warranty question on a brand new bass....

Fret sprout is normally not covered. It is not really a manufacturing defect but happens when the humidity is low and the wood in the fretboard shrinks. A lot of manufacturers specifically exclude it from warranty coverage; they don't know where you'll be using and storing the bass.

 

Fret sprout, while common, is generally not covered under warranty. I however think it should be, as the manufacturer could easily prevent most of it by simply aging the wood enough. I managed a guitar store form 1977-1988 and fret sprout was common on Fenders in the '70s, but not on Gibson in that era. And after Bill Schulz took over management for CBS around 1981, we stopped seeing it on new instruments. It's simply that they're cranking out instruments too fast for the wood to age enough before they fret it. If you keep the humidity above 40% RH, there's no excuse for fret sprout in a quality instrument. But then, the definition of "quality" ain't what it used to be either...

I'd contact the dealer and/or Music Man to see what they'll do.

 

+1... It's a sad day when we can't even be sure of the wood quality of a $1200 bass....

 

What those guys said, it's a common problem that can happen to any bass, so it won't be covered. At the end of the day, the way they see it, it's your own fault if you don't keep it in a humidity/temperature controlled room, which is true really. If you live in a dry place, expect it to happen. It's easily fixed though if you take it to a luthier.

It can happen to any bass that doesn't have some sort of composite neck

 

Immediately contact customer service - I can't remember what's covered under warranty or not (I own two Balls), but it isn't reasonable for this to have happened.

 

THAT is precisely why it SHOULD be under warranty!! It can be fixed, and it doesn't happen on instruments that have the wood aged. It's simply that the wood is shrinking when the humidity leaves it. If a luthier (very few of them around, but a lot of guitar techs BTW) can "fix" it, all they're doing is filing the fret ends off when the wood is dry.

So, why didn't EB let the wood dry before they installed the frets and put a finish over the ends? Because they're cranking them out, and they're expecting customers do beleive it's not a manufacturing defect.

I vehemently stand by my position that on a $1200 bass they should have the wood dry enough to build it correctly instead of blaming it on the customer. In Central Illinois with a forced-air heating system and a well-insulated home, it's not unreasonable to expect RH to drop well below 30% (that's why I run a humidifier in my home all winter). And if a bass is so green that the frets sprout under that condition, it's because the wood is too green to start with.

jte

 

I've only encountered fret sprout on one MM Sterling that was hanging in a GC and it was on a maple fretboard. I have spoken to someone at Bass Central and they said that they have never encountered fret sprout on a MM instrument.

I would contact EBMM customer service right away and see what they'll do for you.

[email protected]

or call 866-823-2255

 

I honestly don't think customer service will do anything for you. And i don't know too much about humidity because here in england it's always pretty constant, but some guys on the EBMM forum say they keep their at about 50%.

 

Regardless of what the company policy is, it's always worth a try. Approach them with civility, and don't come off as if you deserve anything, just honestly express your concerns and thoughts, and you may be surprised how far some companies will go to make you happy. Definitely talk to them. Don't email, call and speak to someone. And good luck.

 

Is it possible for you to take it to the shop where you bought? You'll likely get some good advice there, including the possibility of having them initiate any warranty claim. Sometimes these things are handled much differently when introduced by a retailer. Good luck.

 

It could take a couple of weeks, if it does right itself.

Also from some recent customer service experiences, don't go to wherever you bought it from, because a lot of the time, they won't have a clue. Go to EBMM directly.

Same goes for ipods

 

Are you enjoying basking in your disappointment? What are you waiting for? Call EBMM customer service.

 

I have never heard of fret sprout "unsprouting". Call customer service and find out what they will or will not do for you.

 

If you'd bought it from a real music store, they'd probably help you out. But you got it from the Wal-Mart of retail music. That means part of the way they keep the selling price low is that they don't hire people who actually take the time to know anything, and they avoid handling things that don't generate profit- which means they won't handle a warranty question with any alacrity.

Contact Ernie Ball Customer Service directly, and don't delay. They may not do anything, but they may go out of their way to make it right. Until you give the a chance, they can't fix any problems. Call them, be nice, and see what happens. My only personal experience with EB was right after they bought Music Man from bankruptcy. They were very helpful if a bit anal. I needed a new pre-amp for my '77 StingRay (the original epoxy coated one had a bad IC). They were willing to sell me one, but I had to go through a Music Man dealer, which at the time were hard to find. But they contacted one and worked the deal for me.

jte

jte

 

If you live in a climate where the RH changes drastically, this can happen to even the best basses. I think even aged woods will allow minor fret sprout if the RH goes from 70+ to almost zero and the temperature fluctuates.

Fret sprout and neck adjustments are a fact of live where I live.

P.S. When I say fret sprout, I mean that you can JUST feel the edge of the fret.. nothing so bad that it would effect playing. If the OP has a serious case of this, I would worry.

Again, Call EB... they IMO have the best customer service in the business.

 

"Fretsprout" - welcome to the world of guitars and the winter months!

The joys of having to run your central heating during the winter months means the humidity at home drops. End result? Your neck wood shrinks slightly and ends up producing the usual "jaggy fret ends" syndrome.

Thsi problem isn't isolated to your Music Man bass I'm sorry to say. I have just had to dress the fret ends on my 56 P-bass, and my '62 Fender as well due to this phenomenon. So, as you can see, it;s not just isolated to new instruments. In fact, at The Bass Gallery in London, England a couple of winters agao, Pino Palladino was in having his two P-Basses dressed for the very same reason (hi early 60's sunburst and Fiesta Red ones - the very ones Fender used as teplates for his Custom Shop signature model)

This is just one of the things that happens with instruments. If you want to ensure it never happens to you, then the only way of preventing it is to use unlined fretless fingerboards!

 

The fret sprout that I encountered at GC was downright dangerous . . . the fret tangs were sticking out the side of the fretboard. They were sharp and there were a lot of them. I think that bass is still hanging on the wall.