I am really late to the party. I was talking to lawyers (for work) all day.
I have received some basses in boxes in really rough shape. I have received basses with almost no packaging. Basses are unexpectedly resilient in shipping. To me, no harm no foul
So glad we have much clearer customer rights and trade descriptions in the UK. Returns canāt be resold as new as they have been āusedā likewise āex-demoā
No, this is not normalā¦. But if the bass is alright you might want to keep it? Returning a bass is a hassle too.
Most entry basses/guitars donāt come with a fancy gig bag or extra tools. Should there be a gigbag included for this model?
Thanks for all the helpful, common sense, and entertaining responses.
Here is a final summary and āLessons Learnedā to close the loop on this thread.
I decided to keep the bass (and made it official by posting on the Show Us Your Bass Part 2 thread last night after:
Bottom line: I have a beautiful BB734A sitting next to me that I can pick up and play whenever I want. Which is like all the time.
So in answer to my original question:
Does this sound like what I should expect for a nice, new, full-price Yamaha from Guitar Center?
The answer is: Yes.
Itās the same here. Some companies just have thicker skins, lol.
Worst, but unfortunately also most common reply from customer reps these days, it seems 
It should have shipped in a Yamaha box, foam and bubble wrapped, with a manual and allen keys. It looks like the one you received was a return or a floor model. As such, it should be discounted. How does it play? If it plays nice, I would go the route of trying to get some GC credit. If it doesnt play nice, it is going to drive you crazy for the rest of the time that you own it and I would send back.
You can always get the manual online, and eventually you will have a pile of allen keys. If the bass is in good condition otherwise, and you like the way it plays, I would keep (with a credit 
)
Edit: Just read your updated post. I hope you have had a chance to bond with it.
This is most important and very cool.
Iām not entirely clear. Do you get to keep it and get the modest refund?
Yes, I really like it. I do need to set it up, but Iām ready to learn this, and I have the loaner bass and a cheap Kramer 6-string to practice on before undertaking the 734. Iām set on things like hex keys and screwdrivers from other hobbies, and Amazon Prime is delivering a Music Nomad gauge set tomorrow. Basically the GC experience is in my rear view mirror and Iām moving on.
Yes. It didnāt make me feel all warm and fuzzy about GC, but it was better than shipping it back and waiting for who knows how long to get a backordered pretty bass in a nice box. Like I said above, this whole deal is now in the rear view mirror and Iām just looking forward to taking Billie Jean to new levels on this beauty. 
Postscript and happy resolution: Guitar Center vs. Sweetwater
This is more detailed than many people here will want to read, but my experience may benefit other relative noobs pondering on-line ordering options.
I held on to my Guitar Center BB734 for almost three weeks. During that time I did the best I could to set it up armed with my Music Nomad kit and the best videos I could find (including Joshās first pass on the one he just released).
I played it every day, and:
I called up GC and confirmed their 45-day return policy: I could return the bass to a local store without any RA, and no need to pack it up and ship it back.
I then called up Sweetwater and asked if they could give me a ballpark availability on their backordered BB734s. My new best friend forever Sales Engineer (Jack) estimated āby the end of the monthāāwhich I took to mean end of June, but no guarantees of course. Same price as GC. Then he added some great incentives since I was a new customer coming to them after a less-than-stellar experience elsewhere.
My original rationale for holding onto my disappointing GC bass was that they were backordered, possibly until August. A bass in the hand was worth two in theā¦container ship. But I had crossed the tipping point: I didnāt trust the bass I had, was beginning to actually dislike it, and living with a backorder for a few weeks was now definitely worth it. I was also curious to see how Sweetwater would stack up against GC in an apples to apples comparison.
I returned the first bass to a local GC store a week ago Friday. In fairness, I will give GC five stars for ease of return under their 45 day policy.
Three days later when the refund hit my credit card I called Sweetwater and pulled the trigger on the new BB734. I settled down for month-long wait. The friend who had loaned me the old RBX 170 that got me through the B2B course graciously loaned it to me again so I wouldnāt go through bass withdrawal.
