Situations like this really get under my skin. Guys like many of us who have played for years would have just made whatever adjustments were required to get rid of the buzz and set it up the way we like it. Having said that if I were running a guitar and sold the guitar to a beginner who had no idea how to make the adjustments, I would have taken care of the problem no charge. Stores who handle the problems like that are the one's who will get the repeat sales. When that fellow gets a few hours on the guitar and is ready to buy a new Martin or Taylor acoustic, who do you think he's going to buy it from. Certainly not from someone so rude and unwilling to spend a few minutes to take care of the customer.

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OK, I'll hum a little bit, got it now?

I appreciate everyone's help. I've played the guitar off and on for a couple of years, but have never really been taught anything. I had no idea that a guitar was adjustable until recently.

My first and prior guitar was a harmony acoustic/electric. It was made of pretty cheap wood, but I never had it set up, nor did I ever have the slightest fret buzz. I guess I just expected better from a brand new fender. I realize now, that it can happen with any guitar, but I don't think people should be able to sell them that way, then tell you it will be extra to fix it.

Overall I love this guitar. It looks bad to the bone, and has a beautiful tone to it. The buzz basically only occurs on the 2nd and 3rd fret of the 4th string, and thats one of the most important spots that I use.

Please understand, I am not bad-mouthing Fender. I am, however, not happy with the person who sold it to me. It just seems weird

In another time, I'd take it back to the store and make them set it up properly, free of charge. Thats normally part of the sale. If they refused I would ask for a refund and let them keep the guitar. Then if they dident respond favorably, I'd jerk the guy over the counter and Kick his sorry A#$ What kind of store did you buy this thing from In my mind Fender is not responsible. The store needs to make it good.
----Danny,

Hi Brandon!
I agree with TDan.
If your guitar is acoustic, let it settle for a few days.
Keep observing that buzz. Live with it for a bit.
You will diagnose it better this way. Don´t rush the job.
Learn to inspect the neck, slowly looking at it from different angles. Look at it every time you pick the instrument up. Relative to the lines the strings describe, is it concave, convex?

Once you research a bit on truss adjustment, go ahead and give it a try.
If your neck is aligned, then you might have to bring your guitar to a tech to inspect the nut.
I would avoid the original place you went to. They don´t deserve your buisness!

Acoustics are very much sensitive to the different string gauges. This is an opportunity for you to elect what gauge you´ll be using and have the instrument calibrated for that.

Good luck!

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FIGHT!

To many folks buy guitars on looks alone. Many are embarrassed to let someone hear them play, so They really don't check things out the way they should. If you don't feel comfortable playing in public take an experienced friend with you and have them help you decide. Most new guitars meed some minor adjustment. A reputable store will take good care of you. Lastly, don't be afraid to tell the sales person that you are a beginner. Chances are they would be happy to actually help you make a choice.
----Danny,

I have never been to a guitar store (even GC) that would not set up a new guitar for a customer. Of course you have to ask for it. If they don't want to set it up for you, ask to see the manager/owner of the store. If that happens to be the manager/owner walk out of the store. They do not have the customer in mind when they sell gear.

I'm sorry, would you not expect ice in your cold tea or carbonation in soda? I expect a guitar to be set up if it hasn't already been done.

Just chalk this up to a learning experience. BTW, unless you are really in love with this acoustic, take it and get your money back if they do not want to fix it for free. Once you have your money, buy another one if they are the only shop in town, otherwise I would go somewhere else. Make sure you have a pick on you. Play before you pay, and I mean play it like you are going to play it at home.

There are Fender dealers and then there are Fender repair centers. Don't assume that just because they are an authorized dealer that they are automatically an authorized repair center.

I wish you had a better experience. As far as being set up correctly at the plant, it probably was. Remember that it traveled on a truck to a distrobution point, then sent to stores from there. A lot of banging around and temperature changes could have occured. Also, no telling how long it had been in the store before you bought it. I have a hard time blaming Fender for a set-up that should have been done at the store before putting it out onto the floor for sale.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Here's my two cents worth:

Many, many, many music stores have a "no pick" policy. After all, you would end up with a lot of guitars all scratched up from people relentlessly beating up on them. It makes perfect sense to me, even when I was a new guy trying to find the right guitar for me.

For ex: my Alvarez has some deep scratches where a customer before me had the balls to bring a metal pick and play on it...

