Slightly Poor Experience with a Retailer

Dan

Thanks all.

General opinion seems to be its a me thing, which is fair enough. Ill just send back and take the hit.

Its just a shame I guess that they offer this service but its not accurate enough, for me anyway. Would rather they said they couldnt do it.

Honestly its a pain in the arse and im my own worst enemy with neck profiles. All my guitars are .880" or more at the 1st fret. CS strats and a tele are all 10/56V, Baja tele, EOB and a R8. Dont mind a bit bigger but not a massive baseball bat neck. As I said, im a right picky bugger and it does my head in.

Appreciate all the input.

jasonbone75

At least you are a grown up and admit you are picky! Nothing wrong with being picky. Everything right with owning our own foibles

We've all met someone who wouldn't admit their farts stink!!!!

CarpeDiem

I think the seller is being reasonable, and I would accept the £30 return charge and put it down to experience. Since you are very precise in your requirements, it sounds like you’d benefit from trying guitars in a store before you buy, assuming that you are able to do this. 
Personally, I’m happy to play different guitars and I don’t take much notice in terms of neck sizes, weight, etc, but recognise that people have different needs and preferences for a variety of reasons. 

Offset

steer said:

WWSSSD

What Would Sea Sick Steve Do? 

He'd say "Pour me somethin' tall an' strong, make it a Hurricane before I go insane."

StuartMac290

A return over a discrepancy of less than a millimetre on a guitar neck front to back? That NOT not as described, it's a tiny, tiny amount.

Offset

With apologies to the OP, but I'm put in mind of The Princess And The Pea.

I really don't think the retailer was at fault here.

ICBM

steer said:

WWSSSD

What Would Sea Sick Steve Do? 

Have a guitar custom hand built to his exact specifications and made to look like he found it in a skip.

Lewy

steer said:

WWSSSD

What Would Sea Sick Steve Do? 

Make up a fictional back story about being a homeless hobo when in fact he was a record producer and disco band member?

Really don't think accuracy is his thing.

Bennyboy-UK

Thats it.

Thats enough guitar forum for me today!

FelineGuitars

I am with the opinion that if you know you are sensitive to the depth and bulk of a neck then it makes sense to try it in person (and acknowledge that the cost of driving or travelling to the store may be a fair sum - more than that return fee).

However sounds like the store are being  fair in their handling of it and the tone of their reply

However where we are talking about essentially a 1mm difference, I think that is a noticeable amount; although there are other factors like how the rest of the neck shaping is too.

On an Ibanez superstrat 1mm can be the difference between a Jem neck and a Wizard neck

It might be the difference between an 1959 neck or a 1960 neck on a Les Paul

The necks on our anniversary Lions are definitely smaller in the hand than our Lion 59 and it's only about a 1mm difference

So I don't think it is negligible if you have specific tastes and needs

Rocker

IMHO if anyone is going to spend £500 or more on a guitar or bass, it is only sensible to visit the shop and try out the guitar yourself. A stringed musical instrument is not like a socket set or a power screwdriver, only one of a half dozen in the shop might feel right in your hands. Only you can tell if you like the instrument, I would never buy a guitar based on measurements only. 

Funkfingers

IMO, 0.033" would be an acceptable difference between measurements taken on the nut and bridge sides of the same fret. 

Between the nut and the first fret is a sub-optimal place to take a measurement. This is where the neck profile transitions into the headstock. Final sanding of this area by a human operative can introduce random variability into the final shape.

Epsilon

Credit to you for sense checking whether you're being reasonable here. A lot of people wouldn't have the self-awareness to do that.

My view is that if you're that sensitive you should be trying things out beforehand. Not sure it's fair on the retailer to put such an onus on them and expect a free return if it doesn't work out.

