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Brand new ES-339 Ultra HELP!


Christopher_K

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Hello! Today I traded in my Clapton Strat for a brand spanking new Epiphone ES-339 Ultra. I love it to death, everything about it. But I have two serious problems.

 

First, I purchased this guitar at Guitar Center. Unfortunately, they didn't have a case that the 339 fits in. None of them. I had to get a gig bag as a quick fix while I have to order one online. I was not happy because I like my guitars to be protected.

 

Second, and this is something I'm hoping someone here can help me with, is that the only thing that came with my guitar was the USB cable. That's it. No instructions. No throwaway 10' cable. No bumper sticker. No truss rod wrench. No warranty information. Nada. Zilch. Even the Guitar Rig software that was supposed to come with it, did not. They said I needed to download it. Right.

 

I've been a Fender man for about 20 years now and I've never had to make a complaint. I purchased this Epiphone because it is a gorgeous instrument and because I instantly connected with it. Please help me and make this a positive experience. How can you help me?

 

Christopher

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Hi Chris, welcome to the forums, there's a great bunch around here, I hope you like it.

 

As for all the extras that supposed to come in the box, I would take that up with GC, there's a thread pinned to the top of this (Epi Electrics) forum that deals with what supposed to come standard.

 

The Guitar Rig software has to be downloaded, you have to register your guitar first and then a link is provided, THIS thread has the details on the procedure needed.

 

Hope this helps.

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Hi Chris, welcome to the forums, there's a great bunch around here, I hope you like it.

 

As for all the extras that supposed to come in the box, I would take that up with GC, there's a thread pinned to the top of this (Epi Electrics) forum that deals with what supposed to come standard.

 

The Guitar Rig software has to be downloaded, you have to register your guitar first and then a link is provided, THIS thread has the details on the procedure needed.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

My only concern with pushing them is that they said that the only thing in the box was the usb cable, which they did give me. I would like some documentation for it, and really whatever comes with the purchase price for a new guitar. Is there a link or address for Epiphone customer service that would be helpful?

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My only concern with pushing them is that they said that the only thing in the box was the usb cable, which they did give me. I would like some documentation for it, and really whatever comes with the purchase price for a new guitar. Is there a link or address for Epiphone customer service that would be helpful?

You could try THIS page, I've never had to contact them, so it's all I know, there's probably an email address, but I'm not sure of it, maybe someone will see this and fill you in.

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Good luck with ordering your case. Most sites don't have the Epiphone cases yet. So I ordered a Gibson case for my Epiphone ES-339 from GC because it said "just arrived." I got an e mail saying it was on back order. Now I would've thought that "just arrived" meant that they had some on hand. But apparently not.

 

After thinking about it, I am a bit worried that maybe the Epiphone with the longer headstock might not fit in the Gibson case. Now have to wait for who knows how long just to see if it fits. ](*,)

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Chris, the Epi ES-339 comes with a USB cable, truss rod wrench, Epiphone bumper sticker, Epiphone poster and a blank warranty card. No cheesy guitar cable came with either of the ones I got from Musician's Fiend. Just as well, the cables are junk. The warranty can be registered online and the software has to be downloaded anyway, and the rest of the stuff is not so important or can be easily replaced, so don't sweat it.

 

It is annoying that GC can't keep the case candy with the guitar, but my guess is they don't have enough storage space in the stores to keep thousands of boxes and swag in house, much less organized. Not saying it's right, just that it's pretty typical for a mega-retail outlet like GC.

 

BTW, great guitar, welcome to the club!

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Welcome Chris!!! You will love the forum.

 

I got my 339 ultra from GC too. I did get a bag with usb in it and some paper work; which was useless. The link provided in this thread by Rastus was a great help. As for the case; this i believe is were we epi fans get shorted by big brother Gibson. If this was a Gibson at this price there would at least be a nice gig bag included. Not the case on must epi guitar releases. I ordered the case thru GC directly from Epi due to the fact they did not have a release date yet. So far my ship date has been moved back once. From last month around the 21st to march. At the moment the deluxe road runner bag is keeping her safe.

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Thanks for your replies everyone. It turns out that the USB cable I did receive from Guitar Center isn't even the right cable, so I can't hook it up to my computer. I'm not very happy about that. All I want is what I paid for. Why is that so difficult?

 

Honestly, if Guitar Center wanted to organize, they could with a couple of file cabinets. They just don't want to.

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Honestly, if Guitar Center wanted to organize, they could with a couple of file cabinets. They just don't want to.

Think you've hit the nail on the head there Chris, it's not an Epi problem, it's more to do with GC and how they go about storing and sorting their stock.

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Honestly, if Guitar Center wanted to organize, they could with a couple of file cabinets. They just don't want to.

Agreed. It must be very chaotic behind the scenes in a lot of GCs, and of course musician-employees are a dodgey bunch to start with.

 

:rolleyes:

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Think you've hit the nail on the head there Chris, it's not an Epi problem, it's more to do with GC and how they go about storing and sorting their stock.

