In the past when I had issues with a new guitar, I contacted the seller and told them the issue. Then ask them what they want me to do. Usually they offer a discount. If I'm okay with it, I keep it. If not, I'll counter offer. If they don't agree, I send it back. I've only sent back one guitar in my 46 years of playing.
Kyle.. You are 100% correct. I worked in manufacturing and in quality control. Mistakes happen. Your video will help Schecter to identify the issue they had. Keep up the great videos!
Mistakes happen for sure, and that includes hiring mistakes sadly. A new hire is expected to do some shoddy stuff so in the big manufacturers some really bad stuff so happen as a matter of doing business. There's also the common mistake of not having strict QC. The story of a livid EVH disassembling a guitar that just want even put together right because nobody was instilling that culture of perfection comes to mind. Really, what's the between a $200 guitar and 2k? They should all play the same. That's the basic art of building. Woods, finish, hardware, availability of customizations, etc should be the only difference, but most cheap guitars are a series of manufacturing defects plus QC issues. That makes no sense for ANY manufacturer. It's not actually more difficult to do it right. Floyd's aren't even hard nor time consuming to set up right, but how many are set up right on under 1k guitars? I went to GC a few weeks back for drum stuff and checked out the little mini-jems ans similar Jacksons. 3 out of 7 could not even be fretted past the 15th fret because the setup was that bad. Give me a parts kit and 2hrs and I'll do all the electronics, tuners, bridge, neck, and trem with as perfect a setup as the neck allows. I'm sure many can do all that in under an hour. I think the bad shops just don't do QC. The workers aren't musicians. They're factory assembly workers just trying to feed their kids in a shit town somewhere in Asia.
This modern customer is the worst. I totally agree with the return process but you taking the extra step to fix that issue is dope. But people commenting too try and use that issue for something free or whatever is why I hate retail and hate helping customers. The entitlement of this new shopper or the entitlement of old shopper living in the past of who hook you up idea is something I hate about selling guitar at my work.
Ibanez RGs are by far my favorite guitars but I recently bought a Hellraiser Hybrid PT with the UV finish it has EMG 57/66. The finish was perfect but the fretwork not so much as well as the nut not being cut right and the pickups picking up a lot of hum. I am always okay with setting up my own guitars. I expect to have to do it but I agree with you. Paying over a grand the fret work, electronics and hardware should be good to go.
If something comes and it's not right, then if I like the instrument otherwise they'll usually cut a deal or give you a slice back for solving their problem for them (at least smart sales staff will). Just be straight up with them - I like the guitar but it's messed up and I have to fix it so some cash back towards a repair would be helpful in motivating me to not send it back to you. It has worked 100% of the time with me, if felt I wanted to save it. I had amps come with busted tubes from poor pack jobs - just send them pics and they'll refund you some cash and all of them also shipped me replacement tubes if you commit to repairs yourself. If it is a legitimate thing that happened and truly accidental they can write it all up still but not have to deal with the carcass which a lot of the time could just end up literally in a dumpster. If the company seems to be listening I'll definitely spend a little time to get them a clear statement on what is and what should be, because when I did manufacturing engineering that sort of feedback from an actual customer is invaluable. Otherwise, I don't push their buttons if they're actually answering the phone and willing to compromise. Definitely a lot less hassle than shipping an item back. I would rather fix a *serious* issue than return it, I hate shipping things so much. But that's just me.
One thing is getting a guitar that is cosmetically flawed (which is also not OK) but a quality control that makes me think "Ali-Express" is most def a case i would return the guitar.
I agree with you you're a hundred percent write most musicians should have at least a basic knowledge of how to do a proper setup most farmers are their own mechanics because they can't produce a profit if they're constantly paying someone else to work on their own equipment.
It all boils down to who signed the QC tag. Should have flashed that tag on the screen more clearly because that person got a promotion over others, got higher pay than others and is doing a bad job. Promotions and pay raises going to the wrong people. Twenty two year manufacturing Quality Assurance guy here.
I just returned a Schecter Riot 5 bass. The pickups are active, & when I got it, both 9V batteries were dead..okay, no big deal. Replaced them, & within a few days, they were dead again. Tried again, same thing. I returned it & they sent me a replacement that was perfectly fine. Just very weird
Small electrical issues are acceptable. Not on every guitar produced (that doesnt seem like the case here), but occasionally someone will get the short straw. As far as I'm concerned, every guitar that can be ordered from a big box store needs fret work right out of the box. This is the nature of wood construction. In that respect, a little solder isnt going to kill me. I would prefer it come functional tho. Ymmv
I got a Jackson rhoads with a bad switch and the Floyd wasn't assembled correctly. It just seemed easier to fix it myself than exchange it. That said I wish I'd reached out to Jackson they'll usually send replacement parts. Except for the Kelly I got. Tuners are effed and Jackson support ignored me. Bastards. Oh well I was gonna put locking tuners on it anyway.
A whooooole lot of Indonesian-made guitars have QC issues for various reasons, mostly related to wood seasoning. Plus, super humid build environment going somewhere any less humid with poorly-seasoned wood before building… recipe for issues. Not saying this guitar was Indo-made (I have no idea), just saying problems aren’t rare.
I would absolutely return that guitar. zZounds and AMS share the same inventory. You deserve that guitar with no issues. One slipped through the cracks. See if another one does. Please. Because I have a Schecter Banshee GT and if they are starting to have issues then we as Schecter owners deserve to know. I won't buy another one if you get another bad one. Seriously. Sorry for the long post. Plus you never know, that guitar may have been through another buyers hands as well and returned. Perhaps something fishy is going on at zZounds and AMS. I returned 2 amps that had problems. 5150 Iconic and EHV 50S
I have had the same bad experience with E1 Evil Twin, experiencing tuning issues and neither I or the tech could fix it. Changed saddle with a roller one, setup it many times, simply could not stay in tune. Contacted the seller and I will have it replaced. Anyway, a bitter taste remains, had confidence in Schecter...
I ordered once again another guitar from Eastwood. It showed up without any visible sign of a setup and was basically unplayable. I didn't panic and thought, "well, I can fix this". After a truss rod adjustment, nut slot tweak, fret end file, pickup height adjustment, bridge height adjustment, and intonation adjustment I hit a wall when I used a fret rocker and discovered there were numerous high frets and a fret level was needed, and that was beyond my skills. Eastwood said, "No problem, take it to a tech and send us the bill" (I paraphrase). My tech said it was basically unfixable because of a hump in the neck caused by a scarf joint. I got him to put that in writing and when I presented it to Eastwood they said, "No problem, send it back." To Eastwood's credit they refunded me every single penny I spent including shipping both ways. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again because I know they stand behind their product and care about customer satisfaction.
Usually what I do when I get a problem like this, I do one of two things. I either contact the place where I purchased the guitar, explain the problem, and let them repair the flaw. If they can’t fix it usually they’ll just reimburse you or replace the thing. If it’s something major, I contact the manufacturer, let them know that I understand that a mistake can happen, let them know that I’m not fussy but that the problem is unacceptable at that price point and need to be fixed somehow. And the problem is always fixed some way or the other. The trick is just to be reasonable, but firm and just act like a normal adult. Always work better than acting like a Karen.
I bought a Tremonti SE off a well known seller. It needed a crown and level. There was a scratch on the neck below the heel. Brand new btw.. I fixed the issues and went meh about the scratch.. I did not contact the seller, and I should have. Most would have returned it... but I thought eff it gonna get scratched and dinged eventually. But you can't deny fact's Kyle!
I'd be sure to tell them, but I'd insist on not taking any compensation unless they wanna send me something like a pack of strings, etc. They need to know when these things happen so they don't continue to happen to people who might throw a shit fit over it.
@@DudeMcGuybro I think my excitement for the guitar made me not want to return it or deal with the hassle. Next time I would have no issues contacting the company
To the dramatic, you certainly were no Glenn Fricker-esq drama queen. Quite the contrary. You seemed extremely level headed. Also since I commented this on the last video, I would love to hear those Grey/Silver wolf speakers with your VHT/Fryette amps. I've got a Pittbull 50CL that I'm looking for the perfect speakers to pair with it and those have my interest.
