Ami Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hello everyone, Few weeks ago I purchased my new dreamy Gibson Les Paul Standard Premium Plus Gold Top. On my first day at home I started playing and Boom ! the 1st string got stuck between the metal frets and the neck frame... All over the neck there is a gap between the frets and the frame. does anyone know how this thing could have happened ? is this flaw should be repaired or my guitar should be replaced ? Thanks ! Ami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hello Ami, and welcome to the Forums! You mean between the frets and plastic fret ends (called nibs), that are formed from the white binding? Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottpaine_69 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hello everyone, Few weeks ago I purchased my new dreamy Gibson Les Paul Standard Premium Plus Gold Top. On my first day at home I started playing and Boom ! the 1st string got stuck between the metal frets and the neck frame... All over the neck there is a gap between the frets and the frame. does anyone know how this thing could have happened ? is this flaw should be repaired or my guitar should be replaced ? Thanks ! Ami. Do you have any pics. of the problem you could post? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Ok, are we talking about this: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/116011-correcting-nib-separation-on-les-pauls/? If so, it can be repaired. It happens, not a big deal. However, if You aren't confident with the process, (and not too attached to Your new guitar) exchange it with a better built one. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ami Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hey bence and scottpaine_69 Thanks very much for your reply! indeed this is exactly the place. all over my guitar there is a gap between this nib (as shown on Bence pic)and the fret. unfortunately the guitar is in the main service lab for inspection so I don't have any pics right now. should have the guitar back by the end of this week. the store refuses to replace the guitar and suggesting a repair... well I feel kinda crappy with the idea of having a brand new guitar being fixed after coming with a flaw from the manufacturer... also I would love to hear if any of you have any idea about the repairing process. Cheers, Ami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hello Ami! If You google "Gibson nib separation" or such, You'll find the so-called super-glue method being the most popular approach for fixing this issue. It means, that You apply white super glue in multiple steps to a gap, until it becomes in level with the frets, then using fine sandpapers or file, You finalize the shape. I was quite concerned about the above described process. Due to the mess it can do on a fretboard, and my shaky hands, I was thinking about something else, and a permanent solution. So I did melt the nibs, and pushed them against the frets with a small blade and filed them to shape (as described in the link above). Another options: complete refretting, either with longer frets (that overlap the binding), or with the same kind of frets and forming new nibs by melting binding pieces in acetone. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 hmm this just don't seem right.. this is a new Gold Top? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottpaine_69 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 hmm this just don't seem right.. this is a new Gold Top? I agree! For a problem like this on a new guitar I would rather have them replace the guitar instead of fixing it. I mean if a tuning key wasn't working correctly I can see fixing that but if I had the problem above I would want a new guitar period. I think it B.S. If the dealer doesn't want to exchange it for a new guitar. Gibson has a lifetime warrenty for a reason. I would insist on a replacement guitar and if the dealer doesn't want to do it I would contact Gibson and see what they will do for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ami Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hey guys, Thanks Bence for the info. I will look into it just to know what are my options. but to be honest I m too afraid of doing such a procedure. right now I m in negotiations with the dealer to replace the guitar because it is brand new and there is no chance on earth I would have bought it in the first place if just had the time to play on it in the store instead of running home and let it sit for 2 weeks in its case (I know, I know... but I have ph.D to finish) :-( anyway does any of you know how to reach a certified Gibson service or tech support personnel ? cause I phoned the number listed on the website and every representative told me something else and I didn't receive an answer to my mails... Cheers everyone ! Ami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 as far as I know, Customer Service should be the ones to find you an Authorized Repair person in your area. Then again, that may be a different challenge if outside of the USA -- where are you located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Shalom my friend! Probably a good idea to negotiate with the dealer. They should be able to exchage the guitar with gibson. If the guitar sounds good and you don't want to exchange it the fix wouldn't be terribly difficult/expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hello Ami, welcome here, I'm sorry you joined due to such a bad luck. In 2012 I returned a Les Paul Standard Premium for a similar reason: The E1st was blown off the fretboard already by a medium downstroke when fingered at 2nd or 3rd fret. It wasn't that easy for me since I honestly didn't find another one competing with the tone of this particular one up to now, but that's life. Sadly I can't help you from here other than supporting the idea of returning the instrument for a full refund or replacement. I also wish you good luck and success in your Ph.D. examination, Ami! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokairic Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Unfortunately defects on brand new Gibson guitars, in all the price brackets, are fairly common. I like Gibson guitars and would love them to be the best in the world - BUT that will never be the case until Gibson step up and start improving standards and quality control. Instead they seem to spend more on advertising B/S and hike up their prices. I have three Gibsons, all purchased new, and one out of three is an acceptable standard. Even then the parts you don't generally see (inside the cavities) are poorly cut and ragged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokairic Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Hello everyone, Few weeks ago I purchased my new dreamy Gibson Les Paul Standard Premium Plus Gold Top. On my first day at home I started playing and Boom ! the 1st string got stuck between the metal frets and the neck frame... All over the neck there is a gap between the frets and the frame. does anyone know how this thing could have happened ? is this flaw should be repaired or my guitar should be replaced ? Thanks ! Ami. Hi Ami, this is not unusual - I have a Les Paul Supreme where it is difficult to stop the1st string falling off the edge of the fretboard when fretting it. I have recut the nut on my brand new Gibson to sort my problem, but why should we have to do this on brand new guitars and call it normal or in any way acceptable? Push for a replacement guitar or a refund (it may be difficult to find a Gibson with no issues at all) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Hello Ami! I understand Your situation, there are no official Gibson dealers in Israel, according to Gibson.com. The guitar I had the similiar issue with, was bought by a special order from a Hungarian shop which had a cooperation with an official dealership in Poland. So, they sent me one guitar - without the chance to choose from many. And to be honest: I didn't find out the problem immediately. A local luthier with good reputation, was reluctant to deal with this issue, so I collected my courage and did it on my own. And it turned out to be great! The great results also boosted my self-confidence, and by now, I am setting up my instruments on my own! And still learning new stuff day after day. I posted about my first attempts at fret levelling: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/118680-fret-levelling-and-dressing/ Now, I am exploring the finish repair tricks. Doing luthier works is an exciting adventure on it's own! I encourage You too, - first - be very stubborn and force the seller to replace Your instrument! It's unacceptable! But if that fails, I'd enter into the world of instrument repairs. Good luck... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ami Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Hey guys ! Thank you all very much for your support and encouragement! indeed it is true that all musicians are great people:) anyway, the manager of the company that imports and distribute Gibson guitars spoke with me today saying that he will replace my guitar approximately when hell freezes over and Jimi page will do a private concert in his living room... (my interpretation of what he said). he stated that Gibson will not replace the guitar for him so he cant replace it for me. So now I m exchanging mails with Gibson to clarify this statement and see if he is lying to my face. if what he say is true then I have no choice of fixing it. after spending hours and hours checking every guitar brand available in dozens of stores, my ears got fixed on this Les Paul. I was a heavy metalist (still am sometimes... ;-) playing Jackson Kelly Custom for 20 years, I wanted to learn and change a little bit my stile (I guess getting old changes stuff hehe) and I immediately fell for this guitar. It gives a little bitter taste to know that such a brand releases an instrument without proper QC... nevertheless, the sound of that guitar made me a goose skin the first time I played it. So in the end I will stay with it with or without a replacement...(prefer With:) will keep you posted. Cheers, Ami Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Hey guys ! Thank you all very much for your support and encouragement! indeed it is true that all musicians are great people:) anyway, the manager of the company that imports and distribute Gibson guitars spoke with me today saying that he will replace my guitar approximately when hell freezes over and Jimi page will do a private concert in his living room... (my interpretation of what he said). he stated that Gibson will not replace the guitar for him so he cant replace it for me. So now I m exchanging mails with Gibson to clarify this statement and see if he is lying to my face. if what he say is true then I have no choice of fixing it. after spending hours and hours checking every guitar brand available in dozens of stores, my ears got fixed on this Les Paul. I was a heavy metalist (still am sometimes... ;-) playing Jackson Kelly Custom for 20 years, I wanted to learn and change a little bit my stile (I guess getting old changes stuff hehe) and I immediately fell for this guitar. It gives a little bitter taste to know that such a brand releases an instrument without proper QC... nevertheless, the sound of that guitar made me a goose skin the first time I played it. So in the end I will stay with it with or without a replacement...(prefer With:) will keep you posted. Cheers, Ami Why do people do that? Why does any story of woe eventually become a QC rant. Your guitar was built in North America, in a given season, in a given humidity. It was then packed and sent out to a distributor who stored it. Eventually they sent it to a shop who sold it to you on the far side of the world. Wood changes shape with the seasons and the locale. Your dealer should have spotted that the binding had come away from the fret ends and returned the guitar to the distributor without ever selling it. They didn't, instead they sold it without checking it and now they want to make it your problem. I have no idea about the law where you are but in the UK his problem with his supplier is just that, his problem. You have a contract of sale with your dealer and that is your only legal recourse. Gibson will get involved on occasion when the relationship with the dealer is breaking down. They aren't obliged to but they are a brand after all. Maintaining the reputation of the brand matters to them. We used to have a dreadful distributor here in the UK. Rossetti I think they were called. They used to really resist returns and everyone seemed to know they were selling the returns cheap to non dealers but no one stopped it. Gibson eventually took over the distribution themselves. It's all handled in the Netherlands. I think the whole of Europe is, not sure, anyway, I digress... I would walk in to the shop with it, demand my money back