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Post by jason on May 23, 2017 19:19:54 GMT
Hello, I am brand new to this forum and also a new owner of the Black Paisley TE-70 as of yesterday. I thought some of you with much more extensive experience with HB and Thomann could help me out a little bit. I am in the US, but since the price was right... I thought I'd take a chance on very sharp looking, inexpensive, HB TE-Style. Wasn't sure what to expect. Overall, the guitar seems to play and sound to my satisfaction (Although I haven't spent any time fine-tuning the action or anything). Visually the neck and body look to be in good shape. However, there are a couple physical defects and I'm not sure if I'm being too picky, or if I should send back to Thomann. First issue: One of the tuners (high E string) is out of alignment as shown in photo. This is fairly minor to me and can be easily overlooked if this were the only problem. The second issue: The bridge pickup cavity is slightly visible on the high E side of the bridge (also pictured). This is a bigger deal to me because its more noticeable since the routing also slightly discolored the finish in that area. If it weren't for this, I would rate my satisfaction as "very satisfied". But are these common issues with HB? If I were to send it back (which kinda sounds like a hassle from the US), is there a high probability that I would receive a replacement that is in worse condition than the first? There seems to be a lot of inconsistent opinions of HB quality and Thomann customer service... Any advice would be appreciated...
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Post by Atreus on May 23, 2017 20:33:30 GMT
Thomann is really comfortable with changing the instrument. Even if you paid a small amount of money, I would propose to sent it back for a replacement. I'm living in Germany close to Thomann's headquarter and I know the guys well. Shall be not a problem for a replacement.
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3,968 posts
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Post by salteedog on May 23, 2017 21:00:07 GMT
Shipping back from the US is a much bigger hassle though. Check out 'Nick in the States' channel on youtube. He's purchased quite a few at this stage.
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Post by Atreus on May 23, 2017 21:02:46 GMT
Is there no guarantee for free re- shipping in the US?
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Post by nicod98 on May 23, 2017 21:50:39 GMT
I have one of the earlier batches of the TE-70 in paisley (top load) (and a TE-30), and they too have their issues. I keep my HB's as "throw in the back of the car"-guitars. Some reviewers try to promote them as the same (or better) quality as guitars three or four times that price. I originally made the mistake of believing them (as documented somewhere on this forum), but it is my opinion now that they are worth what they cost. So they might not be perfect, but they are cheap!!! also look at this video Apart from the visual defects they might have, you can (especially on a simple guitar like a telecaster) make good players out of them, stock (with a good setup) or modified. I think the cheapest solution for you would be to redrill one hole for the tuner, and learn to live with the small gap near the bridge. I would contact Thomann for a partial refund because of those defects. For big defects (like a warped neck), I would try to get a replacement.
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Post by jason on May 23, 2017 22:23:30 GMT
I have one of the earlier batches of the TE-70 in paisley (top load) (and a TE-30), and they too have their issues. I keep my HB's as "throw in the back of the car"-guitars. Some reviewers try to promote them as the same (or better) quality as guitars three or four times that price. I originally made the mistake of believing them (as documented somewhere on this forum), but it is my opinion now that they are worth what they cost. So they might not be perfect, but they are cheap!!! also look at this video Apart from the visual defects they might have, you can (especially on a simple guitar like a telecaster) make good players out of them, stock (with a good setup) or modified. I think the cheapest solution for you would be to redrill one hole for the tuner, and learn to live with the small gap near the bridge. I would contact Thomann for a partial refund because of those defects. For big defects (like a warped neck), I would try to get a replacement. I sent an email to customer service but haven't received a response as of yet... (time zone issues I'm assuming). Although, I'm starting to lean toward learning to live with it. It's funny because I've read over and over about how great their customer service is. And I have no doubt that people are truly having great experiences with them. But today I looked at their facebook page... LOL There are a lot of unhappy customers on there. They claim the return process is very hassle-free but I have my doubts. Knowing my luck, I'd get a replacement with a cracked twisted neck or something and would be begging them to send me back the one with the bridge gap. Ultimately I think it'll make a great player. Especially if I ever decide to upgrade the pickups. I was just really hoping that of all the components, the body would be defect free. Everything else is easily replaceable.
