Crshngdstryr
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Ordered a custom Echopark J direct from Echopark last year. Gabriel promised me 6 months, but took 2 years. The guitar was horrible in my opinion (https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/echopark-j-in-depth-review.2001007/) but I just wanted to sum up the guitar in case anyone is thinking of ordering from them:
I was really bummed about this whole ordeal until many other users came out and shared very similar stories (@LenPort @JPH118 @Hexum @Mooster @FiestaRed among many others) (which have since been deleted by the owner of the previous thread). There were also some great builders in that thread that provided some really valuable info (I won't entangle them unwillingly into this thread...they can opine again if they'd like). As long as I have the say...I will never delete this thread.
And just to get this formality out of the way...Do I think all EP guitars are bad? Probably not. But I can definitively tell you that dealing with EP was a hellish experience for me and many others. When you play an Echopark, you are in my opinion implicitly or explicitly endorsing a builder who does not give a f*ck about you (unless your name is Joe, Josh or Troy). Buyer beware.
- Promised me 6 months, took 2 years
- Gabriel made the wrong profile/size neck twice. I had originally ordered a medium profile, then we had many emails in which I upgraded to a large profile. After another 1.5 years of waiting, he sent me an invoice that included a medium sized neck profile. When I mentioned it to him , he said that I never told him that (to which I sent him email proof) and that he needed a few more months to make the change.
- The finish on the guitar was horrendous. There were swirl marks EVERYWHERE from whatever buffer pad he used. There were gouges, pieces of paint missing, and the finish on the matching headstock was different than the finish on the body.
- After 1.5 years, he emailed to tell me that the finish on my guitar had begun cracking and that he needed another 3-4 months to refinish the body.
- When the guitar was finally ready, he sent it to the WRONG ADDRESS. I had to leave work to drive around the city knocking on doors to find it.
- When I first plugged it in, the neck pickup was dead.
- The bridge pickup died a week later.
- My tech was horrified by the mess he saw under the pickguard (which had already begun warping by that point). He said it was by far the worst wiring he's ever seen on ANY guitar, including Squiers and Mexican Fenders.
- The second try on my neck profile was totally wrong. I asked him for a Large C-V profile. He sent me a guitar that was 1" at the nut, and tapered to a slim D at the 12th fret. Seriously, one of the most uncomfortable, awkward neck profiles I've ever played. Gabe offered to redo it but told me I'd have to send the guitar back to him. Yeah....not doing that.
- The bridge couldn't be intonated, which even Gabe implied he had a lot of trouble setting up.
- About 1/3 of the frets were not seated straight in the fretboard.
- I ended up selling the guitar after a month at a $2,000 loss. Took it to a guitar show, showed it to about 30 dealers....Not a single person wanted it. Ended up trading it locally for a much cheaper guitar.
I was really bummed about this whole ordeal until many other users came out and shared very similar stories (@LenPort @JPH118 @Hexum @Mooster @FiestaRed among many others) (which have since been deleted by the owner of the previous thread). There were also some great builders in that thread that provided some really valuable info (I won't entangle them unwillingly into this thread...they can opine again if they'd like). As long as I have the say...I will never delete this thread.
And just to get this formality out of the way...Do I think all EP guitars are bad? Probably not. But I can definitively tell you that dealing with EP was a hellish experience for me and many others. When you play an Echopark, you are in my opinion implicitly or explicitly endorsing a builder who does not give a f*ck about you (unless your name is Joe, Josh or Troy). Buyer beware.
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