If more people delt with issues more like you just didn't maybe products would be better all around but I really can't stand people that use the system like call schecter to get a free guitar on top of the guitar you paid for ... that like getting social security disability for over eating and not being able to get out of the chair .. I'm sorry this is why I don't comment on videos my way of thinking is out there keep up the good work and the integrity
Take that L, Verner Palk 🤣My previous statement in the last video was definitely not fanboying, but rather shocked and appalled when usually the QC is pretty good. Good on you for being such an easier customer to deal with and you take it upon yourself to fix the issue. I do the same thing and I appreciate where you are coming. Also pupper is a 10/10!
I’ve had five Schecters with pretty shocking QC problems over the last two years. 2021 V-1 Custom: The frets were lifting off the fretboard, top and bottom. Noticed it when changing strings. The high E got caught under the second fret. Held it up to the light and could see a gap under every fret. Returned it. 2021 C-1: The neck pickup was visibly off center. As in, the high E wasn’t even over the pickup. Returned it. 2021 C-1: The replacement had fretbuzz that couldn’t be resolved. Eventually figured out that the neck was twisted. Returned it. 2022 E-1 FR S: Cracked fretboard. Noticed it as soon as I took it out of the box. And this was through Sweetwater, in the fall, so no crazy climate adjustments, which was what they blamed. Not so sure I trust their 55 point inspection. Returned it. 2022 E-1 FR S: Besides issues with the finish and the fact that the post for the tone knob pokes out 1/8” higher than the volume, the back of the neck (including the binding), right around the 7th fret was lumpy. I leveled it out myself. Kept it. Pretty much everything I’ve played in the last two years has been kinda shitty, to be honest. Mostly bad finishes on LTDs, and shimmed nuts. Even my MIJ Ibanez RG550 has three shims under the locking nut. New normal I guess.
Sweetwater is in Indiana. Hot humid summers, and dry winters. Perfect kind of changes for a fretboard crack if we're being completely honest. Where was this Schecter made? Was it Indonesian or Korean? If they're Korean I'm really surprised, I've gotten a lot of good guitars from Korea. I ordered an Indonesian Harley Benton, the neck was off center, twisted, plus the nut wasn't center, stuck out on the end, and somehow was cut too low, and it STUNK like wet paint for two weeks. Thomann flagged it as a repair, not a return. You can't repair a twisted neck on a neck thru guitar... lol. I tried to explain to them it *needed* to be returned, but they fucked around, took forever responding, and then ended up saying that my "30 day window to return the item had closed" even though I emailed them the minute I took the guitar out of the box, and the guitar was defective and literally unplayable. Ended up selling it on Marketplace for a loss to a poor unfortunate soul and I'm prepared to burn in hell for what I did. So yeah, not a good experience with Thomann or Harley Benton if I'm 100% honest, and I'm very sorry to the person I sold that guitar to.
@@DudeMcGuybro It was make in Korea. I think at the same factory that makes Korean LTDs. This was last October, and I live in PA, which had similar weather patterns compared to Indiana at the time. I took these things into account. I also had it shipped overnight, and even let it sit for 36 hours (even tho I think their “acclimation period” is mostly bullshit for electrics). I’ve put guitars through all sorts of humidity/temperature changes, and in 30 years I’ve never seen a fret board crack like that. And for it to happen to a brand new guitar? With no signs of trauma to the box?
You did the right thing Kyle. It's good to communicate and make people aware of what's going on and being annoyed with quality control problems. But you didn't take it too far and have a southern hissy fit about small details and expect to get free stuff for it. Keep doing you, and let the haters hate and enjoy life with you, your fiancé, your dog and your new pup.
The point you made about the pandemic causing what seems to be more quality assurance issues is what led me down the route of building my own. My last build was an Ibanez Flying-V and it's one of the best guitars in my house. The body was made by Five Alarm Guitars and I am definitely going to make more as I see these QA issue videos come out, much like Glenn's video about Harley Benton's currently problems.
Almost all the gear I bought during the tighter part of the lockdown (I'm in Oregon, USA) arrived broken and late. There's a big box store employee joke there but it's also probably too sad to make. My biggest guess is knowing that someone can't directly confront you emboldened some people who were packing items to sort of not really care about how they packed it. But I did get a lot of discounts and parts to help fix what got broken, for the most part. I really wanted that Onion Green Cropper Classic but it was too far gone when it arrived nearly in pieces...they wouldn't discount it hard enough to fix, because it *WAS* a beautiful instrument but it was really broken. Since things had barely opened up at the time, I was able to take it in directly if I stayed on the other side of the partition from them. They also looked sad when they saw how nice it used to be and didn't argue refunding full payment. I hope some guitar tech there got it out of the dumpster and healed it - it's a quietly legendary instrument.
It's more than guitars. I work at a parts supplier for OEM's. When these companies started incentives for new hires, a lot of older employees were left behind and left. If the factories have good systems in place, these issues will be a bump, but will resolve relatively quickly. If not, I hope the brands involved can find a way to limit the potential damage to their reputation.
Kyle, that was a great answer and I think I would agree with everything you said. Plus, if you got the guitar on the cheap, and you were planning on changing things up, that's a no-brainer. Looking forward to hearing it after you replace the pick-ups. I really enjoy your content, keep it up. You need to do a review on the Boogie Mark VII!!!
I agree with every thing you said. I bought a Schecter Omen Elite7 multiscale several months ago, and there were a few issues with it. There were some sharp frets ends, the tuners' nuts weren't tightened, and some of the bolts for mounting the neck to the body weren't properly tightened. I didn't send it back. I fixed the issues myself, and I love the guitar. I also just bought a Schecter Solo II SLS Elite Evil Twin less than a week ago and have not had any issues with it, so far. Keep up the good work.
I think one thing that's not talked about regarding what it means to be a player is imho understanding your instrument beyond the music and hands on pick apart and rebuild a guitar, it also makes the relationship with the instrument more detailed and personal and I think that translates some, or even most of the time into mojo. You learn where your favorite axe sets best regarding tuning, intonation, string gauge, feel. It's just as important to me as the spiritual growth through constant learning, as the creation of music itself. A good craftsman knows his tools and hones regularly as well as a chef keeps his knives sharp. And the skill of maintaining and setting up a guitar saves you a good bunch of money the earlier you learn and the longer you play.
You were definitely in a tough position. I'm not one to complain either and have always been that way. Even if I have to, I try my best to be an adult about it. Too many brats these days wanting comps. The whole point is to make a fair deal for both. The QC is the issue and you made a great point about making a video to address the issue. There's lack of accountability somewhere in the chain 'weakest link'. The whole idea for inspector numbers or sigh offs is accountability or tracking. If there's one, there's a good chance there's another. Finding the source of the problem is what matters here and you did everyone a favor by demonstrating how you handled it. Great job!!! I know You and I have had some comment battles on FB but thanks for not putting me on blast. 😆
i ordered one schecter from zzounds, and it was unplayable. Nut cut was to low, and grounding issues as well. Fret ends cut the hell out of me. I wouldnt of cared anywhere neaar as much if it didnt say it was inspected in usa. it clearly wasnt.
Hey whats up Kyle. I was super surprised to see you on the Sweetwater Commercial, Rig Building Competition. Totally not your thing, with that Country Music curve ball, it was actually pretty funny. but yeah man can't go wrong with Mesa. Im def probably the only one on here that watched the whole thing. I voted for you. ☆☆☆☆☆
Ican do it myself too but not if im paying 1400 brand new...easy to swallow used but not brand new also they shouldnt have needed to shim the post hole if cut right..again you paid 1400 brand new..no gig bag...no case and evidently under skilled assemblers
This situation really resonated with me, I was in a very similar situation after buying a new Schecter bass amost a year ago. It had fret work issues, and needed some fret leveling and really, really bad fret sprout. Like cut your hands to ribbons fret sprout. I know how to fix that stuff, but I was looking at 2.5 to 3 hours of work. For a new guitar. Knee jerk reaction was to send it back, but after some internal deliberation, I decided to spend the time and fix it. Some of that came down to how much time would I spend to contact the merchant (I bought it from Sweetwater), arange a return, wait for the replacement, and hope against hope that it was in better condition; all the time being without a bass guitar I needed, hence the reason I was purchasing one in the first place. In the end, I think I made the right call, but yes it did suck to have to "fix" a new instrument.
