A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 3:55 pm**

Well my new Epiphone 335 Figured arrived yesterday (a day early), and the first thing I noticed when I got it unpacked were a bunch of fine sanding scratches at the top of the headstock. I figured that they just didn't get buffed out, and I could take care of it myself when I got home. But on closer inspection, I realized that the scratches were under the clear-coat, and not on the surface.

I was still willing to overlook it, provided i got a reasonable discount, but when I got it home, that's when the real weirdness started. When I tried to set the intonation, the A string was way sharp, and I had to move the saddle almost all the way back in order to intonate it.

That just ain't right... but what's worse is; only the open string and the 12th fret were in tune. All the rest of the frets (at least up to the 8th or 9th fret) were sharp! I don't know how this could be, unless both the nut slot and the string saddle were way too high, but they didn't look like they were any higher than the rest of the strings (which all intonated just fine). So, rather than wasting my time trying to solve this mystery, I just called AMS and arranged for an exchange. The rep said they will inspect the replacement before they ship it out to me.

This is when you start to appreciate Sweetwater's 55 point inspection service. But they won't have this guitar in stock for a few months.

I just hope they don't sell out before AMS receives my return. These guitars have been selling like Fireflies ever since they were introduced. Whenever a retailer gets these in stock, they seem to evaporate in a couple of days.

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 4:23 pm**

At least it's nice to look at, but hopefully they get you lined out with the nicest individual model from the entire production line.

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 4:42 pm**

As a quick test capo it at the 1st 2 or 3rd fret and tune again. I'm thinking itll be alot better. Intonate it with the capo and it'll be perfect. If the nut isn't high it means your nut is in the wrong place. Usually too far from the 1st fret. If it's still weird then the only other thing I can think of is randomly placed frets.

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 5:43 pm**

nomadh wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 4:42 pm As a quick test capo it at the 1st 2 or 3rd fret and tune again. I'm thinking itll be alot better. Intonate it with the capo and it'll be perfect. If the nut isn't high it means your nut is in the wrong place. Usually too far from the 1st fret. If it's still weird then the only other thing I can think of is randomly placed frets.

Well, it's already on its way back, so it's too late to try anything else. I thought about filing the nut slot, but if the slot wasn't deep enough, that would only affect the first few frets. It shouldn't be sharp half-way down the neck. It also doesn't explain why i had to move the saddle so far back. I ultimately decided that this wasn't my problem to figure out... This isn't a Firefly, or an Ali Express special. Theres no reason why I should accept this. Nothing really makes sense, considering it was just that one string that was off. The other five strings were fine, so it can't be fret placement.

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 5:50 pm**

That is a bummer, I have been watching these from the weeds too. I've seen more than one "blem/bstock " show up on AMS/ZZounds over the past weeks - not that specific model but in the same 335/339 range. I hope this isn't a sign that the QC is still suspect on these newer models/newer manufacturing facilities.

How was the rest of the guitar overall from a fit/finish standpoint?

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:53 pm**

Just one string? I can’t explain that one!

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:34 pm**

uwmcscott wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 5:50 pm That is a bummer, I have been watching these from the weeds too. I've seen more than one "blem/bstock " show up on AMS/ZZounds over the past weeks - not that specific model but in the same 335/339 range. I hope this isn't a sign that the QC is still suspect on these newer models/newer manufacturing facilities.

How was the rest of the guitar overall from a fit/finish standpoint?

Otherwise, the guitar is freakin' gorgeous! Besides the scratches on the headstock, I couldn't find a single flaw. Even the sides were flamey, and it didn't have the usual over-spray on the binding that Epiphone is famous for. I was really surprised by the Indian Yanni - I mean, Indian Laurel fretboard...

I haven't liked the examples I've seen on Squiers. I always think it looks like a chocolate bar that's been in the vending machine for too long. But this one looked pretty much like Rosewood, except with more of an open grain. I was hoping that guitar manufacturers would go back to Rosewood after the CITES restrictions were lifted, but I suppose Laurel is cheaper, and nobody has really kicked up too much of a fuss about it, so I guess that's what we're going to get from now on. If they all looked like this fretboard, I wouldn't really mind.

The pickups sounded good too (though I had to ignore that all the chords I played were a little out of tune), but I think I'm going to swap them out for a set of Pro-Buckers that have been looking for a home ever since I bought them from @tobijohn a couple of years ago. It's got CTS pots, so at least I won't have to change those out. The tuners feel top-shelf too. I don't know what the gear ratio is, but they feel as smooth and precise as any of set of Schallers I've had.

Issues aside, it's a pretty awesome guitar overall. It looks, and (more importantly) feels like a much more expensive instrument.

