What would you do? Guitar Center Tech messed up?

#61
Hopkins said:
They need to replace the bass, or give you a check for the value of a new replacement. Yes it can be repaired, and yes Rosco is going to do a very good repair on the bass, but it will still be repaired and will still be in worse condition than when you brought the bass to thlem. If I damaged one of my customers basses like that I would feel responsible for replacing his instrument. But then again, I wouldn't have drilled a hole that looks like it was chewed through.
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For what it's worth, if you did this you should not pay for the value of a new bass. From a legal stand point, you are only out the value of a used bass.

I am glad to hear the issue is getting handled. The manufacturer is always (or at least should be) the most trusted repair person.
 
#62
Killed_by_Death said:
Stories like this make me glad we have a couple of local guys whose craftsmanship everyone trusts.
Last year there were three, but one shut down in November :(
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All indications are that there are not enough new ones coming along to replace the old ones who are dying out. Best advice - Find a good tech now. Establish a relationship. Protect it.

Or go with GC.

There won't be much in between.
 
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#63
Yeah, it's a fine line between doing it yourself & paying the local luthier to do it.
I could buy some fret crowning files & do a job myself, or pay my local guy $100 to do it & in turn help keep his business alive.

That's where I went wrong with the the guy who shut down last year. He'd tell me how to fix the problem myself & I'd just go home & do it. I literally paid him for work twice, once in which I could bought the equipment & done it myself, but chose not to.
 
#64
DiabolusInMusic said:
The manufacturer is always (or at least should be) the most trusted repair person.
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Not always. A world-renowed guitar maker in my neck of the woods builds stunning instruments and they are EXPENSIVE (you could buy a new car for the price of one of his beauties). But he won't repair them. He says that repair is a different skill set, and a good builder does not make a good repairer and vice versa.

I don't build but I have repaired a couple of his instruments. I said to him "You can have the building - that's just so demanding". He said "And you can have the repairs for the same reason". Works for me.
 
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#66
bongostealth said:
So thanks to everyone's input and advice, as well as Gard gracing my inbox with an immediate willingness to step in, I went to GC, spoke with a manager and told them that they were responsible, and I made them box up and ship the bass directly to Roscoe Guitars.

I'm disappointed because two-and-a-half weeks without being able to play my Roscoe PLUS knowing that it's been injured is quite torturous. BUT, I'm more than elated that it will be back to where it came from and will be in the best hands!
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Good move letting them ship the bass, so when they eff that up too it will also be on them.
 
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#67
Turnaround said:
Not always. A world-renowed guitar maker in my neck of the woods builds stunning instruments and they are EXPENSIVE (you could buy a new car for the price of one of his beauties). But he won't repair them. He says that repair is a different skill set, and a good builder does not make a good repairer and vice versa.

I don't build but I have repaired a couple of his instruments. I said to him "You can have the building - that's just so demanding". He said "And you can have the repairs for the same reason". Works for me.
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Absolutely true. For most manufacturers the repair department is a necessary evil that costs money. That is unlike the rest of the factory floor which is devoted to making money.

The people who build guitars are not usually cross trained in repair. That holds true for just about every other industry.

This is why manufacturers authorize repair centers. They don't want to do it in house.
 
#68
In this case, Roscoe is 'handling' the repair and I have every confidence it will be done to their standards.
It's of no consequence if they actually do it themselves or subcontract to a specialist - they're taking responsibility for the result.

Was the same with specialized machine shop services, which I always sent to Engine Builder Supply in Reno (Sparks, really...) NV.
I knew they weren't actually doing the work - they were sending it out to whoever was doing the best work at the best price at the time - and taking responsibility for the end product.
 
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#71
Turnaround said:
Not always. A world-renowed guitar maker in my neck of the woods builds stunning instruments and they are EXPENSIVE (you could buy a new car for the price of one of his beauties). But he won't repair them. He says that repair is a different skill set, and a good builder does not make a good repairer and vice versa.
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Likewise there are a couple of guys who do work on old Rickenbackers and get them up to amazing standard. If you stumbled across a basketcase 4005 your best option would not be sending it to the Rickenbacker factory.

