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Incoming LGB300 (end of summer) !
Sweetwater VS getting it straight from Guitar Center untouched, unplayed...unmarked.
On the the one hand, I like the idea of the inspection but on the other hand I would like to not take a chance of the instrument getting scratched and having to convince Sweetwater to pay shipping back if there is a mark due to their 55 point inspection. Whereas GC will just take the return as I can just drive there and drop it off.
Plus GC discount saves me $40.00 more on my upcoming order of the lgb300 at a later date.
Is the 55 point I section worth the tradeoff?
Thx
Last edited by jazzimprov; 03-02-2022 at 09:19 PM.
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03-02-2022 10:42 AM
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I would not worry about scratches. An instrument value is not in its spotless finish. As a prevention do not start search for spots and scratches.
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Regarding Sweetwater 55 point inspection that is surely an overstatement. I do not doubt they take a look, but my Ibanez from Sweetwater was not even barely set up. Neither truss rod, neither bridge height, neither saddles were not even close to the correct position.
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When I am paying over 4k for a guitar, yeah, I want no marks on the instrument.
Sweetwater does make a point of saying the 55 point inspection is NOT a setup.
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Originally Posted by jazzimprov
I understand your feelings about the spotless scratchless thing, thats why I mentioned an alternative thought. Regarding Sweetwater, indeed, they claiming it is a setup,,, no doubt this is a highly misleading overstatement.
55 Point Inspection | Sweetwater.com
- String & saddle position
- Neck relief
- Frets
- Action height
- Intonation
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The 55-point inspection is supposed to catch defects, not add defects. It would be ironic if Sweetwater added defects in the inspection process. Make that known to your Sweetwater Sales Prole.
I have bought a few small items from Sweetwater. I told them to leave the cheap sweets aka candy out of the package but they always throw in a bag of the cheap shite. My last Sweetwater purchase was a Taylor Mini GS as a gift for a buddy. The guitar arrived in a flawless state with the 55-point Inspection Card. I don't know if any inspection was done at all but the Mini GS was perfect and smelt new.
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The other thing about Sweetwater is that they always photograph the guitar well and you get to see the guitar that you are buying. So, few surprises in the bag. I got to pick my Mini GS from about 5 that Sweetwater had in stock at that time. It was exactly as shown in the photos. With GC, you never really know what they are going to ship you. I bought a few cheap items from Musician's Friend aka GC. The Seiko metronôme I got was clearly used and returned. It was too much of a hassle to return it so I kept it. I won't chance it with guitars even with the option of no-questions-asked rights of return. I really hate getting paying a new price to get someone else's returned guitar.
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Indeed, this photo thing is unique, as far as I know. When I picked my guitar, there was three in the stock, each one had its serial, an own photo set on the web site, and I got exactly that particular what I picked, I could recognize it by the wood figures Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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It's just a F'ing guitar, it's not sterilized and shipped in a hermetically seal vacuum package. It's going to get scratched and the frets will have divots, if you do your part.
People complain when they get a guitar shipped to them with an obvious flaw and they say: "geez don't they look before they ship something out".
Now someone is complaining,: geez why did they take my guitar out of the case to inspect it"?
Relax and enjoy your new guitar. The more wear and tear you put on the finish and frets,...the better you'll play!
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Hah Whiskey02, you said it!
So looking for classical guitars is tough enough. Selections are very limited. When you find them, you HAVE TO PLAY THEM!!
I have had some disappointments and I am on my 3rd New Guitar. BTW I did not buy from Sweetwater.
If you order them online - GOOD LUCK. (No excuse for dead notes on an expensive guitar).
So GC had two of the model I was seeking at a local store. I played them both and found variations in tone. If I had ordered one from photos online, I would have ended up with the less lively one. Not good.
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I've gotten a Yamaha and a Fender guitar from Sweetwater, both were setup well, at least to my standards, played well right out of the box, no defects (the Tele traveled across the country and arrived in tune). I bought a bass from GC, returned two, the third one was pretty good. Either way, I ended up with good guitars.
I'd prefer to buy from a local small shop, if they had a good selection of what I'm looking for that is.
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Thanks.
Haven't had any issues with GC (that I knew of anyway)
Always had the guitar packed tight and taped up well.