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Post by jason on May 23, 2017 22:29:00 GMT
Thomann is really comfortable with changing the instrument. Even if you paid a small amount of money, I would propose to sent it back for a replacement. I'm living in Germany close to Thomann's headquarter and I know the guys well. Shall be not a problem for a replacement. Maybe then you wouldn't mind going down there and hand-selecting my replacement???
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Post by jason on May 24, 2017 4:54:53 GMT
Hi jason , I just had a similar experience and negotiated a small refund. I am in Australia, so it's a big hassle to send guitars back from here. Thomann have always been decent about any complaints, in my experience. See the end of this thread: linkThanks for sharing. I think I'll try emailing them again tomorrow and see if I can get them to offer a solution. Was their credit only good to use in their store? Or was it an actual monetary credit?
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thunderbird
Harley Benton Expert
Less purchase, more practice
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Post by thunderbird on May 24, 2017 6:35:44 GMT
Hi jason , I just had a similar experience and negotiated a small refund. I am in Australia, so it's a big hassle to send guitars back from here. Thomann have always been decent about any complaints, in my experience. See the end of this thread: linkThanks for sharing. I think I'll try emailing them again tomorrow and see if I can get them to offer a solution. Was their credit only good to use in their store? Or was it an actual monetary credit? It can be either, but they need your bank account codes for an actual "cash" refund and I don't even know what these codes are: They will definitely offer a solution, but, whether it is agreeable to you, is another matter. Send pics too (if you didn't already), BTW.
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Post by Atreus on May 24, 2017 6:46:57 GMT
Thomann is really comfortable with changing the instrument. Even if you paid a small amount of money, I would propose to sent it back for a replacement. I'm living in Germany close to Thomann's headquarter and I know the guys well. Shall be not a problem for a replacement. Maybe then you wouldn't mind going down there and hand-selecting my replacement??? Might be a solution to be 100% sure If it is too complicated to send the guitar back to Germany, I would also recommend a "repair". The tuner has to be turned and screwed (not a big deal) and at the bridge, I would try to adjust the dark tone again with some color.
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Post by jason on May 24, 2017 15:53:40 GMT
So I finally had a chance this morning to remove the bridge and investigate a little further. Here are my findings: 1. The "discoloration" that showed next to the cavity wasn't discoloration at all... LOL It was goo or some sort of adhesive. I was able to rub it off completely with a damp towel. I'm pleased about this as the slightly exposed gap is hardly noticeable at all now. 2. I don't think the exposed gap has anything to do with improper cavity routing. I think the bridge was installed slightly angled towards the low end of the guitar. It's hardly noticeable, but even a mm of adjustment would probably completely cover the cavity. I haven't actually measured anything, but if you look very closely, this appears to be the case. It might also explain why the pickguard appears to be slightly modified on the low side... They had to shave a little bit to allow for the off-centered bridge... 3. What's the deal with that green wire? LOL! I'm no luthier, but I would bet there are better ways to ground the circuit than by simply laying it under the bridge... Am I wrong here? Is this a typical tele wiring practice? I've never owned a tele before now, but I'm certain none of my other guitars utilize this system. Glad the discoloration was just goo!
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3,968 posts
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Post by salteedog on May 24, 2017 16:41:21 GMT
I think that is a typical Tele grounding method. It does the job and avoids any messy soldering or the like.
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Post by jason on May 24, 2017 17:11:56 GMT
I think that is a typical Tele grounding method. It does the job and avoids any messy soldering or the like. Interesting... Good to know! Everyone has been very helpful here. Thanks for all the feedback!
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