My 1st Les Paul Purchase has been a NIGHTMARE!!! Help!! Quality problems
#1
Posted 16 September 2017 - 05:00 PM
#3
Posted 16 September 2017 - 05:34 PM
Anyway it is not a trend or common thing AFAIK, I got a Honeyburst Standard T in January and the nut and everything else on the guitar is perfect.]
Hope it works out and you get the guitar you want.
2017 Les Paul Standard T Honeyburst
2013 L5-CES Natural (Maple/Spruce)
2013 Les Paul Custom Lite (Mahogany/Maple) Ebony
2007 Taylor Solid Body Custom (Sapele/Walnut)
2018 Taylor 814 CE DLX (Rosewood/Spruce)
1981 Ovation Balladeer
1963 Walthari Mittenwald Classical
Rivera Venus 6 (1 X 12)Combo
Blackstar HT-5R (1 X 10) Combo
AER Compact 60-2
#4
Posted 16 September 2017 - 07:02 PM
Drock4048, on 16 September 2017 - 05:00 PM, said:
What does that even mean? Was the guitar staying in tune or not? What do you use to determine this? Are you constantly out of tune with others in your band? Do you tune by ear, use a tuner, your phone? What does it even mean to "feel" a guitar isn't staying in tune properly?
Drock4048, on 16 September 2017 - 05:00 PM, said:
Guitar Center was great and offered a brand new exchange.
GC offered to replace a guitar with a crack in the nut instead of replacing the cracked nut on a guitar with nothing wrong with it but a cracked nut?
Drock4048, on 16 September 2017 - 05:00 PM, said:
The next one didn't have a nut crack, but a chip and the supposed AAA flame was a AA at best.
You do know that anyone can call any top any number of As they want, there is no Flame Top Commission somewhere governing this. You say it isn't they say it is.
Drock4048, on 16 September 2017 - 05:00 PM, said:
Do you have a store that has at least a few Les Pauls you can actually look at before you buy instead of "ordering" guitars and finding things wrong?
rct
#5
Posted 16 September 2017 - 07:17 PM
#6
Posted 16 September 2017 - 07:32 PM
american cheez, on 16 September 2017 - 07:17 PM, said:
No offense to anyone but my experience is that people that expect abject perfection are generally speaking not guitar players. It's ugly I know, but there it is. Guitars aren't cheap and using them will immediately cause them to be less than perfect. Guitar players know that.
rct
#7
Posted 16 September 2017 - 09:02 PM
I have guitars, amps, pedals, cables, various other things and a strong affinity for short signature lines. . .
#8
Posted 16 September 2017 - 09:36 PM
#9
Posted 17 September 2017 - 12:10 AM
#10
Posted 17 September 2017 - 03:17 AM
Drock4048, on 16 September 2017 - 09:36 PM, said:
You are not using the warranty to have the nut repaired. You are using a store policy to return and exchange.
It sounds like you don't understand a lot about guitars. If you want something that is 100% machined perfection, buy some made in Asia guitar that has no hands on assembly process with a veneer finish.
You are shopping the end of the model year guitars. These are not the cream of the crop out there, these are stragglers that didn't sell, they are at a reduced price and they have been played for months now, every day, by people in the stores. They are sold as new but have a lot of miles on them in many cases.
You may want to read your posts and ponder why people are responding to you the way they are.
I have guitars, amps, pedals, cables, various other things and a strong affinity for short signature lines. . .
#11
Posted 17 September 2017 - 04:55 AM
I have always found it best to touch, hold, peruse, fondle, and play a guitar in person before laying the cash down.
There's no disappointment that way, and you take the guitar home knowing full well just how great and flawless it is.
That aside, I know that there are times that long-distance purchasing, thru the mail, is the only way to get a particular model of guitar.
Based on all I have seen and heard (in person, and on a variety of web forums) I will offer my subjective scoring for the various methods for acquiring a guitar thru these alternate methods.
1. Craigslist, local purchase, cash, meeting in person, examining and playing the guitar before buying. A+
2. Craigslist or eBay, long distance purchase, PayPal, with shipping and handling charges. D plus
3. Guitar Center mail order. C minus
4. American Music Supply mail order. B minus
6. ZZounds mail order. B
7. Sweetwater. A
Sweetwater has exceptional customer service and their 55 point inspection and preparation method is top-drawer.
I used Sam Ash years ago, but I haven't since around 1999 or so. I do recall that they provided prompt service and a nice warranty on all items shipped.
The problem with Guitar Center's special order system (wherein you show up at your local Guitar Center and pick up a guitar that was shipped from some other, distant Guitar Center location in another city or State) is that there is no standardized inspection or shipping criteria. And very often, the guitar that I order from the Shreveport GC and receive at the Huntsville GC may have been hanging on the wall at Shreveport for many, many months.
And it's been touched and played by dozens of amateur shoppers before it was taken off the wall and boxed up for shipping.
YOUR NEW GUITAR has been subjected to many hours of other dorks playing Sweet Child O Mine, badly, long before it was mailed to you.
Who needs that?
Not me.
Okay, I'm gonna shut up now.

