Jinder Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 The plot thickens with this one. Contacted the dealer who I bought it from and have heard nothing despite several attempts to get in touch. They’re no longer a Gibson dealer so presumably don’t want to know re warranty claims. I spoke to two luthiers near me, both of which said they’d never heard of frets arbitrarily dropping out. Both said that uneven fretwork isn’t unusual on cheaper guitars but added that Gibson have Plek’d their guitars as part of pre-QC prep for years and that they’ve only had to make action tweaks to the players’ tastes when doing setups on new or nearly new Gibsons as normally the fretwork is excellent. One floated the theory that the nut slots had been cut too wide and the frets “just glued in anyway”, with the glue giving up when the truss rod was tweaked. He suggested that refretting the guitar with compression frets would be the best solution in the short term, but ultimately the fret slots would be too wide to bear future refretting and the fretboard would have to be replaced. Disappointed isn’t the word. These guitars retail at £3700 here in the UK, and I haven’t even owned it for two years. Zero response from the dealer and a general concensus from luthiers that the guitar wasn’t built properly in the first place and requires major surgery to put it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Holly Molly... what a load of crap Jinder. Sorry to hear of your troubles man. This beyond sucks. What is the Warranty sitch outside the US? I would really think this one is ON Gibson 100%. You tried to make an calls to customer service yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 6 String Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Holly Molly... what a load of crap Jinder. Sorry to hear of your troubles man. This beyond sucks. What is the Warranty sitch outside the US? I would really think this one is ON Gibson 100%. You tried to make an calls to customer service yet? This does supremely suck and I too feel for Jinder. To make matters worse (sorry Jinder, but you probably already know this), outside the US you get 1 yr and that's it folks, at least in Canada and cant imagine why it would be different in other places outside the US. Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 fret fix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 23, 2018 Author Share Posted February 23, 2018 The lack of communication on this issue from Gibson is really poor. I’ve emailed the dealer I bought it from...no response. I’ve emailed Gibson Customer Service...no response. I’ve emailed Gibson’s UK office...no response. Even if they don’t want to know, how hard is it to reply with “sorry, we can’t help”? I don’t want to get too toys-out-of-pram about it, but a Dove is a serious investment and there should be some level of customer service courtesy on a guitar that cost north of £2000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 Sounds bad Jinder. I can't think of any reasonable, plausible, justifiable reason for frets to fall out on a world class instrument. I don't care the weather, the humidity whatever. I have made two very amateur guitars and neither have flailed a fret. I hope someone steps up because they should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 24, 2018 Author Share Posted February 24, 2018 Sounds bad Jinder. I can't think of any reasonable, plausible, justifiable reason for frets to fall out on a world class instrument. I don't care the weather, the humidity whatever. I have made two very amateur guitars and neither have flailed a fret. I hope someone steps up because they should. I agree, AP. Really disappointing. I’ve just got off the phone to the dealer who told me that the UK warranty period is 12 months only. I could lean on Gibson to honour it under an extended warranty, but he warned me that the company is “on the brink of going into receivership” and that if I send the guitar to their Europe HQ in Holland, there is every chance it’ll go into a warehouse and end up being seized as an asset by the receivers of the company. He said it’s not something he’s seen before but it’s either down to improperly cut fret slots or a poorly cured fretboard shrinking. He said due to the parlours state of Gibson, it’s a much lower risk to pony up the £350ish required for a full refret and have it done by a local luthier. That’s good advice, but I don’t happen to have £350 tucked away so I’m stuck with an unplayable £2000+ guitar I’ve owned for less than two years sitting in its case doing nothing until such a time comes that I can find the money to rectify the manufacturer’s balls-up out of my own pocketbook. I hate to moan and I hate to bash Gibson, but imagine if this had happened to someone who only owned the one guitar (as I did for years when I sold everything else I owned to buy my first SJ200 back in ‘04) and relied upon it for their livelihood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 I agree, AP. Really disappointing. I’ve just got off the phone to the dealer who told me that the UK warranty period is 12 months only. I could lean on Gibson to honour it under an extended warranty, but he warned me that the company is “on the brink of going into receivership” and that if I send the guitar to their Europe HQ in Holland, there is every chance it’ll go into a warehouse and end up being seized as an asset by the receivers of the company. He said it’s not something he’s seen before but it’s either down to improperly cut fret slots or a poorly cured fretboard shrinking. He said due to the parlours state of Gibson, it’s a much lower risk to pony up the £350ish required for a full refret and have it done by a local luthier. That’s good advice, but I don’t happen to have £350 tucked away so I’m stuck with an unplayable £2000+ guitar I’ve owned for less than two years sitting in its case doing nothing until such a time comes that