What is going on with Gretsch and the Setzer models?

[PDMan]

So, I ordered a Brian Setzer Nashville from Musicians Friend in early August and the back order date was September 1st. By the 1st, it had been pushed back to September 24th and, as of earlier today, it has been pushed back further to November 21st. Hardly any of the online retailers have the Setzer Nashvilles in stock - Guitar Center has even removed them from their website. Is there something going on between Setzer and Gretsch or are they just woefully behind filling orders? Ironically, I have noticed he's not using the dice knobs anymore and has gone back to the stock Gretsch knobs on his summer tour.

I've been ordering guitars for over 40 years and I've never experienced this long a backorder.

 

[Uncle Daddy]

Might be something to do with the Cites regulations?

 

[PDMan]

Might be something to do with the Cites regulations?

That's for rosewood, right? I don't remember seeing any rosewood in the specs. Primarily maple with an ebony fretboard.

 

[MotorCentaur]

It's Musicians Fiend.

They did this to me a few years back on a Schecter Baritone.

They sell what they don't have in stock. There's an arbitrary in "shipment date", that's always a few weeks out.

It'll get there eventually...............

I don't want to talk to much about my particular case, cuz it still makes me angry thinking about it.
The short story is they kept sending me a right handed guitar. Some boxes were labeled Lefty, a couple were not. It took over 8 months to sort out.

After I started a BBB claim, they finally *(said they did) went through their entire stock of Shecter baritones and maybe other models, and found, essentially the last one (since they had become discontinued in LH), that is super nice, and charged me essentially wholesale (45% off), they had it "set up" (the tech tuned it to E when it should be B, omg) and overnighted it to me with 7 packs of D'Addarrio strings.....

The whole experience was unnecessarily stressful.

 

[PDMan]

I can definitely relate to your issues with Musicians Friend - they are a pain to deal with - but I got the same story from Sweetwater. They can't get delivery on them.

This is typical MF - if you look at their website, they have the model number for the urethane Setzer Nashville (G6120SSU) on both that and the lacquer version (G6120SSLVO). I called them on it because I wasn't about to pay a couple hundred extra for lacquer and get urethane. I finally got them to admit they had the wrong model number on their site but they wont fix it.

 

[Joey L]

I started dealing with Sweetwater. They provide very personal service and you are assigned a specific rep for current and all future dealings. They also offer interest free financing and free shipping. My Sweetwater Rep reaches out every few months with a phone call to check if there is anything I need or require help with. They also deal on pricing.

 

[DaddyDog]

GT posts are pushing all of my pet peeves today
It drives me nuts to deal with anyone happy to take your money, but CAN'T deliver on time. On web sites I always look for the 'In Stock' note.

After I started a BBB claim

Better Business Bureau worked? I'm having an issue that has been going on for almost 2 years, and I've considered BBB or a letter from my lawyer friend.

 

[Henry]

GT posts are pushing all of my pet peeves today
It drives me nuts to deal with anyone happy to take your money, but CAN'T deliver on time. On web sites I always look for the 'In Stock' note.

Better Business Bureau worked? I'm having an issue that has been going on for almost 2 years, and I've considered BBB or a letter from my lawyer friend.

If they don't have the product I don't see what BBB can do, unless they're now refusing to refund .

 

[Pdnlegs]

I started dealing with Sweetwater. They provide very personal service and you are assigned a specific rep for current and all future dealings. They also offer interest free financing and free shipping. My Sweetwater Rep reaches out every few months with a phone call to check if there is anything I need or require help with. They also deal on pricing.

My rep used to offer me better deals. Now everytime I ask a about a price it's always 10% off.

 

[Bertotti]

My rep used to offer me better deals. Now everytime I ask a about a price it's always 10% off.

Same experience here but for my latest desire if they gave me 10% off I just might be swayed, which is why havent called them!

 

[Sunshine]

I've been ordering guitars for over 40 years and I've never experienced this long a backorder.

I'm with you... I ordered a guitar (not Gretsch) on a begin of the July. Now the status is mid October.
Difference is, that I ordered from the Finnish music store.

EDIT: The music store took my first order, but they phoned me next day and said that they have to cancel it because of the Cites.

 

[PDMan]

[QUOTE="Sunshine, post: 978857, member: 166"
EDIT: The music store took my first order, but they phoned me next day and said that they have to cancel it because of the Cites.[/QUOTE]

I'm not really understanding the Cites thing. What I read was it primarily a rosewood thing. What am I missing?

 

[MotorCentaur]

GT posts are pushing all of my pet peeves today
It drives me nuts to deal with anyone happy to take your money, but CAN'T deliver on time. On web sites I always look for the 'In Stock' note.

Better Business Bureau worked? I'm having an issue that has been going on for almost 2 years, and I've considered BBB or a letter from my lawyer friend.

I started a BBB claim, then I called and informed MF. That's when they actually took action...

 

[G5422T]

I like dealing with Sweetwater, and won't deal with MF.

That said, I will not order/preorder anything that isn't in stock, and ready to ship. Just me, I guess. When I'm ready for something, I'm ready, and not willing to wait as delivery confirmations keep getting pushed back.

 

[Sunshine]

I'm not really understanding the Cites thing. What I read was it primarily a rosewood thing. What am I missing?

Yeah, nobody else understand that Cites thing either. ;-)
And yes you are right - my order was cancelled because of the rosewood fretboard. European dealer can't order it from the factory in USA.

 

[PDMan]

Yeah, nobody else understand that Cites thing either. ;-)
And yes you are right - my order was cancelled because of the rosewood fretboard. European dealer can't order it from the factory in USA.

That's crazy. And counterproductive. And will do nothing to alleviate the endangered woods problem.

 

[zebulon]

I started dealing with Sweetwater. They provide very personal service and you are assigned a specific rep for current and all future dealings. They also offer interest free financing and free shipping. My Sweetwater Rep reaches out every few months with a phone call to check if there is anything I need or require help with. They also deal on pricing.

I use sweetwater. but I didn't get any candy in the box like they usually do....... I guess they thought the gretsch was sweet enuff for me.

 

[PDMan]

So, less than a week after I'm told very specifically not to expect shipment of my Gretsch before November 21st, I get a call from Musicians Friend telling me my guitar has been shipped. I called them back to confirm and they said they got two of them in and filled my order and someone else's. I couldn't be happier, but whaaaat?

 

[MotorCentaur]

So, less than a week after I'm told very specifically not to expect shipment of my Gretsch before November 21st, I get a call from Musicians Friend telling me my guitar has been shipped. I called them back to confirm and they said they got two of them in and filled my order and someone else's. I couldn't be happier, but whaaaat?

Just be grateful, don't ask too many questions...

 

[PDMan]

Just be grateful, don't ask too many questions...

Oh, I am. The good news it is a beautiful guitar and it arrived unscathed. The bad news is that I ordered Vintage Orange and got Tiger Flame. I am not sure that is a deal breaker, I was torn between the two anyway.

There is one potential issue, the Gretsch warranty is dependent upon the sales receipt and Musicians Friend has the wrong model number on it. Instead of the G6120SSL - the one I ordered and it's listed right on the box and inside the guitar - they have the G6120SSU on the sales receipt. Gotta get that fixed if I can convince them it's wrong. That said...