Am I alone?
#12
Posted 17 September 2017 - 06:07 AM
Drock4048, on 16 September 2017 - 09:36 PM, said:
Seriously, any number anyone wants. There is nothing written down that says anyone has to call any amount of top figuring anything, they just call it what they want.
Drock4048, on 16 September 2017 - 09:36 PM, said:
Sure you can, it's pretty easy to tell after just a couple of posts where someone is with guitars. Guitar players don't "feel" whether or not a guitar stays in tune properly. They either do or they don't, and we usually know why they don't, and a cracked nut isn't it.
Good luck with it, I hope it works out for you.
rct
#13
Posted 17 September 2017 - 06:33 AM
rct, on 17 September 2017 - 06:07 AM, said:
...
rct
This fellow (see link below) seems to agree with you, rct.
A nice article. I learned quite a bit from it!

https://spinditty.co...ple-Top-Guitars
Am I alone?
#14
Posted 17 September 2017 - 06:42 AM
But the biggest problem I read on this forum all seems due to online ordering.
I understand that a particular store(s) might not have color/options someone wants.
But I can tell you if I ordered a Guitar and it was great except a broken piece that was easily fixable by a store.
I'd get it fixed under warranty over sending the whole thing back.
Why do you think new car dealers charge $1500 for "dealer prep" they fix things broken before new buyer sees it.
Also it's reported Sweetwater checks guitars before shipping, Wildwood Guitars does too.
GC different story
#15
Posted 17 September 2017 - 01:39 PM
Eracer_Team, on 17 September 2017 - 06:42 AM, said:
But the biggest problem I read on this forum all seems due to online ordering.
I understand that a particular store(s) might not have color/options someone wants.
But I can tell you if I ordered a Guitar and it was great except a broken piece that was easily fixable by a store.
I'd get it fixed under warranty over sending the whole thing back.
Why do you think new car dealers charge $1500 for "dealer prep" they fix things broken before new buyer sees it.
Also it's reported Sweetwater checks guitars before shipping, Wildwood Guitars does too.
GC different story
You are spot on! Sweetwater is by far the best place to do an online order unless you are buying a "Guitar of Distinction" at Sam Ash or the equivalent at American Musical Supply. I have never shopped Wildwood guitars but if they do like Sweetwater does, they have to be pretty decent. I had two Gibsons fixed earlier this year because I liked everything else about them.
I have guitars, amps, pedals, cables, various other things and a strong affinity for short signature lines. . .
#16
Posted 17 September 2017 - 07:01 PM
Drock4048, on 16 September 2017 - 05:00 PM, said:
Hi Drock – I hear you and understand your frustration. My dream guitar is also a Gibson Les Paul Standard, which I got at an unbelievable closeout price when Gibson moved from the 2014 to 2015 models. Growing up in the 70’s and being partial to Southern rock, it seemed like all my guitar heroes from my childhood were playing Les Pauls.
You may want to consider buying again the LP Standard in the color you really want. If it comes with a defective nut, I suggest that you consider taking the guitar to respected and well regarded luthier/guitar tech in your area and have the guitar professionally set-up and have a custom bone nut fabricated for it at the same time.
If my 2014 model had any faults, it was with the TekToid nut that came with the guitar. My strings kept getting caught in nut slots, no matter how often I tried sanding it down. I had a custom bone nut fabricated for the guitar and have never looked back. The guitar is much easier to tune and I don’t have to hear that little ping when the strings snap back while tuning.
The luthier I use charges $68 for a set-up and $68 to fabricate and install the bone nut, including materials. I realize paying an additional $136 (assuming techs in your area charge about the same) after paying $2,500 for the guitar may not be to everybody’s liking. In my case it was money well spent. I consider my Gibson LP Standard to be one of my prized possessions and I feel like one of the luckiest guys in the world every time I play it.
Good luck!
#17
Posted 17 September 2017 - 07:27 PM
Just sayin....
![[glare]](http://forum.gibson.com/public/style_emoticons/default/msp_glare.gif)

