My old mans a luthier and the best ‘guitar’ advice he ever gave me was “never buy a guitar you haven’t played and you’ll never own a bad guitar” . And it’s turned out to be pretty sound advice. I’ve got this same guitar and it’s a killer. It’s definitely loud but that’s by design. It really sounds like yours needs a proper set up. Shaving down the saddles it’s not the right move unless you’ve already addressed the Neck and nut. Martin have great customer service from my experience and if you take it to them or the AD you got it from they will usually look after you. I wouldn’t write off this guitar until you’ve had it set up properly because they are beautiful instruments once dialled in

Fenders are riding on their historic legacy but their guitars these days are distinctly average with unacceptable quality issues. A while back I emailed Fender for some queries on a Mod Shop bass I was planning to order. After no response after several weeks (no response ever in fact), even after prompting, I saw this as a red flag and decided to go for a brand where quality and customer service are important. Ask yourself seriously, are Fenders really as good as their price-point indicates? Simple colour finishes, basic woods and nothing outstanding on tone and playability?

So glad I watched this, I was just about to put an order for a telecaster. Think I'll leave it.

You should retitle the videos. It's these titles showing up in the recommended video algorithm cause damage to Fender. They tried to rectify it, but you're still using the clickbait. How about "My experience with Fender Mod Shop and how they went above and beyond to make it right"

I just changed my mind on ordering a Fender Mod guitar. Pass!

I got mine 8 months ago. Best guitar ever! Im using 11/48 playing drop c. No mods. Perfect

I had the first version 7 string with EMGs, the scale was WAY too short for a someone who likes a lot of tension. I'm hoping the extra scale length of 25.5 inches is better for a 7 string guitar.

Corona ,Ca?

I just put together my own spec for a fender Telecaster from Mod shop. Total value in basket over £2100 of guitar ready to be ordered. I thought I'd check reviews first and found your honets detailed review. Guess who just removed their order. Shocking quality. Completely unacceptable customer support and returns policy. As you say this is not a cheap guitar and your review shows that Fender seem to have no pride in their Product or repect for their customers. Like you I am a big fender fan and have numerous guitars. My favourite is a 1984 Fender Strat Plus. Thank you for posting such a detailed video. I hope you get the guitar issues sorted out. Fender you should be ashamed. You just lost a customer.

Fender Quality sucks.....Im not the only one. I wish you put a fret rocker on that neck.

I'm not one who usually comment on videos unless i feel rather strongly about it. I work in a Martin distributor shop and sell a very large range of martin guitars. We have been dealing with Martin guitars for almost 40 years. I deal with martin guitars on a daily basis and i am quite shocked to see that you have made a video to express your dissatisfaction on the OMJM. I have to admit that i would be very upset if i were to spend that amount of money to receive a lemon. I hope you will take my comments as constructive criticism as i do feel that some of your comments are incorrect. I am also an owner of a OMJM and i am very happy with my OMJM. It's the perfect guitar for me and i love it ( i am also NOT a massive JM fan) With that said, i also understand that everyone has a preference and the OMJM probably isn't the guitar for you. Your preference as mentioned in your video is the X series line of guitars and that's all good but i really feel that these 2 guitars are probably not a fair comparison in terms or build and price point. Then again, thats all your preference. what plays and feels right to you is the right guitar for you. All good! Here are some things you probably don't know at the point of filming your video. 1. There is a battery in the sound hole. This is not a passive pickup system. Please have a look inside the sound hole near the neck pocket. you will find a 9v battery with a battery pouch in there. 2. There is a reason why there isn't a strap button at the neck heel. Martin needs to consider most users when manufacturing. There are some players who do not use strap buttons. They prefer using the old shoe lace method around the headstock for various reasons. Balance is one of them and some feel it's more comfortable. Some just do not like the idea of drilling holes into an expensive instrument. With that being said, I hope you see the rationale behind it. What's a $1 strap button when you have already purchased a $3500 guitar? 3. If you are having tuning stability and intonation issues, you should have it brought back to the distributor to have it looked at. Tuning stability is probably not caused just by the tuning pegs. ( martin changes the manufacturers for hardware from time to time ) The nut and the way you string your guitar might play a part in it as well. Nut issues are a pretty rare problem to have on martin guitars but for all it's worth, you should bring it back to have your shop look at it. 4. Most of the martins that i pull out of the box for my customers have medium / high action. Martin don't ship their guitars out of the factory with perfect "low action" regardless of price range. Action is very subjective. Everyone plays differently, climate and humidity which affects guitars is different all around the world and martin manufacture their guitars to be shipped worldwide. Many factors are responsible for " mile high" action on the guitar. You should bring it in for a setup. Don't take this the wrong way. I strongly feel that a lot of your comments really make you look like you do not know what you are talking about. Do you really own that OMJM? All the issues you spoke about could be realised while you were purchasing the guitar but yet you still purchased it to rant later. If you bought it online, you should have taken the steps to contact the distributor / shop to have it returned. I hope you will find solutions to your issues and if you did purchase a dud of a guitar, you should bring it back to either get it resolved or your money back. Here's 15 mins of my life i am not getting back but i do hope you get your money back if it's truly a lemon 😌