I agree with you 100% on this. If it's used I expect it to be at least playable before some tweaking to set it up for my preferences. I expect a little wear and tear plus I'm going to put my own wear and tear on it because I don't buy to collect. I buy to play. If it's new it should be basically perfect, but if there's a small issue I'd rather fix it myself and hopefully get a little discount on what I paid because of the issue. Electronics issues are easy for me to take care of. If it's something like a bad nut or high frets I'd be more inclined to return it because that would require me to take it to a tech which is just as much of a hassle as returning it. People should learn a little bit about guitar/bass maintenance if they're going to be playing one. You don't have to be a full blown guitar tech, but don't let yourself be a helpless fool.
I absolutely agree with you point man. 100%. In other video I commented that I It was for me, I would have returned the guitar. And I confirm that. Cause I would have paid the full price for a guitar with Major issues. I probably could fix it myself but with a lot of time and frustration spent, and this Is not what I would have paid for.
Dude I subscribed to your channel but honestly never watched a video. I watched the first one to this and now this one and man. I love your attitude and way of thinking. You hit the nail on the head about entitlement. Nobody is willing to go the extra mile and help themselves. Anyway you’ve gained a regular watcher
I’m ok with turning a few screws and tweaking set ups but I’m not a fan of getting the soldering gear out,the guitar looked sick I’m tempted to get hold of one I only came back to see it again 🤣😜
The only times I’ve raised an issue was on an Epiphone Les Paul Custom with a Koa top that wouldn’t intonate on the low E (out of travel). The other was a blemish Marshal Origin 20 that was supposed to be a blemish with a minor tolex tear and it showed up with the cabinet broken in several places. In both cases, Sweetwater offered to take them back, but I opted to take a discount and fix them myself. They adjusted the price of the Les Paul $70, and I bought a Gotoh bridge with more intonation room on the bridge, and they gave me $100 off on an amp that was already discounted pretty deeply. Little bit of Titebond and some clamps, and I’m a happy camper.
I think you showed a lot of class and restraint maybe. Anyone who watches your content regularly saw you recently take a tour of a Zzounds Competitor where we saw that they open every guitar and put it through the paces before shipping. Tbh I was waiting for that to come out, and should have known you were above all that.... Good on you brother!!! Love your work....
when you pay big price, you expect a quality... you paid the work double actually... you paid for someone should have done what you've done one the guitar. That guitar shouldn't have been sold before being repaired
sadly there are a lot of guitarists that do not know how to work on there own guitars. I go out of my way to buy broken equipment (even cheaper) so i have a project to work on. my latest was a PRS mt15 amp for 300 bucks and fixed it with a 2 dollar part win win thanks Kyle
Keep doing you. You had every right to be frustrated, and you handled it a lot better than I would have. That was not an issue that should have ever left without being fixed, and to be honest I think schecter should know about it JMO love the channel and all you do keep the videos coming.
That's the first thing I would have done. But I get it though you buy a guitar because you wanted to play and you wanted to bond with it. So some people will get them to working order but you shouldn't have to do that when you're spending $1,000
I thought that you are handling this issue well, and you have communicated the reasons for your actions in a clear manner. I appreciate your views on this topic. Thanks!
Just bought a new Demon from Schecter and I had to dial in a few things. Mostly loose parts, and now it's amazing it's my 3rd Schecter and I'll probably buy more in the future. They've been great especially the value for the price point. IMHO That being said the way you handled it makes perfect sense. A video holds more weight.
Nothing wrong with fixing it yourself if you can and want to. I have settled with some purchases only to regret it in the long run. Definitely a case by case situation. It looks sick AF though. I agree with the grounding issue. It never should have been overlooked. Especially when these guitars are made for high gain applications.
I think your a stand up guy Kyle & your first video on the Schecter was on point & your frustrations warranted. Keep up the good work & don't get hung up on the haters they have nothing better to do but you do. Making awesome content for all us. Thanks again.
I like that you understand the industry of e-commerce and are not about exploiting mistakes for profit, rather just to make things whole or fair. Respect bro
I also thought initially that you should've just returned it, but once you opened it up, you may have close the window. BUT, after hearing your thoughts, I completely agree. You accomplished far more with the video than just being one more return statistic that would likely be repaired and flipped, Schecter may have never even known it occurred. Also, that you bought it in mind with certain mods you were going to make anyway makes it a lot easier to move on. I enjoyed this rebuttal.
Hey Kyle great video my friend! I do have a question for you, I'm not a new player but I'm also not a pro, with that said that kind of high gain amp would you recommend? I had the Boss Katana II 100 watt combo and I did enjoy it, but I'd love to know what you'd recommend. Thanks for your time
You are a great example of what a consumer should do when they have an issue with a product. Especially when you have a relationship with the source of your purchase. Keep the faith and continue with your content as is . A big ATTA BOI, to you!!
I've never been disappointed with a Schecter as far as QC... I've owned a Solo 6, Reaper 6, and I had that Evil Twin E1 and just couldn't jive with it. I have a few shorts on my channel with me using it. Biggest complaint were the Fishman's (not to mention, the bridge pup was crackling and dropping volume upon delivery) that I swapped to EMG Super 77's, and the thin neck just seemed unstable at first. It was heavy, yet comfortable and balanced well. It also played like butter. Just wasn't for me.
I'm the opposite- I would rather have a good setup over electronics. The thing is that since I had to redo the setup of a brand new guitar, I can't resell the guitar at full value. "Fret buzz" is an issue I have encountered with Schecter and other makers (in that price range). Like you said it makes me want to try a different brand.
I honestly don't agree with this at all. Setup is mostly a personal thing, it doesn't devalue the guitar in the slightest. We're all allowed our own opinions, of course, but I've never met another person that has said getting a setup devalues the guitar
I feel like your reaction was measured and entirely appropriate for the situation. I, personally, probably would not have been able to diagnose that problem myself if not for this video itself and the one Glenn did last month about that HB Firebird that had the same issue; in fact, I would have been considerably less calm. You dont expect something like that to be an issue for yourself as the end user, you expect something like to be QC'd. Still pretty happy with Schecter in general, but, as you said, I will definitely give them a more thorough once over than had I not seen this video /rant. Anyway, good content brother, keep it up!
Nice to see a honest person Kyle and you didn’t see and cry about but fixed it yourself in this day and age quality hits every company from guitars to cars to everything in between
Dude, I would've kept the guitar too. Those issues weren't too off-putting. If you play a lot, you should really know how to set up and make adjustments. Sometimes, a little soldering and checking your grounds isn't that big of a deal. It's far easier than returning the guitar and hoping you get something better. The guitar looks sick. I agree that passive pickups would sound better. I'm not a real fan of active pickups. Even though I have a Schecter with EMG pickups, which I do like for certain tones.
Small things like that is something I would've fixed too. I'm both lazy and handy, it would bother me if I had to repack the guitar and ship it back haha! As long as there's no big damage to the item, I can always tinker some myself
this video is 100 % on point yes it sucks because you had to fix the stuff but it’s not the end of the world thank you for this video cute puppy by the way
Setup, and small electronic/hardware issues are no problem to me, I’ll fix it. Maybe I’d try to get a discount. Fretwork and craftsmanship are a different story. Sweet dog man, enjoy!
The idea that you found the problem and had the awareness to fix it was definitely a huge perk. I can see why those who have no clue wouldn't do that for safety, but the diy method is always better if it's simple.
I worked most my life in machining. That shimmed hole was clearly seen in manufacturing during the CNC drilling process. Something you're always taught is YOU CANT PUT MATERIAL BACK once it's removed. That guitar should have gone to discount stock. Fact is that the cnc drilling is multiple steps along the process and the operator didn't want to get in trouble for oversizing the hole, scrapping the material, and the lost time, and knew that wasn't something that could be caught during QC, so he knew he could get it past inspection. If he wouldn't have put the shim in the wrong spot, causing the buzz, you WOULDN'T have noticed and he'd have gotten away with it. If you send it back, it will get tracked back to the operator, he will get reprimanded, possibly fired. Especially since it went to a UA-camr and shown to the world. As an operator, usually YOU are in charge of your own inspection, but they do a final inspection at the end, which wouldn't catch the shimmed hole.
Hey Kyle, I got a Mexican HSS strat last year for a great deal new. The nut ended up being cut improperly and the string spacing was off. Ended up having a bone nut installed professionally because I liked the rest of the fit of the guitar, and I was still into it less than the real value. It’s an amazing guitar now. Maybe if I had paid full retail price I would have returned it, but with your situation I would have done the exact same thing as an affiliate who got it less than retail. I don’t know how terribly cut nuts or a nonexistent ground get through these companies quality control. It’s like no one even looks at them before they ship to the customer lol
Рік тому+1
I agee with taking into account that things can shift in transport on wood instruments. It happens sometimes. But the issue you had is an issue of the last inspection on a Friday thing. Just got to finish this then I’m outta here for the weekend😂😂😂. You handled the situation like a boss without shitting on Schecter as a brand. Keep doing your thing dude. I love your content even if I’m old enough to be your grandpa😂 E
I purchased a Schecter CR6 recently after seeing quite a few positive reviews and I wanted to love it... but the neck had more buzz going on than on any guitar I've ever played and long story short the action had to be raised unreasonably high to resolve most... not all but most of the terrible buzz. After which I took more time to inspect every single fret and found a couple dead frets and that was it for me.... that guitar had to go. I have owned several Schecters because they were consistently reliably good guitars. But of the last 3 I've encountered, 2 had issues with the necks and one had a grounding issue with the pickups as well. No more Schecters for me. Might be an overreaction but... oh well. I have a great tech who is good about sharing knowledge, and hopefully a person spending a decent chunk on a guitar has some basic knowledge about set ups. But many do not! So you bring up alot of interesting points. Good on you for taking the time and effort to hunt down and resolve the issues on your own. I'd have sent it back on principle lol. Rock on!
Man, you got a badly set-up E1? That's a real bummer. I just got that same guitar, from ZZounds, and I was worried about shipping, tbh, as I've had some issues in the past. But damn, all I had to do was tune it and everything was BUTTER. But now that you've fixed it up, I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. That guitar is a friggin MONSTER and I don't think I've ever played a neck so nice. Definitely never owned anything on this level before. Fun story: I have this guitar because I got 2 Epiphone Prophecy Exturas and BOTH were absolute dogshit. One arrived with the neck cracked in like 5 places and the replacement was built by someone I can only imagine knows nothing about guitars. Everything sucked. It was unbelievable. This Schecter Evil Twin absolutely nukes those things from orbit.
Man, I think your approach is the right way to get the attention from the manufacturer. It's such a shame that companies which have asian product lines tend to sell us overpriced junk. For such an amount of money everything should be fine and flawless! I trust you when you say that Schecter's QC usually is fine, but generally since high quality guitars became much more expensive in the last years at least here in Europe, the demand for asian product lines has raised a lot. As a result the quality really drowned and we're flooded with bad guitars. For me this is a reason to not buy new guitars anymore. I can't stand the direction a lot of guitar companies are taking.
I have to finish assembling or correct what the manufacturer didn't do right on guitars as well as too many other things. If something is chipped or broken it goes back, but if I can fix it easily enough that is what I do too. Maybe if these corporations would pay the people that work for them a little more, they might be more careful when making things.
Just received my avenger evil twin. Volume was cutting out when i would turn or wiggle the pot.took off the back plate and "jiggled" some wires in the back and for now seems to work fine . Also ordered from zzounds. Really not acceptable to have these issues
i think your way of thinking is the right one, because no matter how much we are paying for the product, there will always be some examples that have problems of any kind, and they are few in relation to the amount of guitars that schecter produces. and if you want a guitar that does not have any detail, you should buy a custom shop.
Man I've got a GSD female and she's the most important part of my security system! She also happens to be my best friend ! She's fun and full of energy ! Good luck !
I’m the same as you, I absolutely relish working on my own guitars and dialing them into perfection. I bought a EVH 5150 guitar online that had THE worst setup I’ve ever seen - neck needed to be shimmed, FR nut was shimmed when it shouldn’t of been so the nut action was super high, couple high frets, intonation and bridge height all terribly wrong, and on and on… BUT the finish, the weight, the individual parts were great so I just spent a day working on it to get it perfect rather than return it, it was great fun.
I usually always tweak guitars when I get them, however when I commented on your other video to return it was only because of the type of repair. I don't know how you fixed it, but I believe you mentioned the post came right out, meaning it was lose. So in order to properly repair it so that hole doesn't open up and get worse would involve, gluing a peice of dowl in it, re-drill and reinstall the ground wire. Just to me would be a repair that the company should have seen more than anything. I agree with everything you said, just that repair would definitely be something I would be on the fence about.
That Bit at the very end was well worth the wait! LOL. I love Schecter, Sorry to hear you got A bad egg. I agree with all your points about how you handled it. Hope you get that guitar sounding as heavy as your Riffing! 🤘
Personally, I would never keep a guitar with a structural type issue. The fitting of the bridge and tailpiece studs is important, and I would not allow for some sort of patch job shim in there. At the very least, plugging the hole and re-drilling to the right size is the proper fix.
Schecter was never the center of attention at World music S Korea. I'd imagine they didn't want to pay what PRS was willing to for a nice guitar. So after PRS left for Indonesia, that facility in S Korea had to recover that loss. So they must be rushing to put out more, which is going to hurt quality. Shame as my few world music guitars, (ec1000 and custom 24) are phenomenal...but my shecter 2022 nick Johnston from WSK has a few issues. It's just a shift towards Indonesia, which will eventually bully Korea out just from volume and eventually consistency and volume. Good videos man!
I'm not overly picky myself. Almost all of my guitars were bought second hand and most of them had at least some kind of wear and tear and/or minor electrical issues. However, as someone who has worked in manufacturing, that shim in a $1400 guitar would have sent me over the edge. Accidents happen, and as long as the guitar plays well no harm no foul. But the fact that they shipped that guitar out is borderline negligence. It would be hard for me not to try to exchange it for a new one.
I would return it unless you bonded with it and really like it. I got a lemon from Jackson once that was awful. High frets warped neck out of the box. I got it playing ok but just hated that guitars guts that guitar really pissed me off. Luckily Jackson finally agreed to just replace it on warranty thank God. Also got a brand new Jackson Loomis 7 soloist that has bad wiring neck pickup doesn't work. They offered to replace it but that guitar plays way to nice for me to give it up. Just going to take it to get rewired. The ebony fretboard on that one is just too beautiful.
I had never seen one of your videos before that last one. I’m looking into an Explorer and I thought hey a Schecter would be a cool yet different approach. I fully agree with you on this video and I decided to subscribe because of how you reacted to the situation. Gotta say that I liked your honesty.
I agree with you, Kyle. If you receive a piece of gear in a condition other than described or than expected, you have the right to either return it or live with it, but expressing your legitimate concerns does not make you “dramatic.” Seriously - if you bought a new car and it was delivered with a door ding and a broken AC, you would rightfully be upset. No different with guitar gear. Keep up the great channel!
In the past when I had issues with a new guitar, I contacted the seller and told them the issue. Then ask them what they want me to do. Usually they offer a discount. If I'm okay with it, I keep it. If not, I'll counter offer. If they don't agree, I send it back.
I've only sent back one guitar in my 46 years of playing.
Kyle.. You are 100% correct. I worked in manufacturing and in quality control. Mistakes happen. Your video will help Schecter to identify the issue they had. Keep up the great videos!
Mistakes happen for sure, and that includes hiring mistakes sadly. A new hire is expected to do some shoddy stuff so in the big manufacturers some really bad stuff so happen as a matter of doing business.
There's also the common mistake of not having strict QC. The story of a livid EVH disassembling a guitar that just want even put together right because nobody was instilling that culture of perfection comes to mind.
Really, what's the between a $200 guitar and 2k? They should all play the same. That's the basic art of building. Woods, finish, hardware, availability of customizations, etc should be the only difference, but most cheap guitars are a series of manufacturing defects plus QC issues. That makes no sense for ANY manufacturer. It's not actually more difficult to do it right. Floyd's aren't even hard nor time consuming to set up right, but how many are set up right on under 1k guitars?