It especially applies to higher level instruments- Am. Fenders, Taylors, etc. That being said, whenever a customer asked if they could use a pick, and I knew they weren't going to destroy the instrument, I would let them grab a pick from our box o' picks...

Did you even ask if you could play it with a pick???

I just hate the assumption that all sales clerks are "anal retentive buttholes" over the quality of their merchandise, I use to bend-over-back to help a customer out. But ya'll wouldn't believe how many people turn down potential buys because of even the smallest microscopic scratch that would be from a previous customer's pick. And God forbid you find one on a $3000+ Taylor BTO, thats a whole other nightmare...

We had a lot of fresh guitarists come in too, and one of my favorite things to do is to play the guitars for them. I would tell them my thoughts on the instrument, pros, cons, etc, and what I believe would be best for them. There is no harm in asking an employee to play an instrument for you. I did it a lot when I was first starting off...

The store I worked at was locally owned, and we were always willing to help a customer out.

My rant is done. You guys may fuss at me all you want, but just remember I've seen BOTH sides of the situation.

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Kid: "Hey Smokey! Where did you get your name?"
Smokey the Bear: "Well..."
(former user jimbo612)

You all make good points. I just figured since it was new, someone should fix it. I broke my bank for this guitar but was really uneducated i now see. I expected it to hav decent playability for the $320 I paid. And by no means am I blaming Fender. I just thought that the warranty should cover it, but I guess it's not technically broken. And I was merely finger picking at the store, but I guess I just didn't forsee a problem with a new instrument. You live and learn I guess

I find it so ironic that a music shop will sell a guitar that isnt set up properly to begin with. They must take them out of the box, tune them and straight on the wall for sale.

Quantity, not quality.

A good shop should allways set their gear up before it goes on the shop floor, regardless of what they sell

Good luck on the gas bill though. Like someone said, just take it as a lesson learnt.

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I just talked to the owner of the store. He was more than happy to help me with this problem. I understood all along that it was minor, but I was looking at 5 hrs. driving time, + $50, and 2 and a half weeks without the guitar, according to the first guy.. Thank you all for your help.. The new guy said it would take about a day to do, and I'll just have to take it an hour away, and pick it up a couple of days later.. That sounds better. I need to learn about adjusting guitars..

get dan erlewines book .

Tune them? I wonder... I can't remember the last time I took a guitar off the wall at GC that wasn't badly in need of tuning - even the high dollar guitars hung too high for the 10-year-olds to get to. It's no surprise that all the Squiers are tuned to some semblance of drop D, but the other stuff? I'm just thankful that there are so many amps now with built-in tuners to make the job simpler.

Brandon - glad you're getting the guitar taken care of. Lots to learn along the way!

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

a good dealer will have his guys tune the guitars frequently.
if i pick a guitar up and its bad out of tune i put it right back where it came from.
our biggest local store who has about 12 locations has his guys show up an hour early to vacuum the place and make it look right and tune every guitar and bass!

a guitar in need of a set up is harder to sell.

fender has always been pretty good with customer service in my experiences.
They made one dealer replace some tubes on Fender in one of my amps and gave the dealer who refused (who i bought the amp from) to fix it a lick.

i was called back and apologized to.

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1985 Fender Squier Bullet
1987 Kramer Striker
1983 Fender Strat Elite
1995 Fender Strat Plus
2001 Carvin DC127
1999 G&L Legacy
2002 Melancon Classic Artist
2009 Paul Reed Smith SE Singlecut
2010 Fender Deluxe American Strat
2006 Fender MIM Fat Strat

When I hear stories from people who have bought poorly set up guitars from music stores I'm glad the the mom and pop store I deal with-Reid Music,Mt. Pearl,NL-doesn't let a single guitar leave the store without being set up and given a final once over.Then again they have a don't play it unless you ask policy that they stick to so every little Saturday afternoon pimple popper isn't pawing them over and pounding the guts out of them.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

+1 guitslinger, The Mom & Pop store I usually deal with in Philadelphia Pa, Cintioli's Music has the same policy. They ask you what gauge and brand strings you use too and set it up for them too. They don't charge you and they can usually meet or beat the big boy's prices too. I only buy big box stores if they don't have what I need. Kids aren't even allowed to touch an instrument unless a parent is in the store. They're not babysitters.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal