warranty claim - follow up -

[littlejohnny]

Hi everyone

I posted about a warranty claim a few month back - if you want the whole story, look here 

 

 

after the shop sent me a nos replacement guitar that I send back immediately, because it some unacceptable issues (see pic at the very end) I decided to deal with Gibson Customer Service Europe only. 

After I decided to wait for the a 1964 reissue to be delivered to CSE from the states, the corona thing got out of hand, and it was clear I had to wait even longer for the replacement guitar.

Then CSE told me they had one new custom shop guitar I could have, since they could not  get a shipping date for the guitar I ordered: a 1959 es 355 reissue in ebony.  At first I decided to wait for the 1964, but finally took the 355. Thanks to CSE for being very patient with me and answering all my questions as far as they could. 

Sound: though this guitar sounds pretty different then the 1963 reissue I had, its just as good, if not better, acoustically its not as loud, but sustains for days, yet has the snappy and  woody tone  I like about 335s, the custombuckers are great too, different from the mhs in my old guitar.

Fit and finish: If seen and owned some pretty rough guitars from memphis in my search over the last years.  If you ever wondered if memphis or nashville production ES guitars are better, here is my definitive answer: guitars from bozeman are the best gibsons, when it comes to fit and finish, by far. But in the end, my new guitar has no issues that bother me that much, I'm gonna *** it up anyway.

One last thing: you will notice, the guitar has a short pickguard, not the correct long guard for a '59 reissue, but  CSE already sent me a correct guard. For now the short guard stays on the guitar, I think I like it that way, also put on some reflector knobs, which kind of makes it a 60s reissue 355 I guess.

Bottom line: I'm super happy with my new guitar and the way this whole thing turned out: Thanks to Stijn from CSE for working this out for me.

And finally: some pics

Day one

with reflecor knobs

with my 2013 Hummingbird TV

some close-ups

 

And finally: a picture of the guitar I sent back (they really had the nerve to call me to ask, what was wrong with the guitar, and then explained to me, me, that this is completely normal for hand-built guitars. I felt even worse than it looks in the pic.

Edited August 7, 2020 by littlejohnny

[merciful-evans]

Well I'm glad it came right for you in the end. We all deserve to be happy with the guitars we have. It took a long time I know. 🙂

[Wmachine]

If one pays  for a new guitar, I guess one can reject one that isn't perfect.  But unless there is more to it than that little chip in the finish, I probably would not have sent it back.  If the real world of what can be expected, that is really no big deal.  Only due to forums full of chest beaters that demand rejection of anything that isn't perfect that those little things now loom large.  The first thing to do when something like this is encountered is to play it an fully, and objectively evaluate.  Unless you bought it for display, how it sounds and plays is the most import thing about it.  And determining if it a good one is more important than anything else.  Pretty simple from there.  If it is a good one, you can go to great lengths to keep it.  If it is not a good one, then it shouldn't take much to make a return out of it.

Forums must be full of wall-hangers, because I rarely see "whether it is a good one or not" come up in threads about whether to return a guitar or not.  But tons of posts that say "demand perfection, send it back".  Personally, I'm much more interested in getting a good one than trying to make a statement about quality expectations.

[littlejohnny]

2 hours ago, Wmachine said:

If one pays  for a new guitar, I guess one can reject one that isn't perfect.  But unless there is more to it than that little chip in the finish, I probably would not have sent it back.  If the real world of what can be expected, that is really no big deal.  Only due to forums full of chest beaters that demand rejection of anything that isn't perfect that those little things now loom large.  The first thing to do when something like this is encountered is to play it an fully, and objectively evaluate.  Unless you bought it for display, how it sounds and plays is the most import thing about it.  And determining if it a good one is more important than anything else.  Pretty simple from there.  If it is a good one, you can go to great lengths to keep it.  If it is not a good one, then it shouldn't take much to make a return out of it.

Forums must be full of wall-hangers, because I rarely see "whether it is a good one or not" come up in threads about whether to return a guitar or not.  But tons of posts that say "demand perfection, send it back".  Personally, I'm much more interested in getting a good one than trying to make a statement about quality expectations.

I don't expect people to read my lengthy posts, but commenting, when you didn't even get half of the story is beyond me.

 

[Larsongs]

Disregard Wmachine, he obviously hasn't read this Thread & doesn't know what he's talking about with regard to your experience.

If there are defects, poor, broken Parts & blatant QC Issues you have every Right to make Use of the Warranty & seek Remedy... Good for you... 

I've owned & own several Gibson Guitars over the years. 2-3 times there were Issues that required me to use the Warranty.. Gibson has always done right by me...

