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Post subject: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:37 pm
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Can anyone help me out? I brought my brand new guitar to guitar center for a complete going over and set up. It's an Epiphone Plustop Pro F/X it's got a floyd rose which is why I took it in because I don't know how to set one up yet. Anyway, the guy said the frets in the upper register were too high so he needed to take them down a little. Which is cool I get that. However instead of using a leveling beam and fret file they just used steel wool. AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN TAPE THE FRETBOARD! they just ran steel wool up and down the neck. So now I have steel wool scratches in the rosewood and on the inlays. Is there anything I can do to get rid of the scratches? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:09 pm
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As long as the scratches are not too deep you should be able to polish them out. If not too bad it may not even need to be sanded. What I do is use a buffing wheel on a variable speed drill. Start with a fine cutting compound and then to a good quality polish and swirl remover. Don't use a very high speed and be very careful. I put masking tape on the chuck of the drill in case I slip which almost always happens and unless you want a relic look do not want to do this lol.

Then have the frets leveled by someone better next time. I can't believe they did that to your neck.

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:14 pm
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Big Easy Blues, Guitar Center would replace the fretboard if they damaged it. Bring it back, talk with the manager and guitar tech. Pics will be required lol. :)

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:22 pm
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Solid Body Love Songs wrote:
Big Easy Blues, Guitar Center would replace the fretboard if they damaged it. Bring it back, talk with the manager and guitar tech. Pics will be required lol. :)


That is certainly another option. They should fix this since they did it and are fully responsible.. But I understand if you are reluctant to go back to them again.

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 8:52 pm
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You may be able to demand a proper fret level and dress, and have them polish the neck with a better tech. I would not let them off the hook until it is corrected. Also, I would not let the same guy work on it. Sounds like a BS job - they know better. It's talk to the manager time, then send pics to corporate if the manager doesn't take action. But give the manager a chance first.

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2014 9:05 pm
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Deluxe Matt wrote:
You may be able to demand a proper fret level and dress, and have them polish the neck with a better tech. I would not let them off the hook until it is corrected. Also, I would not let the same guy work on it. Sounds like a BS job - they know better. It's talk to the manager time, then send pics to corporate if the manager doesn't take action. But give the manager a chance first.


+1

It's Guitar Center's baggage......let them carry it.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 4:31 am
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Thank You so much for the replies and advice. I'm going to call them today and ask for the manager and take it from there. I can't believe I have to go through this crap I just know this is going to be a big hassle. I don't know if I want to leave it with them again because they guy that did the work is supposed to be their resident luthier. The scratches aren't deep but you can see it. When I got the guitar the rosewood had a nice smooth shine to it I swear I had to take a closer look because it almost looked plastic and the frets were nice and bright. Now it's just dull and dry looking because yeah they didn't even bother oiling it. It seems to play alright from what little time I spent with it because all I could think about was kicking someones $@! so I put it down in disgust. I wish I would have caught it when I picked it up but I didn't have my glasses and I can't anything worth a darn up close. I'll try to post some pics of it if I can get my crappy camera to pick it up.


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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 9:36 am
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Big Easy Blues wrote:
all I could think about was kicking someones $@!
I don't blame you, I would have too. Those screwups at GC need to make it right. It's unfathomable that they could be so careless with someone else's property.

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:10 am
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Guitar Center--the Wal Mart of musical instrument retailers.

Their selection isn't even as good as it used to be.

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 11:35 am
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Screamin Armadillo wrote:
Guitar Center--the Wal Mart of musical instrument retailers.


:lol: :lol: :lol:

+1!

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2014 6:41 pm
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Screamin Armadillo wrote:
Guitar Center--the Wal Mart of musical instrument retailers.

Their selection isn't even as good as it used to be.


True. It is like any big retailer....you get some good, some bad. The one I used to frequent when I lived in LA had pretty lousy sales people and a very high turn around. But there was one particular dude who worked in parts that knew his stuff...heck he would spend 1/2 hour searching for a single saddle adjustment screw and then not charge you for it. So I would purchase something out of courtesy.

I did kind of "befriend" a few salespeople who told me essentially all they care about is sales numbers and commission and the least of their concern is what the customer really wants or needs. They are under high pressure and let go very quickly (or quit) if they can't make numbers..and cut throating. As far as the techs...again hit or miss. Some GC's have a great tech/luthier and others not so much. The Sam Ash in LA had an awesome tech from what I have heard.

For me personally whatever I can not do myself I try to find a local luthier that works on his own. Most of them are originally from larger retailers and got sick of the corporate BS and just want to do what they know and love with a degree of pride, something corporations tend to suck out of an otherwise talented employee for the sake of numbers.

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:24 pm
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ebaysux wrote:
Screamin Armadillo wrote:
Guitar Center--the Wal Mart of musical instrument retailers.

Their selection isn't even as good as it used to be.


True. It is like any big retailer....you get some good, some bad.

And like almost every big retailer, expect the good ones to eventually trend downward toward bad.

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 6:18 pm
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Should have never walk out the store after looking it over! Now I think you should go back and express dissatisfaction.

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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:20 am
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I'd advise a full stop with guitar center.

write off what ever you have spent on them to screw up your guitar and bring it to some who knows what they are doing and just PAY them to do the job correctly, (and then NEVER go to GC for anything related to setups or repairs.)

They are mostly clueless and will just be compounding their mistakes,.. I would actually ask for the money spent back, -- Stop dealing with their incompetence now before they make it worse..

I have to wonder if the initial diagnosis was even correct. aren't newer necks from EPI plek'd that should at ensure a more or less consistent fret job.


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Post subject: Re: Need help fixing a Guitar Center screw up
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2014 9:36 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Deluxe Matt wrote:
You may be able to demand a proper fret level and dress, and have them polish the neck with a better tech. I would not let them off the hook until it is corrected. Also, I would not let the same guy work on it. Sounds like a BS job - they know better. It's talk to the manager time, then send pics to corporate if the manager doesn't take action. But give the manager a chance first.


+1

It's Guitar Center's baggage......let them carry it.

Arjay


Seriously it is. I never let GC work on any of my gear. When I bought my Martin guitar from GC, after a little while I wanted the action lowered a little. I took it to Nazareth, Pa to the factory and they fixed it while I waited. They asked me where I bought it and why I brought it to the factory instead of GC. I said you built it so I want you to take care of it. Didn't cost me a dime either except for the hour drive. Find a good Luthier to,take care of stuff like that. The so called techs at GC are a bunch of assclowns.

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