The ESP Guitar Company

Just wanted to check about the QC procedures before guiatrs are sent to retail outlets.

I got a new Burnt Tiger from an authorized retailer close to ESP there in CA...opened the case, checked the guitar over noticed that the strings were tuned to pitch but the action was set at 3/16" or more.

Took it to a luthier, he said the truss rod was way off & the frets needed a dressing in order to get the action down.

Is this normally how guitars are sent to retailers?

Sometimes the action may adjust during shipping or while it lives at the retail location. We do encourage our dealers to maintain the instruments by keeping them properly setup. The instrument in question would have been setup by QC with an action at 2/32" on the bass side (Low E) and treble side (High E). This is measured from the top of the twelfth fret to the bottom of the string. Our truss rods are typically set with minimal relief. It may be equally possible that the frets became worn at the dealers location or that it may have been missed in QC to our regret. However, our customer service team is always ready to help anyone who may have come upon an instrument with an issue. Please send them an email with a description and a couple of photos if you can. customerservice@espguitars.com

I appreciate the response.  I now believe it was the dealer (Pitbull Audio) that didnt maintain the instrument like they should.

It appears that the guitar you purchased did not go through a full quality control process. It is not normal for the truss rod to be incorrect and the frets to be adjusted to reduce action.