I went to GC a few weeks back for drum stuff and checked out the little mini-jems ans similar Jacksons. 3 out of 7 could not even be fretted past the 15th fret because the setup was that bad. Give me a parts kit and 2hrs and I'll do all the electronics, tuners, bridge, neck, and trem with as perfect a setup as the neck allows. I'm sure many can do all that in under an hour.
I think the bad shops just don't do QC. The workers aren't musicians. They're factory assembly workers just trying to feed their kids in a shit town somewhere in Asia.
This modern customer is the worst. I totally agree with the return process but you taking the extra step to fix that issue is dope. But people commenting too try and use that issue for something free or whatever is why I hate retail and hate helping customers. The entitlement of this new shopper or the entitlement of old shopper living in the past of who hook you up idea is something I hate about selling guitar at my work.
Ibanez RGs are by far my favorite guitars but I recently bought a Hellraiser Hybrid PT with the UV finish it has EMG 57/66. The finish was perfect but the fretwork not so much as well as the nut not being cut right and the pickups picking up a lot of hum. I am always okay with setting up my own guitars. I expect to have to do it but I agree with you. Paying over a grand the fret work, electronics and hardware should be good to go.
I'm the same way, I have enough problem waiting for gear to show up in the first place.
Appreciate your honesty Kyle as a old fuck nice to see some people still have some understandable sense. 😂🎸🎛🥁👋🍻♥️
If something comes and it's not right, then if I like the instrument otherwise they'll usually cut a deal or give you a slice back for solving their problem for them (at least smart sales staff will). Just be straight up with them - I like the guitar but it's messed up and I have to fix it so some cash back towards a repair would be helpful in motivating me to not send it back to you. It has worked 100% of the time with me, if felt I wanted to save it. I had amps come with busted tubes from poor pack jobs - just send them pics and they'll refund you some cash and all of them also shipped me replacement tubes if you commit to repairs yourself.
If it is a legitimate thing that happened and truly accidental they can write it all up still but not have to deal with the carcass which a lot of the time could just end up literally in a dumpster. If the company seems to be listening I'll definitely spend a little time to get them a clear statement on what is and what should be, because when I did manufacturing engineering that sort of feedback from an actual customer is invaluable. Otherwise, I don't push their buttons if they're actually answering the phone and willing to compromise.
Definitely a lot less hassle than shipping an item back. I would rather fix a *serious* issue than return it, I hate shipping things so much. But that's just me.
That's it Kyle!!! I'm attacking you!!! ATTACK!!!!!!!! end scene.... There's a chuckle for you...
One thing is getting a guitar that is cosmetically flawed (which is also not OK) but a quality control that makes me think "Ali-Express" is most def a case i would return the guitar.
I agree with you you're a hundred percent write most musicians should have at least a basic knowledge of how to do a proper setup most farmers are their own mechanics because they can't produce a profit if they're constantly paying someone else to work on their own equipment.
It all boils down to who signed the QC tag. Should have flashed that tag on the screen more clearly because that person got a promotion over others, got higher pay than others and is doing a bad job. Promotions and pay raises going to the wrong people. Twenty two year manufacturing Quality Assurance guy here.
The shimmed tailpiece post is a structural issue IMHO. Would have returned it for that alone.
I just returned a Schecter Riot 5 bass. The pickups are active, & when I got it, both 9V batteries were dead..okay, no big deal. Replaced them, & within a few days, they were dead again. Tried again, same thing. I returned it & they sent me a replacement that was perfectly fine. Just very weird
Small electrical issues are acceptable. Not on every guitar produced (that doesnt seem like the case here), but occasionally someone will get the short straw. As far as I'm concerned, every guitar that can be ordered from a big box store needs fret work right out of the box. This is the nature of wood construction. In that respect, a little solder isnt going to kill me. I would prefer it come functional tho. Ymmv
I got a Jackson rhoads with a bad switch and the Floyd wasn't assembled correctly. It just seemed easier to fix it myself than exchange it. That said I wish I'd reached out to Jackson they'll usually send replacement parts. Except for the Kelly I got. Tuners are effed and Jackson support ignored me. Bastards. Oh well I was gonna put locking tuners on it anyway.
A whooooole lot of Indonesian-made guitars have QC issues for various reasons, mostly related to wood seasoning. Plus, super humid build environment going somewhere any less humid with poorly-seasoned wood before building… recipe for issues.
Not saying this guitar was Indo-made (I have no idea), just saying problems aren’t rare.
I would absolutely return that guitar. zZounds and AMS share the same inventory. You deserve that guitar with no issues. One slipped through the cracks. See if another one does. Please. Because I have a Schecter Banshee GT and if they are starting to have issues then we as Schecter owners deserve to know. I won't buy another one if you get another bad one. Seriously. Sorry for the long post. Plus you never know, that guitar may have been through another buyers hands as well and returned. Perhaps something fishy is going on at zZounds and AMS. I returned 2 amps that had problems. 5150 Iconic and EHV 50S
I have had the same bad experience with E1 Evil Twin, experiencing tuning issues and neither I or the tech could fix it. Changed saddle with a roller one, setup it many times, simply could not stay in tune.
Contacted the seller and I will have it replaced. Anyway, a bitter taste remains, had confidence in Schecter...
I ordered once again another guitar from Eastwood. It showed up without any visible sign of a setup and was basically unplayable. I didn't panic and thought, "well, I can fix this". After a truss rod adjustment, nut slot tweak, fret end file, pickup height adjustment, bridge height adjustment, and intonation adjustment I hit a wall when I used a fret rocker and discovered there were numerous high frets and a fret level was needed, and that was beyond my skills. Eastwood said, "No problem, take it to a tech and send us the bill" (I paraphrase). My tech said it was basically unfixable because of a hump in the neck caused by a scarf joint. I got him to put that in writing and when I presented it to Eastwood they said, "No problem, send it back." To Eastwood's credit they refunded me every single penny I spent including shipping both ways. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again because I know they stand behind their product and care about customer satisfaction.
Usually what I do when I get a problem like this, I do one of two things. I either contact the place where I purchased the guitar, explain the problem, and let them repair the flaw. If they can’t fix it usually they’ll just reimburse you or replace the thing.
If it’s something major, I contact the manufacturer, let them know that I understand that a mistake can happen, let them know that I’m not fussy but that the problem is unacceptable at that price point and need to be fixed somehow. And the problem is always fixed some way or the other.
The trick is just to be reasonable, but firm and just act like a normal adult. Always work better than acting like a Karen.
I bought a Tremonti SE off a well known seller. It needed a crown and level. There was a scratch on the neck below the heel. Brand new btw.. I fixed the issues and went meh about the scratch.. I did not contact the seller, and I should have. Most would have returned it... but I thought eff it gonna get scratched and dinged eventually. But you can't deny fact's Kyle!
I'd be sure to tell them, but I'd insist on not taking any compensation unless they wanna send me something like a pack of strings, etc. They need to know when these things happen so they don't continue to happen to people who might throw a shit fit over it.
@@DudeMcGuybro I think my excitement for the guitar made me not want to return it or deal with the hassle. Next time I would have no issues contacting the company
To the dramatic, you certainly were no Glenn Fricker-esq drama queen. Quite the contrary. You seemed extremely level headed.
Also since I commented this on the last video, I would love to hear those Grey/Silver wolf speakers with your VHT/Fryette amps. I've got a Pittbull 50CL that I'm looking for the perfect speakers to pair with it and those have my interest.
If more people delt with issues more like you just didn't maybe products would be better all around but I really can't stand people that use the system like call schecter to get a free guitar on top of the guitar you paid for ... that like getting social security disability for over eating and not being able to get out of the chair .. I'm sorry this is why I don't comment on videos my way of thinking is out there keep up the good work and the integrity
Take that L, Verner Palk 🤣My previous statement in the last video was definitely not fanboying, but rather shocked and appalled when usually the QC is pretty good. Good on you for being such an easier customer to deal with and you take it upon yourself to fix the issue. I do the same thing and I appreciate where you are coming. Also pupper is a 10/10!
I’ve had five Schecters with pretty shocking QC problems over the last two years.
2021 V-1 Custom: The frets were lifting off the fretboard, top and bottom. Noticed it when changing strings. The high E got caught under the second fret. Held it up to the light and could see a gap under every fret. Returned it.
