Got a DV6 (Tacoma Built)

[wooglins]

Re: What is the word on the DV6 (Tacoma Built Recent)

I recall Nigel's previous thread on his DV6, but I don't think I realized it was built on my 40th birthday. Pretty cool. 8)

My birthday is April 25th (today), so mine was finished almost on my birthday. It would be really cool had it been finished on the 25th. I like the fact that they use serial numbers that tell you something about the guitar easily. Very nice.

 

[kitniyatran]

Happy day after your Birthday!

 

[chicagowineguy]

Yes, happy day after you're a year older! Ha ha!

 

[chazmo]

wooglins, congrats on your recent acquisition. May your Tacoma-built DV last you a lifetime.

FYI, production of the DV-4 and DV-6 is now coming from Ensenada, Mexico. All reports are that they've very good. I don't know if anyone's put 'em up to A/B 'em against the Tacoma models though.

 

[wooglins]

Thanks for the Birthday wishes.

I mentioned earlier in my post, I take a mission trip to the Ensenada, Mexico region where prodcution of the DV-4 and DV-6 has been moved to. The people of this region are very dear to my heart. It does get really hot there, and I am not sure that they make any other acoustics at that facility. I believe up till the Guild move they were only building mid-range Fender electrics, which of course are not as sensitive to temprature. Hopefully the facility has good temprature controls. The region has an ideal humidity range as it is close to the ocean, not to moist, but not dry either.

 

[chazmo]

(I see I repeated information that you already knew... Again, congrats)

 

[wooglins]

(I see I repeated information that you already knew... Again, congrats)

Thanks, the DV-6 really puts my Martin to shame, which I thought would never happen. Quite excited to have gotten it. At first I thought the logo was a real shortcut, but then I saw some pictures of vintage D4's and they had the same Guild logo with nothing below. It is a great nod to what was a classic guitar. Hopefully after the honymoon I will feel the same. I cannot imagine that I will not, its just far to nice. The only think I dont like is the lack of access to parts like bone saddles, etc. That stuff was easy to get for my Martin. I will probably just have the local luthier carve me up two saddles to have as spares. If I get real crazy it might get plekked, and that includes a new nut and saddle anyway.

 

[wooglins]

Ok, I have a major problem. My new DV-6 has a very badly flawed neck. It will require a reset. The guitar store refuses to refund my money or even offer me store credit so I am stuck with it. I took it to the local Grade A Fender authorized repair center, and they talked with Fender, and Fender gave me two options:

1. I can have a New mexican made DV6 overnighted to me, and the local fender Luthier would make sure its perfect, and if not would have another sent until a proper one showed up.

2. I can have the neck reset, but Fender requires that they do that, and the wait is 90-180 days.

Which would you choose?

Any opinions out their on the Mexican built DV6? I know it has a bolt on neck as opposed to Dovetail. I think the neck is three piece as well.

 

[Nigel Wickwire]

I'd go with option 2.

Not that I have anything against the Mex DV-6, mind you. I am sure they are fine guitars.

Any chance of posting some shots of the flaw? As a fellow DV-6 owner I'd be curious to see it.

Sincerely,

~nw

 

[solenoid lopez]

Wow, I guess he honeymoon is over, a few days ago you said your DV6 put your Martin to shame and that it was a definite keeper! Whats wrong with the neck?

 

[chicagowineguy]

I'm confused. How could the guitar have been so exciting and so gorgeous sounding, so playable, and then several days later be diagnosed as needing a reset?

 

[wooglins]

Wow, I guess he honeymoon is over, a few days ago you said your DV6 put your Martin to shame and that it was a definite keeper! Whats wrong with the neck?

I did not notice it, and it does not effect the way it sounds or plays until you get to the 10th fret or so. It still kicks the crud out of my Martin, thats what makes it a hard decision. The thought of going without a 6 day old guitar for 90-180 days is troubling.

You can do the straight edge test, and the end of the ruler lands above the bridge by more the 5 degrees. Normally a neck reset is necessitated by the other direction. This is the opposite which is really bad. The neck makes a V at the joint which was pointed out to me by the Nashville area Fender luthier when I took it in for setup. He called Fender, they said to not keep it it did not meet their standards, but if I insisted the repair would take 90-180 days.

I am going to demand a store credit, the guitar is bad, and the store cant replace it. If they could it would be different.

 

[solenoid lopez]

Photo's, we need photo's. I'm intrigued.

 

[wooglins]

Photo's, we need photo's. I'm intrigued.

I dont have the guitar. The guitar store took it last night when I brought it in and showed them the problem, and the Fender authorized luthiers report.

To be honest I am not sure you could take a photo that showed the problem. Here is a very bad diagram

 

[chazmo]

Oh, man wooglins... Tough call.

But, for all intents and purposes, it's a new guitar and a new guitar should be capable of being set up perfectly. A defective neck should be repaired.

I don't know which route I'd go. I think if you exchange it for a Ensenada-built DV-6, you run the risk (not that I'm saying it'll be this way) of being disenchanted with the guitar you get back. I guess, all that said, I'd let your dealer send it in for repairs. Maybe you can convince your dealer to let you use an Ensenada-based version while Fender has yours????

 

[wooglins]

Oh, man wooglins... Tough call.

