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Post subject: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 8:00 pm
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Ill make this simple. Years ago fender used to be great ...but now im not so sure.

Bought a fender squier standard nov of last year, registered the guitar on the fender site, found that all three pickups were microphonic . Took it back to guitar center, they checked and double checked the guitar - sure enough , microphonic squeal on all pups. Fender then tells me to take it to a different fender authorized shop - essentially slagging Guitar Center , which i can kind of relate at times- so i take it to another well known fender authorized tech. He finds the same problem. Fender refuses to make good on the warranty . They do agree to trade the guitar for anything they have for $379 or less. Wind up getting a Squier standard surf strat . Finally a nice guitar that works...kinda. Find out one pickup mounting screw is missing a spring...some of the other springs and screws are mismatched. I get that fixed on my own.

I decide i still want a squier standard flame top. I decide to go through a different online dealer. Their customer service is great...but , fender ( not the dealer ) sends the wrong guitar in the box. Not the dealer box but the guitar box. Its even labeled correctly , as a squire standard strat FMT CRT - flame maple top , crimson red transparent . The guitar is a squire bullet HSS with standard amber burst.

This is ridiculous. I have one more fender guitar i want to buy...i will look for used in good shape first but after i acquire that guitar im done unless fender does something to rectify all my wasted time and the disappointment. Some of the worst customer service i have ever got...especially from fender. My first two guitars and one of my first amps ( back in the 80's early 90's ) were fender products . Never had problems then. Now, its a total joke.

Here are pics
and my other post on the pups are on the squire forum.
[url][url=http://postimg.org/image/kgnbr0351/]Image[/url][/url]

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[url][url=http://postimage.org/]Image[/url]
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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:24 pm
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Welcome to the Forum 57trouble. The 57 Chevy Bel Air sedan is one of my favorite American automobiles. I still see a Bro of mine, one of the guitar players from the band Trouble, from time to time. You told a sad story but thanks for posting pics, we love pics here. Hopefully one of the moderators will see your post and try to straighten it out. I have had guitar center unpleasant encounters as well but there are a couple of sales people who have been helpful which is the reason I haven't given up on them yet. Used or new, Fender is in an electric guitar class of it's own. Have fun here.

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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:28 pm
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Sorry for you...

'course we're only hearing one side...

Assuming it's true, your experience is not reflected by the majority of people here commenting on Fender standing behind their products. In fact, it's 180° out.

I had a Warranty issue with Fender (body replacement on my FSR, Ltd. Ed. AV) which took 18 mos. to get corrected. Not because Fender dragged their feet, but because they redid the work 7 times until they were satisfied that I was satisfied. They finally kicked it up to the Custom Shop to produce the 7th body which was spectacular.

Not only did Fender maintain a running dialogue with me throughout. But 12 mos. into the claim, Fender's rep in Scottsdale apologized after the 6th body was damaged enroute to their master luthier for final assembly and setup, he expressed genuine concern that I had been without my Stratocaster for so long.

He told me to go and select any guitar in their inventory (excluding CS), that they would send it to me complimentary in an effort to make amends. He even had Corona send it first to him in Scottsdale for inspection and setup before sending it on me. He rejected the first two Corona sent as not being perfect.

At any point during all this, Fender could just have refunded my money and washed their hands of the whole thing, which is one of their options under the Warranty Agreement (which I really expected them to do after all this).

But instead, they stood behind their product to the tune of producing 7 bodies, shipping cross-country 5 times, incurring at least a dozen hours labor at two Gold-certified Tech Centers and gave me a FREE American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster, in addition to fixing my guitar.

Image

So, I'm NEVER going to utter a bad word about Fender's desire to satisfy their customers or to back their products.

My experience was so good that it leads me to believe that we're not hearing the whole story here.

That said, you can go to the Gibson, PRS, Martin, Taylor, Collings or any other Guitar mfgr. forum and find someone trashing the brand because a product failed or didn't live up to their expectations.

You can quit Fender, that's your choice, and perhaps with reason.

But there are many more people, like myself, who's trust in Fender is unshakable... because it was well-earned. :wink:

Hope your day improves... :)

cheers!

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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:30 pm
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Thanx for the replies . I do realize that squire is a step down from actual fender products, but usually its just with the sound quality or quality of the woods hardware etc. They are still great looking guitars and every now and then you get a real jem. But as of late , the problems are far more than just " sound " or overall quality.

Customer service is my biggest issue. To have them deny a repair under warranty is just not right...then the spring problem on my next purchase , now the packaging problem. Pretty lame.

Im sure this last problem will be rectified , but what next ? Another problem ?

I realize Fender has us by the shorthairs because they have the patent on the coolest looking guitar ever made, but there are alot of parts companies out there and even black market logos so...if it gets too bad there are other avenues . I want to spend money on more fender products and i will...if they dont drop the ball again. Hopefully my next purchase is a Fender classic 50's. We shall see :?


