Guitar Center Selling Questionable Used Fender

#61
GBBSbassist said:
I played in a band with a dude in the early/mid 2000's who had a MIM Fender P in that exact color. I think the body could be from a MIM Fender P of that era, but with swapped pickups. I don't remember the poles on the pickups looking like that at all.
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The pickup is definitely replaced, and the neck is from another model, but that is a MIM Fender body. An earlier one, though.
 
#62
jd56hawk said:
Sometimes it's better to be in the minority.
I've never had a problem with GC, not even a minor one…bought two of my favorite basses from GC online and they were better than what I was told on the phone by both employees. Bought a brand new $900 Mark Bass amp from them on sale for $599. Did anyone else have the same sale? No, not even close.
Still playing both basses and the amp, incredible bargains, and I will be buying from them again.
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They knowingly took in two instruments that were stolen from me, and the manager tried everything he could to prove they weren't mine. I had the police report and the officer, though, so he lost and I got my basses back.
I did get a basically brand new 2014 MIM Jazz Bass from them for $250 because they thought the bridge was crooked, though. I knew very well that the neck was just seated crooked. I still have it. I don't shop there much at all because we still have brick and mortar stores here in Nashville. All of them will match any GC price, too.
As a side note, GC is one of the few places you can even buy a Mark Bass brand of anything, so no one else would have a sale like that because they can't carry that brand.
 
#70
DiabolusInMusic said:
That neck is from a Fender Jazz Deluxe. That is a proper logo for the era (95~ - 08~) and was also used back in the late-60s/early 70s. I believe they call it the transition logo.

The body, on the other hand, appears to be a Squier Affinity model from the same era. The pickups look to be G&L or Dimarzio. If you can get some more pics of the body, we can try and figure out exactly what it is.
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Good to know about the logo. This is the only other pic my friend sent. I believe that's a DiMarzio pickup. Whatever it is, it isn't a Jazz bass!

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#72
One other point about Caveat Emptor/Just don't go there/etc...

My example was a bass my friend's wife bought. She is a novice bassist. My friend is a drummer. I wouldn't expect either of them to know a P from a J or whatever. They are buying something based on the tag which in this case is misleading.

She played the bass and was happy enough with it. I'm more frustrated with GC selling this thing as something that it isn't. So if/when she tries to sell it she needs to know what she has. Or the cycle continues.
 
#73
Saw a chinabacker in my local GC a while back. They were asking $1200 or something like that. They had a real Ric on the wall not 10 feet away, so I'm not sure how they couldn't tell the difference. I bought my Aria at a different one for $200-$300 less than they seem to go for online, though. People who are well informed tend to come out on top I guess.
 
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#74
Lownote38 said:
They knowingly took in two instruments that were stolen from me, and the manager tried everything he could to prove they weren't mine. I had the police report and the officer, though, so he lost and I got my basses back.
I did get a basically brand new 2014 MIM Jazz Bass from them for $250 because they thought the bridge was crooked, though. I knew very well that the neck was just seated crooked. I still have it. I don't shop there much at all because we still have brick and mortar stores here in Nashville. All of them will match any GC price, too.
As a side note, GC is one of the few places you can even buy a Mark Bass brand of anything, so no one else would have a sale like that because they can't carry that brand.
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Well then, I wouldn't mind someone pointing out any other store selling a brand new $900 amp or bass for $500.
 
#75
ModuMan said:
It isn't just the pricier stuff. A friend told me his wife was buying a "purple Fender Jazz bass".

My theory: they just don't care.

I'm not all that sure this is is even a MIM Fender neck (that logo?) but hey, his wife is happy.

View attachment 2974837 View attachment 2974838
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Ehh... A MIM Jazz neck on a MIM P bass. But both the neck and the body seem authentic. That purple is actually "midnight blue," and was a common color for the MIM basses in the early 2000's.
 
#76
Just bought a used bass from GC online.

Got it, wasn't was they said it was.

Returned it and the rube at the counter NEVER EVEN OPENED THE CASE WHEN HE REFUNDED ME.

The next day it was back on the wall at the store with new tags but with the same wrong description and wrong model number.
 
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#79
armyadarkness said:
Lol... It is illegal in New Jersey to dispense your own fuel, and the offense is very steep and expensive!
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Same here in Oregon, except in the most rural counties.

But yeah Guitar Centers, like any other chain, vary in quality and customer service depending on the staff. The one nearest to me is pretty decent.

I remember once I tried to trade in a MIM P Bass and they wouldn't take it because I had changed the neck plate from the stock blank one to the one with the F logo. So some can be very scrupulous.
 
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