I'm glad it worked out for you... That is a beautiful Guitar... Play the heck out of it!

LL

[bobouz]

Nice to hear that you eventually got one that’s satisfying & thanks for the update.

One thought on the new guitar - I typically prefer reflector knobs like the ones you installed, but have found on a few of my dark ES-bodied electrics that gold speed knobs gave them a nicely balanced look (helping to offset all that darkness!).

As for quality from the various factories, in my experience this has been a shifting proposition, and each factory has gone through eras where their build quality has peaked, ebbed, and hopefully peaked again.

For Memphis ES bodies, 2009 to 2012 was a rather impressive stretch, imho.  I own one ES model from each of those years, with the most notable being a natural finish 330-VOS from 2012 that really nailed a ‘59 vibe.  The early 2000s when they were starting up were rather hit & miss by comparison.

Anyway, congrats & enjoy your new beauty!

 

[jdgm]

Yes, a lovely guitar and you stuck to your guns - congrats!

I don't think that the nibs/binding damage shown in your pic is "normal" at all.  Very bad indeed!

[kidblast]

Great, finally a nice ending. 

That last pic posted looks like fret sprout, and the cause is extremely dehydration of the wood.  The wood will shrink, the frets won't.

 

 

[Twang Gang]

Glad it got sorted out and you got a guitar you are happy with.  Enjoy!!

[Wmachine]

On 8/7/2020 at 4:04 PM, littlejohnny said:

I don't expect people to read my lengthy posts, but commenting, when you didn't even get half of the story is beyond me.

 

No I didn't go back to the other thread, I addressed what you posted here which was misleading.  That's why I qualified what I said with "unless there is more to it".  My point is still valid whether or not I read the prior thread.  Obvious now that you had more major problems. 

Regardless, I'm glad you persevered and got satisfactory results.  One shouldn't have to go through all of that, but in the end, it is what you end up with that matters.  That may sound rather obvious, but it is too easy to lose sight of that when you are in the middle of problems.

[littlejohnny]

besides having a slight twist in the neck, the main issue with the guitar shown in my last picture (Which was sent to me by the shop as a replacement for the defective guitar) is not the small chip in the finish, but the shrunken binding or / and the frets sticking out (whatever it was caused by), the guitars neck felt like a mogul field (hope that makes sense). It was not just an aesthetic problem, it felt and played real bad. 

 I never complained about fit and finish issues on this board, but  I can:

The guitar, that I bought and that was accepted as a warranty case by gibson because of a twisted neck, had a visible and mainly tangible line of lacquer where the neck binding ended along the entire fretboard on both sides,  it took me about 1 hour of wet sanding and polishing to make it disappear and make it  feel smooth.

As I said, this was the guitar I kept, cause I liked its tone and neck feel etc. But isn't it kind of strange, that we accept those things normal on a 5k guitar?

My replacement guitar also has quite some rough spots, you don't expect on such a pricey instrument. 

And Gibsons says:  "The Gibson Custom Shop is the pinnacle of craftsmanship, quality and sound excellence. Each instrument celebrates Gibson’s legacy through accuracy, authenticity and attention to detail." It's hard not to laugh about that.

In my limited experience, quite a few custom shop guitars from Gibson have fit and finish issues , and they shouldn't wonder, when people complain about those issues. 

But yes, all that matters is, I have a guitar that I'm happy with. 

To say it with the words of an reputable member of the acoustic board:

Let's pick!

Edited August 11, 2020 by littlejohnny

[Larsongs]

If the  new replacement Guitar has a twist in the Neck? It might be time to tell Gibson you want a refund & buy something else.. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Larsongs

[littlejohnny]

No, no, the replacement from the retailer, the red one in the last pic had a slight twist, the ES 355s neck is dead straight. Everything's fine!

Edited August 12, 2020 by littlejohnny

[Larsongs]

I got mixed up on your previous Post. I thought you got a perfect replacement... The negative Thread about guys who send back their less than perfect Guitars threw me off.. Good! Glad your new one is working out for you...

About that Post. IMO, anyone who spends perfect Money for a high end Guitar & expects it to be perfect is not out of line. It should be Perfect. To not seek remedy is beyond me.... I paid for perfect, I expect & want perfect.... That's what Warranties, Return & Exchange Policies are for.... Not trying to start an argument but just stating as valid a Point as that Poster..