![[unsure]](http://forum.gibson.com/public/style_emoticons/default/msp_unsure.gif)

Am I alone?
#18
Posted 17 September 2017 - 08:09 PM
sparquelito, on 17 September 2017 - 07:27 PM, said:
Just sayin....
![[glare]](http://forum.gibson.com/public/style_emoticons/default/msp_glare.gif)

![[unsure]](http://forum.gibson.com/public/style_emoticons/default/msp_unsure.gif)
He was a defective nut
I have guitars, amps, pedals, cables, various other things and a strong affinity for short signature lines. . .
#19
Posted 18 September 2017 - 07:38 AM
rct, on 16 September 2017 - 07:32 PM, said:
rct
Man, you are so correct on this. Every instrument I have ever purchased has needed work on them to make them to my liking. Whether it be a new piano setup - which BTW is SOOO painful to break in, doesn't even compare to guitar pains, and have voiced properly - to new guitar setups, these need to be done at some point. In this particular case, a cracked nut wouldn't be my first turn to ditch the instrument if that is the ONLY thing wrong... If there are major flaws with the guitar, then I would consider. It is cool though that GC will allow you to return no questions asked sort of thing. Nonetheless, if you want a quality instrument that is actually PLAYED, it takes time to play on it and time to find what needs adjustment - and time TO adjust what is in need of attention.
Gibson nuts are plastic - always suck over time. These are not the most durable pieces on these instruments, so I usually replace with bone nut - courtesy of my awesome and reliable local guitar expert/luthier. Others like different types of nuts on their guitars, but I prefer bone... I look at the nut on a guitar sort of like tires on a car. Eventually wears down and need to replace. If you get a free bone nut or something that doesn't void the warranty for fixing a cracked nut, then go for it.
Eventually, there comes a point where you buy the guitar, happy with what it can do for you, and just go with it. As long as there is no major warping or truss rod issues, etc - i.e. major issues - the guitar is good and can be worked with to be reliable in terms of delivering enjoyment playing it.
#20
Posted 18 September 2017 - 12:35 PM
Long story short, I loved that guitar except for that one issue. I called Gibson support, submitted a warranty claim, took it to GC and they replaced the PCB. It's great now and is one of my favorites. It wasn't perfect and had been played but no nicks or anything and the flame would probably be considered AAA or maybe even AAAA but there doesn't seem to be any consistency with how they're graded. Get the guitar you want and if it's not perfect, get a discount. I didn't pay full retail for mine. I made an offer, they countered, I made another and we met in the middle.
Gibson will fix the nut by replacing it under warranty. If you can get the one you want with just minor issues that can be fixed, with no major issues AND a discount, that's where I'd go. As others have said, Sweetwater has a multi point inspection and may be the route to go if you're not satisfied with the bottom of the barrel stuff that GC usually gets in or has left over.