does anybody buy them?

while trying out a hot rod 3 and a blues deluxe reissue, i was told by the sales guy that this "qualifies" for the extended warranty at around a hundred bucks. when i said that the fender warranty (5 years transferrable right?), he tells me how it would cover dropping the amp and all kinds of other stuff.

i tell him this will be used 95% of the time at home, and he keeps telling me that i'll be sorry. what good is the factory warranty?

please mr. big box store-if you want my business, stop giving me this story.

if you do have a good reason for me to get the warranty, please share. end of rant

The reason is known as "sales commission".



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I buy extended warranties on computers, large appliances and cars--and they've always paid for themselves.

A $1200 extended warranty on my wife's former car (Honda Accord) got us three transmissions (obviously a weak point for the 1999/2000 Accord LX), a new fuel injection system and a new radio. The labor alone would have cost more than $1200 on just one of those transmission replacements. I also fell out of love with Hondas--she had two previous Hondas that were awesome, but this one was a piece of junk.

Same thing for my Mazda CX7--replaced a failed hydraulic motor mount and the rear tailgate/door seals for a nominal fee--and those two repairs alone would have cost more than the $1000 extended warranty.

...and we're not hard on our cars!

If I were not gigging much, I don't think the extended warranty on an amp would really be worth it, unless it was a nominal ($40 or less) fee.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

I'm 67, have never bought an extended warranty on anything, and never had any need for one.

One time I was out to buy a top price bracket fridge-freezer. The saleswoman gave me an amazingly hard sell on the store's extended warranty - in fact she went so far as to say snearingly that I'd be "a complete idiot not to take it". Her actual words! I found that so astoundingly offensive I walked straight out the shop and she lost even her commission on the basic sale. That felt good.

That fridge-freezer ran for about 20 years without a hitch. That felt good too.

Cheers - C

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I have seen recent Best Buy ads on TV touting their salespeople as being NON-COMMISSION sellers... Yep, that's true on the actual item, but those same salespeople who hound you from one end of the store to the other trying to get you to take that damned extended warranty get a nice chunk of said extended warranty as a commission. Extended warranties are pure GRAVY for those who sell them.

I never buy extended warranties on anything - guitars, amps, computers, monitors - it's a waste of money. especially on those new Fender amps with the 5-year warranties!

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

I have never purchased an extended warranty on an amp nor would I ever consider doing so - especially for a Fender amp - but I have for large appliances, computer hardware, office furniture, and office equipment. In most cases the cost of the extended coverage has paid for itself several times over.

Having said this I must also point out that not all extended warranties are the same. You have to read the fine print, then read it again, then read between the lines, then go back and read the fine print.

Keep in mind that there is no such thing as "unconditional" and no such thing as "total coverage". There are always conditions and they often become applicable when you attempt to make a claim.

Cheers!
BM

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This is the Blues. Are you listening?

Among car salesmen, such nebulous gravy is known as "blue sky".

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I purchased an extended warranty on a car once and didn't ever need to use it. There might be a need for it on larger purchases but that is the buyers move to make. whatever you decide I hope it works out for you.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

I refused to buy one for my fridge/freezer as I thought it was a waste of money and the salesman was trying to make some money.

I thought that hey- this guy is just doing his job. However, I have had the fridge replaced once, and two subsequent visits from the factory technician in the 6months I have owned it, and I am sorely wishing I did squander my money on a warranty as I have 6 months left on my warranty now.

My old fridge- bless the thing. 20yrs old and still goes like clockwork & no issues at all since new. I don't know why I decided to pay $2500 for an upgrade that has given me so much trouble, but I'm regretting it.

As always, you buy at your own risk. However, I have heard many issues with re-issue blues deluxes.. I have a hotrod deluxe myself and touch wood I have never had an issue. Luck of the draw really, however the newer models seem to be better nowadays

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what issues if i may ask? are they on new models or old ones?

Sorry, my mistake- I was actually meant Hotrod Deluxe..

I have the previous model to the current one. After I purchased it, I heard of people having noise problems and issues with the volume. I'm sure there could be others, however I haven't had an issue with mine other than the pots are way sensitive. A slight nudge turn on the volume, pushes the amp to the point that neighbours will start to complain. However, I learn to adapt to it, I'd love to get my grubby mits on a pro junior or an old peavey classic 20 amp just so I can play at lower volumes.

Sounds like you are about to pull the trigger on a new purchase?

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Some times I do, sometimes I don't.
I like doing it with computers.
It's easy to spill something over the keyboard or accidentally close the lid with a USB stick lying on the edge of the laptop, cracking the display .... stuff like that.
It happens with several people in a family plus 3 dogs.

An Apple computer isn't as cheap as an Acer laptop.

If it goes into the 1000s in value, i sometimes do it.

I wouldn't do it with a 200 bucks digi cam.
I wouldn't do it with a standard guitar like a Fender Strat. They're built like tanks!

I certainly would do it if I would by a brandnew TRIAMP for over 3000 bucks.
Ever stumbled over a cable? If you lose balance and fall sideways, the guitar cord will not detach from the head but simply tear it down from the cabinet.
It gets even worse with those new lightweight dwarf tube amps!

So it depends on the way something is used and the value of it. If it is used at home only and you have a general household insurance, you might worry less.

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

going today- made up my mind

I agree that extended warrantees are just revenue enhancers for resellers and the re-insurance companies they deal with (and undoubtedly get kickbacks from). If the item is a lemon, you will know within the normal warrantee period. The only type of item I would even remotely be concerned about the warrantee period beyond a year are very complex/delicate things like computers, cars, audio/video gear, and such.