2021 C-1: The neck pickup was visibly off center. As in, the high E wasn’t even over the pickup. Returned it.
2021 C-1: The replacement had fretbuzz that couldn’t be resolved. Eventually figured out that the neck was twisted. Returned it.
2022 E-1 FR S: Cracked fretboard. Noticed it as soon as I took it out of the box. And this was through Sweetwater, in the fall, so no crazy climate adjustments, which was what they blamed. Not so sure I trust their 55 point inspection. Returned it.
2022 E-1 FR S: Besides issues with the finish and the fact that the post for the tone knob pokes out 1/8” higher than the volume, the back of the neck (including the binding), right around the 7th fret was lumpy. I leveled it out myself. Kept it.
Pretty much everything I’ve played in the last two years has been kinda shitty, to be honest. Mostly bad finishes on LTDs, and shimmed nuts. Even my MIJ Ibanez RG550 has three shims under the locking nut. New normal I guess.
Sweetwater is in Indiana. Hot humid summers, and dry winters. Perfect kind of changes for a fretboard crack if we're being completely honest. Where was this Schecter made? Was it Indonesian or Korean? If they're Korean I'm really surprised, I've gotten a lot of good guitars from Korea.
I ordered an Indonesian Harley Benton, the neck was off center, twisted, plus the nut wasn't center, stuck out on the end, and somehow was cut too low, and it STUNK like wet paint for two weeks. Thomann flagged it as a repair, not a return. You can't repair a twisted neck on a neck thru guitar... lol. I tried to explain to them it *needed* to be returned, but they fucked around, took forever responding, and then ended up saying that my "30 day window to return the item had closed" even though I emailed them the minute I took the guitar out of the box, and the guitar was defective and literally unplayable. Ended up selling it on Marketplace for a loss to a poor unfortunate soul and I'm prepared to burn in hell for what I did.
So yeah, not a good experience with Thomann or Harley Benton if I'm 100% honest, and I'm very sorry to the person I sold that guitar to.
@@DudeMcGuybro
It was make in Korea. I think at the same factory that makes Korean LTDs.
This was last October, and I live in PA, which had similar weather patterns compared to Indiana at the time. I took these things into account. I also had it shipped overnight, and even let it sit for 36 hours (even tho I think their “acclimation period” is mostly bullshit for electrics).
I’ve put guitars through all sorts of humidity/temperature changes, and in 30 years I’ve never seen a fret board crack like that. And for it to happen to a brand new guitar? With no signs of trauma to the box?
@@DudeMcGuybro
While I’m at it, I’d like to point out that these cracks were against the grain.
i.imgur.com/riXxSVG.jpg
You did the right thing Kyle. It's good to communicate and make people aware of what's going on and being annoyed with quality control problems. But you didn't take it too far and have a southern hissy fit about small details and expect to get free stuff for it. Keep doing you, and let the haters hate and enjoy life with you, your fiancé, your dog and your new pup.
The point you made about the pandemic causing what seems to be more quality assurance issues is what led me down the route of building my own. My last build was an Ibanez Flying-V and it's one of the best guitars in my house. The body was made by Five Alarm Guitars and I am definitely going to make more as I see these QA issue videos come out, much like Glenn's video about Harley Benton's currently problems.
Almost all the gear I bought during the tighter part of the lockdown (I'm in Oregon, USA) arrived broken and late. There's a big box store employee joke there but it's also probably too sad to make.
My biggest guess is knowing that someone can't directly confront you emboldened some people who were packing items to sort of not really care about how they packed it. But I did get a lot of discounts and parts to help fix what got broken, for the most part. I really wanted that Onion Green Cropper Classic but it was too far gone when it arrived nearly in pieces...they wouldn't discount it hard enough to fix, because it *WAS* a beautiful instrument but it was really broken. Since things had barely opened up at the time, I was able to take it in directly if I stayed on the other side of the partition from them. They also looked sad when they saw how nice it used to be and didn't argue refunding full payment. I hope some guitar tech there got it out of the dumpster and healed it - it's a quietly legendary instrument.
It's more than guitars. I work at a parts supplier for OEM's. When these companies started incentives for new hires, a lot of older employees were left behind and left. If the factories have good systems in place, these issues will be a bump, but will resolve relatively quickly. If not, I hope the brands involved can find a way to limit the potential damage to their reputation.
Enjoyed the episode, Looking forward to seeing how good the guitar sounds once all of the issues are fixed, looking forward to your next episode!
Kyle, that was a great answer and I think I would agree with everything you said. Plus, if you got the guitar on the cheap, and you were planning on changing things up, that's a no-brainer. Looking forward to hearing it after you replace the pick-ups. I really enjoy your content, keep it up. You need to do a review on the Boogie Mark VII!!!
Reasonable and measured response without excess drama or grifting. Appreciate it! ❤️
I agree with every thing you said. I bought a Schecter Omen Elite7 multiscale several months ago, and there were a few issues with it. There were some sharp frets ends, the tuners' nuts weren't tightened, and some of the bolts for mounting the neck to the body weren't properly tightened. I didn't send it back. I fixed the issues myself, and I love the guitar. I also just bought a Schecter Solo II SLS Elite Evil Twin less than a week ago and have not had any issues with it, so far.
Keep up the good work.
I think one thing that's not talked about regarding what it means to be a player is imho understanding your instrument beyond the music and hands on pick apart and rebuild a guitar, it also makes the relationship with the instrument more detailed and personal and I think that translates some, or even most of the time into mojo. You learn where your favorite axe sets best regarding tuning, intonation, string gauge, feel. It's just as important to me as the spiritual growth through constant learning, as the creation of music itself. A good craftsman knows his tools and hones regularly as well as a chef keeps his knives sharp.
And the skill of maintaining and setting up a guitar saves you a good bunch of money the earlier you learn and the longer you play.
You were definitely in a tough position. I'm not one to complain either and have always been that way. Even if I have to, I try my best to be an adult about it. Too many brats these days wanting comps. The whole point is to make a fair deal for both. The QC is the issue and you made a great point about making a video to address the issue. There's lack of accountability somewhere in the chain 'weakest link'. The whole idea for inspector numbers or sigh offs is accountability or tracking. If there's one, there's a good chance there's another. Finding the source of the problem is what matters here and you did everyone a favor by demonstrating how you handled it. Great job!!! I know You and I have had some comment battles on FB but thanks for not putting me on blast. 😆
i ordered one schecter from zzounds, and it was unplayable. Nut cut was to low, and grounding issues as well. Fret ends cut the hell out of me. I wouldnt of cared anywhere neaar as much if it didnt say it was inspected in usa. it clearly wasnt.
Hey whats up Kyle. I was super surprised to see you on the Sweetwater Commercial, Rig Building Competition. Totally not your thing, with that Country Music curve ball, it was actually pretty funny. but yeah man can't go wrong with Mesa. Im def probably the only one on here that watched the whole thing. I voted for you. ☆☆☆☆☆
I watched. Thought it was pretty cool. I agree, can't go wrong with a Mesa!
Ican do it myself too but not if im paying 1400 brand new...easy to swallow used but not brand new also they shouldnt have needed to shim the post hole if cut right..again you paid 1400 brand new..no gig bag...no case and evidently under skilled assemblers
This situation really resonated with me, I was in a very similar situation after buying a new Schecter bass amost a year ago. It had fret work issues, and needed some fret leveling and really, really bad fret sprout. Like cut your hands to ribbons fret sprout. I know how to fix that stuff, but I was looking at 2.5 to 3 hours of work. For a new guitar. Knee jerk reaction was to send it back, but after some internal deliberation, I decided to spend the time and fix it. Some of that came down to how much time would I spend to contact the merchant (I bought it from Sweetwater), arange a return, wait for the replacement, and hope against hope that it was in better condition; all the time being without a bass guitar I needed, hence the reason I was purchasing one in the first place. In the end, I think I made the right call, but yes it did suck to have to "fix" a new instrument.
A new guitar...should just be good... especially in this price range....and the QC sticker from USA means absolutely nothing..
I agree with you 100% on this. If it's used I expect it to be at least playable before some tweaking to set it up for my preferences. I expect a little wear and tear plus I'm going to put my own wear and tear on it because I don't buy to collect. I buy to play.
