Safe Haven Music — Attraction in Town of Hempstead

I took my guitar to this Shop for a setup in January. the first time I’ve ever had it professionally set up in the 6-7 years I’ve owned it. When I got it back, I noticed the input jack was loose, something that had never been an issue before. Over time, the jack loosened even more, eventually causing the internal wire to disconnect because it was too short to handle the movement.

Why didn’t I take it back immediately after realizing it was loose? Because like the majority of people who live in Long Beach and work in the city, my schedule doesn’t align with a guitar shop that is only open on weekdays from 11 AM to 6 PM. I simply didn’t have time to do it. But as soon as the opportunity arose for my significant other to take the guitar in for me, I called them immediately, explained what was going on, and arranged for her to drop it off. And to be honest, after the tone of our last conversation, I believe that even if I had brought it back earlier, they probably would’ve charged me a bench fee just to tighten the input jack.

When I finally got in touch with them, I expected them to at least take responsibility for inspecting it. Instead, they immediately blamed me, claiming that because I tried to finger-tighten the jack (which wouldn’t have been necessary if they had secured it properly), I was responsible for the damage.

It makes no sense why a shop would go out of their way to avoid taking responsibility for such a minor issue, especially when fixing it would have cost them almost nothing in time or effort. Instead, they chose to shift blame and potentially lose a customer (and future business) over something they could have resolved in minutes.

It’s not like I was asking for a full refund on a setup or trying to get something expensive for free. I just wanted them to fix something that shouldn’t have been a problem in the first place. The fact that they assumed I was trying to hustle them over an input jack repair is ridiculous.

They also tried to downplay the situation, saying that this “happens to guitars all the time” and is a common issue. But in the six years I’ve owned this guitar, I never once had this problem, until after they worked on it. No matter how many times I pointed this out, they didn’t seem to care. It felt like they were determined to blame me rather than acknowledge that their work played a role in the issue.

A reputable shop should stand by their work and at least be willing to inspect an issue that arose immediately after service. Instead, they refused to fix it unless I paid for the repair.

If you want a shop that actually takes accountability and values customer service, I’d recommend going literally...

I purchased a used Gretsch G5422TG in Walnut Stain finish from Safe Haven Music after seeing it listed on Reverb for a VERY reasonable price. It was a Made in Korea (MIK) model, which I was searching for, given that manufacturing of the Gretsch Electromatic line moved to China ☹️ in recent years. My existing Gretsch was a 2012 MIK Orange stain G5420T and I loved it! However, it needed a sibling and the Walnut-stained 5422TG double-cut was irresistible. I found a used MIK one online at a music store in Texas. That price was good, too, and there were lots of pics online. The shop ad promised the buyer would be receiving the very same guitar advertised…even included the MIK serial number. Too good to be true? Yup. After I purchased the guitar, I instead received a used Made in China model, circa 2021. The shop owner was apologetic for the error and paid for shipping the guitar back, providing a full refund as soon as they received the guitar. Still, I was rather unhappy and now questioning the merits of online purchasing of used gear. Undaunted, my hunt for another MIK Gretsch Electromatic resumed. I found a new listing at Safe Haven a day later - serendipity! I couldn’t believe it…a mint MIK Walnut Stain G5422TG for a great price. I IM’d shop owner Brendan through Reverb. He confirmed that, yes, the guitar was still available and, yes, was MADE IN KOREA. A few IMs later the deal was done and I purchased the axe! It arrived via UPS within days and was everything I hoped it would be. It’s a beautiful guitar and was MINT. Brendan and the team at Safe Haven packed it like a work of fine art…one of the best packing jobs I’ve ever experienced for a “used” guitar ordered online (even from GC). If I ever need another instrument or used piece of musical gear, I’ll contact Brendan and the Safe Haven team first. They communicate openly with me and there was no BS. They’re professional, honest and, obviously, understand how to run a successful business! They also understand and fully appreciate a musician’s obsession with finding THE specific instrument they’re seeking. I couldn’t be happier with my experience at Safe Haven Music! IMHO, you can’t go wrong with them! Thanks...

I would avoid this company if I were you. Apparently, they can't be trusted if there's a problem.

I got a good deal on a used Gretsch G5220 Jet electric from them. It arrived quickly, well packaged and in good condition.

But I soon found that it wouldn't stay in tune. I got it set up as I would with any guitar, but the problem persisted. It wouldn't stay in tune for more than a few minutes.

The jack also crapped out after I had the guitar for only three months!

I finally took it to a well known guitar builder and he told me that the nut was hopeless. I didn't want to throw the instrument away and I couldn't sell it to someone else in good conscience. To solve the problem, the builder created a compensated nut which entailed adding a second piece of bone to the original nut.

Drastic, but it solved the problem. You can see the repair in the photo below.

Throughout this process I kept emailing Brendan Zereno at Safe Haven asking him to pay for the repair as he had sold me a defective product. He got back to me initially and then ghosted me whenever I sent him another message.

I hate giving bad reviews. I asked Brendan over and over to work with me on this and all I got back was silence.

I won't be doing any more business...