through him. This is why manufacturers have dealer networks. You even mentioned that if you would have bought from Sweetwater, you would expect they would have handled it. In this case, Fret Nation is Sweetwater. Drop shipping doesn't change that.

This. There is a process for getting this issue fixed via the dealer (FretNation). They'll get it fixed and it won't cost you.That's what you want right? Just take advantage of the process in place and stop with the ridiculous ranting.

 

[markbmbass]

Sweetwater once overnighted me a bass to replace one with a cracked fretboard. I noticed the Crack about a month after I got it.

Sweetwater is great as is Jason at Fret Nation. I will continue doing business with and refer people to him as long as I play the bass, no doubt. He is a class act and runs a great business.

 

[markbmbass]

It does suck. They dont care. No concept of American level service.

Sandberg was great to deal with. I guess that’s not typical of German customer service?

 

[pb9717]

I've purchased from Jason. Top guy, and a great Warwick/Sadowsky dealer, so I'm sure he'll work something out.

Also, as stated, as the humidity increases, its likely this will simply go away, and you can chalk it up to a lesson learned in how severely humidity effects instruments of all price ranges.

One thing i find odd is, the frets ends, I thought, are supposed to be semi-hemispherical, (half hemispheres) not bevel edge frets like those pictured on yours. IFT frets end, I thought, were round. Are your fret ends beveled? they appear to be. Forgive the aside, I'm just a bit muddled over what I saw in your pic.

 

[markbmbass]

Sure, but sometimes the CS you get on a Euro product is limited by the backend support the dealer/distributor is given. Example, it took me 4 months to get a part for a dyson vacuum.

At my day job, well my old job, the organization did a large transit project with a Euro vendor. They had a US division but all they were really able to do for anyone was proxy requests back to Europe. The responsiveness and service level from Europe was horrible by US standards. They never finished the project. They got it close enough that they just gave up on their last draw of money, quit answering for a few weeks, then simply said "sue us". The obviously worked until the at least broke even and it when they knew it was not worth it to us to sue. After that we tossed all Euro bids.

Wow, doesn’t sound like a fun way to do business at all. Hard to imagine in relation to US standards for sure.

 

[markbmbass]

Brother Groove,

Fret sprout has everything to do with the relative humidity in your home. When wood gets dry, it shrinks, the frets do not.

Expensive instruments are not immune to the expansion or contraction of wood due to the relative humidity of the environment.

As it has been an exceptionally cold winter and if your home has forced hot air heating, you need a humidifier to condition the environment where your bass resides. My house without humudification gets down to 20%. Way too dry for musical instruments.

Go on Amazon and buy a moist air console humidifier and slowly, over a couple of days, get your studio up to 50% relative humidity and maintained that. Also, buy a digital hygrometer to monitor your studio humidity all year. Your fret sprout will cure itself in few days. Keep your basses, guitars and other wood instruments in the humidified room.

This issue is not a Warwick/Sadowsky warrantee issue. It is your responsibility to take care of your bass. This is part of the deal.

I own a lot of basses, guitars and a double bass. Take my advice. No manufacturer will cover fret sprout as a defect.

This is good advice, I’ll grab those items actually. I’ve got a humidifier in the room but some extra measures are worth it. Appreciate it.

 

[markbmbass]

I'll put that in the category with the adjustable nut, which isn't too bad, but it’s a bit over engineered. The Warwick bridge to me is way over engineered. Lots of adjustments with set screws holding the string spacing with just pressure. Fender did the same thing 70 years ago with threaded rod saddles. Not saying Warwick aren't great, they are, but there's the typcial German (over)engineering in places.

I’m very particular about how my basses play, so I take my time and do my best to dial-in my setups. I found the adjustable nut helpful enough with this bass, to slightly fine tune the action at the nut.

 

[fishdude101101]

I’m very particular about how my basses play, so I take my time and do my best to dial-in my setups. I found the adjustable nut helpful enough with this bass, to slightly fine tune the action at the nut.

I can see the benefit for sure, i'm also very picky. But I once I've gotten other nuts filed right I've never messed with them again either, and they are easy to replace.