Should I accept this???

[Grangur]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1481447596' post='3192280']
If you do take it back, and I was the shop, I'd accept it through gritted teeth.

If stuff like this bothers you, don't buy sight unseen...
[/quote]
This.
Brighton to London is, a short distance to go when paying out £2k. Besides, the bass you return will also go out to another mail order customer. So, they may have another similar one for you on the 2nd try.

Besides, isn't better grain selection what Fender have their customshop range for? If you buy from a mass-market budget manufacturer you get mass-market attention to detail.

Also, be aware that for the pics Fender send of the bass to Web sellers, they may have sorted through dozens of average basses to find a stunning one. The seller in London may only have this one option available to send out.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Grangur

[Musicman20]

I don't think that is a blem or an issue. I like it! It's just part of the wood.

Everyone probably knows I'm picky..but at almost £2000 you have to be happy.

If you think there are other issues, don't keep it.

You could ask for a part refund...they might send you 10% back...

The problem is, prices are rising but quality isn't. £2000? I would ask Overwater or Shuker to make you one. I wouldn't have said that years ago because Fender basses of this type weren't in this price bracket, but now they are...unfortunately.

If the bass has really good overall tone, build, weight, finish, etc, then it is a keeper. If you have found other issues, it'll keep bothering you.

I bought an American Vintage Jaguar guitar when they blew out a limited run that Fender Europe must have had a lot of stock of. It was crazy cheap. It is very delicate nitro. It arrived with some nitro 'wear' from just being in it's case for a while...the store gave me a part refund and I'm happy. I didn't let it bother me because it was so cheap and it's nitro....things like this all depend on the circs.

[stingrayPete1977]

The thing is regardless of wether some folk on here wouldn't touch a fender they do still have a desirability factor of that F logo, the resale on custom basses is terrible too unless you wait forty years, A GB Spitfire would be a better bass than most if not all Fenders but it will also loose a lot of value, used ones on this site are around £1300-1500, half it's new value, I've seen Shukers for £500. Then there's the wait for a custom build.

[martthebass]

If I were looking at the bass 'used' I wouldn't pay less for that than one without 'the beauty mark'. Unless the mark really offends your eyes I'd stop thinking about it.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481536289' post='3192944']
The thing is regardless of wether some folk on here wouldn't touch a fender they do still have a desirability factor of that F logo, the resale on custom basses is terrible too unless you wait forty years, A GB Spitfire would be a better bass than most if not all Fenders but it will also loose a lot of value, used ones on this site are around £1300-1500, half it's new value, I've seen Shukers for £500. Then there's the wait for a custom build.
[/quote]

True. Value of Shuker/OW second hand is pretty low....shame.

[stingrayPete1977]

It's just the way it is, I wouldn't have heard of many of the custom makes without Basschat, I know loads of fifty year old guys that have bought a Fender or had one bought for them as a birthday present, some haven't been played since.

[chris_b]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481540639' post='3192994']I know loads of fifty year old guys that have bought a Fender or had one bought for them as a birthday present, some haven't been played since.[/quote]

A friend was looking for a guitar as a 50th birthday present to himself. When the assistant in the shop showed him a brand new Strat, he said, "But it's only for playing in my bedroom".

The assistants reply was, "Mate, 80% of the guitars we sell are only going to be played in bedrooms and the other 20% should be!"

[stingrayPete1977]

[Damonjames]

Ask yourself, if you had gone into a shop and seen it on the rack and loved how it played/sounded, would you NOT buy it based on the grain? If the answer is yes, send it back, it's your legal right to do so under distance selling laws.

If it plays great, what's it matter, you are bound to put some dings in over time that will make the grain seem irrelevant!

[A.G.E.N.T.E.]

Had a similiar situation a couple of years ago with a guitar i ordered online. As soon as i got it delivered and found the blemishes, i took a few pictures and sent them to the seller. I was proposed to send it back or a discount that pleased me.

[bazzbass]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481540639' post='3192994']
I know loads of fifty year old guys that have bought a Fender or had one bought for them as a birthday present, some haven't been played since.
[/quote]

they must be idiots then, why buy a Fender, not be happy with it, and leave it unused?

Either send it back or sell it and buy something you like

[stingrayPete1977]

It's because they haven't learnt to play yet!

[TheGreek]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481384797' post='3191941']
Unique feature if it ever gets stolen and pops up on gumtree (other dodgy sites are available, if you are banned from them all see Cash converters)
[/quote]

This...

It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me..

[bazzbass]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481628053' post='3193800']
It's because they haven't learnt to play yet!
[/quote]

haha that is so funny

I assumed they didn't like it or something

well, if they're over fifty, tell them it's time to either learn bass, or sell bass hehe

[Grangur]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1481948767' post='3196501']


haha that is so funny

I assumed they didn't like it or something

well, if they're over fifty, tell them it's time to either learn bass, or sell bass hehe
[/quote]

You clearly can't identify with the situation.

