New ES-335 Neck Adjustment Problem?

[Keefoman]

I'm not a fan of zZounds / AMS either.

I do really like Sam Ash though. I've received very good customer service at our local branch.
Not my video, but it does a decent job of showing the place off. It's a Massive store.


Be sure to pay attention to the big green sticker on the box.
View attachment 19241
This sticker has been on all three guitars I've purchased from Sweetwater - and I've heeded the warning. It's probably less of an issue here in Floriduh because they usually spend some time in the local FedEx distribution center, but I choose to respect the sticker. I usually have something else going on the day they arrive anyway so it works out.

Yes, but what about us up here in the cold north when fetching our guitars from the cold cargo compartment in the tour bus when arriving at a gig. We don't have time to wait 24 hours before opening the case...
I realize this is when you recieve a new guitar, but what about later in a guitar's life?
Aren't they made to be used?

 

[Raiyn]

Yes, but what about us up here in the cold north when fetching our guitars from the cold cargo compartment in the tour bus when arriving at a gig. We don't have time to wait 24 hours before opening the case...
I realize this is when you recieve a new guitar, but what about later in a guitar's life?
Aren't they made to be used?

Well, most of us aren't special like that.

 

[soulman969]

Yes, but what about us up here in the cold north when fetching our guitars from the cold cargo compartment in the tour bus when arriving at a gig. We don't have time to wait 24 hours before opening the case...
I realize this is when you recieve a new guitar, but what about later in a guitar's life?
Aren't they made to be used?

Sure but they're also made of wood and metal which may respond to temperature changes slowly. Every dealer suggests this or should suggest it to a buyer to assure satisfaction with their new instrument. But mostly they do it to avoid more returns over issues that could have been prevented by allowing the guitar to slowly acclimate to room temperature after it's been exposed to hours in very cold temps.

Once you've owned the guitar you can deal with that issue anyway you like and your post tells us that you get the part that it's only on brand new stuff coming from a dealer where this suggestion is made.

For three winters during the '60s our band traveled all over northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan in sub zero weather often having to unload gear from our trailer, no "tour bus" for us back then, and rush a setup to start a gig on time. Our gear warmed up as much a possible while we did that then we tuned and re-tuned for the next hour or so as the guitars and bass acclimated to a much warmer environment. That's life on the road.

If you're concerned about this at all why not just keep the guitar in the "tour bus" where it's heated and not in the luggage hold. I would.

 

[soulman969]

Well, most of us aren't special like that.

Congrats. You win our special "Dripping with Sarcasm Award".

I'm having a shoulder patch and an emoji made special just for you.

 

[Keefoman]

Sure but they're also made of wood and metal which may respond to temperature changes slowly. Every dealer suggests this or should suggest it to a buyer to assure satisfaction with their new instrument. But mostly they do it to avoid more returns over issues that could have been prevented by allowing the guitar to slowly acclimate to room temperature after it's been exposed to hours in very cold temps.

Once you've owned the guitar you can deal with that issue anyway you like and your post tells us that you get the part that it's only on brand new stuff coming from a dealer where this suggestion is made.

For three winters during the '60s our band traveled all over northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan in sub zero weather often having to unload gear from our trailer, no "tour bus" for us back then, and rush a setup to start a gig on time. Our gear warmed up as much a possible while we did that then we tuned and re-tuned for the next hour or so as the guitars and bass acclimated to a much warmer environment. That's life on the road.

If you're concerned about this at all why not just keep the guitar in the "tour bus" where it's heated and not in the luggage hold. I would.

My point was really that I sometimes think we "baby" our guitars too much. I can see from a retailers point of view that they want to minimalize the returns as much as possible.

By the way, I remember my dad told he was in a band in the '60s and in winter time there was often hissing from the amps as condensation dripped on warm tubes... He lived in an area where the temperature often is -20 C during winter.

 

[Raiyn]

Congrats. You win our special "Dripping with Sarcasm Award".

I'm having a shoulder patch and an emoji made special just for you.

'bout time I won something!

 

[soulman969]

'bout time I won something!

Next up was a two week winter holiday in Duluth but I disqualified you already......

You'd enjoy it too much.

 

[Raiyn]

Next up was a two week winter holiday in Duluth but I disqualified you already......

Aww poo

 

[7whiskeycharley]

After thinking about all that has transpired and realizing I was likely sold a used (defective) guitar by MF I went ahead and cancelled my order for a replacement ES-335 Traditional Pro guitar. Once someone breaks my trust I am very unlikely to go back to them. I really wanted the model & version of the Epiphone I had selected, I do not know if I will try another source- very burned out over all this.

I recently bought a new Epiphone ES 335 Inspired by gibson from Guitar Center that had a bad Truss rod. It had to be loosened so much to get the proper neck relief that it rattled when played. I returned it. I've owned about 25 or 30 guitars in my lifetime and this is the only time I've experienced this problem. BTW, I've owned 3 Epiphones..

