It's been fun
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jackthehack
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I've purchased around 25 necks and 20 bodies, both Showcase, custom orders and few pieces off of eBay from people whom I guess had "buyer's remorse" or didn't wind up finishing their projects, and to date have never had an issue:
1.) UPS managed to mangle one neck really badly, wound up collecting from UPS on the deal, it was obvious that it had been properly packed and they had done the damage.
2.) The majority of my purchases have been unfinished, every finished piece I've gotten (and a number of the unfinished pieces) wound up looking better than my expectations from the Showcase pics.
3.) I have received one neck and one body, both unfinished, that had a couple of very minor nicks that you'd have to look really hard to find that probably were not the result of shipping, but both sanded right out in a couple of minutes.
4.) Some customer returns and items with blemishes caught by Warmoth QA do show up in the "Screaming Deals" section, but typically any issues are pointed out with close up pictures/descriptions and discounted pricing.
Having bought/used products from the other competitive manufacturers listed in this thread and having a lot of experience I don't think anybody in the business overall sells better quality products, although many certainly do sell cheaper ones, and one typically gets what they pay for.
Working for one of the world's larger manufacturers of a wide variety of products, I can tell you there's no such thing as 100% quality control. To get anywhere really close to such usually requires lower volumes and very high pricing, but even then it's never 100%. While I've never personally had an issue, from all reportage I've never heard of anyone having an issue returning anything to Warmoth they weren't completely satisfied with. If this happens with a custom order it will result in much frustration during to wait times, but they do the customer as well or better than most any other corporate entity.
1.) UPS managed to mangle one neck really badly, wound up collecting from UPS on the deal, it was obvious that it had been properly packed and they had done the damage.
2.) The majority of my purchases have been unfinished, every finished piece I've gotten (and a number of the unfinished pieces) wound up looking better than my expectations from the Showcase pics.
3.) I have received one neck and one body, both unfinished, that had a couple of very minor nicks that you'd have to look really hard to find that probably were not the result of shipping, but both sanded right out in a couple of minutes.
4.) Some customer returns and items with blemishes caught by Warmoth QA do show up in the "Screaming Deals" section, but typically any issues are pointed out with close up pictures/descriptions and discounted pricing.
Having bought/used products from the other competitive manufacturers listed in this thread and having a lot of experience I don't think anybody in the business overall sells better quality products, although many certainly do sell cheaper ones, and one typically gets what they pay for.
Working for one of the world's larger manufacturers of a wide variety of products, I can tell you there's no such thing as 100% quality control. To get anywhere really close to such usually requires lower volumes and very high pricing, but even then it's never 100%. While I've never personally had an issue, from all reportage I've never heard of anyone having an issue returning anything to Warmoth they weren't completely satisfied with. If this happens with a custom order it will result in much frustration during to wait times, but they do the customer as well or better than most any other corporate entity.
mullyman
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AprioriMark said:
Here's a story for ya, Mark. Kind of along the same lines as your little message there.
It was fall 2004. My band always practiced at this studio near my house. The studio is a guitar shop up front with about 5 or 6 practice studios in back. I go in one day and there is a pink Music Man Axis EX on the wall priced at $600.00 (give or take with the exchange rates). Anyway, I'm not a big fan of pink but the top was immaculately flamed and the neck had that friendly "You can really shred on me" look to it. Plus, I just love Music Man guitars.........and at that price, how could I turn it down?!?!
So I tell the guy that runs the place that I want the guitar but I didn't have any money on me at the moment and asked him if he would hold it for me until the following week when we come for our next practice. He was like "Yeah, no problem". Let me take a step back here and let you know that a few years earlier they had this Les Paul with the most gorgeous top on it that I had ever seen. I played it, liked it and told them I'd buy it. Asked them to hold it for me. I came back the next week and it was sold. I was bummed at the time but it didn't bother me real bad because it saved me $2500.00. Anyway, I really wanted this Music Man. So, I go back the next week, walk in, look up on the wall and see that the Music Man is gone. I figured they put it down in it's case for me. So I go to the guy at the counter and say "Ok, where's my guitar?" and he says "Ohhh, Jim......sorry. The owners friend came in the other day and really liked that guitar so we sold it to him." I was furious!! This happened once before with that Les Paul. Anyway, I threw a fit on that guy on how shitty their practices are etc... etc,,, how I asked him to hold it , he said he would, they sold it blah blah blah. I went on and on chewing this guys ass out. I then told him that we would not use their studios anymore and I would do any of my guitar shopping elsewhere. How could they do that to me? I'd been a loyal customer there for years. God only knows how many thousands of dollars I contributed to that place. Anyway, I just packed up my stuff and left. This would have been around early September. May band started practicing somewhere else.
