Opinion Needed!

[Masta' C]

Got this Jim Root Strat neck off Reverb (see video link below).

Seller listed it as "Very Good" condition, which I generally agree with, but his limited description also stated "jumbo frets with almost no wear".

It seems there are sizable dings on several frets in the middle of the board and it appears a leveling job was done at some point, but the frets were not properly crowned, just polished.

What do you guys think...is this "almost no wear"?

Would you raise the issue with the seller? He did come down quite a bit from his asking price when I made my initial offer (listed at $500, accepted offer of $325).

Thoughts?

https://imgur.com/oVuRfy6

 

[ehdwuld]

If it was perfect in mint condition would it have been worth $500?

Was it a deal at $325

I would contact the seller with concerns
That it was not what was expected

Then decide is it worth it to send it back

Or could this be settled with a refund of some kind

I would at least let the seller know I was disappointed

 

[Masta' C]

If it was perfect in mint condition would it have been worth $500? Was it a deal at $325

That's tough to say.

If it was truly mint and came complete with the locking tuners, this neck might be worth $450 to someone, but it's not perfect cosmetically and doesn't have the extra hardware, so my offer took that into consideration.

However, if I had seen the condition of the frets from the get-go, with dents and flat-spots throughout, which I consider to be more "functional" rather than cosmetic and potentially needing a professional to remedy, I probably would have offered closer to $250 or $275.

It is a proper Fender USA-made neck and seems pretty decent overall, at least at first glance (a couple headstock dings, typical finger wear on the fretboard, small wood chip by a screw hole, etc), but a brand new, fully finished neck from Warmoth with the same specs is right at $350, so that's the comparable in my mind.

​

 

[Masta' C]

Ok, I wrote the seller with my concerns and a link to the video. This is all they replied with:

"I took the guitar on trade from original owner. Frets looked fine to me and it played flawlessly installed."

:dunno:

 

[Mincer]

Well, that doesn't sound like he heard your concerns...threaten a return?

 

[Masta' C]

What do you guys think? Would you take issue if this is what you received vs. what the description said?

Usually I'm the outsider looking in on these things and better able to give an unbiased opinion, but I'm blinded by a desire to be a nice guy while simultaneously feeling a bit miffed by the condition and lack of concern from the seller.

Thoughts?

 

[ehdwuld]

Can you send it back and recoup
your initial payment
Plus return shipping?

Or will you have to eat some of the costs

If i have to eat some of the costs

Then I would weigh how much of a bother it would be

In the end it's your decision

I don't have the neck in hand
And am not attracted to it at all

I would send it back in a heartbeat if I could come out clean on it

 

[Artie]

Sellers attitude not withstanding, I would ask yourself, do you really, really like it otherwise? Frets can be dealt with. Then again, if it will aggravate you every time you play the guitar, not a good situation.

 

[hamerfan]

I am not picky on cosmetic flaws. I would give em a damn and ply that sucker.

 

[Masta' C]

Seller wrote again. He's clearly a d*ck to deal with.

I did some research and Stratosphere has the same neck off a new Jim Root for sale at $750 with tuners.

Considering I paid well under half that for this one, I'll just keep it for now and see about tending to the frets.

Thanks guys!

 

[Masta' C]

I am not picky on cosmetic flaws. I would give em a damn and ply that sucker.

To be clear, I don't think dented frets and significant flat spots are necessarily "cosmetic", but I get where you're coming from :beerchug:

 

[switchman]

You're 100% correct it's a functional issue not cosmetic. Wide flats under some strings and not others will throw off tuning. Hypothetically if everything else in the setup is perfect, and intonation is set by a properly crowned 12th fret, frets in the middle that have flat tops will be a few cents sharp because the break point is actually moving closer to the bridge than it should be.

This neck was obviously played a lot. The shiny burnished areas on the fretboard are a giveway. Whether they're worn flat or actually leveled perfectly end to end and not recrowned it doesn't matter. Maybe if someone was doing rapid single note or power chord riffing only it's possible the ear wouldn't pick it up. I'd be very surprised if chord shapes in the middle of the neck don't sound sour.

So I have a simple approach for dealing with this kind of situation. I tell the seller this is what the going rate for the unexpected repair is in my area. Then ask do they want to refund me the money or take it back for a full refund? I don't have a lot of tolerance for sellers downplaying issues or playing dumb. Its a purposeful tactic to see what they can get away with. If it was an honest mistake you wouldn't get an attitude. Sorry its messed up I bought it that way doesn't hold any weight legally. Now I've absolutely had some youngsters or newbies who are like oh nos I messed up I don't want to get in trouble. I try to be a little more forgiving on those. Its just I've heard this song and dance on Reverb at a way higher rate than I ever did on eBay for longer time its a real downer.
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[Masta' C]

I agree!

I'm gonna try to fix it. Seems it has a couple high spots, also, so it's really due for a proper level and crown.

I'm in the process of packing for a move with a pregnant wife and a 2-year old toddler and I didn't feel like arguing with a Reverb man-baby over $50-$100, so I just left a 2-star rating and an explanation for other potential buyers to see. I'm sure he'll retaliate with a one-star rating for me because his ego is so fragile, LOL!

If there was anything else wrong with the neck, I would have opted to send it back for sure. But, if I can make it work, I have a fun use for it!

 

[Masta' C]

I just left a 2-star rating and an explanation for other potential buyers to see. I'm sure he'll retaliate with a one-star rating for me because his ego is so fragile, LOL!

This is exactly what happened! :laugh2:

What a loser...

 

[Mincer]

So if you had sent it back, cancelling the transaction, do reviews get cancelled, too?

 

[switchman]

That's a downer. I would be arguing with Reverb to remove it since its obvious retaliation. Their policies and attitude on this stuff are very weak . It's like they want to play up this image that Reverb is just a casual group of like minded musicians trading gear for fun...but all the biggest sellers are huge retailers. I wonder if their stance will change since they got bought by an investor.

EBay takes the totally opposite approach. There the seller can't leave anything other than positive feedback if the buyer pays and doesn't back out. Negative isn't even an option. You could write "this was the worst buyer in history" and it still gives them a +1 positive to their score :sad: