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Post subject: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 10:02 pm
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My wife bought me a players strat green with a maple neck. The Intonation had never been set on the guitar. The tag shows people have signed off on the guitar. Should I just be quiet and fix it myself, or call musicians friend and complain?

Thanks for your input.
fasteddy333


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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 10:33 pm
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If you're able to fix the intonation, do it.

Otherwise send the guitar back to the store and call an expert tech for a complete and proper setup.


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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 1:28 am
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Send the damn thing back.

You have every right to expect a serviceable instrument.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 2:30 am
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Intonation is so easy to do and take less time than to pack guitar for shipping

Guitar may also need some other adjustments you may not see.

If you don't know how to do, send guitar back


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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 5:11 am
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I agree with all of the above.

I would do it myself but have done it so many times I have no idea on the number.

If you are considering it make sure you loosen the stings before any adjustment as the less expensive Strats seem more inclined to strip threads in the saddles than the US bridges (as I know to my cost).

If you strip a thread it isn't the end of the World, as you can get replacement saddles, but it would give you more of an issue if you then decided to take it back to the shop.

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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 8:58 am
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I would like to thank everyone for their input. I’m going to set it myself. I hate that a guitar can leave the factory and no one noticed, but sign that the guitar is up to their standards. Fender needs to work on their QC department.

Very disappointed with Fender today.


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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 9:21 am
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fasteddy333 wrote:
...but sign that the guitar is up to their standards. Fender needs to work on their QC department.


Obviously Fender's "standards" are now significantly diminished in comparison with their products of the past.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 9:23 am
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I always do my own set ups because I know how I like it. But, if you don't have experience doing proper set ups then I would send it back. I agree with Arjay that you have every right to expect a properly set up instrument.

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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 1:39 pm
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It's not reasonable to expect a guitar to be set up perfectly out of the box when it was built and inspected in a factory in a dry desert at 110 degrees, sat in a warehouse owned by MF/Guitar Center in Missouri for 3 months, and then shipped to a customer in the frozen tundra of Siberia.
Such is one of the problems with buying guitars online.
Intonation is the last thing done during setup, because nearly every other part of the setup impacts string height, which in turn impacts intonation. Most likely, what has happened is the truss rod needs adjustment due to environmental differences.

The blame here perhaps does not lie with Fender (unless it is so far out that there's no way it's ever been right), but rather with Musician's Friend for not doing a final setup before shipping. OTOH, often, online retailers charge extra for this service... as do some local stores. My 2017 American Special was set up very well out of the box when Sam Ash received it from Corona. Intonation was dead-on, though one string is slightly high.

A few years ago, I got an Epiphone SG from Guitar Center that was horrible. Intonation seemed to be right, but it was out of tune between the nut and the 5th fret. Turns out, the neck had a severe back-bow and the nut was raised to prevent it from buzzing on the upper frets.

Personally, any time I do a setup for a friend, I teach them how to set the intonation. Each player has their own technique and their own touch. Personally, I play with a heavy touch, so a guitar that is perfectly intonated for me may sound a bit flat to someone who plays with a lighter touch.
It is not hard to do (unless you have a Floyd Rose) and does not take a lot of time (unless you have a Floyd Rose).
But like I said... everything else should be checked, as the intonation may be off because something else is out of adjustment. I'd honestly bet $5 that the string height is off due the the need for a truss rod tweak.

So to resolve...
1 - Contact MF and arrange for a return and proper setup
2 - Contact a local tech (who knows what he's doing), get a quote, and contact MF about getting store credit to offset the cost of the setup.
3 - Contact a local tech (who knows what he's doing) and have it set up... eat the cost as a lesson for buying cheaper online rather than supporting a local music store.
4 - Invest $100-$300 in tools and a quality tuner and learn to work on your own guitars to set them up exactly how you like them.

