My replacement Ibanez AZ2402 Prestige arrived - What would you do?

[HowieJams]

Yeah, I can understand if you're compelled to buy from them, but I choose not to because they have shady business practices and have trouble being honest. You don't miss a ding during an inspection, (unless it happened in shipping), and you don't down-tune a guitar with a trem so far that the springs fall off. That's just plain ignorant, and lacks common sense. You might as well ship it with no strings on it at that point. That's just dumb and doesn't align with anything a "professional" would do, but then I set my own guitars up.

If I didn't have the Amazon rewards points (basically getting the guitar feee) I would buy from my local shop.
I bought all 4 of my Les Pauls from them.
Sweetwater has never done anything wrong to me and they always make things right, but trying and buying is the best.

 

[HowieJams]

Keep the guitar that you feel plays, sounds better and that you bond with.

I have found I have never grown into liking how a guitar plays that didn't play, sound, resonate and feel good from the instant that I picked it up.

A guitar that plays well and feels great I think one can overlook a little paint chip especially if Sweetwater compensates you some for the flaw, now it's slightly relic'd.

Since when do tremelo springs just pop out of the trem block??? That could be an indication that the guitar took a severe shock during shipping.

I am pretty much the same way.
Of course, I do need to adjust the action on almost any guitar I buy as I like very low action.
Both my Strats, my other Ibanez AZ, and my Gibson SG Custom Shop I liked as soon as I heard them, but all needed the action tweaked a bit.
I probably spend a few hours getting the guitar exactly the way I like it,
The only ones I did not need to do this on were the ones I bought from my local mom and pop, all of my Les Pauls, they tweak them as I try them and then do a complete set-up after I choose one.

 

[HowieJams]

Sounds like you already know what to do - keep the one that feels best, take a disocunt if they offer it, and rock on! Not only will you be happier you chose the one that felt best, but you will feel like you got it for a great deal as well, which just adds a certain sweetness.

I just spent over an hour playing both of them, the new replacement just feels dead in comparison to the first one.
Don't get me wrong, it is a good guitar, but not great.
The other one feels at one with my fingers, the replacement feels like I am playing any old guitar.
Even the tone is not the same, the first one sounds open and alive, the replacement just sounds dull in comaprison.

If I never would have played the first one I would probably wouldn't realize it wasn't great.

I am almost tempted to try a third to see if one is a unicorn or one is a dud.

 

[Music&Chaos]

I just spent over an hour playing both of them, the new replacement just feels dead in comparison to the first one.
Don't get me wrong, it is a good guitar, but not great.
The other one feels at one with my fingers, the replacement feels like I am playing any old guitar.
Even the tone is not the same, the first one sounds open and alive, the replacement just sounds dull in comaprison.

If I never would have played the first one I would probably wouldn't realize it wasn't great.

I am almost tempted to try a third to see if one is a unicorn or one is a dud.

You found the one for you - don't get greedy lol

 

[HowieJams]

You found the one for you - don't get greedy lol

My wife said the same thing.
I have a bad habit of buying duplicates.
I really should part with one of my Les Paul Standard 50s, I have two.

 

[Simon Dorn]

I waited the usual 24 hours to unbox it.

Who set this rule?

 

[Rayneman]

Keep the guitar with the little blemish.

The first brand new PRS I bought was a CU24 Floyd either the first year they came out or soon thereafter, when they all had the crazy flamed unfinished necks. I chose this wild ass "Leprechaun Tooth" finish 10 top monster and even back then it seemed like stupid money. Got the guitar and it had an obvious blemish, like an honest-to-god chip out of an edge. But, it was the most beautiful guitar I had ever seen and it played so well. I probably didn't bitch as much as I should have, but my SW guy gave me a little back, but seemed happier for me to return it and try my luck on another one. I chose to keep it and to this day it is one of the most magical guitars I've owned, zero other PRS have come close and I've had a bunch of them.

 

[HowieJams]

Who set this rule?

Sweetwater always has this on their boxes.
I've always done this anyway, let the guitar acclimate to room temp for 24 hours.
It is more important to prevent cracking on Nitrocellulose Finished Gibsons

 

[HowieJams]

Keep the guitar with the little blemish.