FWIW, I have a little more confidence buying from Sweetwater than I do from GC, MF or WWBW.

 

[soulman969]

The more experience I gain from being in and around the modern business world the more I see and understand about many companies business model and how they vary broadly from one to another.

Sweetwater is one whose model is based on having well trained reps with in depth knowledge of the products they sell and a desire to "get it right the first time". For them processing returns and reships is costly so they do inspect most guitars prior to repacking for shipment.

GC/MF is pretty much the polar opposite. They employ less skilled CS reps to answer phones, quote prices, and take orders. Has anyone ever had a GC or MF rep ever try to sell you something based in their in depth product knowledge? If so he or she is a true unicorn there.

Sweetwater would prefer you're happy from the moment your new guitar arrives and they take the time and expense to at least try to assure it.

GC/MF plucks a box from the shelf in a warehouse whose product code corresponds to the order placed and ships it out the door with UPS or FedEx asap. Get it gone the faster the better. GAS does not like to be kept waiting. If it's wrong, damaged, or defective they'll do an RMA and ship you out another. That's a simply a better fit for their business model.

I'm not attempting to say one is right and one is wrong or doing a better vs worse comparison. I'm only pointing out that we have a choice as far as which business model we choose to buy from and these are only two examples. There are a dozen or more on each side of that equation which is good. Competition keeps the market place healthy and honest.

JMHO

 

[soulman969]

My point was really that I sometimes think we "baby" our guitars too much. I can see from a retailers point of view that they want to minimalize the returns as much as possible.

By the way, I remember my dad told he was in a band in the '60s and in winter time there was often hissing from the amps as condensation dripped on warm tubes... He lived in an area where the temperature often is -20 C during winter.

Two paragraphs. Two different topics. I agree with you on both.

Your dad is spot on. We were worried far more about issues with our amps than our guitars. Electronics can be far more sensitive to operating only within a certain temperature zone. A 200 mile trip in a trailer in -20 degree weather would pretty much assure they were well outside of that zone when we arrived. Each gig had it's own challenges.

And yeah, many of us baby our gear far more now than we did many years ago. But you could write an entire book on that topic. What I find amusing is the someone is willing to pay more, in fact a whole lot more, for an artificially aged "Relic" than for a brand new perfect in ever way model of the very same guitar when we did a lot of that for free.

 

[7whiskeycharley]

Two paragraphs. Two different topics. I agree with you on both.

Your dad is spot on. We were worried far more about issues with our amps than our guitars. Electronics can be far more sensitive to operating only within a certain temperature zone. A 200 mile trip in a trailer in -20 degree weather would pretty much assure they were well outside of that zone when we arrived. Each gig had it's own challenges.

And yeah, many of us baby our gear far more now than we did many years ago. But you could write an entire book on that topic. What I find amusing is the someone is willing to pay more, in fact a whole lot more, for an artificially aged "Relic" than for a brand new perfect in ever way model of the very same guitar when we did a lot of that for free.

Although I basically just get together to to jam with friends, I have gear that travels and I have better gear that usually stays at home. When I'm playing somewhere I want to just have fun and not worry about my stuff, although I still try and take care of it... If I get a bad scratch or ding on my good stuff it makes me angry with myself for a week and every time I pick it up for the next 6 months the ding is the first thing I look at. The idea of paying people to scratch and dent my new stuff is just absurd to me. To each his own though, what I do with my gear probably sounds just as crazy to others. If I do buy some beat up gear though (so I don't have to worry about it ) I'm buying used beat up gear to save some money, not new beat up gear that is more expensive.

 

[Equalphone]

I'm not a fan of zZounds / AMS either.

I do really like Sam Ash though. I've received very good customer service at our local branch.
Not my video, but it does a decent job of showing the place off. It's a Massive store.


Be sure to pay attention to the big green sticker on the box.
View attachment 19241
This sticker has been on all three guitars I've purchased from Sweetwater - and I've heeded the warning. It's probably less of an issue here in Floriduh because they usually spend some time in the local FedEx distribution center, but I choose to respect the sticker. I usually have something else going on the day they arrive anyway so it works out.

Thanks. I didn't realize they had a big store down there. That's definitely bigger than most. The one in Orlando is smaller than most. I'll put it on the list for the next time I am down there.

Viewing hints for that video: Store starts at 6:10. Before that it's "driving in Florida". Also 1.5x speed is your friend with this video.

 

[Raiyn]

Viewing hints for that video: Store starts at 6:10. Before that it's "driving in Florida". Also 1.5x speed is your friend with this video.

Yeah, dude needs to learn how to edit. The whole driving section is WGAF. We get it - Dude has lived in Floriduh for more than a week and resents all the new people coming.