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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 1:41 pm
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CB91710 wrote:
It's not reasonable to expect a guitar to be set up perfectly out of the box when it was built and inspected in a factory in a dry desert at 110 degrees, sat in a warehouse owned by MF/Guitar Center in Missouri for 3 months, and then shipped to a customer in the frozen tundra of Siberia.
Such is one of the problems with buying guitars online.
Intonation is the last thing done during setup, because nearly every other part of the setup impacts string height, which in turn impacts intonation. Most likely, what has happened is the truss rod needs adjustment due to environmental differences.

The blame here perhaps does not lie with Fender (unless it is so far out that there's no way it's ever been right), but rather with Musician's Friend for not doing a final setup before shipping. OTOH, often, online retailers charge extra for this service... as do some local stores. My 2017 American Special was set up very well out of the box when Sam Ash received it from Corona. Intonation was dead-on, though one string is slightly high.

A few years ago, I got an Epiphone SG from Guitar Center that was horrible. Intonation seemed to be right, but it was out of tune between the nut and the 5th fret. Turns out, the neck had a severe back-bow and the nut was raised to prevent it from buzzing on the upper frets.

Personally, any time I do a setup for a friend, I teach them how to set the intonation. Each player has their own technique and their own touch. Personally, I play with a heavy touch, so a guitar that is perfectly intonated for me may sound a bit flat to someone who plays with a lighter touch.
It is not hard to do (unless you have a Floyd Rose) and does not take a lot of time (unless you have a Floyd Rose).
But like I said... everything else should be checked, as the intonation may be off because something else is out of adjustment. I'd honestly bet $5 that the string height is off due the the need for a truss rod tweak.

So to resolve...
1 - Contact MF and arrange for a return and proper setup
2 - Contact a local tech (who knows what he's doing), get a quote, and contact MF about getting store credit to offset the cost of the setup.
3 - Contact a local tech (who knows what he's doing) and have it set up... eat the cost as a lesson for buying cheaper online rather than supporting a local music store.
4 - Invest $100-$300 in tools and a quality tuner and learn to work on your own guitars to set them up exactly how you like them.



It is the best advise IMO


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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 6:03 am
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Quote:
less expensive Strats seem more inclined to strip threads in the saddles than the US bridges
Certainly this applied to the saddles on my American Special (PW-36 unit). I replaced like-with-like, but do any genuine US saddles fit? I like the unit and don't want to change that, but I would put better US Fender saddles on...

Don't mention a Callaham - been there, done that, never again!

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 6:28 am
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CB91710 wrote:
It's not reasonable to expect a guitar to be set up perfectly out of the box

Paul Reed Smith expects every guitar being shipped from his company's factory to be match ready, and they do the quality control checks to ensure that this indeed is the case.
If PRS can do it, why can't Fender?

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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 1:31 pm
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stratmangler wrote:
CB91710 wrote:
It's not reasonable to expect a guitar to be set up perfectly out of the box

Paul Reed Smith expects every guitar being shipped from his company's factory to be match ready, and they do the quality control checks to ensure that this indeed is the case.
If PRS can do it, why can't Fender?

Please see the rest of my quote.
The manufacturer has no control over environmental conditions after it leaves the factory.
For all we know, Fenders are indeed set up perfectly when they leave Corona/Ensenada/Indonesia.
The retailer is and always has been an important step in providing the true final inspection before delivery to the customer. The problem is that chain stores often charge extra (when 40 years ago they did a full setup before it went to the wall), and even if an online retailer does a check/setup before shipment, there is still the issue of the customer being located in a very different environment.

Temperature and humidity absolutely without question impact the setup.
I'm not disagreeing that Paul Reed Smith expects every guitar being shipped from his company's factory to be match ready. That may very well be the case, but that setup won't hold through major changes in the environment.

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Post subject: Re: Player strat from musicians friend
Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2019 5:23 pm
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The intonation was never touched at the factory. The weather, temperature or boat ride does not turn screws. It was QC mistake. The only think I can see happening is the guitar went out to someone that tried to set it up and messed it up. Just checked the tape on the box and I’m the first to touch the guitar from the factory. Thanks for your answers to my problem.


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