If it's new it should be basically perfect, but if there's a small issue I'd rather fix it myself and hopefully get a little discount on what I paid because of the issue. Electronics issues are easy for me to take care of. If it's something like a bad nut or high frets I'd be more inclined to return it because that would require me to take it to a tech which is just as much of a hassle as returning it.
People should learn a little bit about guitar/bass maintenance if they're going to be playing one. You don't have to be a full blown guitar tech, but don't let yourself be a helpless fool.
I absolutely agree with you point man. 100%. In other video I commented that I It was for me, I would have returned the guitar. And I confirm that. Cause I would have paid the full price for a guitar with Major issues. I probably could fix it myself but with a lot of time and frustration spent, and this Is not what I would have paid for.
Dude I subscribed to your channel but honestly never watched a video. I watched the first one to this and now this one and man. I love your attitude and way of thinking. You hit the nail on the head about entitlement. Nobody is willing to go the extra mile and help themselves. Anyway you’ve gained a regular watcher
I’m ok with turning a few screws and tweaking set ups but I’m not a fan of getting the soldering gear out,the guitar looked sick I’m tempted to get hold of one I only came back to see it again 🤣😜
The only times I’ve raised an issue was on an Epiphone Les Paul Custom with a Koa top that wouldn’t intonate on the low E (out of travel). The other was a blemish Marshal Origin 20 that was supposed to be a blemish with a minor tolex tear and it showed up with the cabinet broken in several places.
In both cases, Sweetwater offered to take them back, but I opted to take a discount and fix them myself. They adjusted the price of the Les Paul $70, and I bought a Gotoh bridge with more intonation room on the bridge, and they gave me $100 off on an amp that was already discounted pretty deeply. Little bit of Titebond and some clamps, and I’m a happy camper.
I think you showed a lot of class and restraint maybe. Anyone who watches your content regularly saw you recently take a tour of a Zzounds Competitor where we saw that they open every guitar and put it through the paces before shipping. Tbh I was waiting for that to come out, and should have known you were above all that.... Good on you brother!!! Love your work....
thank you Robert!
I appreciate your integrity and the type of character you and you throwing that in there made super happy it was a point to your video.
I would have kept it too. That natural finish neck through looks amazing in back!
when you pay big price, you expect a quality... you paid the work double actually... you paid for someone should have done what you've done one the guitar. That guitar shouldn't have been sold before being repaired
sadly there are a lot of guitarists that do not know how to work on there own guitars. I go out of my way to buy broken equipment (even cheaper) so i have a project to work on. my latest was a PRS mt15 amp for 300 bucks and fixed it with a 2 dollar part win win
thanks Kyle
Congrats on the puppy man! I would work on it, because I’m gonna tinker with it to begin with.
Nooo don't tinker with puppies! 🙃
Keep doing you. You had every right to be frustrated, and you handled it a lot better than I would have. That was not an issue that should have ever left without being fixed, and to be honest I think schecter should know about it JMO love the channel and all you do keep the videos coming.
Yep send it back - we all work hard for our Gear.
Keep up Your hard work for your channel - great content.
That's the first thing I would have done. But I get it though you buy a guitar because you wanted to play and you wanted to bond with it. So some people will get them to working order but you shouldn't have to do that when you're spending $1,000
I thought that you are handling this issue well, and you have communicated the reasons for your actions in a clear manner. I appreciate your views on this topic. Thanks!
Just bought a new Demon from Schecter and I had to dial in a few things. Mostly loose parts, and now it's amazing it's my 3rd Schecter and I'll probably buy more in the future. They've been great especially the value for the price point. IMHO That being said the way you handled it makes perfect sense. A video holds more weight.
Nothing wrong with fixing it yourself if you can and want to. I have settled with some purchases only to regret it in the long run. Definitely a case by case situation. It looks sick AF though. I agree with the grounding issue. It never should have been overlooked. Especially when these guitars are made for high gain applications.
I think your a stand up guy Kyle & your first video on the Schecter was on point & your frustrations warranted. Keep up the good work & don't get hung up on the haters they have nothing better to do but you do. Making awesome content for all us. Thanks again.
I like that you understand the industry of e-commerce and are not about exploiting mistakes for profit, rather just to make things whole or fair. Respect bro
As it should be.
That dude that came at you was definitely a miserable person. Stay up and good luck with that pup Kyle!🫡
I also thought initially that you should've just returned it, but once you opened it up, you may have close the window. BUT, after hearing your thoughts, I completely agree. You accomplished far more with the video than just being one more return statistic that would likely be repaired and flipped, Schecter may have never even known it occurred. Also, that you bought it in mind with certain mods you were going to make anyway makes it a lot easier to move on. I enjoyed this rebuttal.
Good for you for sticking up for yourself and your comments 👍 another great video brother 👍
Hey Kyle great video my friend! I do have a question for you, I'm not a new player but I'm also not a pro, with that said that kind of high gain amp would you recommend? I had the Boss Katana II 100 watt combo and I did enjoy it, but I'd love to know what you'd recommend. Thanks for your time
You are a great example of what a consumer should do when they have an issue with a product. Especially when you have a relationship with the source of your purchase. Keep the faith and continue with your content as is . A big ATTA BOI, to you!!
I've never been disappointed with a Schecter as far as QC... I've owned a Solo 6, Reaper 6, and I had that Evil Twin E1 and just couldn't jive with it. I have a few shorts on my channel with me using it. Biggest complaint were the Fishman's (not to mention, the bridge pup was crackling and dropping volume upon delivery) that I swapped to EMG Super 77's, and the thin neck just seemed unstable at first. It was heavy, yet comfortable and balanced well. It also played like butter. Just wasn't for me.
I'm the opposite- I would rather have a good setup over electronics. The thing is that since I had to redo the setup of a brand new guitar, I can't resell the guitar at full value. "Fret buzz" is an issue I have encountered with Schecter and other makers (in that price range). Like you said it makes me want to try a different brand.
I honestly don't agree with this at all. Setup is mostly a personal thing, it doesn't devalue the guitar in the slightest. We're all allowed our own opinions, of course, but I've never met another person that has said getting a setup devalues the guitar
I feel like your reaction was measured and entirely appropriate for the situation. I, personally, probably would not have been able to diagnose that problem myself if not for this video itself and the one Glenn did last month about that HB Firebird that had the same issue; in fact, I would have been considerably less calm. You dont expect something like that to be an issue for yourself as the end user, you expect something like to be QC'd. Still pretty happy with Schecter in general, but, as you said, I will definitely give them a more thorough once over than had I not seen this video /rant. Anyway, good content brother, keep it up!
Nice to see a honest person Kyle and you didn’t see and cry about but fixed it yourself in this day and age quality hits every company from guitars to cars to everything in between
Dude, I would've kept the guitar too. Those issues weren't too off-putting. If you play a lot, you should really know how to set up and make adjustments. Sometimes, a little soldering and checking your grounds isn't that big of a deal. It's far easier than returning the guitar and hoping you get something better. The guitar looks sick. I agree that passive pickups would sound better. I'm not a real fan of active pickups. Even though I have a Schecter with EMG pickups, which I do like for certain tones.
You did all the right things with this Kyle. You were professional and levelheaded every step of the way. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
Thank you, my friend!
You handled this very well. Truth is companies dont care they just want your money . They dont really care about QC just money
Small things like that is something I would've fixed too. I'm both lazy and handy, it would bother me if I had to repack the guitar and ship it back haha!
As long as there's no big damage to the item, I can always tinker some myself
this video is 100 % on point yes it sucks because you had to fix the stuff but it’s not the end of the world
thank you for this video cute puppy by the way
Setup, and small electronic/hardware issues are no problem to me, I’ll fix it. Maybe I’d try to get a discount. Fretwork and craftsmanship are a different story.
Sweet dog man, enjoy!
If the issue is fixed, may as well keep it.
The idea that you found the problem and had the awareness to fix it was definitely a huge perk. I can see why those who have no clue wouldn't do that for safety, but the diy method is always better if it's simple.
