Tarheel72 Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 I would appreciate opinions and reports on any experience you might have with warranty issues that are cosmetic related. I sent an email with photos to Epi/Gibson but no response yet. Briefly, I purchased a Pelham Blue SG Pro on the spur of the moment while on a trip to another state in September 2012. A few weeks later after returning home I noticed the tops of both PU covers had small dents in them near the center, really they are small lines about 1 mm in length. The dents are more visible when viewed in the light at an angle as opposed to head on. I also discoved two small "dimples" under the surface of the pickguard, also visible at an angle. I decided to ignore them since I liked the guitar and it played well. Well since then I have found two more things. There is a small round impression in the tail, just above the strap button. It is pretty obvious it was there when the finish was applied. And just a few weeks ago I had it out in the light and at an angle I noticed whiteish streaks in the finish on both the front and back. It is almost like something was in the blue finish when it was applied or something rubbed over it. It is not on the top coat, I don't think, since it feels smooth and shines just like the rest of the surface. But it is difinitely not supposed to be there. I decided I had enough and wrote to see if Gibson would do anything about it. If they don't make this anymore I am OK if they will somehow work with GC to allow me to get credit for my purchase and I will get another current SG model. So what do you guys think? Did I wait too long and am I out of luck now? Here are a few pics of what I am talking about: Ignore the reddish color, that must just be a reflection of the surroundings. The surface is all blue except for these whiteish swirl sort of streaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I think you waited too long and these are just minor issues anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Minor issues. Play it, and eventually it will have a lot more cosmetic anomalies than what you have shown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 These are unacceptable anomalies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Vonnegut Fan Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Like it or not, the warranty is expressly limited to defects that negatively affect playability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel72 Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 Like it or not, the warranty is expressly limited to defects that negatively affect playability. So if I can't play worth crap when I look at these things, then does that mean I am covered? Just asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halloway Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Edit: *ignore me I was looking at the wrong photo!* Am I the only one who thinks that the neck is coming away from the body?? If not that then it looks at least like it has taken a hard knock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Well that picture was an example of something that's beyond cosmetic issues, however the Original Poster doesn't own that one, Crust was giving examples. usually the warranty doesn't cover anything finish or cosmetic related. I don't think GC will do much about it but maybe it's worth a try. All that stuff (or most of it) could have easily happened while at Guitar Center. customers who are "window shopping" will eventually beat the hell out of them, and just put em back and grab another one. you can probably buff out the "swirls" that you are seeing.. get some scratch remover.. do some googles. there's some products out there to do this made just for nitro. the dent.. that looks fixable if you can take it to someone that knows what they are doing, but probably more expensive than it's worth. the dents in the pup-covers,, not much you can do.. putting new covers on is a bit of a chore. of course, if you don't like the pups,, you could always change em,, but then you're into additional bucks. the only advice here,, as has been said,, just over time, try to ignore them, eventually you wont care as much as you do today and... the chances are that you're probably going to add your own "relicing" touches over time are pretty good... s---t happens..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel72 Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 you can probably buff out the "swirls" that you are seeing.. get some scratch remover.. do some googles. there's some products out there to do this made just for nitro. Those swirls or whatever they are are definitely not surface blemishes, they are under the poly coat and a part of the Blue finish on the wood. The top coat is smooth and shiny. As for the dents, I agree except those little lines are on both covers, around the center. I don't know how you could do that, especially with the stings on. To get a mark like that the cover would have to be pretty dented, and yet the covers are hardly "dented" at all. It is more like something scratched the cover when it passed over the surface, top to bottom. As I said, you can hardly see the dent head on, but from the side it shows up more, mostly due to the fact that the "scratch" reflects the light and show up. Not much to do about it I guess. I was just looking for feedback so thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott0 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 So if I can't play worth crap when I look at these things, then does that mean I am covered? Just asking. [laugh] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleeko Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Interesting thread. It raises the question in my mind at least what exactly is considered a "2nd" by the factory? Usually it's a small blem or inperfection somewhere. :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 well,, good luck with it.. I'm sure in time, you'll be cool with it.. sucks for now tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel72 Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 I got an email back from Gibson CS and it was pretty generic so I am not sure if they even read my email. It looks like they want me to take it in and have someone else tell me that it is not covered. If they truly will not cover cosmetic issues it would be nice if they would say that up front so I don't waste my time and gas taking it in to a service center to hear the bad news. I guess I will try to call first and see what the service center has to say. Here is the response: Hello, Thank you for writing, and we're sorry to hear of the issue with your product. If you are the original owner with a valid proof of purchase, you should contact one of our Authorized Warranty Service Centers to arrange a warranty evaluation for your guitar: http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Support/WarrantyServiceInformation/ Thank you for the inquiry, and I hope this helps! Best regards, Garrett Hamilton Gibson Customer Service 1-800-4GIBSON www.gibson.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Interesting thread. It raises the question in my mind at least what exactly is considered a "2nd" by the factory? Usually it's a small blem or inperfection somewhere. :unsure: Not sure if Epiphone still employs this practice, but Gibson no longer marks guitars as factory seconds, which is unfortunate. When that was common form, such a guitar would be discounted to the dealer, and the discount could then be passed on to the customer. Today, the most typical recourse for the buyer of a Gibson is to examine the guitar carefully and negotiate a price based on the flaws. This can of course be done in-store, but I've also successfully done this with internet purchases by sending photos to the retailer and working with their customer service. If they don't come up with a reasonable compromise, you can simply send the guitar back, but obviously you've got to be within the full return-refund period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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