So, a while back I ordered a black M85 bass when it was the MF Stupid Deal of the day for $699, and anxiously awaited its arrival, which took a bit longer than expected because for some odd reason it took MF a couple of days to actually ship it, which resulted in it sitting in a UPS warehouse over a weekend, which I never prefer. After opening the box, I found out that the bass had been sloshing back and forth in the case so much that it did this to the side of the coffin case:
Poor packing is one of my real pet peeves, and while the bass seemed fine, the case certainly wasn't, and I also wasn't sure if there was any hidden damage to the volute area on the neck that couldn't be detected. So I called MF, bitched at them about the poor packing job (mostly just to make myself feel better) and arranged for a replacement. They were nice and covered the return shipping, but being that I paid by PayPal, I had to wait until they processed the refund, order another one at full price, and then have them refund the $500 discount through PayPal. It seemed a bit convoluted, but I liked the first one, so that's what I did.
The replacement arrived yesterday unscathed, although the bass was still sloshing back and forth inside the case. First thing I notice is that proudly displayed inspection tags:
These would be great, and would put my mind at ease, the only problem is that the strings are literally laying on the fretboard. OK, so I get out the included wrenches, and raise the bridge up some. the problem is that by the time I get the bridge up enough to get rid of the buzzing on the lower frets, the action is a mile high! Oh well, I guess there's no relief in the neck, time to use the other wrench to tighten up the truss rod some and dial a bit of relief in. Of course this is when I notice five really bad finish flaws on the side of the fretboard, and this photo doesn't really do them justice:
How on earth they manage to spray a black bass with an absolutely flawless finish, while totally screwing up the finish on the side of the fretboard is beyond me, but stuff happens I guess. Now I'm not exactly sure what to do though. I'm inclined to return it (again), but then I though maybe I should call and ask for an additional discount. I could live with the finish flaw I suppose, but not at full boat price, even on a Stupid Deal of the Day. I guess it's time to make the call. Wish me luck!
Poor packing is one of my real pet peeves, and while the bass seemed fine, the case certainly wasn't, and I also wasn't sure if there was any hidden damage to the volute area on the neck that couldn't be detected. So I called MF, bitched at them about the poor packing job (mostly just to make myself feel better) and arranged for a replacement. They were nice and covered the return shipping, but being that I paid by PayPal, I had to wait until they processed the refund, order another one at full price, and then have them refund the $500 discount through PayPal. It seemed a bit convoluted, but I liked the first one, so that's what I did.
The replacement arrived yesterday unscathed, although the bass was still sloshing back and forth inside the case. First thing I notice is that proudly displayed inspection tags:
These would be great, and would put my mind at ease, the only problem is that the strings are literally laying on the fretboard. OK, so I get out the included wrenches, and raise the bridge up some. the problem is that by the time I get the bridge up enough to get rid of the buzzing on the lower frets, the action is a mile high! Oh well, I guess there's no relief in the neck, time to use the other wrench to tighten up the truss rod some and dial a bit of relief in. Of course this is when I notice five really bad finish flaws on the side of the fretboard, and this photo doesn't really do them justice:
How on earth they manage to spray a black bass with an absolutely flawless finish, while totally screwing up the finish on the side of the fretboard is beyond me, but stuff happens I guess. Now I'm not exactly sure what to do though. I'm inclined to return it (again), but then I though maybe I should call and ask for an additional discount. I could live with the finish flaw I suppose, but not at full boat price, even on a Stupid Deal of the Day. I guess it's time to make the call. Wish me luck!