Guitar Fetish Review

There are three ways to think about the term “guitar fetish.”

The first involves how people become attracted to guitarists, mostly when they play in a band with mid-range fame or above.

In this circumstance, the fetish becomes a sexual desire where satisfaction can only come from someone who knows how to play the guitar.

For the second option, you could look at how the guitar is worshipped for having “magical powers.”

In extreme circumstances, someone might even think that the instrument is inhabited by a musical spirit who helps the guitarist hit each note or chord perfectly.

The third option is the most likely one out of the bunch. Guitar Fetish is an exclusive online store specializing in instrument parts, necks, electronics, pickups, and more.

Guitar Fetish Review

Guitar Fetish opened its file with the Better Business Bureau on 5/13/2018. It operates under the name GF Sales, LLC. It is not a BBB-accredited operation, although the company has closed two complaints filed against it since its opening.

When looking at the reviews of this Sarasota-based company, it doesn’t take long to find a lot of consumer complaints.

If you review the current ratings at SiteJabber about Guitar Fetish, you’ll find a 2.67 rating out of 5 from over 60 reviewers.

The most frequent complaint listed by previous customers involves a lack of customer service. There also seems to be several quality control problems with the orders that get shipped.

It’s not unusual for customers to attempt to contact the business through the website without success.

Although the transaction value from a cost standpoint is high, the service, shipping, quality, and returns are often rated relatively low from previous customers.

Their primary issues involve instrument finishes, shipping delays, and an inability to move orders.

In one instance, a customer stated that they purchased a guitar with a fret coming up. After asking for an exchange, Guitar Fetish said there was nothing wrong.

The consumer completed the return anyway at a self-reported cost of $70.

Reseller Ratings has an even lower review score for Guitar Fetish of 1.7 out of 5 stars. The profile has 41.2% of the current posts listed with a 1-star rating.

Are People Not Ordering the Correct Parts?

If you order replacement guitar parts from anyone other than the original manufacturer, you’re taking a small risk.

When you decide to use a discount supplier for those parts, your potential problems keep expanding.

Here’s the issue: if you inadvertently order the incorrect parts, that problem is on you.

Several of the 1-star Guitar Fetish reviews are from customers who purchased the wrong items or failed to include everything in the same order and got upset because the company took a hard line on their returns or shipping charges.

Whether you agree or disagree with that corporate philosophy is up to you.

What you can do is avoid that problem entirely by verifying that you’ve purchased the correct item.

That’s not to say that Guitar Fetish won’t make mistakes.

In one circumstance told on Reseller Ratings, the company sent the wrong tremolo claw and screws for a bridge.

According to the consumer, they failed to correct the mistake. Their advice is straightforward: “Never buy anything from them.”

There are higher ratings on the review sites that talk about the positives of a Guitar Fetish transaction.

In a 4-star rating, the reviewer talks about being happy with their hardware and the chance to get factory buyout necks for their instruments.

A 5-star Reseller Ratings review says that they’ve ordered from Guitar Fetish “a few times” and that it was an excellent experience.

What about Guitar Fetish Social Media Discussions?

You can sometimes find discussions about Guitar Fetish on social media. On the guitar Reddit, you’ll find queries about people having ordered from the site and their overall experience was with the company.

Those conversations typically fall into a pros vs. cons discussion involving things that people like about Guitar Fetish and what could get improved.

Here’s a summary of what the various online discussion typically highlight about a Guitar Fetish transaction today.

Things to Like About Guitar Fetish	Things Not to Like About Guitar Fetish
Their Strat pickups are an excellent value. As one Redditor said, “No one knows what pickups you use unless you tell them.”	If you don’t know what to purchase for your guitar, you won’t find much help available on the website.
You can also get miscellaneous guitar hardware at a discount while receiving the same quality from a local store.	The warranties you receive from Guitar Fetish are nowhere near the quality of larger, more established instrument brands or retail centers.
Screws, neck plates, strap buttons, and similar products are difficult to mess up.	You’ll find the shipping and handling costs are at the higher end of the spectrum with this company.
GFS guitar cables at Guitar Fetish are decent for the money, especially since they beat the house brand at Guitar Center.	Take care when ordering wooden parts, including bodies and necks. These items tend to be the focus of most consumer complaints.
You can grab GFS pedals that work well while providing a true bypass and a readable display.	You can find other small online stores that provide the same products for even cheaper.
The replacement Strat trem parts are about 30% the MSRP you can find at other sites.	If you purchase brand-name strings in bulk, they’re cheaper than what you can get on this site.

One reason why Guitar Fetish has high popularity levels despite their bad reviews is because of their international shipping policies.

You can place an order from overseas and have the shipping costs get automatically calculated.

That makes it a fast and easy way to get the parts you need when they might not be available for shipping from other sites or manufacturers.

Who Should Consider Using Guitar Fetish?

Guitar Fetish is an excellent resource for people who want to try playing a guitar for the first time. If you’re going to build one yourself, you’ll find plenty of parts available.

The company sells a Tele kit that is quite popular with DIY guitarists. Here’s what you can expect if you pursue this option for your playing (at your own risk).

Guitar Body:	• Guitar Fetish uses a Paulownia wood design for its body. • This option provides excellent resonance, but it also causes the instrument to become top-heavy because of the neck’s weight. • It’s softer than basswood, so you’ll need to take care when handling the instrument.
Guitar Neck:	• The maple neck and fingerboard should fit perfectly into the guitar. • It tends to be a little thicker than average, but the instrument still plays fine. • You’ll want to be careful with the oil used to finish this piece.
Bridge:	• This component is the weakest point of the Tele kit. • Several reviewers have said that the saddles don’t fit correctly.
Tuners:	• If you don’t mind using budget-friendly Chinese-made tuners for your guitar, the Tele kit makes sense. • The guitar stays in tune, but some of them move more than the others.
Electronics:	• The Tele kit comes with a pre-wired control plate. • This area of the build tends to be where the guitar has the most strength for DIY players.
Fretwork:	• You won’t get as much action with this kit as you would with an authentic Telecaster. • What you do get with the fretwork is almost impossibly high, which you can fix a little by adjusting your string gauge. • You’ll also want to verify that your frets are level.
Strings:	• You’ll need to replace the strings you get on the Tele kit from Guitar Fetish. • They’re not worth using.
Price:	• Since you can get a Tele-style body for under $100, it’s worth considering.

Here’s the issue with Guitar Fetish that you’ll need to think about as a musician. Is there a copyright problem involved with your order?

Let’s use an example from a Tele body listing. It’s cut from white poplar, painted in metallic indigo, and uses two humbuckers.

“We route each body to the exact 1961 Telecaster body specs,” the listing says, “using MY OWN 1961 Tele Custom as the template.

This is a level of quality that YOU HAVE NOT SEEN at anything near this price.”

It goes on to say that the body fits “most real Fender Brand necks perfectly.”

“Most” is not the same as “all,” and that description reflects the complaints often seen on review forums about this brand.

Guitar Fetish Alternatives to Consider

When I think about Guitar Fetish, there’s some good stuff to consider. The GFS electronics are an excellent value, especially when you want to add pedals to your rig.

You can add some retro reverb, hi-gain, or overdrive for less than $100. Earl Slick says he uses them as part of his touring setup, and there’s no reason to doubt him!

Even if you plan to build a guitar yourself or need parts to update or repair your existing instrument, Guitar Fetish prices are worth considering.

As long as you know what you’re doing, I’ve found some excellent deals available there.

What I might avoid is an instrument purchase. If I want to play a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster, I will purchase the real thing from a reputable dealer.

When I pick up a Fender, the Player Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar is my preferred choice. It uses an alder body with more of a modern profile that makes playing comfortable.

It uses middle and neck pickups with a two-point tremolo bridge for a smoother strum and enhanced accuracy.

I also love the Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster with maple, basswood, and cherry wood. It delivers an incredible resonance with a lovely sunburst pattern that stands out on the stage.

It uses Pearly Gates and Seymour Duncan 59 pickups to provide that phenomenal sound you’d expect from a Tele.

If you want an instrument that’s comfortable and easy to play, I’d highly recommend an authentic Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster.

The Strat and Tele style delivers a consistent experience for beginners and experts to take their playing to the next level.

When you want to take a DIY approach to your guitar or try to fix it with budget-friendly parts, Guitar Fetish offers a viable alternative.

As long as you’ve done your due diligence with the brand, you’ll find that it could be a rewarding experience.