As for OP's bass, yikes! That will be a devil of a repair to carry out; a transparent finish, multiple stains and a highly figured grain to match. And all because the GC tech decided to drill the top out by throwing a firecracker in the control cavity and hoping for the best.

Without trampling over the same ground as has already been covered in this thread, did the guy not drill a wee pilot hole first? How did that finish damage occur? Did he drill from the inside out?
 
#72
**UPDATE**

So a few weeks back I spoke with the GC store manager in Atlanta, his name is Sean Snyder. He gave me his email address. I emailed him and he told me that they would take care of paying for the repair. Therefore, I was able to get it in writing. Roscoe Guitars received the bass and got to work on it right away.

As for the repair, they took the whole bass apart, fixed the holes, repainted the body, applied several coats of finish, reassembled the bass, Plek'd the fretboard, performed a setup, and made sure that the preamp and switches were all wired properly and working properly.

Gard then sent me the invoice and I forwarded it to the GC manager. They themselves both spoke over the phone yesterday and now my bass is on its way back to me from Roscoe!!! I will post pictures of the bass once I receive it.

First of all, I have to thank all of you for your input and advice! Second, I have to thank GC for stepping up right away to correct the problem. The manager Sean Snyder was very easy to deal with and did not protest or give me any grief whatsoever. But thirdly, and most importantly, I have to thank Gard and Roscoe Guitars for stepping in and solving the issues. Gard contacted me right away when he saw my original post. I never had to contact them. Rather, Gard showed an immediate willingness to make sure that Roscoe's product retained its integrity and that I remained a happy Roscoe owner. Furthermore, dealing with Gard has got to be one of the best experiences any bass player can have! What a gem and a gentleman! Not only that, but he told me that because I had been without my bass for so long he went ahead and shipped it even though GC had not yet cut the check! WOW! Who does that!?!? Gard does! Naturally, a business can't keep it's doors open if they do that all of the time but he was willing to make an exception given the circumstances!

Thank you Gard and Roscoe Guitars! You have a customer for LIFE!
 
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#73
I received the bass. Man, this thing plays, feels, and sounds like a million bucks! The work done on it is pure class and the finish feels so smooth and silky!! You can't tell there was every any damage!

The Roscoe team did what they do best! Thanks Roscoe!

(sorry for the crappy pictures... the pictures do NOT do this beauty any justice)

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#79
I just found this thread - HOLY COW, wotinhell did that so-called "tech" use to drill that hole? A posthole auger??????

Just the holes tells you that he should never touch an instrument.

But as noted above, don't go crazy about this. It's business. They screwed up. You and they need to reach agreement on a settlement. Think business, not dead babies.

If that was an instrument that I really cared about, I don't know what I'd do. I don't like the decorative washer idea. I might be persuaded to install a plate like some of the early Gibson basses had for their multiple switches.

And I wouldn't expect to pay a penny for the work. Either that, or get me a new bass and you can re-sell the old one if you can find a buyer.

Here's a plate on a Gibson Les Paul Triumph bass:

1972-triumph-5.jpg



Here's a '69 Les Paul bass:

1969LPSignedDSC_0667.jpg
 
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#80
Pilgrim said:
I just found this thread - HOLY COW, wotinhell did that so-called "tech" use to drill that hole? A posthole auger??????

Just the holes tells you that he should never touch an instrument.

But as noted above, don't go crazy about this. It's business. They screwed up. You and they need to reach agreement on a settlement. Think business, not dead babies.

If that was an instrument that I really cared about, I don't know what I'd do. I don't like the decorative washer idea. I might be persuaded to install a plate like some of the early Gibson basses had for their multiple switches.

And I wouldn't expect to pay a penny for the work. Either that, or get me a new bass and you can re-sell the old one if you can find a buyer.

Here's a plate on a Gibson Les Paul Triumph bass:

View attachment 2771922


Here's a '69 Les Paul bass:

View attachment 2771923
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Gibson quality right there.

Notice the metal pickup surround overlapping the control plate!
 
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