Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today :(

[Robotechnology]

I've wanted an SLSMG when they first came out but, didn't like the Satin Black finish on 'em. I procrastinated too much when Musician's Friend had the Trans Red & Trans Black ones so I missed out on those. I had heard about the Eerie Swirl GC versions but, never saw one in a GC until Wednesday. There were 2 to choose from. I feel in love with the tone of one over the other... no comparison... nicest of the dozen or so SLSMG's that I've tried out the past 2 years. I bought it [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img](no surprise there 'cause I got it for $710 out the door). Here's where it starts to get interesting [img]/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif[/img] so yesterday I'm playing my new guitar thru my semi-new preamp (2 week old VHT GP3) wailing away loving life. When I turned off the amp, I unplugged the guitar to give the BEAUTIFUL [img]/images/graemlins/drool2.gif[/img] finish a loving caress and once over when [img]/images/graemlins/what.gif[/img] I noticed a crack in the ebony board from the 24th fret to the 18th fret. My heart sank [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] I couldn't believe my luck. The nicest sounding and looking SLSMG and it had a crack in the fingerboard [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] I got so bummed and put it away. Today I went to a different GC with it and A/B'd it with a gloss black one that they had there and it was a night and day comparison. Mine was about a 1/2 lb heavier, sustained longer, and sounded warmer and thicker at the same time. So now I'm truly bummed [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] The guys there told me to return it as they felt that I should have paid a lot less if we had noticed it beforehand. They brought out one of those new Ibanez RGA121's in a natural finish (fixed bridge, carved top) and we'd A/B'd them too. The SLSMG sounded better but, they were both different. The RGA is probably the easiest guitar I ever played. The it didn't sound bad, just slightly less warm and a little brighter. To make a long story shorter, I returned the SLSMG and went home with the Ibbie. What would you have done? The width of the crack was about the size of a 9 gauge e string from the 24th to the 20th fret and thinner from there. You can't see it from all angles.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

Ebony cracks if it isn't kept oiled. You see it a lot on older Jacksons that weren't taken care of.

Pete

[Razor]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

If I'm not mistaken there have been a couple of threads about ebony cracks being pretty easy to repair.

[NextInLine]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

[ QUOTE ]
If I'm not mistaken there have been a couple of threads about ebony cracks being pretty easy to repair.

[/ QUOTE ]
So he returned that Slsmg for nothing??? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[straycat]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

Stew Mac thin black super glue will fix an ebony board.Fill the crack then steel wool(FINE)the finger board.You must oil ebony or it will crack.

[Widowmaker]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

[ QUOTE ]
Stew Mac thin black super glue will fix an ebony board.Fill the crack then steel wool(FINE)the finger board.You must oil ebony or it will crack.

[/ QUOTE ]

How often as opposed to rosewood?

[Izegrim]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

That's what I want to know too.

[Hamner1]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

I generally oil ebony every 2-3 months. Closer to 1.5 - 2 months come this time of year (winter).

[RobRR]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

Now that you know its an easy fix, go buy that guitar back for less than you paid for it and fix the crack!

[Robotechnology]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

[ QUOTE ]
Now that you know its an easy fix, go buy that guitar back for less than you paid for it and fix the crack!

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh I know it was fixable, just didn't want to hold on to it at the price I bought it at plus I wanted a very good tech to take a look at it. Believe me I am still thinking about it. I've always been very lucky with finding the right guitars tonewise. If, they decide to drop the price down to $500 or so, it'll be mine again. Cost to them was about $680 so I don't know if they'll do that [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] And I know it wouldn't be until their next big sale day either. It the crack was hairline I would have been fine but, my fingernail fit in it [img]/images/graemlins/nono.gif[/img]

[wilkinsi]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

i think i know how he feels. it took me 9 months of heartache with a bc rich (4 swappouts, each being in worse condition than the previous) before swapping it for a jackson wrmg. but even when i got that, i noticed scratches on the back of body and the electrics' cover plate looked like it could burst at any stage. to this day, i still haven't taken it back. it's sod's law that you never notice problems until much later after purchase. the reason i was reluctant to return them is that neither the bcr ironbird (speedloader nj) or the wrmg were ever bought with cases because they cost so much. more disheartening is that i was expecting the warrior to have a cutaway surrounding the neck but instead has a slope like you'd find on a dx10dfs. i can empathise, but can only stress that you can only learn from experience to check the guitar thoroughly before you walk out of the shop, especially if you don't trust their repairers. if you're not sure about an alternative, don't accept something just because its what they have in store. they should still be able to order another slsmg even if it means having to pay a little on top to get the colour you really wanted. hindsight is a painful thing.

[Robotechnology]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

There actually IS another SLSMG in Eerie at the GC I bought it from but it did not sound the same. I did not pick them apart via cosmetics but, via tone. I don't want that one. The one I brought back has MOJO. Something similar happened to my 'lil Martin. I brought it back after I bought it because the neck rod adjustment was at its endpoint and still needed more tweaking for playability. But, after auditioning 3 others I took it back home with me because it sounded better. Different price tag though ($250) which is why I kept it, here's hoping it just stays the same thru the years.

[wilkinsi]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

that's frightening - two guitars that are identical spec-wise sounding different. everytime i go into a guitar shop, they never have what i want. even when they do, there's never a second one to try, assuming i was expecting differences in tone. so THIS is why so many people modify their guitars. i feel the trade description act rattling my brain... but here's somthing bizzare that i can't comprehend: i have a boss gt-6 AND a gt-8. i copied every single change/edit from a patch on a gt-6 and entered all exactly on the gt-8 (even the fx-chain) and both patches sound nothing alike. i wanted to sell my gt-6 but i can't do that because several patches don't match both machines.

[pro-fusion]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

[ QUOTE ]
that's frightening - two guitars that are identical spec-wise sounding different.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's actually pretty normal. No two pieces of wood, even of the same species, will have exactly the same density or tonal properties--remember, they come from different trees that are likely not the same age or the same size, among other things. That factor alone will account for different instruments of the same model sounding different.

This is especially true for high-production Japanese and Korean guitars, since the factories can't afford to be as picky when they choose the individual boards of wood to be used in their guitars. I imagine that Jackson's custom shop rejects or discards a large percentage of the wood that comes in the front door--they can afford to, since they don't produce as many guitars and charge a lot more for them.

It always pays to play several different guitars of the same type in the store, if that's possible. I know it's difficult with SLSMGs, since GC usually only has one or two in stock at a time. I'm considering getting an SLSMG myself, and I've noticed a lot of variation between the ones I've tried out in different stores.

[Robotechnology]

Re: Bought an SLSMG Wed & Returned It Today

I took my RGA121 last night with me to GC to A/B it with another RGA121 and noticed visual and tonal differences. The mahogany's grain was a lot tighter on the one in the store and it was slightly lighter. Tonally it was a little smoother where mine was a little raunchier but, when I say a little I mean a little bit. With the SLSMG's the differences were almost night and day.