He can't sell it because he's gone on about wanting to learn for the past 22 years, but kids, work etc got in the way. Now he has it and life still gets in the way of having the time to practice. He's now got ageing parents taking his time.

Work commitments stop him from being able to gig, so learning is all in slow motion. He's not going to give up though.

Besides he can't sell. After all, he has pride and the missus bought him that as a present for his 50th.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1481948767' post='3196501']
haha that is so funny

I assumed they didn't like it or something

well, if they're over fifty, tell them it's time to either learn bass, or sell bass hehe
[/quote]

From personal experience I suspect the big shops in the UK rely on the 50th birthday present market and a lot of the guitars,basses that they sell will go unused. Most of those sales will be Fender or Gibson too.

[thodrik]

I don't see it as a blemish or a sign or poor workmanship. It is just wood grain and loads of instruments will have a similar pattern.I have seen top level Musicmans, Fenders and others with different types of grain markings on the wood.

I have attached a picture of my Sadowsky Metro which has a strange 'M' shape scrawl in the wood. I think that it looks pretty cool and makes it easy to pick out in the event somebody attempts to nick it. Other folk might think that it looks ugly though but it doesn't bother me.

One thing that does annoy me is a really poorly done bookmatched top on a really expensive guitar (i.e Gibson Les Pauls).


[attachment=234174:IMG_0468.JPG]

[Grangur]

[quote name='thodrik' timestamp='1481972808' post='3196659']
I don't see it as a blemish or a sign or poor workmanship. It is just wood grain and loads of instruments will have a similar pattern.I have seen top level Musicmans, Fenders and others with different types of grain markings on the wood.

I have attached a picture of my Sadowsky Metro which has a strange 'M' shape scrawl in the wood. I think that it looks pretty cool and makes it easy to pick out in the event somebody attempts to nick it. Other folk might think that it looks ugly though but it doesn't bother me.

One thing that does annoy me is a really poorly done bookmatched top on a really expensive guitar (i.e Gibson Les Pauls).


[attachment=234174:IMG_0468.JPG]
[/quote]
Interesting mark there. I wonder what the story is behind that? It looks like the path of a creature burying it's way through the wood.

If makes me laugh when you get people making a fuss about the bass being, for example, 30 years old. They're totally blind to the fact that the tree nay have take 300 years to get to the point of being cut down. They then moan about a small mark they don't understand.

Then you get others who only like it if it's covered in "sea foam green".

What is sea foam anyway? Chemical pollution perhaps? Nice!

[thodrik]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1481975251' post='3196683']
Interesting mark there. I wonder what the story is behind that? It looks like the path of a creature burying it's way through the wood.

If makes me laugh when you get people making a fuss about the bass being, for example, 30 years old. They're totally blind to the fact that the tree nay have take 300 years to get to the point of being cut down. They then moan about a small mark they don't understand.

Then you get others who only like it if it's covered in "sea foam green".

What is sea foam anyway? Chemical pollution perhaps? Nice!
[/quote]

I have no idea. It does look like something had burrowed through the wood at some point. Someone at the Sadowsky Tokyo shop probably thought 'it might be ugly, but somebody will think it looks cool and buy it anyway.' I'm glad that they did! My personal favourite is when people pay extra to get an instrument 'reliced' to look like it has been marked to reflect years of use but suffers additional cosmetic damage from actually being used.

[bassjim]

I have a fender jazz that plays and sounds a lot better than a lot of other off the shelf fenders I've tried recently. Custom shop or otherwise. Mine it would seam is just a good one. If you like the way this one feels and sounds then the last thing to worry about is a tiny grain issue. If its not a pig to play, set up or get the sound you are looking for then keep it.

As others have said, the next one might not be as good. On the other hand if it generally feels like some cheap far eastern made rubbish then it probably has been made with the same lack of care in which case the blemish might be the life saving excuse to get another sent out.

[dannybuoy]

For a £1500 bass with a transparent finish, I would expect them to choose a bit of wood that looked good and save any like this for the solid colours.

[Kev]

I wont show you my buckeye burl topped bass then....

It adds character, its what wood is. The replacement will, naturally, have other blemishes in other places.

However, if there were other cosmetic marks, then yeah send it back as that isn't natural

Difference with me here is a ) I would NEVER spend that kinda money for an off the shelf instrument; b ) Especially a Fender! and c ) Especially unseen

Edited December 19, 2016 by Kev

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1482147401' post='3197950']
For a £1500 bass with a transparent finish, I would expect them to choose a bit of wood that looked good and save any like this for the solid colours.
[/quote]
You might want to see the new Fender prices, stick another £500 on!

[Risk101]

Wouldn't hesitate to send it back - very poor wood selection - looks unnatural in my view. You have the love the look as much as the sound.

[gsgbass]

It looks fine. Keep it.