 

 

Here's the thing. I used to manage the watch department at a Jared's. Hundreds of watches, yet I was able to catalog and store, in an orderly manner, all the boxes and manuals. Rare was the time we couldn't find the box. We simply had a tag system. Watch 41? Box 41. Easy peasy.

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Our (Canadian) equivalent to GC is Long and McQuaide. Overall, the're pretty good to deal with. When I purchased my SG, they had a few Pelham Blue SG's with some scary blemishes, they did a quick scan for me and found a few more in their warehouse, one day delivery.... I ended up taking a different SG. Cases are well stocked too. There's certain merchandise they can't carry, but overall we're pretty lucky up here.

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I'm no fan of GC. I recently bought an Epi LP there and nearly had to beg the guy for the manual and wrench. I had to ask three times. I got the impression that It was a big pain in the employees backside to find the stuff. Cable? They don't give those out. They want you to buy your cables.[cursing]

 

I normally buy everything at a local store here in town, They just don't deal in Epi's.

 

I ran a few warehouses in the Air Force. It's not very difficult keeping track of things if you have a system.

 

Christopher, with the amount of money you spent on that guitar I would think they would have been a bit more helpful. Especially what they are going to make off your EC trade in.

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It's strange, those things come packed in the box with the guitar in the first place, if they left the things the way they arrived there'd be no problem. I fail to understand why they would want to unpack then repack them in the same box, just seems a totally odd way of doing things IMHO.

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It's strange, those things come packed in the box with the guitar in the first place, if they left the things the way they arrived there'd be no problem. I fail to understand why they would want to unpack then repack them in the same box, just seems a totally odd way of doing things IMHO.

Last year I purchased a used Gibson from GC that did not come with a case. To seal the deal, they said they'd throw in a hardshell case (like an SKB). Turned out the only case they had in stock that fit this guitar was a Gibson - from a guitar on display, so they took all the case candy out & gave it to me. Now of course the guitar on display no longer had it's original case, and who knows where the all the goodies went. That's one way these goofy things can happen. Another is that, to my knowledge, GC doesn't keep any boxes, so usually the paperwork & wrenches get stuffed in a drawer. To make things right on your 339 purchase, you could give GC the choice of either coming up with the accessories, giving you a discount, or returning the guitar. Personally I wouldn't sweat it, except for the truss rod wrench.

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Last year I purchased a used Gibson from GC that did not come with a case. To seal the deal, they said they'd throw in a hardshell case (like an SKB). Turned out the only case they had in stock that fit this guitar was a Gibson - from a guitar on display, so they took all the case candy out & gave it to me. Now of course the guitar on display no longer had it's original case, and who knows where the all the goodies went. That's one way these goofy things can happen. Another is that, to my knowledge, GC doesn't keep any boxes, so usually the paperwork & wrenches get stuffed in a drawer. To make things right on your 339 purchase, you could give GC the choice of either coming up with the accessories, giving you a discount, or returning the guitar. Personally I wouldn't sweat it, except for the truss rod wrench.

But surely they have to store them in the box they came packed in, they don't take them out of the box, discard it, and lean them against a wall in the warehouse, then repack them to ship them, now that would be just plain stupidity .I'm not talking about floor/display stock, but warehouse stock.

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But surely they have to store them in the box they came packed in, they don't take them out of the box, discard it, and lean them against a wall in the warehouse, then repack them to ship them, now that would be just plain stupidity .I'm not talking about floor/display stock, but warehouse stock.

Rastus, maybe we're talking about different warehouse/storage situations. With GC in the US, they receive stock at their individual stores from a warehouse, yes. But once an instrument gets to one of their many stores, it is immediately displayed if at all possible, and the box is thrown away. They might have a red "Dot" on display, and maybe one (or none) in the back storage room. Of course, those guitars in the back will still be in their original box, but as quickly as possible, they rotate the stock out to be displayed, and the box gets pitched. That's why the OP ran into his current dilemma. From a sales standpoint, it must work to GC's advantage. Naturally you don't want to carry your new guitar out the door unprotected, so you buy a case, or at least a gig bag like the OP (while he searches for a case).

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Everything is sorted out. Epiphone customer service is going to help me along and send me the necessary paperwork and equipment. I'm a happy customer. [thumbup]

<double thumbs-up>

 

Glad to hear it was resolved Chris, don't be a stranger.

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  • 1 year later...

Glad you got your problem resolved, I purchased a Epi 339 Pro online from one of the big box stores and mine came with everything you would expect (except a case or bag) including truss rod wrench, bumper sticker, Warranty card and an owners manual. Since I did not purchase the Ultra there is no need for a USB cable. Mine is currenly in the shop being converted to left handed since neither Epiphone nor Gibson offer the 339 in a left handed version. I hope you enjoy yours once you have resolved the electrinic issues, I can't wait to try mine once the swap over is completed.

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