Return or Refund - guitar bridge has been used.

guitarfishbay

Hey guys, just looking for advice here.  I know I need to make my own decision here but I'm on the fence!

I recently saved up for and bought 2 PRS adjustable bridges, to allow me to intonate my PRS guitars in drop B.  I thought long and hard about selling them and replacing with guitars that had adjustable bridges but I just couldn't do it, I know the instruments inside out and I think they're fantastic.  FWIW the adjustable bridge part is very much not cheap, for the price of two of them I could have bought a pretty good s/h guitar!  But it is the only one with the correct radius and well I'm planning on keeping these guitars for life, it felt like the right thing to do.

My issue is one bridge is new, and one clearly isn't!

The new one had foam around the bridge, and came with an allen key.  The other one didn't.

I can see marks on the (unopened by me) used bridge where the studs would go, I can see grooves on the studs where someone has adjusted it when the bridge was up to tension, and I can see additional staple holes from when it was previously sealed.

I'm trying to upload photos but photobucket is running extremely slowly.  This kind of makes it harder to comment, I know!  There were slight marks to the new bridge posts, but not grooves.  It is on the photos, but frustratingly I can't upload them.  That bridge has now been fitted to my CU22 and intonates spot on, I'm well chuffed.

What I'm asking is... should I return it, or should I accept the shops offer to refund an as yet undeclared amount to myself.  I don't want to name names, but suffice to say the round trip of sending this back and getting a new one sent out is going to take a considerable amount of time, not to mention they're now out of stock (the bridges were ordered at my request) so I might not get a replacement until towards the end of the month.  

The shop claim they test parts as part of QC, and think I have been sent one that has undergone this.  I've never heard of this practice before but I guess it might be correct.

What do you think?  Keep it and take a partial refund, or send it back and potentially wait 2-3 weeks.  I'll update with pictures if photobucket decides to load.

impmann

Take a partial refund - if the unit works and its just cosmetic... plus its only minor... take the cash. :-)

BloodEagle

I wouldn't buy the 'testing' line - surely it would already have been tested by the manufacturer? Take a partial refund, and try to push for that partial refund as big as possible.

guitarfishbay

The only thing annoying me is the grooves on the posts really.  I wanted to avoid that but realistically it doesn't really make much difference on a stop tail (it'd be a bigger issue if someone had chewed up the screws on the trem).  I'm just annoyed because of how expensive the part was.  Photobucket still isn't working for me so I can't show you guys photos yet.

Basically to adjust PRS bridge height you're supposed to take the tension out of the strings othewise it will chew in to the posts.  Whoever tried it clearly didn't do this and it looks similar (but not nearly as bad) to the damage on the posts I removed from my CU22 to fit the new bridge.  I bought both of my guitars s/h, and to be fair they've got plenty of dings to the body work...

It looks pretty much cosmetic and I doubt it will make any difference.  I'm just annoyed!

chrisj1602

Refund, and ask for some strings, they always offer strings!

ADP

If you're buying used goods, you should get them at a used price. I'd insist on that. Given how much they cost, I'd be furious if I got fobbed off with the "tested" line. I've bought three of these over the past year or two (without studs) and paid between £75 (used) and £99 (second-hand but unused and still in the packaging).

Iamnobody

If you were that annoyed you shouldn't have fitted it.

Get the partial refund and be safe in the knowledge you got the part you wanted at a discount.

guitarfishbay

Iamnobody said:

If you were that annoyed you shouldn't have fitted it.

Get the partial refund and be safe in the knowledge you got the part you wanted at a discount.

@Iamnobody you're confused, or my crap typing has confused you.  I have not fitted the bridge I'm talking about, nor have I opened the packaging.

I bought 2 bridges for my 2 PRS guitars (CU22 and Single Cut)

One is definitely new, was completely sealed, and had all the associated parts, no signs of being opened etc.

I'm definitely keeping that one, and have fit it to my CU22 already.

The second bridge I have not opened myself, but it clearly has been opened by someone else previously.  I am not planning to open it until I make a decision on sending it back or keeping it and accepting a partial refund.

