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Dreadful quality from Gibson USA.


LarryUK

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I don't believe for a second that the guitar came out of the factory like that—nor have I seen proof that it did. I do wonder, though, where the customer bought the instrument from and how guitars, and guitar shipping for that matter, are being handled there.

 

It's ridiculous to think any Gibson employee would scrape binding like that, and that the guitar would then be passed down to lacquering without anyone noticing such obvious defects. It also seems rather a defect in the finish itself (cracking in the finish), as if it hadn't been handled with care (exposure to sudden shifts in temperature, etc), or scraping caused by some sharp edge somewhere.

 

So you believe rough shipping caused the problem and not Gibson? HA HA! Nonsense! I sent back an R8 that was dreadful. This was just one issue it had. The binding was so badly orange peeled it made a noise when I slid by fingers along the neck (like a washboard). It also had such a big ledge from the binding being scraped too far that it was impossible to play:

 

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I want to clarify that my RD that is soon to be exchanged, is not an example of dreadful quality but it is an example of careless workmanship and a lack of QA. Personally I want a $2k guitar to be spot on. These are mistakes that I would expect on a hundred dollar Epiphone and not a real deal, limited edition Gibson.

 

This thing about the angled tuners....we've had it before more than once.

I did have a pic of the back of a Gibson Pat Martino headstock which was laughable, it was so awfully done.

All it would take is a simple card template. They must know and not care. Very bad.

 

A few months ago a member asked in a thread if a Gibson LP was fake, and showed pics. It was my opinion that it must be real because of the badly positioned tuners. Absolutely serious.

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You tell'em. I keep arguing about the quality of Chinese Vs. American guitars with my wife's uncle. He loves his Chinese junk. I keep telling him I will visit you in the hospital when you get cancer from the asbestos in you binding from your quality Chinese guitar.

 

See my post in the thread below. The plug in the fretboard must have been where they drained the asbestos out.

 

http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/140930-gibson-es-les-paul-truss-rod/page__pid__1906731#entry1906731

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I want to clarify that my RD that is soon to be exchanged, is not an example of dreadful quality but it is an example of careless workmanship and a lack of QA. Personally I want a $2k guitar to be spot on. These are mistakes that I would expect on a hundred dollar Epiphone and not a real deal, limited edition Gibson.

Well damn! I hate for you, but it sounds like you are gonna get a new guitar so hopefully that one is better. Mostly aesthetic issues but the tuner is a problem. I'm with you though, for 2k I'd want it 10/10 too. Glad Sweetwater owned up to sending you what they deemed a "b stock guitar" but it does seem odd that they also tell you "we shouldn't have let that one out the door" and yet it was sent out the door. This is my thing about QC. Who is actually doing it?, is someone actually doing it?, or is it a fictitious fall guy companies blame when you bust their chops for sending you sub par craftsmanship? This guitar specifically, made it through gibsons QC process and then passed Sweetwaters inspection too. Hmmm. The tuners alone should have been caught by both companies.

Gibson ultimately sent the guitar out for sale but if Sweetwater would have sent it back stating this guitar doesn't pass our benchmark for quality & consistency and we arent going to pass that along to our customers, (multiplied by however many times product returns need to be done) that might start to get their attention. I think the online and brick and mortar dealers have way more influence on these issues being rectified than we realize, they are just not demanding better for their customers. I'll be curious to see if this guitar shows back up on Sweetwaters site at a reduced price!!

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Well damn! I hate for you, but it sounds like you are gonna get a new guitar so hopefully that one is better. Mostly aesthetic issues but the tuner is a problem. I'm with you though, for 2k I'd want it 10/10 too. Glad Sweetwater owned up to sending you what they deemed a "b stock guitar" but it does seem odd that they also tell you "we shouldn't have let that one out the door" and yet it was sent out the door. This is my thing about QC. Who is actually doing it?, is someone actually doing it?, or is it a fictitious fall guy companies blame when you bust their chops for sending you sub par craftsmanship? This guitar specifically, made it through gibsons QC process and then passed Sweetwaters inspection too. Hmmm. The tuners alone should have been caught by both companies.

