Disappointment and Failure - 4 Attempts

[SeanS10]

I recently went through a failure of epic proportions trying to buy an SG and wanted to share my experience to spare others my heartbreak.

I bought an SG standard 61 four times because I loved it so much and had to return all of them.  1) From Guitar Center - brand new guitar, the tuning knob was bent, 2) From Gibson directly, arrived with a deep scratch across the fretboard and inlay, 3) Musicians Friend, fret buzz so bad I couldn't unhear it, 4) Guitar Center again, in two weeks bridge pickup grounding broke, no sound.

I cannot explain away any of the problems I had.  For nearly $2,000, these issues should not have occurred.  I've had a Mexican Telecaster for years and never had any problems.  The thing is a fraction of the cost of the SG.

Please take a long look if you're going to buy a new Gibson.  Once or twice can be explained away as unlucky, but four times means there is a structural problem.

[SteveFord]

I have a new SG Standard, it's fine.  

The only thing it needs is a real case, that Golf Club thing doesn't do it for me.

[merciful-evans]

Unlucky. I cant blame you for feeling the way you do. 

Others though, have had different experience to yours. I hear what you say, but I have experience with Gibson too. I've come across some with issues, a couple of them serious. In general I find them fine instruments. I've had my two for 5 years. They're great. Others here have had their Gibsons for decades. 

What I am saying here is that your bad experience does not cancel out other players good experience.

[badbluesplayer]

I had an issue with a '61 Standard also.  It was about a year ago.  I can't imagine what was going on at the shop when the first one went through.  I'm fortunate to have a good rep at Sweetwater and they got me squared away.  I still had to do a maaaajor amount of nut work to get the second one shaped up.  It's nice now.  I'll sell it if the price is right.  

Here's the thing with Musician's Friend/Guitar Center - the word is that they don't treat the guitars they sell like a regular dealer.  They don't make sure they're properly set up.  Used to be, your local dealer would get your action all set when you bought the guitar.  Sweetwater sets up each guitar and if they send you a bad one, you have to be pretty savvy to tell what's wrong.

Gibson depends on the dealer to be able to get the guitar stabilized, set up and out the door to a happy customer.  Musician's Friend/GC basically bulldozed that business model. There was a time maybe five years ago when Gibson supposedly stopped GC from doing some or all setups/repairs/returns and was having them just ship all the returns back.  I don't know if that's the truth, but that was the story, best I can remember.  I don't know how GC's relationship with Gibson is now.    

Edited September 27, 2020 by badbluesplayer

[kidblast]

Man,, that's a roll of bad luck.  The places you've purchased from, (GC, & Musicians Friend) I will no longer buy guitars from.  Sweetwater has never let me down, in 15 years of dealing with them

I've got 6 Gibsons, all be fine guitars,  some I've had for decades, others purchased recently.  They have all needed setups when first purchased.   Which I expect your 3rd purchase probably was in need of.

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by kidblast

[Sybo]

I looked at eight VERRY THOROUGHLY at GC and bought one, a Trad Pro V , it needs nut work..... cmon Gibson.. I will keep the Guitar and love it, but here really no reason to not center a nut well.........

[Larsongs]

I have had excellent experience with Sweetwater also.. I've bought about 10 Guitars from them Gibson, Gretsch, Fender, Rickenbacker & Epiphone. 

I've had 3 defect issues with Gibsons over the years.  Only 1 was bought at Sweetwater. 2 were bought from MF or another Online Dealer... I resolved all of them by dealing directly with Gibson Customer Service.. Via Telephone to set up a Warranty Repair. Not Email which is a waste of time... All 3 Guitars issues were repaired to perfection or replaced with a new one that was perfect..

[slimt]

Kind of difficult to see what the issues are with out pictures.  
 
did you get those mailed to you? Or just did not see the issues prior? 

[merbis]

On 9/28/2020 at 5:27 AM, Sybo said:

I looked at eight VERRY THOROUGHLY at GC and bought one, a Trad Pro V , it needs nut work..... cmon Gibson.. I will keep the Guitar and love it, but here really no reason to not center a nut well.........

I bought one of these as well and it also needed minor nut work. I did not have the luxury of trying 8- I think they had 2 plus several other models in a similar price range. I just sent the guitar back to Gibson because, after almost of year of having to adjust the neck monthly, I got tired of it. Hopefully they replace the thing because I don't know that there is a fix other than play at 6/64ths string height all the time. It's sad. I really like how it sounds and plays...

[Sybo]

Merbis, Keep us posted please and good luck

[Pinch]

I'm stealing that title for my autobiography 

[Sybo]

Next string change , I will drop mine off at Glaser here in Nashville. It will come back right!!!!! 

[Eracer_Team]

5 hours ago, Sybo said:

Next string change , I will drop mine off at Glaser here in Nashville. It will come back right!!!!! 

 

If I was in Nashville,  I'd take it to Greg Voros service manager at Gruhn's 

[valtyr]

That sucks. I got mine at Guitar Center a few weeks ago, no issues. I hope your luck improves.

[Fheapes]

I’m in the middle of a similar situation . Just got a mew 2019 61 SG.  Out of the box from musicians friend I found many issues.

scratch plate not trimmed correctly. 

Paint left on the binding(very common with Gibson)

Fingerboard binding and finger board gouged from a flip of a file slip.

The bridge is bottomed out, action is still higher than I’d expect.

G string won’t intonate correctly. If I flipped the saddle it would probable lock in.

I have a replacement guitar coming but I have a feeling it’s going to be dump luck if it’s issue free.

I would love to spend a day with Gibsons quality control. They need help. Do they have a ‘it’s good enough attitude’?

I’ve purchased several dozen guitars over the years.  This is my first Gibson. 

 

 

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 9/27/2020 at 2:56 PM, badbluesplayer said:

I had an issue with a '61 Standard also.  It was about a year ago.  I can't imagine what was going on at the shop when the first one went through.  I'm fortunate to have a good rep at Sweetwater and they got me squared away.  I still had to do a maaaajor amount of nut work to get the second one shaped up.  It's nice now.  I'll sell it if the price is right.  

Here's the thing with Musician's Friend/Guitar Center - the word is that they don't treat the guitars they sell like a regular dealer.  They don't make sure they're properly set up.  Used to be, your local dealer would get your action all set when you bought the guitar.  Sweetwater sets up each guitar and if they send you a bad one, you have to be pretty savvy to tell what's wrong.

Gibson depends on the dealer to be able to get the guitar stabilized, set up and out the door to a happy customer.  Musician's Friend/GC basically bulldozed that business model. There was a time maybe five years ago when Gibson supposedly stopped GC from doing some or all setups/repairs/returns and was having them just ship all the returns back.  I don't know if that's the truth, but that was the story, best I can remember.  I don't know how GC's relationship with Gibson is now.    

You went though a bunch of SG's back then to get a good one. It must have been the day they legalized weed in Tennessee and all the employees rolled one or five at lunch.

Edited January 1, 2021 by Sgt. Pepper

[LesPaul50sTribute]

I purchased a 2020 Les Paul Classic and had much the same occurrence as you. The seller agreed to upgrade me into a Les Paul Standard for all the trouble. The guitar looked great and it was all worth it in the end. But trust me I know how it feels to open that case for the first time and see trouble. That's not fun. 

This was the back of the neck pocket on the second guitar - stunned it made it through Gibson QC - it was cleared over also.