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I can't Believe a Gibson Dealership would sell This


IanHenry

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I was looking through the stock of a prominent Gibson dealership here in the U.K and found this, a new 2016 Les Paul 50's Tribute that's suffered a broken and repaired neck, and their not exactly giving it away! And some suckers bought it!

 

https://www.reidys.com/pr/electric-guitars/gibson-repaired-les-paul-2016-50s-tribute-24147/

 

You would think that authorised Gibson dealers would have to maintain high standards but it evidently not.

 

 

Ian

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...a new 2016 Les Paul 50's Tribute that's suffered a broken and repaired neck...

You would think that authorised Gibson dealers would have to maintain high standards but it evidently not...

Not wishing to start a bunfight, Ian, but I don't really consider there to be anything amiss here.

 

They state twice that it's second-hand and are extremely clear about the neck-break;

 

"Manufacturer code: GIBSON SH REPAIR LESP 2016 50S TRIB"

"About this Second Hand banjo..."

 

A far as I see the situation It's just another used, damaged+repaired guitar being sold by a dealer. What's new there?.............eusa_think.gif..............

 

As for the price? Well, they are asking £460 instead of £700 for a new one so we're talking about a 35% reduction.

I agree that they are hardly giving it away but, still, £260 off is a fair chunk of money. At least one person thought so at any rate...

 

Pip.

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Yes Pippy, they do refer to it as a "Second hand Banjo" but it's also got the full 12 month guarantee and they refer to the fact that "damage was a result of transport" so I'd believe the guitar is actually new. They were asking £460 for it but they are also asking £699 for a brand new HP model lower down the page so £460 seems like a lot of money to me regardless of it being new or second hand.

There's no doubt that they have made it clear that the guitar's been damaged, their not trying to pull the wool over anyone's, it's just that I wouldn't expect an authorised Gibson dealer to be selling sub standard goods. I would also imagine that the value guitar will have already been covered by the carriers insurance.

 

 

Ian

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...I'd believe the guitar is actually new...

I wouldn't expect an authorised Gibson dealer to be selling sub standard goods...

I would also imagine that the value guitar will have already been covered by the carriers insurance...

I don't believe the guitar to be second-hand either but by advertising it as such I'm pretty sure they are just covering themselves against possible future claims.

 

As to what they should do with it; realistically what other option do they have? They can't return it to Gibson and they could hardly be expected to throw it away. Offering it as 'Sold as Seen' for a discounted price is pretty much all they could do. Whether 35% is a fair discount is purely a balancing matter between them trying to maximise profit (or minimise loss) and the buying public trying to get a bargain.

 

The insurance point is an interesting one. I don't work in Insurance but I know that it's possible to buy-back a not-too-badly-damaged car from one's insurers after a payout has been accepted. Perhaps an agreement was reached between Reidy's and their insurers which meant that after any such insurance payout was made the instrument was bought-back and subsequently repaired and offered for sale?

 

All just speculation, of course.

 

msp_smile.gif

 

Pip.

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As to what they should do with it; realistically what other option do they have? They can't return it to Gibson and they could hardly be expected to throw it away.

 

Pip.

 

Promote it to clumsy folks such as I as 'Pre-broken'.

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msp_laugh.gif

 

...or even 'Custom Shop Road-Worn Heavily Aged'.........

 

Pip.

 

EDIT : Actually they missed a trick; they could have had it bling'd and re-finished and sold it for thousands of pounds as a "Paul Kossoff Tribute Model"....

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Yes Pippy, but regarding the insurance I'd have thought the claim would be against the carriers policy, but as you said all this is pure speculation. Got to go now, I'm traveling to Manchester to watch Thunder, stopping overnight so my Wife can attempt to empty the remnants of my bank account on Saturday! Well so long as she's enjoying herself.

 

 

Ian

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I wouldn't ever buy a guitar with a broken neck. I might consider getting mine fixed if that ever happened and then continue playing it. I dropped my Electra Working Man back in 1982 or 1983, and the headstock had a ding in it, the fretboard was coming up from the neck. I had it repaired and it's been fine for years but it also didn't break all the way through.

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The Dealer/shop passed the only real Gibson quality standards requirement apparently, they paid the money amount to secure and maintain inventory levels. Money talks. I don't believe the dealer has any other responsibility other than making it known that there is a problem, if that person wants to pay it then so be it.

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They go for about the same used even here in Sweden, in mint condition. So I figger the price is a bit steep.

 

Broken necks... I dunno. They say a properly repaired broken neck "gets even MORE durable". I think "they" misspelled "customers getting more doable".

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they advertised it as repaired, the pictures show the repair, what else should the dealer have done?I have seen new Taylor's and other well known brand name guitars on the walls of GC with cracked fingerboards, cracked bridges, separated tops and unrepaired damage with no apologies or for that matter no acknowledgement of the condition whatsoever and no discount either.I always make it a point to notify a salesperson when I see this, it's always the same story, "oh, I will notify our luthier " or, "we can discount it and get it fixed if you want it" or some such bs.At least this dealer pointed out the problem.

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The Dealer/shop passed the only real Gibson quality standards requirement apparently, they paid the money amount to secure and maintain inventory levels. Money talks. I don't believe the dealer has any other responsibility other than making it known that there is a problem, if that person wants to pay it then so be it.

 

Agreed.

 

@ LarryUK : Maybe their choice to not paint over the flaw is an "honest" move.

 

I'd play the thing, and if it were the right price and I couldn't tell save for the way it looks...uhm, well...I still do not want a neck that's been broken but someone else might! [flapper]

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If that's a band I hope you have a great concert.

If it's the weather forecast I hope you don't get soaked.

 

Pip.

 

Yes Pippy, it is a band and yes I did get soaked (it was Manchester O:)). Here's a bit of footage someone filmed of the concert:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCjX67uifpA

 

Thunder always give a great live show. Funny thing is Luke Morley the lead guitarist was playing a Strat and only played his regular Flying V on one song, the rhythm guitarist/keyboard player Ben Matthews played a Strat on one number rather than his black Les Paul Custom (I've never seen him play anything else) and the bass player Chris Childs played a Fender instead of his Rickenbacker, I wonder if Fender have been particularly generous last Christmas!

 

 

Ian

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1489808035[/url]' post='1842367']

Agreed.

 

@ LarryUK : Maybe their choice to not paint over the flaw is an "honest" move.

 

I'd play the thing, and if it were the right price and I couldn't tell save for the way it looks...uhm, well...I still do not want a neck that's been broken but someone else might! [flapper]

 

Sometimes it's our scars that make us stand out.

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