I was never in the camp of a guitar is just a piece if wood so go a head and bang the s$$ out of it.
The quality ones can be quite a piece of craftsmanship, so I guess I have always had that way of thinking.
Seems the less it is handled the less chance of an issue but I think this because this is a another high end guitar for me like the JH Sadowsky was.
I respect the work to get them there.
Thanks though for all comments, nice to have civil discussions these days!
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All my vast experience with GC strongly suggest there should be no trust given to GC.
The stuff I have seen go down at best: is employee error or local mismanagement, and at worst unethical business practices. I tend to think the later strongly shapes the former.
At the same time guitar builders are not acting responsible either. If it was just trust rod adjustments, I would not feel too worried. These problems are often enough for me to never prefer buying a guitar unplayed (and unchecked by a tech).
In a sense since these problems are often, that warrants an easy return situation. In this case, even though my dealing with Sweetwater have been better, I would probably go with GC.
Also I tend to hate buying the GC players insurance plan, but given that I have seen to many new guitars with neck warping issues that might not become a noticeable problem soon. I would check out that GC insurance, make sure it covers that, and let my paranoia make the decision.
(However, the only reason the GC players insurance is even offered is because it makes way more money then helps any player. I have a feeling there is a snake in that oil. The only time I thought I should of purchased it, was when I had to deal with TC Elctronics. I will never buy another piece of TC gear, and I would never suggest anyone does... except if you are happy with throwing away stuff).
I still feel that Ibanez does a better job at QC, but I did come across one person, who mentioned something. I can not remember what he said but it put my off buying a new high end Ibanez. Around the same time I came across a used PM100 at a good (perhaps excellent) price and that is working great.
The last 8 years (in regards to businesses) have really changed me from being wary to a full lack of trust.
There has been a change. I am not sure what it is, but if feels like, moderate to higher end music equipment is not seen as professional anymore. I think maybe the business model has changed. Who knows.
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I've had only good experiences with GC. I've bought at the local store except for having a keyboard shipped.
They have honored the return privilege, instantly and with no questions asked. That's a key feature, since I don't believe I can tell enough about a piece of gear from trying it in the store.
I haven't bought their warranty, nor would I. I like to know who is working on my guitars and I don't trust that GC would pay enough to get the best luthiers. Consumer Reports generally finds that the after market warranties aren't worth the money, although I've had good experiences with Costco warranties on electronics and with factory extended warranties on a couple of vehicles.
There are some limitations. They don't carry everything you might want. The salespeople are musicians, but not typically jazz players. Knowledge levels vary.
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Seeing how the guitar will be setup by a tech after I get it anyway, not sure the 55 is a big deal.
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So called "after market warranty" is a great marketing bait and switch on gullible consumers. It's not a warranty at all but rather "an option to buy insurance". A warranty is a contract that a manufacturer includes with the purchase of their product. If the consumer is paying a fee "now" in case something fails "later" that is a completely different thing. Retailers often make more profit from selling the "warranty" on a product than they make from selling the product. If you can buy a one year $, or a 5 year $$ option, the product you're buying is not warrantied by its manufacturer.
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Last week this archtop was shipped by UPS from a Guitar Denter in Texas to the local store in Maine.
That meant I could inspect it before it left the store. Good thing . . .
Looks like about 53 of those 55 points must have all hit at once.
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Hey! I, for one, rely on Sweetwater for my supply of Atomic Fireballs, in short supply in my benighted are. They'll keep my custom. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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Ha! What a throwback ___ Atomic Fireballs.
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Mmmmmmh, mmmmmmh, mmmmmh! Wake up your taste buds right away! But Good! Originally Posted by jazzimprov
Ha! What a throwback ___ Atomic Fireballs.
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Originally Posted by Sam Sherry
Last week this archtop was shipped by UPS from a Guitar Denter in Texas to the local store in Maine.
That meant I could inspect it before it left the store. Good thing . . .
Looks like about 53 of those 55 points must have all hit at once.
I have had a similar experience twice. I unpacked them at GC. One was not in close to excellent condition, as advertised. The manager agreed and back it went. The other was damaged in shipment and was returned. Most of the time I've had a good experience at GC though.
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