and wait. If I got a refusal I would pull the ready prepared notice of intention to commence litigation from my pocket, present it and wait. If I still got a refusal I would speak directly to gibson (thus far this has happened to me, minus the litigation notification, but this action resolved it), next I'd go to Trading Standards (the legal authority in such matters here) and failing that (it wouldn't fail) I'd instruct a solicitor (lawyer). I think you'll find approaching Gibson is the way to go. I think they'll pull the right strings for you. I can tell you Jason, who has been known to interact here under the Customer Service moniker, solved a problem with a new guitar for me very swiftly. If you end up dealing with him you're on a winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Why do people do that? Why does any story of woe eventually become a QC rant. The internet has made everyone an expert on everything, and everyones expectations are to be exceeded each and every time they buy something, which is the only thing people are really good at. "they'll sell a guitar to anyone these days". I often say it, and I always mean it. Most don't know which end does what, but boy they sure know quality when they hear about it on the net. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 The internet has made everyone an expert on everything, and everyones expectations are to be exceeded each and every time they buy something, which is the only thing people are really good at. "they'll sell a guitar to anyone these days". I often say it, and I always mean it. Most don't know which end does what, but boy they sure know quality when they hear about it on the net. rct Yep. Mmmm Hmmm. That sounds about right. I do think a replacement guitar is in order though, if that's what's wanted. Somehow a repaired new item isn't the same. I do get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Think I'll go home and check my nibs tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 The internet has made everyone an expert on everything, and everyones expectations are to be exceeded each and every time they buy something, which is the only thing people are really good at. "they'll sell a guitar to anyone these days". I often say it, and I always mean it. Most don't know which end does what, but boy they sure know quality when they hear about it on the net. rct Considering problems due to poor workmanship, a key expertise and a key awareness is the following: Regardless if there are nibs or not, stay away from guitars with any visible fret bevelings towards the fretboard edges. Anything but barely noticeable deburring invites trouble and is enough reason to reject the instrument despite of everything else. I don't like to admit it, but as you may have read in my previous post here, I also learned the hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I'm sure it won't be hard to find a lawyer in israel! I'm kidding, bad joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ami Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Het again guys, after a long absence I came to give an update about my guitar. so... after I got no response from Gibson's personnel over the E-mail (3 !! mails)... I went to the offices of our distributer knocking on some doors and tables demanding a replacement, I got to the manager and he told me that he heard of my problem and that many other people that purchased a les Paul 2013 (from any series, even custom) complained about this issue. they all got a big no for replacement. after we spoke a little about how F%&*ed up it is and that there is nothing he can do because Gibson will not replace the guitar for him (I saw the mails between them). so I took my guitar and headed back to my car. as I exited the offices I came across a dude that was with me in my military service. Why is it important ? because that dude works at the main storage warehouse of the shop I purchased the guitar (the owner of this shop is also the distributer). he told me that the guy who sold me the guitar is a friend of him and he will try to talk to him in order to replace the guitar for me in his shop (he is an authorized dealer). it worked. after a week I went back to the shop to open my new guitar. I opened the box, took the plastic out, removed opened the case and grabbed the new guitar. AND ! the frikken same problem WTF I mean seriously ? the guy at the shop said "no way !" I looked at him and he told me "that's it man, I cant do anything anymore". in the same breath he told me that the best luthier in the country is 20 drive from his shop and I should pay him a visit. so, he called him to see if he is available. the luthier ask what is the problem... after few minutes he said "well I can fix it for about 150$ or you can fix it for 15$" I asked how and he said "just install a 0.10 strings you Fu$% head"... needless to say that he was right. problem solved... its not getting stuck and I can play smooth. I just need to get used to 0.10 (from 0.8 on my Jackson Kelly). and I like the sound even more now.... in one number - 0.10 !!! LOL Thanks everyone for all your support and for your tips !! Ami Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iperfungus Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Hello Ami... My personal experience with the same issue with a 2013 Standard SG: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/118573-gibson-sg-standard-2013-and-high-e-string-issues/ Never forget about that thing called WARRANTY..... :) I think that this should work in Israel too, notwithstanding the whole situation there. I use 010 strings since many years and I can assure that this would not fix the issue....it can make it worst, instead. PRETEND the dealer to give you another brand new guitar with NO DEFECTS, if there's no way to fix ALL the issues under warranty. Or ask your money back and give him the guitar back. Another option would be to contact Gil Yaron, but this means costs for you. http://gilyaronguitars.com/ No doubts: Gibson is going the wrong way. They know about this issues....and, since 2014, they removed overfret binding from EVERY F*****G guitar with bound fretboard from USA catalog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billymagnum Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 PRETEND the dealer to give you another brand new guitar with NO DEFECTS HEY DEALER!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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