But, for all intents and purposes, it's a new guitar and a new guitar should be capable of being set up perfectly. A defective neck should be repaired.

I don't know which route I'd go. I think if you exchange it for a Ensenada-built DV-6, you run the risk (not that I'm saying it'll be this way) of being disenchanted with the guitar you get back. I guess, all that said, I'd let your dealer send it in for repairs. Maybe you can convince your dealer to let you use an Ensenada-based version while Fender has yours????

The options are available from the Fender authorized luthier, who has been super awsome. He has spent two hours of his time looking into this for me, and has not recieved a penny (I tried to pay him but he refused), so a loaner is not possible. I dont think the Ensenada based DV6 is an option becuase the neck is bolt on, not dovetail which tells me that its a new design possibly including the bracing, and only the exterior looks the same. Fender made sure that the Luthier was understood that what I would get back would if I exchanged would not be the same guitar.

The store basically refuses to accept that there is anything wrong with the guitar. I bought it on the 24th, the store should really be standing behind the product but they are not right now. We will see if they change their tune when I go by today with a ruler and show them the problem geometrically. I am shocked they cannot see it, and am dissapointed I bought it without scrutinizing the neck. The sound was so good, my purchase was made on impulse.

If the store refuses to do anything I think my only choice will be to wait 90-180 days and let Fender repair it. If that is what happens I sure hope they do it right.

 

[chazmo]

Oh, wooglins, I see... The store is giving you issues, but the Fender repairman isn't. OK.. I thought the store would send it to Fender for you... I agree that the store should offer you something like a refund, if that's what you really wanted, but don't go that route. You like this guitar, so get it in ship shape!

I didn't know the Ensenada DV-6 is being built with a bolt-on neck. This clearly *does* point to serious design changes. Wow!

 

[wooglins]

I didn't know the Ensenada DV-6 is being built with a bolt-on neck. This clearly *does* point to serious design changes. Wow!

I would not state that as verified fact, but the Fender authorized Luthier told me that Fender had told him it would be the Ensenada made DV-6 with the bolt on neck.

Hopefully the store will come around and just refund my money, there is no reason to be giving me a hard time about it. What is bad is they have another Tacoma built DV-6 there in the store, and the saddle on that guitar is buried in the slot, I bet the break angle is less than 10% it is so low. It looks like the saddle from a 40 year old guitar that has never been reset. That neck is also set wrong, spotted that and picked the one I bought. The salesman was really pushing the one with the low saddle as sounding better.

 

[chazmo]

I didn't know the Ensenada DV-6 is being built with a bolt-on neck. This clearly *does* point to serious design changes. Wow!

I would not state that as verified fact, but the Fender authorized Luthier told me that Fender had told him it would be the Ensenada made DV-6 with the bolt on neck.

Hopefully the store will come around and just refund my money, there is no reason to be giving me a hard time about it. What is bad is they have another Tacoma built DV-6 there in the store, and the saddle on that guitar is buried in the slot, I bet the break angle is less than 10% it is so low. It looks like the saddle from a 40 year old guitar that has never been reset. That neck is also set wrong, spotted that and picked the one I bought. The salesman was really pushing the one with the low saddle as sounding better.

This is very bad, Wooglins, and I'm surprised these guitars escaped the normal "USED" reclamation process. But the good news for you is the factory warrantee! Yes, you will not have your guitar for several months, but so be it.

I think you should forget about the music store you bought it from, although perhaps you should send them a letter and leave it at that. If they won't just take your guitar back, there's no point in arguing further. You're done with them; just tell them that. Just focus on the guitar, and let Fender get it into perfect shape.

 

[zplay]

I didn't know the Ensenada DV-6 is being built with a bolt-on neck. This clearly *does* point to serious design changes. Wow!

I would not state that as verified fact, but the Fender authorized Luthier told me that Fender had told him it would be the Ensenada made DV-6 with the bolt on neck.

Hopefully the store will come around and just refund my money, there is no reason to be giving me a hard time about it. What is bad is they have another Tacoma built DV-6 there in the store, and the saddle on that guitar is buried in the slot, I bet the break angle is less than 10% it is so low. It looks like the saddle from a 40 year old guitar that has never been reset. That neck is also set wrong, spotted that and picked the one I bought. The salesman was really pushing the one with the low saddle as sounding better.

This is very bad, Wooglins, and I'm surprised these guitars escaped the normal "USED" reclamation process. But the good news for you is the factory warrantee! Yes, you will not have your guitar for several months, but so be it.

I think you should forget about the music store you bought it from, although perhaps you should send them a letter and leave it at that. If they won't just take your guitar back, there's no point in arguing further. You're done with them; just tell them that. Just focus on the guitar, and let Fender get it into perfect shape.

I have to agree with this advice. The store doesn't sound reputable at all, but could possibly be induced to mend its ways, if you were to write to the Fender customer relations people in Scottsdale to report your experience. Obviously, the store shouldn't be selling defective products and it sounds like Fender doesn't want them to.

Fender stood by me when I had a neck problem with my new CV-1C
after the store was persistent in getting through to them. They ended up just replacing my guitar with a brand new one, because they had the extra product available at the time.

By the way, I have a few months old DV-4 which has low action and plenty of saddle left, so I assume has a good neck set(didn't do the ruler thing on it.)