But it's a judgement call ultimately. I don't think you're being outrageous at all, but possibly a little unrealistic. 

guitars4you

@Dan - not having a dig now at you as your post and comments appear to be sensible and acceptable - But as a dealer such issues worry me - I measure the necks at the top nut end and 12th fret with digital calibers and quote them on my web postings - As others have indicated, you can measure it 2/3 times and get a variance - So I either go with my first measurement or ave out the 3 - As it happens no one has returned a guitar on such a variance and what I have quoted - But it does make you wonder. what is deemed as dealer error and/or dealer mis-information 

Again as a dealer - You try to impart some info that might help the buyer gather the appropriate details as to what the neck might be - ie I might describe it as a touch slimmer than an R9, or a touch fatter than a 60's Oval C (Custom Shop Fender) - Both are well known profiles - Yet if you have not played such a shape then my reference means little

My gut feeling is that you know, quite quickly, if the neck suits you or not - That is based on wrapping your hand around the neck - At this stage the actual measurement is meaningless - I don't think you fall in love with a neck/feel/playability in 2/20 mins or 200 mins - But you can often dismiss a neck profile/feel/playability in 20 seconds - In which case, then to check that feel with a set of calibers to prove the dealer is right/wrong is a touch immaterial - Your hands are the only true test 

As I said - It is not a dig at you - But it does make me wonder what should I be doing when I list a guitar for sale

bacchanalian

I think you can notice very small differences in neck size. And, we can all feel the difference between an e string and a b string which is a small difference.

I buy blind 90% of the time and wonder how Suhr, Fender and Tom Anderson (for example) quote such consistent and accurate neck measurements. Is it what the CNC machines are set to?
Collings give measurements but also quote a tolerance for hand finishing. 

sev112

I moved from 1 11/16 to 1 12/16 in width and had a terrible time.   the difference is half of that hence why I say is not unreasonable amount.   Lots of people report this 

elstoof

Hang it up in the bathroom while you have a hot shower and it should swell up 0.033”

Sporky

jasonbone75 said:

We've all met someone who wouldn't admit their farts stink!!!!

Mine have a warm nutty aroma, which brings to mind memories of good times with friends and family.

guitars4you

guitars4you said:

@Dan - not having a dig now at you as your post and comments appear to be sensible and acceptable - But as a dealer such issues worry me - I measure the necks at the top nut end and 12th fret with digital calibers and quote them on my web postings - As others have indicated, you can measure it 2/3 times and get a variance - So I either go with my first measurement or ave out the 3 - As it happens no one has returned a guitar on such a variance and what I have quoted - But it does make you wonder. what is deemed as dealer error and/or dealer mis-information 

Again as a dealer - You try to impart some info that might help the buyer gather the appropriate details as to what the neck might be - ie I might describe it as a touch slimmer than an R9, or a touch fatter than a 60's Oval C (Custom Shop Fender) - Both are well known profiles - Yet if you have not played such a shape then my reference means little

My gut feeling is that you know, quite quickly, if the neck suits you or not - That is based on wrapping your hand around the neck - At this stage the actual measurement is meaningless - I don't think you fall in love with a neck/feel/playability in 2/20 mins or 200 mins - But you can often dismiss a neck profile/feel/playability in 20 seconds - In which case, then to check that feel with a set of calibers to prove the dealer is right/wrong is a touch immaterial - Your hands are the only true test 

As I said - It is not a dig at you - But it does make me wonder what should I be doing when I list a guitar for sale

edit

Forgot to add - 2 points 

1) The customer is always right and we have to accept they don't actually need a reason to return the guitar - If they don't like it, they don't have to keep it - That is regardless of any measurement showing as a gnats whisker out

2) I have never played, sold, seen any Fender Custom Shop Guitar, whereby the measurement I acquire, with a set of digital calibers, match the measurement given on the shop floor traveler - As it happens I always measure the guitar and quote my info, not there's - General my reading is a gnats whisker bigger - But never ever the same - Think most retailers, by default quote the CS Traveler 

guitars4you

bacchanalian said:

I think you can notice very small differences in neck size. And, we can all feel the difference between an e string and a b string which is a small difference.

I buy blind 90% of the time and wonder how Suhr, Fender and Tom Anderson (for example) quote such consistent and accurate neck measurements. Is it what the CNC machines are set to?
Collings give measurements but also quote a tolerance for hand finishing. 

See my note above - Not sure on Suhr, or indeed TA,  but Fender CS is never what the traveler quotes - That tends to be a 'standardised' figure, maybe that the CNC is meant to deliver - But as you say hand finishing, plus sanding out any cutting blade marks will always deliver some variation