Tom or Roy - Long time customer needs help.

[Dfarr]

I have a 6 month old Cobra S. Here are its specs:

06-13-13A
Body Finish - Natural Black with Binding
Body Wood - Quilt Maple Top on Mahogany
Neck Wood - Mahogany, Rosewood Fingerboard
Neck Finish - Matching Headstock, Matching Back
Nutwidth - 1 11/16-inch
Frets - Heavy
Back Shape - Happy Medium
Hardware - Chrome
Bridge - Fixed Bridge
Pickguard -
Pickups - H1 H3
Switching - 5-Way with Push/Pull for 2 pickups
Strings - .010-.046 Elixir Strings

Recently it's tone has changed becoming more bright and thin (I really notice it when playing in the distortion channels on My EVH 5150 III with the tone being somewhat harsh and fizzy). I have tried numerous adjustments (Truss rod, action, PU height" ...etc.) but it still seems "off". I wanted to know if I could send it back to Anderson to have you go through it, check it over and reset it up to it's original Anderson setup (I have messed with it possibly too much and I think this could solve my issue). If so, how long would you need to have it approximately and what would be a ballpark cost? Please let me know.

Thanks, Denis Farr

[tom]

Hi dennis,
Of course we can go through it and make it as new. A guitar getting brighter is a pretty strange thing though. Are you sure nothing else in the chain has not been changed, even a cable?

[Dfarr]

Tom, I can send it to you as early as Monday Dec. 16th to arrive on Tuesday Dec. 17th. If so, how long would it be before I got it back? Please let me know.

Much Thanks, Denis

[tom]

i can't imagine it taking more than a couple days.

[Dfarr]

So, could it be shipped back out to me possibly on Thursday Dec. 19th to arrive at the latest on Monday Dec. 23rd? My address is:

Denis Farr
5023 South 2975 West
Roy, Utah
84067

Also, do I need to send a Money order to cover the re-setup and shipping costs with the guitar and if so can you tell me how much that would be? Please let me know if this is do-able for you.

Thanks , Denis

[tom]

if it can arrive on the 16th, we should be able to ship on the 17 or 18. i think that with christmas the 19th would be pushing your luck.

setup should not be more than $85. you can include that with the guitar, then we can invoice you for the return shipping difference.

[dannopelli]

If I could chime in here regarding the shipping:

Many folks here know that consulting to the small package shipping industry is what I do for a living. I spent nearly 30 years with two of the largest worldwide shipping firms to learn most of what I know.

Theoretically, a 12-19-2013 shipment from the 91320 to the 84067 zip should make it by 12-23-2013 via UPS ground and 12-24-2013 via Fedex or USPS.

However, due to when Christmas falls this year, it is likely that Monday, 12-23-2013 will be the peak USA delivery day. If it is not peak day it will be one of the peak days for sure. And every day the previous week will be a heavy volume day. That means that anything in the shipping cycle during the previous week and up to the 24th will be subject to the stresses every shipping company's infrastructure will deal with.

The point is, do you want to put your guitar through that stress twice? UPS actually does a good job at this as they control their entire infrastructure. Plus UPS scheduled delivery is the 23rd, which gives them a one day bump if there is any delay. FDX can't blend ground and air, so they can't utilize excess capacity to level throughput as well. USPS hands off a lot of its transit to Fedex and UPS, so they have a similar issue. Plus both Fedex and USPS show a 24th delivery. No headroom in that transit.

So unless it is VITAL that you have this guitar prior to Christmas, I'd suggest waiting until after the New Year to ship.

Understand I am not taking the UPS/FEDEX/USPS destroys all packages route here. Although those horror stories exist, they are not as prevalent as many would make them up to be. It is terrible for whomever it happens to, but it is not as rampant as they make it. Trust me the guitar will very likely arrive just fine from any carrier. But since your ship dates are all during the peak period, and there is a lot of weather in the US this December, I am just thinking it would be best to hold off, if you can, from a scheduling perspective.

Good luck whatever you decide!