Buy A New Guitar...Think You're Gonna Just Play?

Open the outer box.
Remove packing.
Remove the inner Fender box.
Open Fender box.
Remove packing.
Pull guitar from box.
Remove bag of "case candy."
To completely remove the plastic film laid over the pickguard and tremelo plate means removing the knobs and some screws.

The great people at Sweetwater boast of a 55 point inspection prior to shipping. The card is signed.

"Pass a white glove inspection"
Sweetwater is cool in that they show you photos of the guitar you are buying, the serial number, the exact guitar...not a general representation.

In the picture they sent me and was on the website, shows a mark?

See the crescent moon thing on the lower right hand side of the body - across from the Tone knob?
"Gawd, I hope it is just lighting..."
No, it was gunk and it was present as I unpacked the guitar. At least it wasn't a ding.

They are a great place to buy your stuff. But no, they are far from perfect.
(No one is, I know that)

The strings?
"Stable tuning"
Yeah, the string were new in 2012. They had rust on them.

Lower the action. Change the strings. Lower the pickups since you lowered the strings.
The high 'E' and the 'B' feel pretty good.
The lower four are subject to future change.

My point, when you unpack a new guitar, you are several hours of work away from having the guitar you ordered. And either you supplied the labor for free or paid through the nose.
How many people are discouraged by the generic setup manufacturers use?
And further, how many have no idea how to make it what they wanted in the first place? It gets lonely when you think you have screwed up with your new, pristine guitar.
"Oh no...what am I gonna do, now?!"

Many stores offer "free" adjustments et cetera.
Yeah, when I buy a guitar, why not ask me what I like for action and so forth before I walk out the door and then set it up for me?
"What string gauge would you like?"

I could sell another set of strings and maybe a strap as well.
It's an opportunity that most establishments gloss over - they got a sale, what more do I want?

I want it playable when I get home...duh.

I do try to explain this to the new people, learn to bond with the guitar as you tighten and tweak.
Just as in life...