I have finally got Photobucket to work.  Here are the photos.

NEW bridge, came in foam packaging and with allen key.  There is a slight mark to the post but it isn't a groove.  I've fitted this bridge and am 100% happy.

OLD bridge.  Still in packaging, I haven't opened it.

Actual groove to posts (sorry my phone camera isn't excellent).  These aren't perfectly straight grooves, as it goes around it varies in height slightly, supporting my theory of being adjusted when a guitar was up to pitch.

Mark from studs, again hard to see due to phone camera quality but hopefully the arrow helps.  Also note no foam (not a problem) and no allen key (not a problem to me, I have allen keys, but there is supposed to be one).

Additional staples, the bottom hole is the original hole judging from the other bridge, also the centre staple wasn't on the other bridge either.

I'm not looking to speculate about the company, just asking for advice.

It is mostly the groove on the post I'm annoyed about - that and if I did want a replacement it would take several weeks.  Had I not noticed the grooves I would not think twice about the partial refund, because I'll never see the mark on the top of the bridge and I already have the necessary allen key.

I know I'm being picky, but these parts are not cheap.

Iamnobody

Yeah you confused me but...

It's me.

Walking along reading this on my iphone and scanning through it and got the wrong end of the stick... ">

Still I'd maintain that if you can live with the grooves and get a decent partial refund that would be a good outcome.

Good luck whatever to decide.

RocknRollDave

That second one is clearly not brand new, and should not have been sold to you as such.
I personally would return it for a full refund and never deal with that company again.

Just my two cents.

BloodEagle

I'd be a bit flipping irritated about that tbh, especially when you have paid top dollar for a pair of brand new swanky bridges - make it very clear you want a good sized refund as what they have sent is clearly used

guitarfishbay

Iamnobody said:

Yeah you confused me but...

It's me.

Walking along reading this on my iphone and scanning through it and got the wrong end of the stick... ">

Still I'd maintain that if you can live with the grooves and get a decent partial refund that would be a good outcome.

Good luck whatever to decide.

No worries.

I think I just need to wait a bit and I'll probably be ok with it.  Realistically the old posts I removed from my CU22 had quite bad grooves, I knew this before changing them because even when adjusting it with slackened strings it wasn't smooth and kept snagging, in fact I slipped with my screwdriver and put a small dent in the top because it got caught and I wasn't properly paying attention.  

There were already a few dents to it anyway and I'm honestly not bothered about cosmetic dents, but part of the appeal was to not only change the bridge but fit fresh bridge posts that weren't chewed up.

Realistically once the guitars are set up it should be fine.  I'm thinking I'll accept the partial refund tbh... but yeah I was really annoyed at first because as I might have mentioned, these weren't cheap!  I negotiated a price of about £200 per bridge, list is considerably more.  OUCH.  

The shop I bought from don't stock the correct replacement brass posts, which would have been an obvious solution, but the official supplier does and they're £44, I might suggest that as a suitable compensation amount with the intention of buying new posts and fitting them with the bridge they sent... I don't know if that would be taking the mick or would be the 'correct' compensation amount.  Not really sure what to do.  As I said they're happy to take it back and send me a new one but it'd mean waiting til the end of the month.

BloodEagle

Enough to replace the posts would be bang on, not taking the mickey at all - theyve taken the piss by sending them to you in that state already

guitarfishbay

RocknRollDave said:

That second one is clearly not brand new, and should not have been sold to you as such.
I personally would return it for a full refund and never deal with that company again.

Just my two cents.

Said company has been 100% spot on for a lot of other purchases, and the way they're handling this seems fine - either send it back and get a new one, or they're partially refund me (not discussed the amount yet).  I'm not 100% sure I buy the 'we test things' line, but I can't disprove it either.

I am very disappointed that a used part has been sent out as new though.  I don't understand how this could happen - surely it should have been on their system as b-stock.  As I said I don't really want to name names as the issue isn't resolved yet, and personally at the moment I'm more interested in getting my guitar up and running.

