Pucifer Posted November 1, 2014 Posted November 1, 2014 A bit after i got it but i had to make sure i did not have to send this one back as well This is the third Gibson i own, i used to have a 92 Firebird and a Les Paul 78 when i was actively playing, After many years of downsizing to bear minimum i decided to get a LP again and the selected one ended up being the alpine white Sig T. It`s looks and features spoke to me. At any rate here is how it pretty much went for the last couple of months in order to have it in my hands 1st guitar came with cracks in the paint in multiple places 2-3-4 were rejected by the seller (took a couple of weeks for them to go through them. 5th came with a crack in the headstock 6th came with a small lower horn crack and a completely dysfunctional deformed volume knob (it came right off the moment i touched it) At any rate i was so tired of the back and forth i kept it and got some replacement knobs (small deal but still it should be ok when you buy a brand new guitar) This will definitively be my last brand new Gibson, the QC is so sub par i have no words, 6 guitars all with QC issues, some small some big but they should have been easily caught by mr RP. I have had about 30ish brand new guitars and this is the first time i have such issues with any manufacturer. In closing the guitar plays fantastic and now functions properly after swapping the knob, but in hindsight it was barely worth the hassle.
capmaster Posted November 1, 2014 Posted November 1, 2014 Congrats you finally got it made. I don't know why they call it Alpine White which should be a solid colour to my knowledge, but to my eyes the translucency allows a nice view at the top figuring. It's interesting for me to read about such many quality issues with 2013 Gibsons. :( My impression had been up to now that the 2013 year was a good one in general.
Aymara Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 It's interesting for me to read about such many quality issues with 2013 Gibsons. :( My impression had been up to now that the 2013 year was a good one in general. No, 2013 was no exception to the horrible QC of Gibson, which is the main reason, that more and more players avoid this brand like the placque. I have a wine red SigT, that is flawless, because my shop did the QC ... they reported to me, that they have a so high return rate, that Gibson sales are going down. I can confirm that, because I had a hard time last year to find a flawless LP. If Gibson will continue the current product politics, it won't take long until this brand dies ... too bad.
capmaster Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 No, 2013 was no exception to the horrible QC of Gibson, which is the main reason, that more and more players avoid this brand like the placque. I have a wine red SigT, that is flawless, because my shop did the QC ... they reported to me, that they have a so high return rate, that Gibson sales are going down. I can confirm that, because I had a hard time last year to find a flawless LP. If Gibson will continue the current product politics, it won't take long until this brand dies ... too bad. Sad to hear this from you. On the other hand, quality must be produced. You can't control quality into manufactured goods. My conclusion is that rejecting lots of guitars by the QC would be the only way for effectively achieving improvements in production.
Aymara Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 Sure Cap, you are right, but what happens here, is that dealers and consumers currently are comparable to Beta-testers in software industry. This raises costs, especially for dealers, and frustration for players, which in the long run results in a loss of good reputation. When I visit concerts I see, that it already got very far ... you see less Gibsons on stages and more and more PRS, ESP, Gretsch, etc.. I have two Gretsches and tested many different guitars of this brand, before I bought mine and NONE had the slightest issue, even the cheaper Korean series. It is a joke, that nowadays the higher end Epiphone models have a better reputation than Gibson outside of the Gibson fan croud. Gibson should wake up and react fast, before it's too late. But back to the SigT ... if QC would be good and the SigT wouldn't be a 2013 limited model, it would be for sure a top seller even today ... I absolutely love it. That's a further example for suboptimal product placement / politics.