Fast forward, X-mas eve. My wife, girlfriend at that time actually, comes to pick me up from work. I get in the car, give her a kiss and she says "Merry Christmas! Do you want your X-mas present?" I was like "You bet I do!" so she points to the back seat. I look back and I don't think I need to tell anyone what was sitting in the seat. Yes, that pink Music Man. I was like "WTF?? How did you get that?" and she said "I heard you talking to the guy at the guitar shop after practice that night and realized that that would be the perfect gift for X-mas. So I went back the next day and bought it and told him to tell you that he sold it to someone else" She then went on to say "I felt horrible when you were chewing him out but I told him beforehand that you'd probably get really pissed off and to just let you rant and rave.........SURPRISE!"
Needless to say, I grabbed my cell phone and called that guy straight away and apologized for being so hard on him. He laughed. He said it took everything he had not to crack up laughing when I was bitching him out that day. He then gave me a Merry Christmas and told me to enjoy my new guitar.
So there ya go, kids. A MULLY X-mas story.
MULLY
btw, my band was back in that studio the following week :+)
To be fair, with all of the discussion about the quality of the items in the showcase, I want to add that my Strat neck (my first Warmoth neck) came from the showcase. Aside from being disappointed with my showcase body, my neck is immaculate as far as I can tell. Not only is it perfect, it is the most incredible thing I've ever played.
I'm "In"...I'll check my tele showcase neck that's on it's way....but have to add, the only problem i've had was a body w/pickup route [misplaced] and it was taken back with a very reasonable conversation over the phone and was made a new one. Hard to beat Warmoth quality overall.
AprioriMark
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Mully, that story is awesome... totally sound like something I'd do. I can't believe neither of them spilled the beans. You still have that giutar?
-Mark
-Mark
NonsenseTele
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AprioriMark said:
Your wife is innocent... I'm guilty :evil4: Says bye-bye to the necks :laughing7:
Just kidding, your wife seems a very nice one! congrats
mayfly
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Hey folks,
Just got the 8 Ball tele. It's beautiful. I had them route the neck PU for a P90, and this work was performed flawlessly.
There is a very very small imperfection in the '8' of the 8 ball, but you have to look very closely to see it. a Magnifying glass helps. I'd take a photo, but it's so small it would likely not show up.
In all other ways, the finish is flawless.
Since I'm a Wabi Sabi kind of guy, I can live whit this very small imperfection and say with authority that this guitar body kicks ass! :headbang:
Just got the 8 Ball tele. It's beautiful. I had them route the neck PU for a P90, and this work was performed flawlessly.
There is a very very small imperfection in the '8' of the 8 ball, but you have to look very closely to see it. a Magnifying glass helps. I'd take a photo, but it's so small it would likely not show up.
In all other ways, the finish is flawless.
Since I'm a Wabi Sabi kind of guy, I can live whit this very small imperfection and say with authority that this guitar body kicks ass! :headbang:
Just got my Tele body and neck from the show case sale.
Also had the neck cavity routed for p90, and it was done to perfection.
The finish and the ivory binding were perfect and as advertised.
I still haven't looked closer to find any micro imperfection, but it's
a hand finished guitar. I could live with that if there's any.
Also had the neck cavity routed for p90, and it was done to perfection.
The finish and the ivory binding were perfect and as advertised.
I still haven't looked closer to find any micro imperfection, but it's
a hand finished guitar. I could live with that if there's any.
Do you guys really think that like 1,000 strat bodies in the showcase are all customer returns and QC failures? Cmon. The standard of perfection implied in this thread is getting a bit ridiculous - it's a $300 hand painted piece of wood, not a Ferrari. There was a thread on TDPRI where USACG shipped out a tele body with an obvious, large filled void on the top in a visible area. That's an imperfection worth griping about. All I'm saying is, bring your expectations to the level consistent with the price and product.
mayfly
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tfarny said:
Sorry I was not clear. The body is more than acceptable to me. It's freaking awesome. However, this thread was started because of product being shipped with flaws so I thought that in all fairness I should report back on the minuscule flaw in the finish that requires a magnifying glass to see. It's there - but my point is that it's much too small to worry about. No one I have shown the body to has noticed it.
I remember that USACC body. That was in a completely different league. I would have sent that body back.
Didn't mean to sound like I was getting down on you, Trevor - just this thread in general has taken a real annoying turn. If I started micro-analyzing everything I owned for tiny flaws that in no way affect functionality, my warmoths would come off better than just about anything else in my house. I don't think this 6-page thread has even IDed one real significant flaw in a W product, actually, but I'm not about to re-read it all to check. :icon_thumright:
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