the (quite frustrating) story of my AVRI 'guard

[chrisjedijane]

If you want to skip all the boring background and me bitching about Fender, just go down to the bottom!

I bought my '62 AVRI Jazzmaster in May (may 1st to be exact), and since the day I got it it's had a crack in the 'guard on the bass side of the neck pocket - it's only a little crack, maybe only 2cm long, but the very fact that it's there pissed me off right from day one. Since the guitar was brand new, I brought it back to the shop and asked if they could get on to fender and get me a replacement, since the guitar was still under warranty.

The guys at the shop were really good, and called fender there and then. However, fender have been completely shit, and after months and months of waiting there's still no 'guard, and no chance of getting one (despite me talking to the fender rep himself and everything).

I phoned fender to try to buy one off them, and they said they had some in stock, but I'd have to go through my dealer instead. When I went to the dealer later that day, Fender told them they had none left. WTF?

Basically, fender are being shite, and I'd like a new 'guard, so I'm just gonna buy one. I want a tortie one, as I think it'd look pretty nice over the ocean turquoise. The shop had one in stock, but 1: it didn't fit as it was made for the MIJ ones, and 2: it looked terrible anyway, it was a really bad, grainy print of tortie. Not nice.

Basically, what I wanted to ask was:

Can anyone recommend anywhere to get a nice AVRI replacement tortie 'guard?

thanks!

[sookwinder]

The Fender that you contacted ... it wouldn't have been Fender Australia by any chance ? 

[mjet]

Guitar Parts Resource has them - both the original Fender and the WD equivalent.

http://www.guitarpartsresource.com/pick ... azzusa.htm

[chrisjedijane]

The Fender that you contacted ... it wouldn't have been Fender Australia by any chance ? 

nope, it was fender UK, but it may as well have been fender australia for all the help they were!

oh, and cheers for the link

[mezcalhead]

Fender UK (and probably Fender generally) are not at all interested in dealing in small items in my experience.

You can get a custom shop guitar from them quicker than a simple pickup or pickguard. I waited 9 months for a P bass pickup when I could have had exactly the same thing in under a week from GPR.

There's lots of smaller distributors like GPR and Allparts to take up the slack in providing replacement parts including genuine Fender parts .. i think Fender like it that way. I just think they don't care about the bits and pieces, they want to concentrate on entire guitars, preferably high end ones.

[TheMilford]

My contact at Fender USA has been "The Tops" and "ACE".

I wonder if he can help you?
They got me the right replacment case, no problem, after Southpaw wouldn't... they got me my tremelo bar when Southpaw wouldn't

His name is John Kinney.

[mezcalhead]

If you're in the UK, ya gotta deal with Fender UK.



Proper Fender USA service is only for 'Merkins!

[chrisjedijane]

My contact at Fender USA has been "The Tops" and "ACE".

I wonder if he can help you?
They got me the right replacment case, no problem, after Southpaw wouldn't... they got me my tremelo bar when Southpaw wouldn't

His name is John Kinney.

yeah, it would be great if he could help me out.

The thing about this is that I don't really mind paying for a new 'guard, but for me it's a matter of principle - it's under warranty, and it should be replaced with no problems - at £1499 RRP, the AVRI JM is one of their more expensive production models! It seems that fender don't care unless the item in question is more than a grand...