...this can't be good...

Skarekrough · #1 07-05-2002, 10:19 AM

So...to escape the scorching heat and opressive New Englad humidity this past 4th of July the wife and I headed out to the local highway stretch peppered with retailers, movie theaters and a Guitar Center (Framingham Massachusetts). Since I'd seen something about them having a sale, and me usually being in need of a few fixins', I decided to drop in.

It was a Guitar Center all righty and all the usual antics were amok; RG7420s with neon green pickups for $700, overpriced PRS's and the usual mayhem. I noticed they had a JEM7VWH on the wall so i asked one of the sales guys to haul it down so I could check it out.

The sales guy, straight off the bat, started the schmooze. He told me that the guitar had been set-up yesterday afternoon and someone was going to buy it last night but they just couldn't get the money out of their ATM.

Anyway, the sales guy eventually plodded off after handing me the guitar and I started checking it out. Finish looked good, inlays looked great, action was damned near reasonable. All in all I'd almost say it was a fine example of a Jem.

But when I started to tune the thing I was shocked; the fine tuner for the G string just STOPPED at about half way. This seemed odd. I backed off on it and it was fine. But when I got to a certain point the thing just came to a grinding halt.

After checking it out more closely it looks like they only threaded the fine tuner threads halfway down. I was shocked at this and the sales dude noted my displeasure when he came over. He checked it out and told me this is a common thing....it's not lack of being threaded...it's just stiff from being new. I told him that if it was just being new then why doesn't he try and work the tuner past the stuck position. Rather than put his money where his mouth was he called another sales guy over who immediately agreed with him....although I suspect that the other guy would of agreed that he was Lyndon B Johnson as well if it wold of gotten me to buy the guitar.

This can't be good for Ibanez. That sort of thing is just shoddy quality control. I can stand to have Guitar Center lie to me; they've been doing it for years. but to watch them try and make excuses for a Jem is just painful.

ibanez otaku · #2 07-05-2002, 02:15 PM

So moan to Guitar Center about it, get really picky, get some cash off the guitar, buy it, sink new tuners in at home, everyone's happy!

I can't believe it's THAT common, as I've never seen it on any Edge, let alone a Jem.

[off topic]
BTW, I sympathize about the New England heat. This is my first summer living in America and we're getting blasted up here! Heat index is like over 100 degrees. When I came out of my air conditioned bedroom the other night I honestly thought for a moment that part of the house may be on fire. Apparently it rained all through June back in Britain... aaaah.
[/off topic]

Gabe Nickelson · #3 07-05-2002, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibanez otaku

[off topic]
BTW, I sympathize about the New England heat. This is my first summer living in America and we're getting blasted up here! Heat index is like over 100 degrees. When I came out of my air conditioned bedroom the other night I honestly thought for a moment that part of the house may be on fire. Apparently it rained all through June back in Britain... aaaah.
[/off topic]

Now in winter you'll freeze your ass off! Enjoy!

Gabe (loving the Texas heat year round)

Patrick Deno · #4 07-05-2002, 10:23 PM

Sadly, I do know of which you speak. I have an Ibanez Sabre (S)450 and about 8 years ago I dumped a TRS trem in it to replace the old POS trem that came stock with it. Anyways, this thing is far from "just new" and has always had that problem on one or two of the tuner screws even after all these years. Personally, I don't mind that much ... mostly because I've got a JEM and this is only my backup ... and, over the years I've gotten used to it for the most part ... but also because the trem is so rock solid that I rarely have to tune after the initial stretching on a new set of strings - temperature and humidity changes not withstanding.

But on the flagship of Jems; that's just not right.

LJ

Reaper · #5 07-07-2002, 04:07 PM

Yeah, I was just up wandering around Boston on some college tours, and man, that's some hot weather. Of course, a new axe is a great excuse to stay indoors.

And why not slap new tuners in that thing?- because you don't know where else GC ****ed up. That might not be the only error, and who knows? The salesman wasn't about to tell you.

