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To return or not to return…
- Thread starter Captain Chaos
- Start date
Same with mine on the exact same bass. No finish issues; fit and finish is superb, and it sounds and plays great. I'd personally return it.
EDIT: When I ordered mine, the GC here only had an open box model (never reached the floor, though) and I was able to negotiate a discount with the manager for that.
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Would live with it - And, I would ask for a discount.
She's freakin' gorgeous!!!
Back in '95' Frances bought me this SR5 Fretless from Sam Ash. It came with a few dings that should not have been there. She called them up, started crying because they had nothing to replace it with and ended up getting $400 knocked off which in '95' was 1/2 the price of the bass. The bass you got is definitely B stock and you should at least get it at a discount. (jmho)
I personally don't think I'd let that bother me too much as long as the bass could be setup to play well without fret buzz and otherwise sounds good.
I'm sending a Player Stratocaster back to Fender that arrived on Friday. Flawless finish and looks on the outside, but there's router damage in the neck pocket where it looks like someone tried to move the body before the router was done. That and when I try to set it up to Fender's recomended string height and relief measurement I'm getting all kinds of fret buzz.. indicating high frets or an over tilted neck perhaps.. but if I'm being honest I'd accept a minor flaw in the finish before I accepted an unplayable instrument with a damaged neck pocket.
So Fender's sending me out a new one after I ship this one back, and there's no guarantee it'll be in any better shape.
I'm sending a Player Stratocaster back to Fender that arrived on Friday. Flawless finish and looks on the outside, but there's router damage in the neck pocket where it looks like someone tried to move the body before the router was done. That and when I try to set it up to Fender's recomended string height and relief measurement I'm getting all kinds of fret buzz.. indicating high frets or an over tilted neck perhaps.. but if I'm being honest I'd accept a minor flaw in the finish before I accepted an unplayable instrument with a damaged neck pocket.
So Fender's sending me out a new one after I ship this one back, and there's no guarantee it'll be in any better shape.
I talked to the manager and he said he will order me one.
Make sure you hang on to that one until the new one gets in. Then, take it with you and play them side-by-side. The new one may not play and/or sound as good as the blemished one.
I have mixed feelings about it, but like you've done: if your unhappy with it and can return it, that is what you should do.
More in line with the existential problem of imperfection. Nothing is "perfect", and an "imperfection" is subjective. Even if you think a bass is perfect, it will eventually not be so. This is a bit of Buddhism for people: change is inevitable and resisting change is a cause of suffering.
Regarding what price point you should accept an imperfection: a small finishing flaw would be more acceptable on an expensive one of a kind instrument that plays and sounds fantastic. In this case, the instrument is hand made and the process of fixing the flaw might not be worth the time for me. Also, there won't be an off the shelf replacement of the same instrument. On a mass produced factory made instrument such as this, there are several thousand available for a replacement that will sound and feel the same or close enough anyway. In that way, the argument to accept some flaws that bother you if you like the sound and feel is a bit shortsighted.
And of course there are always some flaws that are unacceptable. I ordered a Dolphin bass that had an enormous gouge in the back that was quite unacceptable whether it was $5,000 or $5.
More in line with the existential problem of imperfection. Nothing is "perfect", and an "imperfection" is subjective. Even if you think a bass is perfect, it will eventually not be so. This is a bit of Buddhism for people: change is inevitable and resisting change is a cause of suffering.
Regarding what price point you should accept an imperfection: a small finishing flaw would be more acceptable on an expensive one of a kind instrument that plays and sounds fantastic. In this case, the instrument is hand made and the process of fixing the flaw might not be worth the time for me. Also, there won't be an off the shelf replacement of the same instrument. On a mass produced factory made instrument such as this, there are several thousand available for a replacement that will sound and feel the same or close enough anyway. In that way, the argument to accept some flaws that bother you if you like the sound and feel is a bit shortsighted.
And of course there are always some flaws that are unacceptable. I ordered a Dolphin bass that had an enormous gouge in the back that was quite unacceptable whether it was $5,000 or $5.
I can’t. I’ll have to return this one for them to get me a replacement. I asked him that question.
I’m leaning towards keeping this one.
I agree with this. you might return it and end up with something that looks better but sounds/plays worse.
Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,794
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
What if you return it, get a replacement and the replacement doesn’t play or sound as good as the initial instrument? It gonna marked up anyway over the course of ownership. Do you plan on playing it or putting in a display case?
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Smooth_bass88
vaxx!
- Oct 31, 2006
- 12,122
- 16,794
- Disclosures
- have been on nationally released albums, charting on the Billboard 200
I would return/exchange it on account of the dent; that to me is, without being anal about it, unacceptable. I had a Yamaha TRBX505, perfect in every way, until I looked at the back of the neck only to discover an ugly knot. Couldn't live with it then, so I exchanged it for one knot-free.
Maybe take it back to the dealer and negotiate some cash back if that makes it a more acceptable decision. Looks like it is on the back of the instrument so no one will ever know. But I wouldn't pay that much for something that has cosmetic defects that are that obvious.
Yea, that's B-Grade. The ding wouldn't bother me as much as paying full price for new instrument that was not in new condition. If it plays 1 in a million nice, (some basses are built better than others) get some discount money, I'd probably ask for something like a 20% discount.
I would keep it. There are plenty of “mint” basses that sound meh. Maybe I sound too hippie like but wood is organic. It doesn’t all sound the same and come together the same way. If you get one that sounds great it’s a keeper as far as I’m concerned.
I think that's the right call, too. You really ought to try and get them to give you a discount, though. If anybody there has any shred of credibility, they'd try and do right by you.
I'd contact the company and ask for a price break...then keep it. All my basses have some ding or imperfection but I mostly buy used... With new basses I am uncomfortable until it has it's first ding or scratch.