ADP

These are going to sound like really stupid, geeky questions, but bear with me - are the saddles on both bridges flat or like a flattened pyramid? Are the holes where the ball-ends sit round or rectangular? And finally, is there a space where the piezo summing board would fit underneath?

The reason I ask is that the flatter saddles, with a round hole for the ball end and no space for the summing board are features of the old adjustable bridge, which they stopped making years ago. I can post some pictures this evening to show you the difference. I can't see your pictures clearly enough on my phone to be sure, but my initial impression is that it's the old one.

Drew_TNBD

Find out how much they'll refund you. If it isn't enough, send it back, get full refund, and wait it out.

guitarfishbay

ADP said:

These are going to sound like really stupid, geeky questions, but bear with me - are the saddles on both bridges flat or like a flattened pyramid? Are the holes where the ball-ends sit round or rectangular? And finally, is there a space where the piezo summing board would fit underneath?

The reason I ask is that the flatter saddles, with a round hole for the ball end and no space for the summing board are features of the old adjustable bridge, which they stopped making years ago. I can post some pictures this evening to show you the difference. I can't see your pictures clearly enough on my phone to be sure, but my initial impression is that it's the old one.

@ADP

The holes for strings are rectangular, on both the new and the unopened used bridge, there's also definitely space underneath and I couldn't work out why but if it is to fit a piezo that makes sense.  It is recessed with two screw holes and little slits underneath each string.   Saddles have a bit of angle on them.

Both bridges are the same bridge from what I can tell, just one is new and one isn't.

guitarfishbay

Drew_fx said:

Find out how much they'll refund you. If it isn't enough, send it back, get full refund, and wait it out.

Probably the best plan.  I'll send them an email and see what they say.

ADP

guitarfishbay said:

ADP said:

These are going to sound like really stupid, geeky questions, but bear with me - are the saddles on both bridges flat or like a flattened pyramid? Are the holes where the ball-ends sit round or rectangular? And finally, is there a space where the piezo summing board would fit underneath?

The reason I ask is that the flatter saddles, with a round hole for the ball end and no space for the summing board are features of the old adjustable bridge, which they stopped making years ago. I can post some pictures this evening to show you the difference. I can't see your pictures clearly enough on my phone to be sure, but my initial impression is that it's the old one.

@ADP

The holes for strings are rectangular, on both the new and the unopened used bridge, there's also definitely space underneath and I couldn't work out why but if it is to fit a piezo that makes sense.  It is recessed with two screw holes and little slits underneath each string.   Saddles have a bit of angle on them.

Both bridges are the same bridge from what I can tell, just one is new and one isn't.

That's good. I thought for a bit they were passing off old stock as something they'd "ordered in specially". Yes, the new bridge is exactly the same whether it's for a piezo or non-piezo guitar.

guitarfishbay

They definitely did order in especially for me, but there was a delay in me buying them and anything could have happened in the interim.

When I started saving up they were on that company's site, but when I got the money (1st time) they were out of stock when I checked.  After looking at my alternate options these guys were still cheaper so I negotiated for them to order 2 in.  They didn't ask for payment upfront so I didn't give it.  But between the time of me asking for them to be ordered in and them receiving stock I got hit by an unexpected bill so pretty much had to wait to the next payday - I could have bought one, and then the other at the next pay day, but they wanted to give the discount on buying both at once and the discount was the reason I was using that company... so I had to wait and hope they were both still in stock when I had the cash.

A month later I came to buy (end of last week), and sent them an email to purchase at the negotiated discount we initially agreed upon.  One bridge is definitely new but one has clearly been opened at one point, that is pretty much where we're up to.

So a month passed, anything could have happened in that month, but those 2 bridges were initially ordered at my request.  Since purchasing them the website now shows them as out of stock of the part, which supports that they only ordered 2 at my request.

I'll update with what they say.

JDE

Surely if "they" had tested it they would've thought "blad's paying 200 bill each for these, better wrap it up how it came and put the Allen key back in the bag. Especially as he's having a fresh one to compare it to."

Also, why only test one of them? Back brake's fine, no need to test the front...


Bullshittery.