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Fretboard imperfection


NewtyBoy

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Hey all,

 

Got my first ever Gibson yesterday, a Les Paul Studio 2015 in wine red colour. I was surprised that when I got it, all was not perfect. I assumed after watching a youtube video on how strict the quality control checks are, they missed (or deemed it acceptable) to have a clear imperfection on the fretboard. It is a small grove of missing wood about 3/4 of an inch long on the second fret. Below is a photo.

 

I guess my question is, is this acceptable for a £900 guitar to have this type of imperfection, or should I return it?

 

Thanks,

 

Adam

 

2hchxdu.jpg

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NewtyBoy,

 

Maybe it is the straight-on photo perspective, but I personally cannot see the imperfection.

Can you take another photo from a slightly different angle?

Maybe then some shadows will appear that would enhance the crevice.

 

All that aside, if you are unhappy with the guitar, you should return it for a full refund.

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Oh, okay.

Is it the long triangular sliver directly parallel the space between the A string and the D string in the 2nd photo, and between the top E string and the A string in the first photo?

 

That is indeed atypical work for Gibson.

 

My opinion;

If you are truly unhappy with it, I would return it for a full refund.

 

If, however, the guitar plays well, sounds great, and stays in tune, I would personally hang onto it.

At that point, it's kind of like a really beautiful wife who is really fit and emotionally stable, but happens to have a small scar on her cheek.

Something I could live with.

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Cheers,

 

Seems to play well and stays in tune (of course it's new, so it needs tweaking often). The Gforce tuner works perfectly and has no issues as of yet. I know some people have issues with the tuner, so thats a major plus. I also hear the zero fret brass nut is an issue for some people, but time will tell on mine.

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.

Welcome.

 

Sorry the purchase of your first Gibson led to this dilemma.

 

Not sure on this one. It doesn't appear too deep in the photos, but if it's deep that's not good. If this was a internet purchase, a return with money back would be advisable. If possible, you should select your future purchases in person. There are a lot of risks when buying online, unseen and untried, and one is retailers who restock returns.

 

OTOH, it plays well, stays in tune and the Gforce works as it should. In the case of an exchange - If the divot isn't too deep and not getting in the way there on the 2nd fret, I might be inclined to keep it rather than exchange it because you could end up with a guitar you don't like for other reasons.

 

 

.

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Thanks for the replies.

 

I gave it thought over the weekend and decided that I just could not live with it. If it were simply visual, I would not have worried. But it is noticeable to the touch too. I fear over time, it may even get worse as the string may cause it to deepen further. I really am a fussy bugger when it comes to quality and I figure a finger board is a really important part to a guitar. I did think that it may be worth keeping as everything else seemed fine, but then I thought that not replacing it out of fear of getting an even worse guitar was insane. They should all be of high quality, even what Gibson may consider an entry level model. For £900 ($1350), I still think a guitar should be free from imperfection, even if they are using a lesser grade of materials. Of course, I know a $6000 guitar is and should be better, but that doesn't mean the $1350 model should have issues.

 

I came to the conclusion that if I had played the guitar in a shop (this was mail order), I would have not purchased it. That was enough reason to return it. Fingers crossed for the replacement. If I still have issues, I will simply return it again and more than likely refrain from mail order guitar purchase in the future.

 

I am going to visit the factories in Memphis and Nashville (not sure if you can tour this factory) next year so will be having words with the quality control staff ;)

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... I gave it thought over the weekend and decided that I just could not live with it. If it were simply visual, I would not have worried. But it is noticeable to the touch too. ... I really am a fussy bugger when it comes to quality...

 

I didn't catch the feel of it from your previous posts - certainly a valid reason returning the guitar and not fussy in my book.

 

Let us know how the exchange goes.

 

 

.

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Update*

 

My new replacement guitar arrived today and I'm much happier with it. Seemed much "newer" straight out the box. The other one gave me a feeling it had already been returned by someone else. Too much wear and unbagged accessories etc.

 

I went for the Manhattan Midnight (blue) colour instead. Really nice finish. Seems darker than most I've seen (which I prefer) and you can't even see the join in the two piece top. Looks like a single piece it's so seamless.

 

There is no notice or pop from the electrics and so far the g force tuner seems to be doing its job. Time will tell on the zero fret brass wear.

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