I played one of these a couple days back, and I was surprised at how "average" (at best) it sounded. It was being sold for around $6,700 AUD (Australian Dollars) which would be around $4000 USD (roughly). I thoughr front of it looked really beautiful, but the neck seemed quite poor from the back, like it belonged on a cheap guitar. It seemed that it was thousands of dollars more just because of the name (a name that would not make me want to buy a guitar personally)

Little late, but most likely the lug on the volume pot that is soldered to the case of the pot probably broke i.e. cold solder joint. That is the most common reason why that issue happens. For me I would not buy anything new because of MAP pricing and dealers sticking hard to that pricing. Back before MAP I could get 30% off Fender list and 40% on Gibson. There is also zero incentive to be loyal to any dealer. They serve no purpose other than supply, IF they have it.

I gave up buying Fender & Gibson guitars unseen a while ago. They both have QC issues that ate unacceptable for the money they charge for thier products. I'll only buy from these brands now if I see the guitar in person first. For significantly less money you can buy a Shijie guitar. Their QC is impeccable. Their guitars put Fender & Gibson to shame. I was recently in my local guitar shop. I won't name them because I don't want them to get any backlash from Fender. But needless to say this is world famous store with a very successful KZbin channel. They have a room where the display the expensive guitars including Fender Custom Shop, PRS USA models, Gibson etc. A member of staff who works there and has done for many years told me they often receive Fender Custom Shop guitars that are absolute junk. Yes, Custom Shop, not MIM. He said if you want a great playing, well made, goid sounding S-style guitar buy a PRS Silver Sky and save yourself a huge chunk of money as while expensive, they're a lot less so than a Custom shop strat. There are so many great alternatives to a Fender: Patrick James Eggle 96 PRS Silver Sky Shijie STE Haar Classic S Xotic XSC Mike Lipe Classic Suhr All of these are superb and most will cost a lot less than a Custom Shop Fender. The Shijie costs less than some MIM Fenders. Gibson and Fender are trading on past glories and their big brand names. Their prices are a joke for the inconsistent quality they offer. People want them because they have history and their heros played them. But there are so many good alternatives. Do yourself a favour. Look beyond Fender & Gibson. They had their day. The competition is better in 2024.

Cool color, design and binding but a plastic nut for that price is shameful.

Thanks for the video, I was considering ordering one in a combo I can’t find anywhere. I am not doing this now as their quality control is terrible. I’ll look for second hand parts and put it together myself.