I worked most my life in machining. That shimmed hole was clearly seen in manufacturing during the CNC drilling process. Something you're always taught is YOU CANT PUT MATERIAL BACK once it's removed. That guitar should have gone to discount stock. Fact is that the cnc drilling is multiple steps along the process and the operator didn't want to get in trouble for oversizing the hole, scrapping the material, and the lost time, and knew that wasn't something that could be caught during QC, so he knew he could get it past inspection. If he wouldn't have put the shim in the wrong spot, causing the buzz, you WOULDN'T have noticed and he'd have gotten away with it. If you send it back, it will get tracked back to the operator, he will get reprimanded, possibly fired. Especially since it went to a UA-camr and shown to the world. As an operator, usually YOU are in charge of your own inspection, but they do a final inspection at the end, which wouldn't catch the shimmed hole.
My Sun Valley Super Shredder arrived with the Trem claws drilled straight through the neck pickup cavity LOL.
Hey Kyle, I got a Mexican HSS strat last year for a great deal new. The nut ended up being cut improperly and the string spacing was off. Ended up having a bone nut installed professionally because I liked the rest of the fit of the guitar, and I was still into it less than the real value. It’s an amazing guitar now. Maybe if I had paid full retail price I would have returned it, but with your situation I would have done the exact same thing as an affiliate who got it less than retail. I don’t know how terribly cut nuts or a nonexistent ground get through these companies quality control. It’s like no one even looks at them before they ship to the customer lol
I agee with taking into account that things can shift in transport on wood instruments. It happens sometimes.
But the issue you had is an issue of the last inspection on a Friday thing. Just got to finish this then I’m outta here for the weekend😂😂😂.
You handled the situation like a boss without shitting on Schecter as a brand.
Keep doing your thing dude.
I love your content even if I’m old enough to be your grandpa😂
E
My C1 FR SLS Evil Twin is the most badass guitar I've ever owned.
My les paul custom has been so jealous
Since you like explorers and explorer style guitars, have you checked out the Wylde Audio Blood Eagle ?
I thought your last video was pretty fair. Enjoying your content m8. Keep up the great work.
"There are people who would have made a much bigger stink"
*slowly raises hand*
I purchased a Schecter CR6 recently after seeing quite a few positive reviews and I wanted to love it... but the neck had more buzz going on than on any guitar I've ever played and long story short the action had to be raised unreasonably high to resolve most... not all but most of the terrible buzz. After which I took more time to inspect every single fret and found a couple dead frets and that was it for me.... that guitar had to go. I have owned several Schecters because they were consistently reliably good guitars. But of the last 3 I've encountered, 2 had issues with the necks and one had a grounding issue with the pickups as well. No more Schecters for me. Might be an overreaction but... oh well.
I have a great tech who is good about sharing knowledge, and hopefully a person spending a decent chunk on a guitar has some basic knowledge about set ups. But many do not! So you bring up alot of interesting points. Good on you for taking the time and effort to hunt down and resolve the issues on your own. I'd have sent it back on principle lol.
Rock on!
Man, you got a badly set-up E1? That's a real bummer. I just got that same guitar, from ZZounds, and I was worried about shipping, tbh, as I've had some issues in the past. But damn, all I had to do was tune it and everything was BUTTER. But now that you've fixed it up, I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. That guitar is a friggin MONSTER and I don't think I've ever played a neck so nice. Definitely never owned anything on this level before.
Fun story: I have this guitar because I got 2 Epiphone Prophecy Exturas and BOTH were absolute dogshit. One arrived with the neck cracked in like 5 places and the replacement was built by someone I can only imagine knows nothing about guitars. Everything sucked. It was unbelievable.
This Schecter Evil Twin absolutely nukes those things from orbit.
Man, I think your approach is the right way to get the attention from the manufacturer. It's such a shame that companies which have asian product lines tend to sell us overpriced junk. For such an amount of money everything should be fine and flawless! I trust you when you say that Schecter's QC usually is fine, but generally since high quality guitars became much more expensive in the last years at least here in Europe, the demand for asian product lines has raised a lot. As a result the quality really drowned and we're flooded with bad guitars. For me this is a reason to not buy new guitars anymore. I can't stand the direction a lot of guitar companies are taking.
I have to finish assembling or correct what the manufacturer didn't do right on guitars as well as too many other things. If something is chipped or broken it goes back, but if I can fix it easily enough that is what I do too. Maybe if these corporations would pay the people that work for them a little more, they might be more careful when making things.
Verner needs a CapriSun
Just received my avenger evil twin. Volume was cutting out when i would turn or wiggle the pot.took off the back plate and "jiggled" some wires in the back and for now seems to work fine . Also ordered from zzounds. Really not acceptable to have these issues
i think your way of thinking is the right one, because no matter how much we are paying for the product, there will always be some examples that have problems of any kind, and they are few in relation to the amount of guitars that schecter produces. and if you want a guitar that does not have any detail, you should buy a custom shop.
Man I've got a GSD female and she's the most important part of my security system! She also happens to be my best friend ! She's fun and full of energy ! Good luck !
I’m the same as you, I absolutely relish working on my own guitars and dialing them into perfection.
I bought a EVH 5150 guitar online that had THE worst setup I’ve ever seen - neck needed to be shimmed, FR nut was shimmed when it shouldn’t of been so the nut action was super high, couple high frets, intonation and bridge height all terribly wrong, and on and on… BUT the finish, the weight, the individual parts were great so I just spent a day working on it to get it perfect rather than return it, it was great fun.
I usually always tweak guitars when I get them, however when I commented on your other video to return it was only because of the type of repair. I don't know how you fixed it, but I believe you mentioned the post came right out, meaning it was lose. So in order to properly repair it so that hole doesn't open up and get worse would involve, gluing a peice of dowl in it, re-drill and reinstall the ground wire. Just to me would be a repair that the company should have seen more than anything. I agree with everything you said, just that repair would definitely be something I would be on the fence about.
That Bit at the very end was well worth the wait! LOL. I love Schecter, Sorry to hear you got A bad egg. I agree with all your points about how you handled it. Hope you get that guitar sounding as heavy as your Riffing! 🤘
Agreed! Get a discount and fix it yourself :)
IMO electronics are WAY easier to fix than any wood/fret/fretboard/finish issues on a guitar.
Personally, I would never keep a guitar with a structural type issue. The fitting of the bridge and tailpiece studs is important, and I would not allow for some sort of patch job shim in there. At the very least, plugging the hole and re-drilling to the right size is the proper fix.
I agree with everything you have said In this video just common sense and your concerns should be anyone's concerns
Schecter was never the center of attention at World music S Korea.
I'd imagine they didn't want to pay what PRS was willing to for a nice guitar.
So after PRS left for Indonesia, that facility in S Korea had to recover that loss.
So they must be rushing to put out more, which is going to hurt quality.
Shame as my few world music guitars, (ec1000 and custom 24) are phenomenal...but my shecter 2022 nick Johnston from WSK has a few issues.
It's just a shift towards Indonesia, which will eventually bully Korea out just from volume and eventually consistency and volume.
Good videos man!
I'm not overly picky myself. Almost all of my guitars were bought second hand and most of them had at least some kind of wear and tear and/or minor electrical issues. However, as someone who has worked in manufacturing, that shim in a $1400 guitar would have sent me over the edge. Accidents happen, and as long as the guitar plays well no harm no foul. But the fact that they shipped that guitar out is borderline negligence. It would be hard for me not to try to exchange it for a new one.
I would return it unless you bonded with it and really like it. I got a lemon from Jackson once that was awful. High frets warped neck out of the box. I got it playing ok but just hated that guitars guts that guitar really pissed me off. Luckily Jackson finally agreed to just replace it on warranty thank God. Also got a brand new Jackson Loomis 7 soloist that has bad wiring neck pickup doesn't work. They offered to replace it but that guitar plays way to nice for me to give it up. Just going to take it to get rewired. The ebony fretboard on that one is just too beautiful.
I had never seen one of your videos before that last one. I’m looking into an Explorer and I thought hey a Schecter would be a cool yet different approach. I fully agree with you on this video and I decided to subscribe because of how you reacted to the situation. Gotta say that I liked your honesty.
I agree with you, Kyle. If you receive a piece of gear in a condition other than described or than expected, you have the right to either return it or live with it, but expressing your legitimate concerns does not make you “dramatic.” Seriously - if you bought a new car and it was delivered with a door ding and a broken AC, you would rightfully be upset. No different with guitar gear. Keep up the great channel!
haha right? I didn't take them seriously, I just think it's funny how people perceive them