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:42 pm**

Chocol8 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:53 pm Just one string? I can’t explain that one!

Me neither... I've never come across anything like this in the 15 years I've been working on guitars. The only thing I can reckon is... maybe it was the string itself? This morning I was wondering if a new set of strings could have solved the problem... But there would still be the issue of the scratchy finish on the headstock.

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:46 pm**

Could have been a bad string also.

Posted: **Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:57 pm**

mozz wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:46 pm Could have been a bad string also.

Yeah... look at the post above yours.

Posted: **Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:29 am**

Oops, guess you said that already. I have had it happen once while setting intonation. I don't think the nut could be cut that far off on just 1 slot. Really sucks you have to send it back.

Posted: **Thu Jan 28, 2021 10:46 am**

mozz wrote: ↑Thu Jan 28, 2021 8:29 am Oops, guess you said that already. I have had it happen once while setting intonation. I don't think the nut could be cut that far off on just 1 slot. Really sucks you have to send it back.

Eh... I must have developed some more patience for this kind of thing, because oddly, it doesn't really bother me. I'm happy to know that the next one will have been inspected and (most likely) free from flaws.

Posted: **Thu Jan 28, 2021 11:13 am**

I find it noteworthy that your experience with AMS is a positive one. Their willingness to take the return and exchange the guitar based on a problem they can't remotely diagnose via email or phone conversation is great. AMS deserves points for service there! When I had a similar issue with the first guitar I purchased from Thomann, their (mis)handling of the issue ensured it was the only purchase I ever made from Thomann. I have had a couple other returns over the years, and good companies lean toward keeping a happy customer. That's one for AMS.

Posted: **Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:24 pm**

BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Thu Jan 28, 2021 11:13 am I find it noteworthy that your experience with AMS is a positive one. Their willingness to take the return and exchange the guitar based on a problem they can't remotely diagnose via email or phone conversation is great. AMS deserves points for service there! When I had a similar issue with the first guitar I purchased from Thomann, their (mis)handling of the issue ensured it was the only purchase I ever made from Thomann. I have had a couple other returns over the years, and good companies lean toward keeping a happy customer. That's one for AMS.

Well, my positive feelings for AMS (as well as my patience) is starting to fade. When I arranged the exchange, they told me that they would ship out the replacement as soon as my return showed up in UPS' system, so I wouldn't have to wait until they actually received the defective guitar. I thought that was pretty cool, so I shipped it out the next day (last Wednesday), thinking that the new one would be shipped out on Thursday or Friday (when I bought the first one, it shipped out the same day).

By Friday evening, I still hadn't received a shipping notification, so I called them to find out what the status was, and they had no explanation for the delay, but said it should ship out on Monday. Well, Monday and Tuesday came and went, and I assumed that the bad weather may have delayed shipping, but when I got no notification on Wednesday, I called them again... Sure enough, they said their warehouse was closed on Monday and Tuesday due to snow, but it should ship out any minute now. I told him I could understand the snow delay, but asked why it didn't ship out before the weekend, and he said that it took a couple of days to inspect the guitar (as they promised they would do). I didn't say anything, but I was thinking: "Why should it take two days to open a box and visually scan a guitar for finish flaws??". But I was just happy they didn't tell me that the guitar had sold out, and I would have to wait for more to come in, or something like that (that's happened to me before, but not with AMS), and I figured it would ship out later that day, or maybe today...

Well, I still haven't received a shipping notification... I'm not losing my cool over it or anything. They can't control the weather, and I'm sure their shipping department is backed up from being closed for a couple of days, but I'm thinking this really should have shipped last week, if they were being honest about it. I have a feeling that they actually did wait until they received the first guitar (which arrived yesterday) before starting the process... I should have at least gotten a notification when the label was created, and the two-day inspection period seems specious to me.

Posted: **Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:37 pm**

Mossman wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:24 pm
BatUtilityBelt wrote: ↑Thu Jan 28, 2021 11:13 am I find it noteworthy that your experience with AMS is a positive one. Their willingness to take the return and exchange the guitar based on a problem they can't remotely diagnose via email or phone conversation is great. AMS deserves points for service there! When I had a similar issue with the first guitar I purchased from Thomann, their (mis)handling of the issue ensured it was the only purchase I ever made from Thomann. I have had a couple other returns over the years, and good companies lean toward keeping a happy customer. That's one for AMS.
Well, my positive feelings for AMS (as well as my patience) is starting to fade. When I arranged the exchange, they told me that they would ship out the replacement as soon as my return showed up in UPS's system, so I wouldn't have to wait until they actually received the defective guitar. I thought that was pretty cool, so I shipped it out the next day (last Wednesday), thinking that the new one would be shipped out on Thursday or Friday (when I bought the first one, it shipped out the same day).

