A bit of a rant

[aeolian]

I was at a Guitar Center yesterday and I saw one of those Joe Strummer teles. It looks like what I expected: the body is matte with all the gloss gone, lots of wear on the front, on the back, and almost the whole length of the neck, the saddles and knobs are all rusted out. In looks it is fairly authentic.

My rant is this though. The neck is not on straight; up at the 22nd fret the high e is far away from the edge of the neck, and the low E is almost at the edge of the neck. At the saddle the strings are VERY unevenly spaced. This is a $900 guitar as a tribute to a magnificent songwriter/musician, but this guitar as I found it would have been almost unplayable for me. Incidentally this guitar sits up high on a shelf and anyone would need assistance to get to try it out, so it is not as if some punk kid (or irresponsible old guy) had messed it up. In any case, the neck must have come from the factory not installed straight. After all, this is a GC, so I hope this is not typical of the Joe Strummer tele.

I want to state that I'm not a foe of Fender. I actually own a 1975 Strat which is an excellent sounding guitar, one that I am very unlikely to ever get rid of.

[Tone2TheBone]

Some Fenders I've seen in shops usually have to have their necks shoved over to align them. The screws need to be loosened slightly then the neck can be set left or right by grabbing it and torquing it as required. This usually does the trick. Some nuts are also cut bad and the strings won't line up with the fret markers. A new nut replacement fixes that. I realize that you expected better quality and was disapointed in the guitar. I too am really picky about stuff like that but after straightening out 2 necks on 2 Fenders and replacing 2 nuts I am no longer afraid of those kinds of problems. Any guitar can be fixed.

[Robert****]

I tried this guitar recently as well, and like you I was not impressed.

[aeolian]

Some Fenders I've seen in shops usually have to have their necks shoved over to align them. The screws need to be loosened slightly then the neck can be set left or right by grabbing it and torquing it as required. This usually does the trick. Some nuts are also cut bad and the strings won't line up with the fret markers. A new nut replacement fixes that. I realize that you expected better quality and was disapointed in the guitar. I too am really picky about stuff like that but after straightening out 2 necks on 2 Fenders and replacing 2 nuts I am no longer afraid of those kinds of problems. Any guitar can be fixed.

Tone, I understand these things are typically fixable. But if the guitar I get to try out at the store is practically unplayable, it will have almost no chance of being taken home by me. The attention a store pays to getting their guitars set up to playable condition has to help them sell their merchandise.

[R.B. Huckleberry]

Tone, I understand these things are typically fixable. But if the guitar I get to try out at the store is practically unplayable, it will have almost no chance of being taken home by me. The attention a store pays to getting their guitars set up to playable condition has to help them sell their merchandise.

Too true. But I'll go one better: it shouldn't have left Fender that way in the first place!

FMIC has been getting better, but when you hit the $1000+ mark on the street price of an instrument, it isn't unreasonable to expect to not have to do any tweaking to get it playable. I don't mean set up to yur specific taste in action, etc., but the strings should be lining up on the guitar.

[duhvoodooman***]

Too true. But I'll go one better: it shouldn't have left Fender that way in the first place!

FMIC has been getting better, but when you hit the $1000+ mark on the street price of an instrument, it isn't unreasonable to expect to not have to do any tweaking to get it playable. I don't mean set up to yur specific taste in action, etc., but the strings should be lining up on the guitar.

Agreed. This wasn't a $150 Squier, but an Artist Series instrument costing nearly a grand. No excuse for as gross of a defect as a crooked neck.

Now, if they'd knocked a couple of hundred off the price because the guitar needed work, then I'd say fair enough....

[stingx]

Here's a wake up call people...

GC, Sam Ash, etc do not give a damn about how their guitars are set up on the floor. I live in the NYC area. Within a 12 mile radius I have 2 Sam Ash, and FOUR Guitar Centers. I passed up numerous times on guitars that I would have loved to walk out with but they were either missing a string (or two), one or two bolts in the neck plate (believe it it's true) to all kinds of stuff. I have even been told no when I have asked a salesperson to adjust the neck on a guitar I was trying out or replace a string. They move a lot of merchandise and really know that you are insignificant, especially in my area. This is true not only of the used instruments but also their new ones. Brand new American Deluxe series Strats with action you could shoot an arrow from. Chips in the finish of new guitars. No pride whatsoever taken in the stock.

[Radioboy950]

Corporate stores like the GC have their place, and I certainly have dropped a few bucks there. But in my experience, I have always had great service at the local independent shops that have spent many years building their business, inventory and clientele. It’s a slightly different experience. I’m lucky to have some great stores in my area.

[just strum]

Here's a wake up call people...

GC, Sam Ash, etc do not give a damn about how their guitars are set up on the floor. I live in the NYC area. Within a 12 mile radius I have 2 Sam Ash, and FOUR Guitar Centers. I passed up numerous times on guitars that I would have loved to walk out with but they were either missing a string (or two), one or two bolts in the neck plate (believe it it's true) to all kinds of stuff. I have even been told no when I have asked a salesperson to adjust the neck on a guitar I was trying out or replace a string. They move a lot of merchandise and really know that you are insignificant, especially in my area. This is true not only of the used instruments but also their new ones. Brand new American Deluxe series Strats with action you could shoot an arrow from. Chips in the finish of new guitars. No pride whatsoever taken in the stock.

Big box stores are fun to walk around to see all the equipment, but when it comes to laying out cash, the little corner shop can't be beat. The other option is the web, but you need to be selective.

Don't get me wrong, you can shell out some cash at the big box stores and get good deals. IMO, I leave those stores for when I'm buying strings and things.

[R.B. Huckleberry]

Yeah, we've got a few Mom & Pop type stores around here, and I would rather spend my money there. Most I'll get at GC is a stomp box. But I admit that's primarily because I know the owners of the little stores in my area.

And when one of the little guys ponies up to be a PRS dealer, I'll by my PRS there (which I did). After a while, if you are a regular customer, the guys running the smaller places are more apt to reward your repeat patronage with better deals based on the fact that you are you, and buy from them often.

I haven't paid anything close to full price for any of my guitars as a result my past performance as a patron.

Plus, as has been stated here already, the little stores actually check out their stock & take care of it.

[TS808]

I've been a Fender player for years...since 1983 I've owned numerous Mexican, Korean, and American strats/teles and NEVER had a problem with quality.

I HAVE however, had problems with stuff off the floor at Guitar Center. I have to wonder if the guitar got banged up during shipping or in the store?

On a tangential note...can someone explain to me why someone would want to buy a "relic" guitar? Why is it that banged up guitars, with cigarette burns and paint worn off, cost more than a guitar that is flawless?? Sorry for the tangent, I just never understood the craze of relic guitars.

[R.B. Huckleberry]

I've been a Fender player for years...since 1983 I've owned numerous Mexican, Korean, and American strats/teles and NEVER had a problem with quality.

I HAVE however, had problems with stuff off the floor at Guitar Center. I have to wonder if the guitar got banged up during shipping or in the store?

On a tangential note...can someone explain to me why someone would want to buy a "relic" guitar? Why is it that banged up guitars, with cigarette burns and paint worn off, cost more than a guitar that is flawless?? Sorry for the tangent, I just never understood the craze of relic guitars.

They give the false impression that you've "worked them". And thus, your chops are righteous.

I whimper like a little baby when my stuff gets dinged...

[TS808]

They give the false impression that you've "worked them". And thus, your chops are righteous.

I whimper like a little baby when my stuff gets dinged...

That's my point..I hate when my stuff gets dinged up..plus the exposed wood only opens the door for dampness, etc. to get in or other problems. Plus, I'm not too fond of rusty bridge saddles, etc.

[R.B. Huckleberry]

That's my point..I hate when my stuff gets dinged up..plus the exposed wood only opens the door for dampness, etc. to get in or other problems. Plus, I'm not too fond of rusty bridge saddles, etc.

When you buy a Relic, you get a certificate of authenticy...and a tetanus shot.