High Flying Bird Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 I got the 137 for my daughter's Christmas present this afternoon. It was a good guitar at a good price. But I had to work to get the thing! Here is the story...... Tuesday I ordered the guitar from the Chorpus Christie Guitar Center and had it delivered to the GC in Huntsville. (Thank God they didn't send it to Huntsville, TX.) Wednesday night I couldn't log into my account online. Their links didn't return an e-mail to me so I could reset my password. Thursday around noon I called the store in Texas. Imagine that, the guitar had vanished, no tracking numbers, no trace. An hour after that they called and said it was already in Huntsville. No harm no foul. To be honest with Shundog, I skiped out of work to go and pick up the guitar. I plugged it up and the neck pickup was dead. We opened it up and the thing had wires in the wrong place and was soldiered like crap. After 30 minutes they finally decided to do as I said and fix the damn thing. They could figure out the paper work later. This afternoon I got a call that it was ready. I got there and it was ready. I was 10 minutes from being out the door. The case it was in was not paid for when I ordered it but I decided to buy the case. They couldn't ring it up because it wasn't in their inventory. After about 15 minutes of that I walked about 30 feet and grabbed the same case off of the floor and told the girl to sell me this one instead. It took her a few more minutes of playing with the computer before she rang up the rest of my order. I should have run out the door but instead I had to ask if she could get me a full set of Phat Cats. They only sell the neck pick up online. After another 10 minutes she got a phone call and talked for another 10 minutes with a potential customer and not the the paying customer standing in front of her. I went crazy! I picked up my receipts off the counter and told the girl, "Have a nice day." I walked to the front of the store and before I could hand them two guys there my paper work I said, "Manager!" He had just walked away and was right there. My first line was, "Guitar Center has stepped on their peckers on every turn of my purchase except the man who repaired my guitar." Then I sailed into him. I was nice and used humor as much as I could but I was so damn mad! A group of 5 listened in. 4 of their staff and my buddy Jim. I gave them a proper dressing down of their failure of customer service and as I was adding some colorful and inventive phrases I was hearing the staff trying not to laugh. I was in fine form. The manager told the girl that he expected my pickups to be there next week. I left with a hand shake and the words, "I will come back here one more time....." The ball is in their court. Any way, enough bitchin'. Here is Lydia's 137.
High Flying Bird Posted October 1, 2011 Author Posted October 1, 2011 The road rash in the last photo isn't noticeable when it is played.
H Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 That's a nice one, HFB. Are the pickups Sd59s? Is this the one you're going to load up with HRWs?
High Flying Bird Posted October 1, 2011 Author Posted October 1, 2011 Bolero, she will be pleased come Christmas. In late December she will own one damn fine guitar that I wouldn't be ashamed to play anywhere. Until then.... it is mine! H - notice the two screws in each side of the pickups. They are uncovered Schallers. I might replace them or I might not. That depends on how much Brent will give me for them. A covered pup will look better. I am going to carry a my Firebird down to GC when I take the guitar tech a photo I promised him of Dicky Betts playing here in town. I am going to show them an American Classic. Turns out the tech is named after Duane Allman and I know him from Terry's Pizza. I have been busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest today. We spent tonight gluing old cardboard egg crates to acoustic ceiling tile so we might be able to use the mics. I hope it works. I am so tired I can't sleep. Thus you are my audience. It's got a stinger.
barrymclark Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Your daughter's got a proper rock 'n' roll machine!
Guest HRB853370 Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 I got the 137 for my daughter's Christmas present this afternoon. It was a good guitar at a good price. But I had to work to get the thing! Here is the story...... Tuesday I ordered the guitar from the Chorpus Christie Guitar Center and had it delivered to the GC in Huntsville. (Thank God they didn't send it to Huntsville, TX.) Wednesday night I couldn't log into my account online. Their links didn't return an e-mail to me so I could reset my password. Thursday around noon I called the store in Texas. Imagine that, the guitar had vanished, no tracking numbers, no trace. An hour after that they called and said it was already in Huntsville. No harm no foul. To be honest with Shundog, I skiped out of work to go and pick up the guitar. I plugged it up and the neck pickup was dead. We opened it up and the thing had wires in the wrong place and was soldiered like crap. After 30 minutes they finally decided to do as I said and fix the damn thing. They could figure out the paper work later. This afternoon I got a call that it was ready. I got there and it was ready. I was 10 minutes from being out the door. The case it was in was not paid for when I ordered it but I decided to buy the case. They couldn't ring it up because it wasn't in their inventory. After about 15 minutes of that I walked about 30 feet and grabbed the same case off of the floor and told the girl to sell me this one instead. It took her a few more minutes of playing with the computer before she rang up the rest of my order. I should have run out the door but instead I had to ask if she could get me a full set of Phat Cats. They only sell the neck pick up online. After another 10 minutes she got a phone call and talked for another 10 minutes with a potential customer and not the the paying customer standing in front of her. I went crazy! I picked up my receipts off the counter and told the girl, "Have a nice day." I walked to the front of the store and before I could hand them two guys there my paper work I said, "Manager!" He had just walked away and was right there. My first line was, "Guitar Center has stepped on their peckers on every turn of my purchase except the man who repaired my guitar." Then I sailed into him. I was nice and used humor as much as I could but I was so damn mad! A group of 5 listened in. 4 of their staff and my buddy Jim. I gave them a proper dressing down of their failure of customer service and as I was adding some colorful and inventive phrases I was hearing the staff trying not to laugh. I was in fine form. The manager told the girl that he expected my pickups to be there next week. I left with a hand shake and the words, "I will come back here one more time....." The ball is in their court. Any way, enough bitchin'. Here is Lydia's 137. Ron, how do you find these Heritages at GC? I never ever see a Heritage at a GC, never!! What a nice gift for her. I wish my little girl still lived at home so I could buy her something like that. Those days just went by way too quickly.