The first brand new PRS I bought was a CU24 Floyd either the first year they came out or soon thereafter, when they all had the crazy flamed unfinished necks. I chose this wild ass "Leprechaun Tooth" finish 10 top monster and even back then it seemed like stupid money. Got the guitar and it had an obvious blemish, like an honest-to-god chip out of an edge. But, it was the most beautiful guitar I had ever seen and it played so well. I probably didn't bitch as much as I should have, but my SW guy gave me a little back, but seemed happier for me to return it and try my luck on another one. I chose to keep it and to this day it is one of the most magical guitars I've owned, zero other PRS have come close and I've had a bunch of them.

Great story and great advice.

 

[Simon Dorn]

Sweetwater always has this on their boxes.
I've always done this anyway, let the guitar acclimate to room temp for 24 hours.
It is more important to prevent cracking on Nitrocellulose Finished Gibsons

Ok, i see. Personally i think a few hours max are enough, but only when it's Winter and when the guitar was in the cold for some time, like a weekend, before. But it surely doesn't hurt to a wait a day.

 

[HowieJams]

Ok, i see. Personally i think a few hours max are enough, but only when it's Winter and when the guitar was in the cold for some time, like a weekend, before. But it surely doesn't hurt to a wait a day.

I got in to this habit in the cold winters when I used to buy most of my guitars and all of my guitars were Nitro finished Gibsons.
Like you said, it doesn't hurt to wait.

 

[HowieJams]

I messed around with the replacement tonight, I had to lower the neck pickup a bit to try to get it set up like the first one, but I still can't get it to sound as good as the first one.
It just doesn't feel as nice to play compared to the first one for some reason.
I have it packed up to return tomorrow.

The sad thing is, if I would have never had the first one I would think it is a great guitar.

I would love to have two of these as it is my favorite guitar to play and I could keep one at my vacation house, but maybe I will wait a month and get past the honeymoon period before trying another.

There are other guitars I might want to look at also.

 

[* velcro-fly *]

These are killer guitars, will hold their own with most anything out there, no question when it comes to production guitars…

This AZ2204N is fantastic, it will likely be available soon as I’m committed to chasing down an Andy Timmons sig with the different more vintage neck profile. Let me know if interested. @Jdub has seen and played it and can provide first hand details

 

[* velcro-fly *]

Hey ya know what’s super freaking cool about these? Like on a user geek level??? Attention to detail - they put a little cutout in the case at the 15th fret to reach in and grab the guitar out of the case. You think ‘yeah so what, whatever’ until you grab it a few times out of the case haha

 

[The~Kid]

Just keep the one that sounds Best and get a discount. It's just a tiny finish flaw anyways.

 

[HowieJams]

These are killer guitars, will hold their own with most anything out there, no question when it comes to production guitars…

This AZ2204N is fantastic, it will likely be available soon as I’m committed to chasing down an Andy Timmons sig with the different more vintage neck profile. Let me know if interested. @Jdub has seen and played it and can provide first hand details


View attachment 445467View attachment 445468

If I ddn't have my Fender American Ultra II HSS Strat I would have looked at these for sure.

 

[HowieJams]

Hey ya know what’s super freaking cool about these? Like on a user geek level??? Attention to detail - they put a little cutout in the case at the 15th fret to reach in and grab the guitar out of the case. You think ‘yeah so what, whatever’ until you grab it a few times out of the case haha

I never thought about that, very cool.

 

[HowieJams]

Just keep the one that sounds Best and get a discount. It's just a tiny finish flaw anyways.

That is what i am doing, the replacement is ready to go back today

 

[The~Kid]

I agree....
It is barely noticeable, but that guitar is amazing, I would be afraid to part with it.

Here is a demo of the original one

View attachment 445002
I’m just enjoying the playing.. Howie killin it.

Whatever you decide I’m sure you’ll be adding to the character of the guitar as time goes on.

Killer playing by Howie. Good stuff *_*

 

[HowieJams]

Killer playing by Howie. Good stuff *_*

Thanks!!!
I try to post demos of the gear I am talking about so others can tell what the stuff sounds like in the hands of a regular player.

I used to read posts about gear , buy the equipment and be disappointed or watch demos by Professionals who can make anything sound good.

With me, it is just my Iphone 13, no rehearsing, no post editing, just plug in and play.
Some of my videos don't sound that good, I can be having an off day or the gear just doesn't do it for me.