Unacceptable on any price bass!
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Should I have been made aware prior to purchasing? Brand New...about 2K
- Thread starter bizzybass
- Start date
HELL NO! Send it back. Unacceptable. That is NOT "just how wood is" lmao. Oh man.
Yes, those little blems def should have been disclosed. Not disclosing them is the same as "hiding" them. Flat out dishonest IMO.
Would I return it? Maybe, just on principle alone (BTDT). If I otherwise loved the bass and wanted to keep it, then I'd at least want some sort of recompense just to avoid feeling punk'd. Good luck.
Would I return it? Maybe, just on principle alone (BTDT). If I otherwise loved the bass and wanted to keep it, then I'd at least want some sort of recompense just to avoid feeling punk'd. Good luck.
For a 2K bass, that's a disgrace. It should be perfect and come with a servant.
You're entitled to a quality cosmetic finish for your money. I would accept that no more than I would similar sized holes in the body. You wouldn't see that on a Harley Benton at a tenth the price, and you shouldn't see it on a more premium priced instrument.
Dude, that's a scratch with some finish off the neck, those "holes" and the line below...who knows what did it, how it happened or when. Return it!
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I think the amount of imperfections you could expect should be proportionate with the price. At $2k you’re not too far off from entering custom territory. I don’t think that’s acceptable. If that was a Squier, I’d be more forgiving.
Just one more reason I love my Alembic basses. You would never find a flaw like that, and these days with prices for basic instruments being so high, it makes my Alembics look like a bargain.
That said, wood is wood, and each piece is unique and the luthier can not control what will show up in the grain etc. What the luthier CAN control is whether to allow a worm infested fingerboard to leave his shop. I can see farther up the board that there are more worm holes just below the surface, and they likely traverse that fingerboard, making it weak and full of voids which decrease sustain and can be an issue if when re-fretting the bass. If you plan to return it, don't let them tell you it is natural grain lines. Those are from bug infestation. If they had taken the time to fill the cavities with wood dust and glue, you never would have known, but the quality control there must be done by Mr. Magoo.
Can you play that bass for many years to come with no issues? Of course, but if you return it, you will be doing the bass community a favor by pointing out to the luthier that they can't allow flaws like that to leave the shop.
That said, wood is wood, and each piece is unique and the luthier can not control what will show up in the grain etc. What the luthier CAN control is whether to allow a worm infested fingerboard to leave his shop. I can see farther up the board that there are more worm holes just below the surface, and they likely traverse that fingerboard, making it weak and full of voids which decrease sustain and can be an issue if when re-fretting the bass. If you plan to return it, don't let them tell you it is natural grain lines. Those are from bug infestation. If they had taken the time to fill the cavities with wood dust and glue, you never would have known, but the quality control there must be done by Mr. Magoo.
Can you play that bass for many years to come with no issues? Of course, but if you return it, you will be doing the bass community a favor by pointing out to the luthier that they can't allow flaws like that to leave the shop.
No! Not for new! (I'm guessing it's an online purchase?) Raise hell...it was a special order (color, right?)...
To answer the question in your title, yes the seller should have made sure you were aware of the issues in the wood and in the finish before hand. By not saying anything or sharing pictures of it, you can't help but question how trustworthy the seller is.
Also, if it was me I would not keep it. The worm holes on the edge of the fingerboard would always leave me wondering where else the worms were in that piece of wood, and will it impact the longevity of the bass (weakened glue joints, weakened fret slots, etc.). I'm guessing you didn't spend that much for something which might not hold up. My parents used to have an automotive paint/body shop too, and I think this would be the equivalent of finding rust under the paint. You could get it fixed, but you'd always wonder where else on the body was the metal not properly cleaned and treated before priming/painting.
Also, if it was me I would not keep it. The worm holes on the edge of the fingerboard would always leave me wondering where else the worms were in that piece of wood, and will it impact the longevity of the bass (weakened glue joints, weakened fret slots, etc.). I'm guessing you didn't spend that much for something which might not hold up. My parents used to have an automotive paint/body shop too, and I think this would be the equivalent of finding rust under the paint. You could get it fixed, but you'd always wonder where else on the body was the metal not properly cleaned and treated before priming/painting.
Oofff. How'd that get by QC? They should have, at the very least, mixed rosewood dust (which they must have a ton of) with glue and filled it and sanded. You'd likely have never noticed. AS is, I'd sent it right back, or demand a nice 25% cash back to keep it..... and then I'd fix it.
Greg
Greg