I have a custom shop fender. One of the main features of the guitar were these SUPER dirty looking pickups. Within the first few days, some of the relic work on the pickups had worn off. After a week most of it had rubbed off. It looked so goofy and this guitar retails for close to 5k. I contacted fender with the issue because I couldn’t find any similar issues on forums. Seemed like maybe the didn’t properly prep or seal the relic work. They replied and said that this was normal “play wear” and couldn’t do anything to resolve the issue. Went to cvs, got some nail polish remover and removed the rest of the relic work that day.

Kudos to you buddy! Now me, I probably would’ve only noticed the volume button. Easy fix right? That’s not the point. They are counting on people like ME who wouldn’t notice such things, hence making their QC clearly crap! Thanks for making this. I was actually going to order through them. NOT NOW! Good job Fender Mod Shop!

Sounds like a good plan to me.

IMHO the mod shop is fine if you want a stock Fender instrument in a color they don't make on the production line and are willing to pay extra for it. Beyond that, you're probably setting your expectations too high.

Does the satin finish feel cheaper than other Charvels that come in satin? I like it because of the looks, the radius, and the natural mahogany neck. Thinking about picking it up in the near future.

Sounds like they don't actually do anything with 'basic setups' you got to pay for their "Plek" treatment for that. What a scam. Either you pay 100/75 bucks for the basic, where they actually don't do anything. Or you can pay the oh so reasonable price of 300 bucks where they do set it up. NO THANKS Sweetwater. What a scam. 😂

Fender has become a joke.

Fender has been bad and sloppy on their guitars and basses the latest years, and it does not matter if its US made or Mexican made.

Matt Heafy is a true artist and cares abiut his signature guitar..!! This is why I will buy this guitar many other signature guitars are only somewhere around the real deal and have almost nothing to di with the original !!! Not this one !

I was going to buy from the mod shop but after seeing people's videos on the quality of guitars after they got them I would rather buy a squire affinity.

😀

Go ESP

Thanks for the review, that just made my decision to look elsewhere. What eventually happened with this guitar?

Fender just relying on its name and its past to sell guitars with very little attention paid to QC. It’s amazing how they get away with it at the prices they are charging for the USA line. Recently had to return a brand new ultra jazz bass, blemishes on the fretboard, loose tuners (nuts not even tightened from the factory) front pickup failed in the first hour of use. Love to know who is signing the Qc inspection card that comes with the guitar, mine was signed by 2 so called inspectors, anyway I bought a Yamaha for less than half the price with zero issues.

I have to look-up this Mod Shop crap.

Hey! I respect your opinions in the video! But I must say….. I think a lot of times with these guitars as you mentioned no 2 guitars are the same, and that definitely rings true with this one. I’ve heard of people who have bought and returned this same guitar until they got one back that sounded how they wanted it, I personally got one of those around 8 months ago and MY GOD! It’s an amazing instrument! Mine was perfectly setup, has very very noticeably good intunation, and it’s super comfortable for me to play. I guess it’s all a preference thing though! Also you’re absolutely right about the x-series, I had one before I bought this guitar and I actually gave it to a good friend of mine so he wouldn’t have to buy anything after I got this. Cool video! And thanks!

I ordered a matching set Telecaster and P Bass from them back in Sept 2021 and had the same issue with their lack of shipping notifications. The only reason I knew the first one was en route was because Fedex automatically notifies me of any package sent to my address. This is a big problem in my area as Fedex gives zero poops about "signature required". They just drop my packages in front of my house 3 feet from the side walk and don't even ring the bell.

Just saw your review. I've played my whole life. Many guitars. To be honest, when I give this some real serious thought, I don't believe you.

Go with Sweetwater. I got a USA J Bass from them and I got super whiny about the tinest of cosmetic defects and they shipped me a new one immediately.

