Cyclomatic,
I never expected a case and I think the cable is a non-issue - I've never bought a bass that even came with a cable. I'd guess a little molded cable is more likely to do damage to the instrument knocking around inside the shipping box than it is to benefit anyone. Most people interested in a Skyline probably don't need another cheapie cable.
As far as the packaging goes, yeah, Amazon's warehouse folks did a crazy bad job of packing the Lakland box. I'm sure they they don't know if they're packing a guitar that retails for $100 or $1200 - they are probably told by a computer which carton to use and don't have the time to think about how to pack it securely.
What shocked most of us was the very bare-bones nature of the Lakland box and contents. It's hard to believe that a bass could survive a trip from Indonesia to Chicago unscathed, much less an additional trip to the wholesaler and then ultimately on to the end-user in that packaging, particularly after it has been opened and repacked. Much to my amazement, mine did, and I'm VERY happy about it.
The case-candy isn't particularly meaningful either, but without even so much as a packaging list, I was left wondering if something was omitted. Did I *need* an instruction manual and fancy warranty postcard? No, not really, but just about everything you purchase comes with one these days, so that has just become the expectation, so when I don't see anything like that I have to wonder what's up.
I took a gamble on the Lakland deal, and I'm very happy I did. I figured if I didn't love it I'd have no trouble passing the deal on to someone else in a few days. Fortunately, I *do* love it, so I don't have to worry about seeking a new home for it.
If this deal ever pops up again, I'd strongly recommend that anyone that has any interest in it jump on the deal. Just have your expectations set correctly about with comes in the box. If there is a problem, Amazon has always been fantastic to me about dealing with anything damaged or lost in shipment. Also, if you're a Prime member, spend the extra $4 to get it the next day - that means it will most likely be on a FedEx Express shipment and not the FedEx ground trucks, minimizing the time for it to get a hole punched in it.
I'm going to shut up about this now, I promise
I never expected a case and I think the cable is a non-issue - I've never bought a bass that even came with a cable. I'd guess a little molded cable is more likely to do damage to the instrument knocking around inside the shipping box than it is to benefit anyone. Most people interested in a Skyline probably don't need another cheapie cable.
As far as the packaging goes, yeah, Amazon's warehouse folks did a crazy bad job of packing the Lakland box. I'm sure they they don't know if they're packing a guitar that retails for $100 or $1200 - they are probably told by a computer which carton to use and don't have the time to think about how to pack it securely.
What shocked most of us was the very bare-bones nature of the Lakland box and contents. It's hard to believe that a bass could survive a trip from Indonesia to Chicago unscathed, much less an additional trip to the wholesaler and then ultimately on to the end-user in that packaging, particularly after it has been opened and repacked. Much to my amazement, mine did, and I'm VERY happy about it.
The case-candy isn't particularly meaningful either, but without even so much as a packaging list, I was left wondering if something was omitted. Did I *need* an instruction manual and fancy warranty postcard? No, not really, but just about everything you purchase comes with one these days, so that has just become the expectation, so when I don't see anything like that I have to wonder what's up.
I took a gamble on the Lakland deal, and I'm very happy I did. I figured if I didn't love it I'd have no trouble passing the deal on to someone else in a few days. Fortunately, I *do* love it, so I don't have to worry about seeking a new home for it.
If this deal ever pops up again, I'd strongly recommend that anyone that has any interest in it jump on the deal. Just have your expectations set correctly about with comes in the box. If there is a problem, Amazon has always been fantastic to me about dealing with anything damaged or lost in shipment. Also, if you're a Prime member, spend the extra $4 to get it the next day - that means it will most likely be on a FedEx Express shipment and not the FedEx ground trucks, minimizing the time for it to get a hole punched in it.
I'm going to shut up about this now, I promise
