RhythmFender
Tele-Holic
Wondering if I can get some advice about what is normal and what to expect in most quality guitar shops?
Gotta say, aside from finding the perfect amazing telecaster for me recently, the entire experience of buying that guitar and getting it setup properly from my local shop has been wonky and extremely frustrating. (I first picked it up on Oct 28 and it’s still not in my hands and setup after bringing it back twice)
When I picked it up after first putting it on hold, I asked the guy (manager type) if a setup was included or If I needed to pay for one, and he said the setup should be fine as is, but I could bring it in in the first 30 days if not, and get it “playing right for ya”, which didn’t answer my question, but I figured ok, fine. So right away at home I noticed a bunch of fret buzz on two strings and called and the guy who answered said to just bring it in and drop it off, the tech guy could raise them some in between his normal work and fix it that day, so I said ok, even though it sounded not like an actual setup, dropped it off, the tech called me an hour later, said it was all kinds of messed up but should be good now. So I picked it up.
Over the next week I played it and it’s not buzzing, but it’s also not correct with intonation, on every string except the high E, the same note on the 12th fret was showing sharp, so it’s off; and just needs a damn setup. So this past Sunday the 13th I brought it in, along with my little Warren Ellis tenor guitar, which I’ve never had setup and also I noticed was having intonation issues, and told the guy at the counter how I wanted that one setup, and explained that I’d just bought the tele there, there’d been some back and forth as to whether it needed a setup, I said it does, I was willing to pay for one and explained how the intonation was off. The guy at the counter then said “we’ll if it’s in the first 30 days, the setup is free.” Which was the answer to my original question when I first went in to pay it off on October 28th (it had been on hold a few days). Why the first guy didn’t just give me a setup when I asked, if it was included (I even offered to pay!) I do not know. But I said great, let’s do it.
The guy said the wait for a setup for the tele and tenor was 3-5 days. On Wednesday a tech called with a string gauge suggestion and I took it and I appreciated that, because I wasn’t sure about string gauge on a tenor. He said the tele was being worked on by someone else, and I said I’d wait and pick them up when they were both ready.
So yesterday’s Saturday. Been several days since Wednesday, and given how communication has gone so far, I figure I’ll call and check in because maybe they forgot to call. The guy on the phone says the tenor is done, tele is “still being worked on” and will “probably be done in the next day or two”
So I’m gonna wait a couple of more days or 3 and maybe call again.
1. Is this normal for most shops? Are they all like this? I really my shop, but I don’t really want to bring things in to get worked on for awhile after this experience (not that that I’m going to need a setup anytime soon, but eventually my strat will need one, and I’ve brought my amp there twice, pedals, etc…)
2. If that tele isn’t ready in a few days I’m just going to go pick it up and pay to get it setup somewhere else. What’s the etiquette for that? Should I tell them why?
3. I have never been more motivated than I am now to learn how to do my own proper setups.
Gotta say, aside from finding the perfect amazing telecaster for me recently, the entire experience of buying that guitar and getting it setup properly from my local shop has been wonky and extremely frustrating. (I first picked it up on Oct 28 and it’s still not in my hands and setup after bringing it back twice)
When I picked it up after first putting it on hold, I asked the guy (manager type) if a setup was included or If I needed to pay for one, and he said the setup should be fine as is, but I could bring it in in the first 30 days if not, and get it “playing right for ya”, which didn’t answer my question, but I figured ok, fine. So right away at home I noticed a bunch of fret buzz on two strings and called and the guy who answered said to just bring it in and drop it off, the tech guy could raise them some in between his normal work and fix it that day, so I said ok, even though it sounded not like an actual setup, dropped it off, the tech called me an hour later, said it was all kinds of messed up but should be good now. So I picked it up.
Over the next week I played it and it’s not buzzing, but it’s also not correct with intonation, on every string except the high E, the same note on the 12th fret was showing sharp, so it’s off; and just needs a damn setup. So this past Sunday the 13th I brought it in, along with my little Warren Ellis tenor guitar, which I’ve never had setup and also I noticed was having intonation issues, and told the guy at the counter how I wanted that one setup, and explained that I’d just bought the tele there, there’d been some back and forth as to whether it needed a setup, I said it does, I was willing to pay for one and explained how the intonation was off. The guy at the counter then said “we’ll if it’s in the first 30 days, the setup is free.” Which was the answer to my original question when I first went in to pay it off on October 28th (it had been on hold a few days). Why the first guy didn’t just give me a setup when I asked, if it was included (I even offered to pay!) I do not know. But I said great, let’s do it.
The guy said the wait for a setup for the tele and tenor was 3-5 days. On Wednesday a tech called with a string gauge suggestion and I took it and I appreciated that, because I wasn’t sure about string gauge on a tenor. He said the tele was being worked on by someone else, and I said I’d wait and pick them up when they were both ready.
So yesterday’s Saturday. Been several days since Wednesday, and given how communication has gone so far, I figure I’ll call and check in because maybe they forgot to call. The guy on the phone says the tenor is done, tele is “still being worked on” and will “probably be done in the next day or two”
So I’m gonna wait a couple of more days or 3 and maybe call again.
1. Is this normal for most shops? Are they all like this? I really my shop, but I don’t really want to bring things in to get worked on for awhile after this experience (not that that I’m going to need a setup anytime soon, but eventually my strat will need one, and I’ve brought my amp there twice, pedals, etc…)
2. If that tele isn’t ready in a few days I’m just going to go pick it up and pay to get it setup somewhere else. What’s the etiquette for that? Should I tell them why?
3. I have never been more motivated than I am now to learn how to do my own proper setups.