By Friday evening, I still hadn't received a shipping notification, so I called them to find out what the status was, and they had no explanation for the delay, but said it should ship out on Monday. Well, Monday and Tuesday came and went, and I assumed that the bad weather may have delayed shipping, but when I got no notification on Wednesday, I called them again... Sure enough, they said their warehouse was closed on Monday and Tuesday due to snow, but it should ship out any minute now. I told him I could understand the snow delay, but asked why it didn't ship out before the weekend, and he said that it took a couple of days to inspect the guitar (as they promised they would do). I didn't say anything, but I was thinking: "Why should it take two days to open a box and visually scan a guitar for finish flaws??". But I was just happy they didn't tell me that the guitar had sold out, and I would have to wait for more to come in, or something like that (that's happened to me before, but not with AMS), and I figured it would ship out later that day, or maybe today...

Well, I still haven't received a shipping notification... I'm not losing my cool over it or anything. They can't control the weather, and I'm sure their shipping department is backed up from being closed for a couple of days, but I'm thinking this really should have shipped last week, if they were being honest about it. I have a feeling that they actually did wait until they received the first guitar (which arrived yesterday) before starting the process... I should have at least gotten a notification when the label was created, and the two-day inspection period seems specious to me.

My problem with people is when they tell little lies, they tell big ones. Good luck. It will work itself out, eventually.

Posted: **Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:58 pm**

ID10t wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:37 pm My problem with people is when they tell little lies, they tell big ones. Good luck. It will work itself out, eventually.

Well, I don't want to come right out and call them liars... but I have my suspicions. On one hand, I have no idea how their warehouse operates, or how disruptive it is to their flow to single out one guitar for inspection, and I'm only assuming that they just gave it a cursory, visual inspection. They may have been more thorough than that, I dunno. But on the other hand, I keep thinking: Sweetwater does their 55-point inspection on every guitar they ship (yeah, I know, sometimes they miss things, but it doesn't mean they're not doing what they say they're doing), and they don't seem to have any problems getting them out the door in a timely fashion.

I did get a defective guitar from Sweetwater once, when I bought my most recent Casino. There was a burn in the finish from a buffer that went down to the wood, but it was under the pickguard... There was no way anyone could have seen that. But I never liked to keep the pickguard on my Casinos, so it had to go back. Also, the pickups sounded so horrible and noisy, I thought there was some kind of wiring problem. It turned out that's just how the stock pickups sounded... because the next one I got barely sounded any better.

The pickups were wound to 13k with 42awg wire (!), and it sounded like a hairy electric monster (and not in a good way). But Buddha Tim fixed me up by rewinding them to a sensible output (7.5-8k, I believe), with 43 gauge wire, and it sounds fantastic now. Big props to @Buddha Pickups as usual!

Aaaanywaaaay... When I returned the guitar to Sweetwater, they immediately shipped out the replacement (which I also got to pick), along with the return label for the first guitar! And I had 30 days to send it back! That's what made me a Sweetwater customer for life... That, and I always get a 13-15% discount just for asking. I would have bought this guitar from them, but they won't have any for months, and nobody else has them, either... Unless I want the "Blueberry Burst"... Which I don't.

Posted: **Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:03 pm**

Oh, I just checked my email, and I got a notification from AMS... The shipping label has been created. Now it'll probably take a day before it actually goes somewhere. I predict a delivery date of... Next Wednesday.

Posted: **Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:49 pm**

I'd give them one point of patience for COVID and one point of patience for snow, but yeah, that's a bit of run-around. Sorry to hear it. People should do what they say they will. I hope the replacement is just an incredible example. I've only bought one of my guitars from AMS and it was a good guitar, but not an amazing experience.

Posted: **Sat Feb 06, 2021 1:42 am**

Boy was I off in my prediction that the guitar would arrive next Wednesday... At the end of my lunch break at work today, I was walking through the shipping department when I happened to notice a big, long, rectangular box leaning up against some shelving, and I thought: "That looks just like a guitar box... But it can't be... Am I experiencing lost time? Did I get abducted again? Did one of my co-workers dose my green tea?".

I approached the box with some trepidation to examine the shipping label, and sure enough, it was from AMS, and it had my name on it! I could hardly believe it, but then I noticed the label said: "2-Day", so they must have shipped it on Wednesday... The same day I spoke to them last. I wonder why the sales rep didn't tell me it was heading out the door, and they were sending it 2nd day air? Probably a gap in communication between the sales department and shipping. All I ever got was an e-mail notification on Thursday that a label had been created, with no tracking or any other info. I still haven't received anything else.

Oh well... NGD review to come!

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