Pucifer Posted November 2, 2014 Author Posted November 2, 2014 When i talked to the Thomann representative he did inform me that they had a container full of rejects within a month (2013`s and 14`s) and that the specialist department had their hands full. If i were ever to buy a second Gibson now i think i would find a second hand one instead. I love my sig T but even this one has its issues, it was the very last one available to so didn`t really have much choice in the end, Thomann gave me some discount tho for the flaws which was nice
Aymara Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 Yep, what Thomann told you is very similar to what my preferred local shop reported ... a return rate of over 50% ... unacceptable !!!
capmaster Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 Sure Cap, you are right, but what happens here, is that dealers and consumers currently are comparable to Beta-testers in software industry. This raises costs, especially for dealers, and frustration for players, which in the long run results in a loss of good reputation. ... Gibson should wake up and react fast, before it's too late. ... Sadly I have to say that I'm with you in this regard. <_< Here are my personal rates of return due to workmanship and material, and of rework exceeding setup: Gibson: 22 buying attempts, 7 returns, 6 reworks Comments on returns: 3 beyond repair stock; on reworks: 3 with poor nuts, 2 with electronic failures beyond contact cleaning, 1 with dull wood threads Fender: 10 buys, 0 returns, 4 reworks, 3 warranty repairs Comments on reworks: 3 MIM Fenders with pairs of loose FR vibrato bushings and uneven bearing surfaces below locking nuts, 1 US Fender with electronic failure beyond contact cleaning and dull wood threads; on warranty repairs: all due to piezo pickups gone bad Epiphone: 1 buy Ibanez: 1 buy, rework of frets 6 - 9 required, PLEK setup planned several months from now after settling/breaking-in
Aymara Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 Well, let's hope, Gibson wakes up, before it's too late. A further problem is the dealer network being much too small in Germany. Gibson IS already dying for sure :-(
telejojo Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 I just bought a Sig. T black and it is flawless and sounds and plays great.It's a 2014
Jimi Mac Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 Congrats you finally got it made. I don't know why they call it Alpine White which should be a solid colour to my knowledge, but to my eyes the translucency allows a nice view at the top figuring. It's interesting for me to read about such many quality issues with 2013 Gibsons. :( My impression had been up to now that the 2013 year was a good one in general. Yes this is a little misleading, I think they call the nearly identical color White Burst on the Customs... I can't decide if I like it enough to want one... I think I still like the red or the ebony on the Customs... As for the Signature T, I really like the Wine Red finish on that model... But congrats and if it's what you like, good on ya!
capmaster Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 I just bought a Sig. T black and it is flawless and sounds and plays great.It's a 2014 What about some pics?
capmaster Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 Yes this is a little misleading, I think they call the nearly identical color White Burst on the Customs... ... Just researched for finish naming, and they indeed call it Alpine White Burst: http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Signature-T.aspx
blackdeuce Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 I recently purchased a Signature T from a guitar shop on eBay. The owner of the shop prides himself on his setups. He spends quite a bit of time doing this (I spoke to him on the phone). I'm just getting restarted at playing (I attempted it 30 years ago), but my son plays and said that my Signature T is one of the best playing guitars that he's played. He owns a number of guitars and is always checking out guitars in the shops. After reading some of these comments, I'm glad that I bought one that had been professionally set up and not an unopened item from an internet seller.
Aymara Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 I'm glad that I bought one that had been professionally set up and not an unopened item from an internet seller. Yep, a good shop is unbeatable as is a good setup. In my opinion the SigT is one of the best Les Pauls of the last 10 years, especially with a good setup, but it's also it's sound, that I find very convincing.
cjsinla Posted November 2, 2014 Posted November 2, 2014 Congrats you finally got it made. I don't know why they call it Alpine White which should be a solid colour to my knowledge, but to my eyes the translucency allows a nice view at the top figuring. It's interesting for me to read about such many quality issues with 2013 Gibsons. :( My impression had been up to now that the 2013 year was a good one in general. Yeah, looks like a white-burst. That's a shame about the QC. I have purchased 8 new Gibson guitars since 2011, mostly online with almost no issues except with some fret ends and nibs needing some shaping on the cheaper models. I would not hesitate to buy more, I just can't justify any more guitars.
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