Jtv-89 "b" Stock What To Expect...

[wcmexbm]

Hi,

 I'm considering buying a JTV-89 "B" stock guitar and was wondering what exactly b-stock means?

Also, can someone give me a definitive answer on what size frets come equipped on the non-USA JTV-89?

Thanks in advance for your time and effort.

[cruisinon2]

B stock, or "scratch 'n' dent" models generally have some minor cosmetic issue somewhere. Half the time its hard to tell what it even is...I have a 69 scratch n dent from Sweetwater, and I couldn't find anything aside from some very superficial swirls in the laquer on the back of the guitar. Normal wear and tear is guaranteed to do worse on a long enough timeline.

 

Sometimes b stock means a demo guitar that was played in a store or showroom too. Some similar minor wear could be expected.

 

I have no complaints...Sweetwater is great to deal with. Same factory warranty, plus an extra year that they tack on themselves. 30 day no questions asked return policy. Can't go wrong. Other vendors may not be as forgiving on a b stock item. Sometimes they're sold "as is" and you're stuck with it if you don't like it. Gotta read the fine print...

[wcmexbm]

B stock, or "scratch 'n' dent" models generally have some minor cosmetic issue somewhere. Half the time its hard to tell what it even is...I have a 69 scratch n dent from Sweetwater, and I couldn't find anything aside from some very superficial swirls in the laquer on the back of the guitar. Normal wear and tear is guaranteed to do worse on a long enough timeline.

 

Sometimes b stock means a demo guitar that was played in a store or showroom too. Some similar minor wear could be expected.

 

I have no complaints...Sweetwater is great to deal with. Same factory warranty, plus an extra year that they tack on themselves. 30 day no questions asked return policy. Can't go wrong. Other vendors may not be as forgiving on a b stock item. Sometimes they're sold "as is" and you're stuck with it if you don't like it. Gotta read the fine print...

Thanks for your reply, That's pretty much what I expected but the Variax being as much an "electronic" guitar as an electric guitar Iwas wondering if "B" stock implied any kind of defect-prone anomaly in the modeling electronics.

Also, I found what kind of frets are on the '89...JUMBO. 

[cruisinon2]

Thanks for your reply, That's pretty much what I expected but the Variax being as much an "electronic" guitar as an electric guitar Iwas wondering if "B" stock implied any kind of defect-prone anomaly in the modeling electronics.

Also, I found what kind of frets are on the '89...JUMBO.

Well, these guitars are not without thier quirks. Read through the forums and you'll find a variety of problems that some users encounter. Buggy firmware, model selector knobs that have trouble engaging sometimes, a few different issues surrounding the alternate tunings, "quacky" piezos, etc etc. Traditional guitars they ain't, and it will probably take some getting used to at first. Some of the issues I mentioned above seem to be related to playing style (especially if you have a heavy picking hand and really dig into the strings) and how much gain you like to use. Piezos are VERY sensitive as compared to mag pickups, which can result in some funky noises till you get used to them.

 

Don't take any of this as discouraging though...you may not have any issues at all, and as a whole I think they are very good guitars, and I now tend to reach for my JTV more often than any of my other axes, but there is a learning curve. Its amazing technology, incredibly versatile in terms of the variety of tones you can get, but not totally without its issues.