Edited August 13, 2020 by Larsongs

[bobalu]

On 8/7/2020 at 1:26 PM, Wmachine said:

If one pays  for a new guitar, I guess one can reject one that isn't perfect.  But unless there is more to it than that little chip in the finish, I probably would not have sent it back.  If the real world of what can be expected, that is really no big deal.  Only due to forums full of chest beaters that demand rejection of anything that isn't perfect that those little things now loom large.  The first thing to do when something like this is encountered is to play it an fully, and objectively evaluate.  Unless you bought it for display, how it sounds and plays is the most import thing about it.  And determining if it a good one is more important than anything else.  Pretty simple from there.  If it is a good one, you can go to great lengths to keep it.  If it is not a good one, then it shouldn't take much to make a return out of it.

Forums must be full of wall-hangers, because I rarely see "whether it is a good one or not" come up in threads about whether to return a guitar or not.  But tons of posts that say "demand perfection, send it back".  Personally, I'm much more interested in getting a good one than trying to make a statement about quality expectations.

Are you a Gibson employee, or a shareholder? 🤔

[merciful-evans]

8 hours ago, bobalu said:

Are you a Gibson employee, or a shareholder? 🤔

 

I have no idea whether he is or not, but I happen to agree with him & I most certainly am not.

[badbluesplayer]

Yeah, that red guitar has fret sprout really bad.  You have to wonder where that thing's been. I'd have sent it back in a heartbeat.  Good move...

[bobalu]

18 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

 

I have no idea whether he is or not, but I happen to agree with him & I most certainly am not.

Wasn't asking you, mate.

[merciful-evans]

5 hours ago, bobalu said:

Wasn't asking you, mate.

 

Thats ok. I dont mind. Since Wmachine hasn't answered you, maybe you could PM him? 

[Wmachine]

11 hours ago, bobalu said:

Wasn't asking you, mate.

I am neither.  But obviously you're not interested in the real message.  No matter who you hear it from.

[littlejohnny]

3 hours ago, Wmachine said:

I am neither.  But obviously you're not interested in the real message.  No matter who you hear it from.

There was a message ? 🤡

You people really crack me up. 

[Larsongs]

If you pay for what is advertised as the best there is you are right to expect nothing less..

For those who defend Flaws & Imperfections in Expensive New Guitars, where are you coming from?

Have you looked at a new Heritage? They're flawless, sound & play beautifully.. As do Gretsch Pro Series, Deusenberg & many other Pro Maker Guitars.

Nothing less should be exceptible from Gibson as well.. In my experience I know Gibson wants us to have perfect Guitars.. They go the extra mile to see that we do.. They stand behind their Guitars & will make them perfect or replace them.. 

But, you gotta Call Customer Service & file a Warranty Claim... 

In my experience Gibson has been Great resolving Issues I've had on 2 of my Guitars...

[Sgt. Pepper]

30 minutes ago, Larsongs said:

If you pay for what is advertised as the best there is you are right to expect nothing less..

For those who defend Flaws & Imperfections in Expensive New Guitars, where are you coming from?

 

I never got that either. Gibson's motto is "Only A Gibson Is Good Enough". I know nothing is ever going to be "perfect",  but if that is your statement it better be damn close, and I better get no flack when I want to return it if it isn't.

Gibson ain't cranking out $299 Chinese made guitars. Their stuff cost a pretty penny. Yes there is some less expensive stuff, but $899 (which is the least expensive electric I saw on the site) and above is a lot for anyone to plop down.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper

[kidblast]

18 hours ago, Larsongs said:

For those who defend Flaws & Imperfections in Expensive New Guitars, where are you coming from?

Some things I will look the other way on, so it really depends on the "Flaw".

I bought a another USA made guitar.. (Starts with a "T"  ends with an "R") last month.  The QC, fit and finish are flawless .  It was even setup properly, with a correctly cut nut when I took it out of the box.  I've not been able to put it down since.  it's a thing of beauty, really.

In January, I purchased a Korean made Gretsch.  again, 100% flawless.  Plays like a million bucks, cost about a grand.

If all these guys can do it, any one can do it.

[Sgt. Pepper]

4 hours ago, kidblast said:

Some things I will look the other way on, so it really depends on the "Flaw".

I bought a another USA made guitar.. (Starts with a "T"  ends with an "R") last month.  The QC, fit and finish are flawless .  It was even setup properly, with a correctly cut nut when I took it out of the box.  I've not been able to put it down since.  it's a thing of beauty, really.

In January, I purchased a Korean made Gretsch.  again, 100% flawless.  Plays like a million bucks, cost about a grand.

If all these guys can do it, any one can do it.

Your right about that but the company that starts with G and ends with N know people with buy their stuff cause it has that name on it, and make excuses for it when it isn't what they though it should be, due to the name. And people will slag you cause you bought a guitar that starts with a T. Mine have CFM on them.

Edited September 3, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper