Just bought a CA Gxi but i'm returning it

jzucker · #1 07-21-2017, 06:31 AM

Bought it from washington music for $2k. It sounded great in the store but played very stiffly. I asked them to put light guage strings on it and lower the action and ship it to me in Ohio but when I got it, they either forgot to sand down the bridge or if they did it, it was barely an adjustment!

In any event, it doesn't play very well.

I don't like the pickup either!

Pretty disappointed for a $2k instrument which should play perfectly since there is no top or neck movement.

Acousticado · #2 07-21-2017, 06:56 AM

Too bad it didn't work out for you. I had an '08 GXi in gloss tobacco burst/black finish I had bought new back then (after having bought an '08 Cargo which I still have and really like), without having played first. I quite liked it...very good looking, good playability and tone, very strong bass, great sustain and a unique ring to it. Compared to other CF guitars, it is a tad on the heavy side and adjustment is limited without a truss rod. I only sold it in '12 to help fund an Emerald Chimaera 6/12 doubleneck, which I love. Back when I bought the GXi, there weren't as many CF builders and models as there are today, so a GXi would be way down my list of considerations. If I were ever to consider another CA, it would be a GX, but that is highly unlikely. My next 6 string will either be an Emerald X20, or a Rainsong or Blackbird model.

jzucker · #3 07-21-2017, 07:09 AM

One of the main reasons I got it was that I love the sound and playability of the offset sound-hole. When i play single lines, I trail my fingers lightly on the guitar top and this aspect of the offset sound-hole really works well for me.

However, I have to honestly say that my Tacoma Roadking plays and sounds better than the Gxi...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acousticado

Too bad it didn't work out for you. I had an '08 GXi in gloss tobacco burst/black finish I had bought new back then (after having bought an '08 Cargo which I still have and really like), without having played first. I quite liked it...very good looking, good playability and tone, very strong bass, great sustain and a unique ring to it. Compared to other CF guitars, it is a tad on the heavy side and adjustment is limited without a truss rod. I only sold it in '12 to help fund an Emerald Chimaera 6/12 doubleneck, which I love. Back when I bought the GXi, there weren't as many CF builders and models as there are today, so a GXi would be way down my list of considerations. If I were ever to consider another CA, it would be a GX, but that is highly unlikely. My next 6 string will either be an Emerald X20, or a Rainsong or Blackbird model.

Doubleneck · #4 07-21-2017, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

Bought it from washington music for $2k. It sounded great in the store but played very stiffly. I asked them to put light guage strings on it and lower the action and ship it to me in Ohio but when I got it, they either forgot to sand down the bridge or if they did it, it was barely an adjustment!

In any event, it doesn't play very well.

I don't like the pickup either!

Pretty disappointed for a $2k instrument which should play perfectly since there is no top or neck movement.

Too bad, it really helps if you learn to do your own adjustments. You can quickly examine your neck relief and determine if that is your issue or the saddle. If it's neck relief with a CA you send it back. I got my favorite guitar from a very well known dealer and when I got it I found the set up terrible. The saddle was reversed and the B compensation bevel was on the bass A string. Had to totally rework the saddle myself. This was a used guitar however. But there is not one guitar I have bought where I didn't have to adjust the saddle, typically way to high for me.

jzucker · #5 07-21-2017, 07:20 AM

Actually, I think it might be the neck angle causing the issue on this guitar.

But...why did they use such a horrible pickup on such an expensive instrument?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doubleneck

Too bad, it really helps if you learn to do your own adjustments. You can quickly examine your neck relief and determine if that is your issue or the saddle. If it's neck relief with a CA you send it back. I got my favorite guitar from a very well known dealer and when I got it I found the set up terrible. The saddle was reversed and the B compensation bevel was on the bass A string. Had to totally rework the saddle myself. This was a used guitar however. But there is not one guitar I have bought where I didn't have to adjust the saddle, typically way to high for me.

Acousticado · #6 07-21-2017, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

One of the main reasons I got it was that I love the sound and playability of the offset sound-hole. When i play single lines, I trail my fingers lightly on the guitar top and this aspect of the offset sound-hole really works well for me.

However, I have to honestly say that my Tacoma Roadking plays and sounds better than the Gxi...

You likely know that there are now numerous CF guitars with an offset soundhole, so if you haven't yet done so, search around this forum and the builder websites.

Doubleneck · #7 07-21-2017, 07:25 AM

Looked it up and CA is not currently making the GXI, so this must have been a used pre Peavey guitar? Some of those did have neck angle issues? After more searching looks like they just haven't updated their website? That says something as well?

jzucker · #8 07-21-2017, 07:28 AM

How does the emerald Opus compare to the Gxi? I didn't see anything about electronics on their site. Does it not come with a pickup?

Acousticado · #9 07-21-2017, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

How does the emerald Opus compare to the Gxi? I didn't see anything about electronics on their site. Does it not come with a pickup?

Apples and oranges in every way. The GXi is a specific model of CA. The Emerald Opus is one of two series of guitars offered by Emerald, the Artisan series being the other. The Artisan series offers guitars in various colors or integrated wood top options, options in neck shape and scale, pickup options, etc. The Opus series are now only offered in black CF weave with a textured ("Crystal Ice") finish and optional pickup. Although very different from the GXi, the Emerald X20 Artisan would be closest to it in terms of size and gloss finish.

benderman57 · #10 07-21-2017, 07:44 AM

Peavey did make the GXi at least for a while as I had one. They may have dropped it from their lineup.

It did not have any issues with neck angle and was a really nice guitar overall.

Carbonius · #11 07-21-2017, 09:51 AM

I played a post Peavey GXi. It played nice, I just wasn't a fan of the tone overall. I found it muddy when trying to do some melody lines while strumming chords at the same time. It was like there was a blanket on the trebles.

Pickup? Nature of the UST beast. I'm shocked when these guys cut a nice big hole in an expensive guitar for a preamp. They must get huge incentives from the pickup companies. CA still offers an Aura version which I understand sounds amazing. But the price is high!

I don't doubt the potential flaw. I had a bad go with a brand new post-Peavey OX. It was a gorgeous blue gloss guitar, but the love stopped there. I got it and the intonation was off BADLY. I know how to setup a guitar, but this was beyond some saddle shaving or even a new saddle. The strings were the stock strings, so that wasn't the issue. The intonation was so bad that the only way to fix it would have been to fill and re-cut the saddle slot. Not a very expensive fix on a wood guitar, nasty on a carbon one! So I sent it back. I had to pay shipping both ways AND a restocking fee. Shipping in Canada is more expensive than the USA, a LOT more. I was out $350!

I thought nothing could go wrong with a carbon guitar, so I didn't care about the shipping policy or re-stocking fee at the time of purchase. Problem was that this one left the factory flawed. I could have done a warranty claim, but then I have the joy of paying 2-way shipping to Peavey in the USA. Start out with a new guitar that I won't see for many months? Nope!

jzucker · #12 07-21-2017, 01:11 PM

The intonation is atrocious on mine as well though some of it may be related to the high action.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carbonius

I played a post Peavey GXi. It played nice, I just wasn't a fan of the tone overall. I found it muddy when trying to do some melody lines while strumming chords at the same time. It was like there was a blanket on the trebles.

Pickup? Nature of the UST beast. I'm shocked when these guys cut a nice big hole in an expensive guitar for a preamp. They must get huge incentives from the pickup companies. CA still offers an Aura version which I understand sounds amazing. But the price is high!

I don't doubt the potential flaw. I had a bad go with a brand new post-Peavey OX. It was a gorgeous blue gloss guitar, but the love stopped there. I got it and the intonation was off BADLY. I know how to setup a guitar, but this was beyond some saddle shaving or even a new saddle. The strings were the stock strings, so that wasn't the issue. The intonation was so bad that the only way to fix it would have been to fill and re-cut the saddle slot. Not a very expensive fix on a wood guitar, nasty on a carbon one! So I sent it back. I had to pay shipping both ways AND a restocking fee. Shipping in Canada is more expensive than the USA, a LOT more. I was out $350!

I thought nothing could go wrong with a carbon guitar, so I didn't care about the shipping policy or re-stocking fee at the time of purchase. Problem was that this one left the factory flawed. I could have done a warranty claim, but then I have the joy of paying 2-way shipping to Peavey in the USA. Start out with a new guitar that I won't see for many months? Nope!

Irishanthem · #13 07-29-2017, 04:30 AM

If the GXI was made after Peavey bought CAs assets in 2010, it is likely there is a problem with how it was made. The quality control since Peavey is making CA Guitars is very poor. Regardless of what Peavey claims about the pre-Peavey CA Guitars having poor neck angles, weak necks, etc, the truth is the pre-Peavey CA Guitars when Ellis Seal owned the company by far exceeded the quality, craftsmanship and tone of the Peavey made CAs. I have had a major nightmare with a CUSTOM COT Legacy I had built by Peavey and they won't stand behind their product. Others have had similar issues. They're making guitars with narrow nuts, etc so when you expect the guitar to have a 1.75" nut and it only has 1 11/16" or 1.69" nut width, it makes it hard to play and they won't offer a refund or replacement. Very poor quality control at CA Guitars since Peavey runs the show.

ac · #14 07-29-2017, 08:19 AM

Hopefully the Peavey rep. will respond here or privately to you to resolve these issues.

CA hasn't been too active here on this forum in past months. I suppose it's not as straightforward to respond as easily here since they are part of a big corporation with levels of bosses over bosses that need to give approval, unlike when they were a private company.

Rainsong, Blackbird, Emerald, Journey, have an advantage in this regard. They can handle customer issues rapidly when necessary. I've had personal experience with 3 of these 4 companies, and have been very impressed with their fairness and understanding and efforts to have acceptable outcomes.

I've never had a chance to play a CA guitar.