Gibson ultimately sent the guitar out for sale but if Sweetwater would have sent it back stating this guitar doesn't pass our benchmark for quality & consistency and we arent going to pass that along to our customers, (multiplied by however many times product returns need to be done) that might start to get their attention. I think the online and brick and mortar dealers have way more influence on these issues being rectified than we realize, they are just not demanding better for their customers. I'll be curious to see if this guitar shows back up on Sweetwaters site at a reduced price!!

 

I am sure they will be selling it off as a "demo" unit. My replacement is supposedly coming in the end of February. I would keep this at the right price but for 2K, it isn't worth it. I buy and sell guitars and this would sell at a sizable loss if and when I decide to flip it.

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See my post in the thread below. The plug in the fretboard must have been where they drained the asbestos out.

 

http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/140930-gibson-es-les-paul-truss-rod/page__pid__1906731#entry1906731

 

That is absolutely awful. Crap like that should be getting people fired at Gibson. I really think that the only way Gibson will improve their quality is if enough customers protest with their wallets. This guitar and possibly a HP SG were my only two planned Gibson purchases for this year however from the 2017 model year I purchased 11 guitars. This is a shame.

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Gibson must be in real "trouble!" I spoke, recently, with my preferred dealer, about IF/When they

might start selling Gibson and Epiphone Electric's, once again. (They still are a 5-Star dealer,

for Gibson Montana acoustics.) I was told, that one of the other (main) reasons, besides the one's

I mentioned in my previous post, they've stopped (for now) selling Gibson Electrics, is that Gibson

USA WON'T honor=ship their orders. My dealer pays it's billing, in a timely manner, so it's not THAT.

According to the person I spoke to, who I've known for years, they've tried to get their Gibson USA

orders filled, but those were constantly delayed or "back ordered," to the point my dealer finally

told them to "forget it," as my dealer was losing sales, and customers, because of Gibson not honoring

those orders! WHY, would they treat an otherwise great, albeit "Brick & Mortar," dealer that way,

unless they're having serious production difficulties, as well as financial. [unsure][tongue]

 

It's obvious, by my last SG purchase (different dealer=Sweetwater), that Gibson USA can Still produce

a great product, IF/When they want to! But, there sure seems to be a lot of stupid little problems,

that should never, ever, be an issue, much less get out of the factory. "Stuff Happens,"...once in

a while, I get that! But, even I've seen things on $6,000+ dollar Gibson Memphis, as well as "Custom

Shop" stuff, that was totally absurd! Like no thought or care was given to (so called) QC, at all.

 

I really hate to see this, at all, much less as often as it happens nowadays. [crying]

 

CB

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My old Norlin era SG Standard, 25th Anniversary Les Paul and Lucille were flawless.

The idea of sub-standard workmanship never even entered my mind back then. Maybe I just got lucky.

 

Nowadays it seem if you buy a Gibson you should resign yourself to either overlooking warts or doing some sort of minor surgery.

You shouldn't have to but that's the way it is.

Even so, no other brand of electric guitar interests me.

 

Gibson makes handsome acoustic guitars but they're not for me.

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Your guitar you call “Plug” either had a re-fret or that’s not a real Gibson. You have no nibs on the fret ends of the neck you pictured.

 

If you have doubt in what I am saying, show a pic of that guitar’s headstock on the back - and also look for a scarf joint on the neck if there is any. I hope you didn’t get ripped off and buy a Chibson unknowingly.

 

Sigh. It's an ES Les Paul from the Memphis shop and came without nibs. It's real.

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Have a pic of the headstock’s rear so we can see the wings clearly? Why didn’t this guitar that has a bound neck not have nibs? I thought they do this to all bound fretboards... You ordered this directly from Gibson or is that hearsay?

 

EDIT: never mind. I learned something today... just saw images online of ES LP with no nibs... my bad...

Yeah, the majority if not all the 2015 Gibson lineup did not have nibs. I have a Firebird and Midtown Standard from that range and they don't have nibs. I agree, it is weird to see a newer high end Gibson with a bound neck and no nibs straight from the factory but they do exist.

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Why do you think that's a fake? I see no reason to think that.

 

Just trolling at this point.

 

I still have the guitar. It plays and sounds great and the Gibson dealer I bought it from gave me a very reasonable partial refund.

 

Some folks just got religion about things and can't be told the truth...

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