Need a bit of help

[eggs]

I actually give up now' date=' it's frustrating me. I just want to replace it, as it shouldn't have these problems in the first place.[/quote']

 

Oh Jim!!!

[KX36]

Unfortunately, it's all just part of having what at the end of the day is a budget guitar.

 

Epiphones are generally good quality guitars, most of the manufacture is good quality, although it doesn't get as much TLC as a Gibson, the necks are usually glued on at the right angle and the truss rods usually work. The cheap plastic nut and electronics is where Epiphones are usually let down. Most Epiphones come out of the box good enough for a new starter and not too far off being good enough for a Pro in terms of playablility. Most of them will need a proper set up and if a pro's going to play it they'll probably want to replace the nut to something better quality and possibly have the frets levelled. Some alternative brands you could set them up and replace nuts until the cows come home but if the bridge is drilled out of alignment, the wood is cheap plywood and sounds bad, the neck is glued out of alignment, there's nothing you can do about it.

 

Hopefully, you can find a good tech who can sort out your problems. A basic set up costs me £30, an extensive set up costs me £50, a fret dress is £80 and a refret is £110. These numbers are just for illustration purposes. (and for those prices, I'm having a go myself).

 

A single raised fret here and there or a biting nut aren't the end of the world for guitars and they're not rare in Epiphone or any budget brand.

[dwe82]

I actually give up now' date=' it's frustrating me. I just want to replace it, as it shouldn't have these problems in the first place.[/quote']

 

 

I'm so sorry, Samuel. It sucks you're having all these problems with your new axe. Its probably too late to demand your money back, are there any other guitar stores in your area? I would demand my money back and take my business elsewhere.

 

Not trying to rub it in, but the shop where I buy my guitars provides lifetime setups for free. If you buy a guitar from them, anytime you need some simple work done to it (intonation, truss rod, a couple frets filed), bring it in and they'll do it for free as long as you show them the receipt that you bought the guitar from them.

 

Not trying to rub it in, I'm just saying there's friendlier places out there where you could do your business. From the sounds of it, this place isn't very appreciative of their customers. Sorry to hear about your bad luck :-(

[sachi]

If it is any consolation, even expensive guitars need setups. Martin acoustics are built with higher action, so for a player who wants a low action an immediate setup is needed. Even when the action is right, many expensive guitars have had fret buzz on occasion. So it happens to just about any player on occasion and the best thing to do is learn how to put the guitar right, or at least learn what to tell the tech when something comes up!

[gvdv]

Does this "Music dealer from H*ll" have any kind of warranty

for your git? (In-house and/or Factory). IF so' date=' a trip back with

a "Mates - there's something totally messed up with my guitar"

statement, delivered without anger would be the first step.

Can you call them, explain your problem, and ask for their advice

regarding the next step?[/quote']

I think animal farm's advice about approaching things in a collaborative/cooperative/'we're all in this together' way is excellent.

 

I have always found people to be quite positively responsive and even solicitous if you ask for their advice about what can be done (as animal farm also advises). You can try various versions of "Well, what would you suggest we do" (taking care to use a "we", rather than an "I") in order to try to encourage help in this regard.

 

You can also try a kind of 'I know nothing, and you're the experts' kind of approach, which often disarms people; ask them to take look at the tuners, saying you don't know what's wrong, and something like "but I'm sure you're familiar with what to do about this".

 

If all of the above doesn't work, then I would assertively ask for a refund. If they refuse that, a lawyer's letter or a trip to the citizens' advice bureau (do they still have those in the U.K.?) may be in order.

 

Good luck.

[midiman56]

Oh Jim!!!

 

 

What!??!

 

Samuel is in the UK ... he didn't buy it from me!

 

Jim