BeastofLove · #6 07-07-2002, 04:15 PM

I can't stand that Guitar Center on Rt. 9 in Natick.
Last time I was there (couple months ago), one of the salesguys was playing the opening of the 'Journey' song "Lights" over and over and over again- real loud like. I expect it of the customers, not the staff.
They have never been of any help to me, and their knowledge is laughable. Don't they have some sort of mandatory training?

-Ben

Rich · #7 07-07-2002, 04:25 PM

Go back and check that Jem, I'll tell you exactly what the problem is. The saddle slipped all the way forward and when the saddle is all the way forward (of course the intonation is shot) you can only get a few turns of travel out of the fine tuner. This is NOT a manufacturing problem, so let's keep that debate to the problems they actually do have and not invent more.

Skarekrough · #8 07-07-2002, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

Go back and check that Jem, I'll tell you exactly what the problem is. The saddle slipped all the way forward and when the saddle is all the way forward (of course the intonation is shot) you can only get a few turns of travel out of the fine tuner. This is NOT a manufacturing problem, so let's keep that debate to the problems they actually do have and not invent more.

Huh...wasn't aware of that problem in trems. Still, you've got to admit, it just screams "bad set up" somewhere along the way.

Skarekrough · #9 07-07-2002, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gabe Nickelson

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibanez otaku

[off topic]
BTW, I sympathize about the New England heat. This is my first summer living in America and we're getting blasted up here! Heat index is like over 100 degrees. When I came out of my air conditioned bedroom the other night I honestly thought for a moment that part of the house may be on fire. Apparently it rained all through June back in Britain... aaaah.
[/off topic]

Now in winter you'll freeze your ass off! Enjoy!

Gabe (loving the Texas heat year round)

After you've been through a few New England winters you get used to them. And in some weird way you start to enjoy them; skiing, snowboarding, bouts of cabin fever inspiring great music and excessive drinking to pass the time. It's really a great place to live that way.

Rich · #10 07-08-2002, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skarekrough

Huh...wasn't aware of that problem in trems. Still, you've got to admit, it just screams "bad set up" somewhere along the way.

It's not a problem, the saddle should never be that far forward even to intonate 08's I'd say pooly checked over, and the last one that checked it (and "just set it up") would be the one responsible

mike777 · #11 07-08-2002, 02:30 PM

That issue could be anything. Another customer could've tried to mess with it, too. Perhaps, even an employee was trying to score a sale and tried to alter something and didn't lock the saddle down enough resulting in saddle movement. Who knows? Working in stores that size makes it difficult to promptly spot individual guitars in need of attention. I don't normally judge a guitar by my first impression in the store because of things like that. Also, I've noticed that Ibanez's QC and initial fresh-from-the-box set-ups on Jems have been excellent on any I've checked out in recent times.

shredmaster · #12 07-08-2002, 04:55 PM

a sales position at guitar center is one step above working at a gas station. no offense to anyone working at a gas station.

you can have fun with these idiots. i understand if someone doesn't know something but don't blatantely try and scam me. it's been fun proving them wrong. i get looks like, how did you know that about this guitar. experience and jemsite my friend....i think to myself.

Knightmeir · #13 08-01-2002, 08:50 AM

I saw a Jem 7VWH at a Guitar Center here in Vegas... brand new and the finish around the tremelo was bubbled. They were trying to seel it full price... not scratch and dent or anything. I asked the sales guy and he said he didn't see anything wrong with it, even after I pretty much stuck the thing in his face.

Gabe Nickelson · #14 08-01-2002, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knightmeir

I saw a Jem 7VWH at a Guitar Center here in Vegas... brand new and the finish around the tremelo was bubbled. They were trying to seel it full price... not scratch and dent or anything. I asked the sales guy and he said he didn't see anything wrong with it, even after I pretty much stuck the thing in his face.

Well what do you expect? It's Guitar Center! Not your friendly neighborhood music store!

Guitar Center sucks!

Gabe