EB Quality Decline?

[BassPooch]

Has the quality of EB basses declined? I was at GC and saw a beautiful Ray on the wall. WHen I reached to pull it off the wall, I never cut my hand because the fret edges were razor sharp! I check several of the other EB basses and noticed many of them (both Sterlings and Rays) had very sharp fret edges.

I expect this on $300 overseas basses but not on $1400 instruments. Needless to way, I way shocked. My 3-year old SUB is flawless (with smooth fret edges). Has anyone noticed declines in quality?

 

[SteveB]

The quality of EBMM instruments is still fantastic.

Sounds like conditions have caused fret sprout on those instruments. Where in the country was that GC?

 

[oddjob]

If anything I have noticed the quality go up over the years... what you are talking about is more an issue with the instrument being out where it is exposed and is beaten up by 12-15 year old want to be's. GC should be notified about it but it can happen with ANY instrument that is out of box and available for public use (I played a WWick Katana the other day that was in BAD need of a setup - is it the manufactures fault... no. Is it GC's fault... yes and no. Yes they are responsible for the care of their products BUT they also give me the opportunity to fiddle around with and play anything there. When an instrument is exposed AND anyone can have at it, bad things happen

 

[bassmonkeee]

Has the quality of EB basses declined? I was at GC and saw a beautiful Ray on the wall. WHen I reached to pull it off the wall, I never cut my hand because the fret edges were razor sharp! I check several of the other EB basses and noticed many of them (both Sterlings and Rays) had very sharp fret edges.

I expect this on $300 overseas basses but not on $1400 instruments. Needless to way, I way shocked. My 3-year old SUB is flawless (with smooth fret edges). Has anyone noticed declines in quality?

You don't honestly think they left the factory like that, do you?

Fretboards are made of wood. Wood is subject to moisture and other conditions that metal frets aren't. That says more about the store you saw them in than it does the production quality of EB/MM.

 

[adouglas]

Fret sprout doesn't happen because of getting left out and getting handled by the public. It happens, AFAIK, because of climate conditions. Specifically, wood shrinks as it dries. If the weather has been very dry, then sprout can happen, regardless of who built the instrument or how good it is.

It's easy to fix with a small file. It's a lot harder to get big-box retailers to pay attention to detailing their instruments.

My 17-month-old Bongo has absolutely flawless build quality.

 

[KennethB]

I've never encoutered a EBMM-instrument that has been of bad quality. Ever.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Fret sprout doesn't happen because of getting left out and getting handled by the public.

Well, if the public is comprised of beavers who gnaw away the fretboard exposing the fret ends, your statement doesn't hold water, Pal.

 

[phatduckk]

EBMM quality is top notch. the climate changes can make crazy stuff happen.

a good play would be to bring it to the store manager's attention.

 

[bovinehost]

Okay, this subject has been done and overdone.

To the OP, check the search function first.

Thread closed.

Jack