Dude, you really should have returned this guitar when you got it, if the setup was so terrible from the start, instead of moping about it afterwards, especially for such a price. If it's really as bad as you claim, there obviously went something wrong with the production of this specific piece. I don't believe this would be exemplary for the OMJM in general, it being a quite appreciated instrument, being in production for 20 years already, and still going strong (proven by the anniversary model). As for the tuning: Maybe try a different stringing method. It looks like you wind the strings around the pegs quite a few times, try to decrease them, to leave less room for movement. Also lube the nut with some Big Bends Nut Sauce or D'Addario LubriKit. I do agree with the missing strap button being pretty stupid. You could of course get that placed or DIY, but that should def not be the case at this price point. Also the intonation should have been right, but if you can't fix that yourself, bring it to a professional who can. Or just sell the damn thing 😅Good luck!

Use a strap at the headstock,go old school it will help off set the heavy headstock. That guitar just needs a highly professional set up .

lol ESP makes the best battery covers. it's magnetic and you push the cover in. I think your ESP guitars are older designs with the plate and 2 screws.

Nothing wrong with being OCD and Fender has the best Customer Service in the industry (which you have now experienced).

Well that will keep from mod shop

Sorry this happened to you! THOUGHT about going with a Mod Shop guitar...THOUGHT about...UNTIL seeing this video. I'm going elsewhere.

You’re the customer no one wants.. all it took was a free guitar.. definitely not ocd..much..

what happen ?????a year waiting

Ordered the $1,800 Mike McCready Strat and arrived with a non functioning bridge pickup and a dented hard case. Emailed Fender and 1 month later still No response at all! Terrible customer service! 🤦🏾

Ok. Sorry you don’t like it. Tuning stability. Tighten/loosen the screw in the middle of the crown wheel on each tuning machine as necessary till they hold tune. Head dive… can’t really help you there bro. I have 3 000s, never noticed excessive head dive on any of them. I have my guitars quite high up when I play standing. With a quality strap that doesn’t slip, I can release my guitars & they stay in place, so I don’t know what’s going on for you. As for the too loud comment, I had a buddy that felt the same… so I traded one of my 00s for his 000. Job done. Action height. In my experience, Nearly all factory set ups are high. The reason is, it’s relatively simple to lower an action, raising an action usually involves a new nut & saddle. A lot of the time all that is needed is a tiny adjustment in the truss rod. These guitars are made & set up in a 24 to 26c temperature & 45 to 55% relative humidity. If your environment is significantly different, once the guitar has settled, you Will need a set up. Sounds to me like you should have played a bunch of 000s before lashing out much dosh on a guitar that doesn’t meet your needs/you don’t like or get on with. Good luck. I liked your playing. Go try a 00, better volume for you at least.😃

Just got mine it is heavy lol

I have owned 5 Martins. 3 at present. Plus many others. I don't own a OMJM but know someone who does. Nice but not my style ALL higher end Martins I have seen are 'high action' from the factory at the saddle but typically properly cut at the nut. It is to allow you to set it up as desired: high for bluegrass, much lower for fingerstyle. I have had to do a full setup on EVERY new Martin I got. Even a D-35. I am OK with that and see it as a feature, not a bug. I MAKE IT mine. I have the same open tuners on an OMC16e and it is stable. All guitars change with temperature of even a few degrees, some more than others. Make sure tuners are securely mounted and nut slot is open enough and maybe lubricated tuner and nut slot. Maybe better strings. It is a high price for a guitar just for the name on the fretboard. I have never been willing to pay extra for a signature guitar, I am not a fanboy and don't even see real collector value in most of them. The 16 and 17 series Martins are a lot more cost effective in my view while still USA made and pro quality in every aspect.

Sucks man. Sorry this happened to you. I was about to get a mod shop jazzmaster but this totally convinced me not to. Thank you!

Lucky dog!!

I bought a guitar from Sweetwater. There inspection process is bogus. I returned the guitar because it wasn’t in the best condition. The resent it and included shipping. The guitar I bought was a Gibson less Paul fifties model. The strings were defective and rusted. So much for their inspection process.