Bought Used G-Dec Now Fender Won't Replace It

[jim p]

I guess by the wheel it is the shinny knob on the front? Looking at the amp on web I would guess it is a digital encoder with luck it could just be a bad solder joint or if it is plugged into the main PC board a loose contact. So you could open it up and have a look around for something like that. An encoder is like a push button so if there is a bad solder joint or loose contact every time the contact breaks and makes it is like turning the knob which sounds like your problem.

[Retro Hound]

I guess I don't have to worry about opening it up and voiding the warranty. I'll check the soldering, and be A LOT more cautious when buying electronics online. I'll also check for local amp repair. The Fender message boards indicate that this is probably some "computer" issue. Thanks guys.

[deeaa*]

That's a surprise; I have been accustomed to U.S. companies usually being super friendly about warranty etc. issues. Like I bought this old RCBS reload press and have needed new parts for it twice, even bigger parts, and a simple email to them and they've sent me new parts no questions asked. And I don't even know how old the thing is let alone have any proof of purchase or anything.

But generally, we have pretty good customer protection over here; in a case like this they can't ask for any receipts and it doesn't matter if you're the hundredth owner; if it's still under warranty according to serial number there's no fiddling out of it; the manufacturer is obliged to fix it or at least the importer to replace the unit.

Even if there is no warranty - say a refridgerator has a one year warranty and it blows up in three years - it's considered that a fridge is to be expected to have a lifespan of more than 3 years and in most cases, the manufacturer (or usually the importer) will just have to supply a new one.

I just bought a cheap tiny fridge half a year back and it quit working just a few days back; I never had a receipt for it but I just took it to the shop and they gave me my money back just like that.

Same with stuff like harddrives - no need for receipts, the importer will have the serials anyway, and any store that sells that brand is obliged to give me a new harddrive if it dies before the warranty expires. I've taken several 2nd hand harddrives in for warranty exchange no problem, no receipts requested or anything.

When I worked in the music store in '92-'94 we had several Fender necks on U.S. made Strats and Jazz Basses that were replaced up to 3 years after use...I don't know or remember whether it was the importer who gave the new ones or Fender but the owners got new necks anyhow.

BTW At that time the mexi-strats which just first came out (at least here) during the time I was there actually had much better woods than U.S. ones, at least those we received. The U.S. ones were terribly badly put together too with neck pockets routed so big they took a creditcard between the neck& body etc...totally different from what I've seen in recent U.S. Fenders lately, they seem to be very well made instruments again. I wonder if 94 or so was a bad year for Fender in general or just the ones shipped all the way north?