brentrocks Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 That is so cool. I thought about grabbing that one. I'm lucky to have competent people at the kzoo GC.
Hfan Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Cool story / saga. Glad it worked out. I like stingers. Give the Schallers a chance, they sound great in my 157.
FredZepp Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Bravo, Ron !!! A good read of your efforts and experiences at GC. And the guitar looks like a winner... is it your photography that makes it look especially nice ..? I just love the looks of it, as is. I played someones Heritage with Schallers recently and really liked the tone... through a good amp, of course.
schundog Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Nice guitar, Ron! I'm with you on GC, though. Most at mine are pleasant, but clueless. Your daughter is a lucky girl; She's getting a GREAT brand of guitar, and has a Daddy that loves her enough and believes in her enough to get it for her! That, and your 357 is now safe from the possibility of damage from a less-experienced guitarist than yourself accidently banging it into something. I've got Schallers in my H170, and see no need to change them in that guitar, they seem to do fine in solid body guitars, from what I've seen/heard. I DO plan to swap out the Schallers in my 535 to Antiquities or Seth Lovers at some point, though.
golferwave Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Great guitar Ron! It will be a fine Christmas morning at your house.
GASguy Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 That 137 looks sweet leaning against your Vox amp. What a great Christmas present for your daughter!
pegleg32 Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Great choice Bird. That should keep her interest up.
chico Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 my father, when i was a kid riding in the pickup truck with him, would sometimes take his strong hand and grasp my kneecap with it, start squeezing a little, and then say, "when mama eagle wants to get your attention she'll grab you with her talons like this.." yea, learned my lesson well never mess with a bird of prey..
111518 Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 Great, generous purchase for your daughter, Ron. The guitar will mean a lot, but that you bought her something that you care about and searched down will mean the world. As for the rest of the story ... that you thought to buy the "in-inventory" case and not the "it doesn't exist cause it doesn't have a number" case was a stroke of pure genius. Whenever I run into this sort of Alice-in-inventory-land stuff I always tell the salesperson "... that you can't find it in your inventory system means it doesn't exist, and therefore it must be free." Never works, but I keep trying.
High Flying Bird Posted October 1, 2011 Author Posted October 1, 2011 I think this is a Lemon Sunburst. There was no sticker in the cavity. I like Schaller's but the uncovered bobbins look bad to me. I will fire it up tonight.
DavesNotHere Posted October 1, 2011 Posted October 1, 2011 If you really showed your a$$ at GC, I'll wager they thought you were trying to smuggle out a pair of elephant testicles.
fxdx99 Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 I got the 137 for my daughter's Christmas present this afternoon. Here is Lydia's 137. Lydia's 137 is gorgeous. Beautiful guitar for a beautiful lucky girl. Ya done good, Ron. I agree w/ya on covers on the pus on that guitar. Add 'em and it's perfect. Love the lemonburst, knobs, stinger. Good mojo.
MichYank Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 super looking guitar! I'm sure you'll be happy with it! Best wishes,
cod65 Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 It sounds more like Home Depot than a guitar store! great color. that is a new one to me - lemonburst. +1 on schallers ... they are much maligned, but I recently put them back in my 575 and was pleased with the sound. sometime I think GAS blinds me into wanting 'stuff' that I don't have- like a certain kind of pickup . I think Schallers are the 'sleepers' of 2012. That said- don't buy them they are junk . I will take them cheap
Gitfiddler Posted October 2, 2011 Posted October 2, 2011 Ron, I enjoyed your GC odyssey story as much as that beautiful 137!! Seems like both you and that gitfiddle have stingers. Your daughter will be very happy. Well done, sir!
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