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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:45 pm
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57trouble wrote:
I realize Fender has us by the shorthairs because they have the patent on the coolest looking guitar ever made

No, they don't. Any patents from the 50s have long since expired.
What they have are copyrights on some designs, and trademarks on text and logos.


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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:59 pm
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Ok, copyrights, But you know what I mean.


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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 2:29 am
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Lightnin MN wrote:
'course we're only hearing one side...

Here's some light on the pickups issue, the OP's previous topic on that subject:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=97658

Edit:
Quote:
Fender refuses to make good on the warranty . They do agree to trade the guitar for anything they have for $379 or less.

Edit:
This is new (or more precised) info to the previous.
Maybe at that point it would have been possible to renegotiate - after all, the 1st guitar was kind of special with its gold harware etc; so Fender might have had some leeway. But, as the OP canceled the deal, we'll never know.

On the later developments, Murphy's Law etc.


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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:28 am
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Yeah, a lot of info is missing here. :? I would like to hear the other side of the story. I have a feeling there is an "aha!" moment coming. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 4:45 am
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No ah ha moment...it gets worse. Got looking at the box the guitar came in , looks like there is a product tag/sticker ( with bar code ) put on top of an existing sticker. The top sticker has the correct description of the guitar : SQ STD Strat fmt cr = Squier standard strat, flame maple top, crimson red. Has a serial number on the same sticker...THAT, get this, MATCHES the serial number on the guitar...problem is , the guitar is a Squire Bullet HSS in brown sunburst ?!?! So i paid $250 for a nice squier standard and got a $129 bullet lol.

I have played and purchased guitars for almost 30 years , including many fender products, and i have never had this many problems. My old guitar tech is right. He recently said " its changed , they throw you a product and if there is a problem they hope you suck it up ". Not saying this will happen again but im not holding my breath .

I know the credibility on my end is secure because of that serial number match. Albeit as bizarre as it is.

So the big question is , did this mixup happen in indonesia where it was made , or at the online retailer where i bought it ?

Anyway,

I wanted and paid for THIS

Image

But i got THIS

Image

In the end ill still get THIS

Image

And btw, the shop where my tech works is legit - had guitar world and guitar player feature some vintage collectible guitars from their shop. They are moving from Fender to pushing Suhr guitars now. Probably because of the direct sales fender is doing , but they talked about " other " issues as well.

The current fender company is simply lucky that Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares designed the Strat. Real lucky. The style is timeless .


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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 5:29 am
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57trouble

Why another post about same pickups issues ?


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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 5:44 am
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stratele52 wrote:
57trouble

Why another post about same pickups issues ?


Its not about pickup issues. Its about fender/squier sending out a squire bullet in a box that should contain a squier standard flame maple top. Its that simple. But i threw in the other problems i had...dealt with three fender/squier products since Nov 2014 and had either functional and/or customer service problems with all three. Thats pretty bad. Put it in this general discussion section because i don't want it buried.

Starting to do research about the current fender company...now im not so surprised.


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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 8:16 am
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This is likely just a screw up in the plant. Things happen. Especially in factories with loose Quality Controls and Manufacturing procedures. You know, the kind you find in Asia. No one is perfect. Mistakes happen and in a country where losing your job is a much scarier prospect people on a line sometime try to correct mistakes they make without getting someone higher up involved and doing it correctly. Sometimes that only makes things worse. What does Fender have to say about this latest issue?

My advice? Buy a guitar made here. The price points are higher, but not only are you paying for better materials. You're paying for tighter QC and Manufacturing procedures.

As far as the warranty procedure? That's nothing new. Fender has never been easy to deal with on that front. If you think you're pissed about a 400 dollar guitar. Try going through the same BS for a 1500 dollar amp. At least guitarists have tons of options at every price point. Imagine if you played an instrument where your "Pro level" line equipment was produced in Mexico, but you were still expected to pay US made prices.

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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 8:26 am
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57trouble wrote:
stratele52 wrote:
57trouble

Why another post about same pickups issues ?


Its not about pickup issues. Its about fender/squier sending out a squire bullet in a box that should contain a squier standard flame maple top. Its that simple. But i threw in the other problems i had...dealt with three fender/squier products since Nov 2014 and had either functional and/or customer service problems with all three. Thats pretty bad. Put it in this general discussion section because i don't want it buried.

Starting to do research about the current fender company...now im not so surprised.


To me is so close both post and you talk about Fender service in your first post .

The additional information that you bring here would have completed your first post, which also mentioned your dissatisfaction with Fender customer / warranty service.


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Post subject: Re: You can't make this stuff up
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 7:16 pm
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arth1 wrote:
57trouble wrote:
I realize Fender has us by the shorthairs because they have the patent on the coolest looking guitar ever made

No, they don't. Any patents from the 50s have long since expired.
What they have are copyrights on some designs, and trademarks on text and logos.

Yeah ... and I think the only thing that is protected is the shape of the headstock, similar to the Gibson Les Paul. (feel free to correct me if I am wrong)

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