I can find the money to rectify the manufacturer’s balls-up out of my own pocketbook. I hate to moan and I hate to bash Gibson, but imagine if this had happened to someone who only owned the one guitar (as I did for years when I sold everything else I owned to buy my first SJ200 back in ‘04) and relied upon it for their livelihood? Ain't it the truth. Upon a time we used to observe that the only musicians who could afford high end new guitars were hobbyists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 26, 2018 Author Share Posted February 26, 2018 Some positive news on this-today I heard back from my old friend David Bower at Gibson Artist Relations who was my go-to man when I had my endorsement deal, he referred me to Stijn at Gibson CS Europe who has been exceptionally helpful. He confirmed that the fret issue is definitely covered under warranty, and they have agreed to take the guitar back for assessment for repair or replacement, and will cover the shipping and insurance. This is great news from my perspective, and very heartening that Gibson are keen to get it right. I was skeptical after the initial lack of response, but I’m now relieved and interested to see what transpires with the warranty claim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ponty Posted February 26, 2018 Share Posted February 26, 2018 Excellent. Me too..excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Some positive news on this-today I heard back from my old friend David Bower at Gibson Artist Relations who was my go-to man when I had my endorsement deal, he referred me to Stijn at Gibson CS Europe who has been exceptionally helpful. Sounds good - I been communicating with Stijn several times over the years and recall him as a highly servile and knowing G-supporter. Allow me to take this opportunity to raise the gentleman a praise. May your Dove be playing Blackbird soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 27, 2018 Author Share Posted February 27, 2018 Sounds good - I been communicating with Stijn several times over the years and recall him as a highly servile and knowing G-supporter. Allow me to take this opportunity to raise the gentleman a praise. May your Dove be playing Blackbird soon. Thanks Em7, Stijn has indeed be superb. The Dove is all packaged up ready to be collected tomorrow for an adventure to The Netherlands for some further investigation by the knowing ones over there. Apparently repair is the first port of call if possible. I desperately want it to be 100% right so I can restore my faith in it as a working instrument, and I have every confidence that Stijn and the team will make it so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 great news Jinder on the Warranty promise being kept. Plz let us know how this story ends! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 great news Jinder on the Warranty promise being kept. Plz let us know how this story ends! I will! Just waiting for the courier to pick the guitar up as we speak. Gibson Customer Service Europe have been extremely helpful and are optimistic that the problems can be sorted and the Dove returned to me within 2-3 weeks including shipping time. Fingers crossed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Where’d you pick this dove up from jinder ? You had it long ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 I bought it from a shop in southampton, the same place I bought my SJ200 during my post-divorce guitar restocking mission! I bought it in the summer of 2016, but it was new old stock-the guitar itself is a 2011. Whether it had been in their storeroom or with Gibson for those years I don’t know. It has a healthy tan to the top though, so looks like it was on display for a good while. It was love at first pick for me, but it’s had it’s fair share of problems. Hopefully the team in the Netherlands can put it right or replace it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I bought it from a shop in southampton, the same place I bought my SJ200 during my post-divorce guitar restocking mission! I bought it in the summer of 2016, but it was new old stock-the guitar itself is a 2011. Whether it had been in their storeroom or with Gibson for those years I don’t know. It has a healthy tan to the top though, so looks like it was on display for a good while. It was love at first pick for me, but it’s had it’s fair share of problems. Hopefully the team in the Netherlands can put it right or replace it. Isn’t it a bit ridiculous that there’s nowhere in the UK for this .. No harm meant to the scandiweegdins , I’m sure they’re more than capable But ... Hope it comes back with itself sorted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted February 28, 2018 Author Share Posted February 28, 2018 Isn’t it a bit ridiculous that there’s nowhere in the UK for this .. No harm meant to the scandiweegdins , I’m sure they’re more than capable But ... Hope it comes back with itself sorted I did think that-Manson’s in Exeter are a Gibson authorised repair centre but I think the guys in the Netherlands wanted to have it in hand for assessment as to whether it can be repaired or needs to be replaced-I’d imagine if it’s the latter they’ll have stock to hand and can send it out rapidly, whereas if Manson’s had diagnosed it as beyond repair it would then have to be sent back to NL after their investigations, which i’d imagine would prolong the process. I’m really hoping it will come back sorted once and for all. It’s a lovely guitar but one that’s never been quite “right” as it were. Always some minor niggle or other with it, which hasn’t been the case with any of my other Gibsons. The fret weirdness was the bizarre icing on the maple syrup flavoured cake. I’m hopeful that the guys on the mainland can put it right and that will be the end of my issues with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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