This is where things really started to turn around. Clouds parted, rainbows appeared, and my First Real Bass experience began to feel like it should have all along.
In just a few days I was notified that Sweetwater was processing my order. Apparently āend of monthā meant āend of Mayā not June. Two days ago, FedEx notified me that my package was on the way.
It was delivered this morning. If you havenāt read the top of this thread or seen the photos there, you may want to do so for comparison.
Here is what I got today:
Sturdy outer shipping box that had not been used at least twice earlier, and which did not look like the truck had rolled over on an Interstate.
The original Yamaha shipping box, which was beautifully secured inside the outer box with form-fitting packaging. The Yamaha box was sealed with Sweetwater tape indicating that their workshop had opened the box, performed their work*, and repackaged everything.
A beautiful gig bag, containing the bass.
A plastic bag containing documentation and adjustment tools.
Signed certificates documenting the 55 point inspection and setup*.
The empty packaging from a set of Ernie Ball Regular Slinkies*.
A Thank You flyer with a Sweetwater sticker.
Two bags of Sweetwater candy.
Note that I havenāt even addressed the bass yet.
Itās beautiful.
So beautiful that I actually felt like I should be wearing white gloves to handle it.
I tuned it up and spent an hour testing it and playing it through my Rumble 40. Action is perfect. Intonation is spot on. It feels and sounds great.
This is the experience I was hoping for almost a month ago. Sweetwater delivered it.
FYI.
ā-----------------
Very nice. And are you saying your previous one didnāt come with the gig bag? Yamaha ships all BB734Aās in their premium gig bag in the box, and it is a very very nice gig bag - the best I have ever owned, in fact. If your first one didnāt come with that it was definitely not new.
Looks like you are all set. Brand new, well set up, and one of the best basses out there.
Big congrats on your maiden voyage Sweetwater experience! Those guys are a class act. Theyāre sure not the cheapest around (they charge me TEXAS sales tax, where others of my faves donāt), but they are rock-solid dependable. Iāve bought basses and gear from them, and returned stuff, too. Always a pleasure, never a problem. Enjoy your NEW bass!
Correct. And when the GC rep finally relented and offered a modest ($25) refund on that first BB734, he said it was to āput it toward a gig bagā. Now that I see what I should have received, Iām even more appalled.
Thanks, @MikeC. They really have lived up to their rep, and they have gained a very loyal customer.
Wow $25 for a decent gigbag? This rep has no clue 
Especially since the free Yamaha one it was supposed to ship with is easily comparable to a $150 gig bag. (It routinely sells for that when you can find it)
Sorry Iām late to the party, but I just came across this post. I had a very similar experience with a bass I ordered from GC a few years ago, and promptly returned it. It appears that GC has a policy of trying to pass off returned or blemished items as new and selling them as such to the unsuspecting public. I have since ceased any business with GC (for a multitude of reasons), and switched my allegiance to the much more customer focused, Sweetwater.
I hope since you posted this you have gotten some satisfactory resolution.
Again, sorry for the late response.
-Pam
Pam, Iām sitting on top of the world right now. My initial experience makes me appreciate all the more what I have now.
I just feel sorry for the next poor, unwitting owner of that first 734. I returned it to my local store on a Friday, and by Monday it was listed as āIn stockā at that storeā¦full price. They will keep selling it as new until they find somebody who wonāt question it.
When I returned the Ray 5 that they tried to pass off as new, the Manager who was behind the counter offered no apology as he routinely issued my refund in a ābusiness as usualā manner.
This is among a passel of reasons GC is in Chapter 11
Lots of basses no longer come with manuals or registration cards.
Most basses from GC are store display models, they have very limited stock in a box anymore.
Return it and buy from Sweetwater or ask for a discount.
PRO TIP - never buy anything from either Sweetwater or GC without calling the 800 number first and asking for a discount straight away, you normally will get one.
GC does zero pre shippment checks, Sweetwater does though.
Depending on make of bass, a lot of these things donāt come with it, and, if they do, are tossed if it goes on the wall of GC. Not sure if these do, but IIRC they do not come with any bag/case etc.
