Mvfvette1 Posted October 8, 2008 Posted October 8, 2008 Hello all. I just received my new 50th anniversary Explorer (Brimstone, GOM for Oct 2008). This guitar was marketed with a vintage Ted McCarthy headstock logo (like the one on the reverse Explorer and the 50th Flying V). When my guitar arrived, it had the newer style Gibson logo (like on all new Explorers, except in gold). I called Gibson and they explained that this was a factory error and that some were shipped to dealers with this incorrect logo. It was supposed to have the vintage McCarthy logo as marketed. Gibson said they would replace the guitar with one that has the correct logo if that is what I want. I have been unable to get any specifics as to how many left the factory with the wrong logo. I called Gibson again. They simply emailed me that there were no production numbers and that they would replace the guitar if I was unhappy. Does anyone have more specifics with this matter? I'm reluctant to have the guitar replaced for several reasons (low serial number, fantastic flamed top, possibility that not many left the factory with this error), but I also do like the headstock logo that the guitar was supposed to have. If I had more information as to how many left the factory with the error, it would make my decision much easier. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Mike
GuitarJunkie Posted October 8, 2008 Posted October 8, 2008 Buy another with the vintage logo, have the "set".
Bluesburst Posted October 8, 2008 Posted October 8, 2008 Now that sucks unless you can get another... Any chance of pics? It has to be a collectors item, if you have the dollars then definitely get another and put that one in a safe place. Most importantly though, if it's a nice player and another isn't an option, just enjoy it knowing that if you need to later, it will most likely be able to more than cover it's costs. If I had the bucks, I would buy it off you, for sure!!! All the best Martin
Space Pup Posted October 8, 2008 Posted October 8, 2008 Congratulations on the new Explorer! I had a chance to play one and they are sweet. Hard to tell if the error will make any difference in value in the long run but unless the guitar has some kind of flaw that makes it unplayable, I see no reason to send it back. That just makes it a little more unique.
cvansickle Posted October 8, 2008 Posted October 8, 2008 I'm sorry, but how does a guitar (or any product, for that matter) get produced with the "wrong" anything on it? This is an assembly line product. Don't these design engineers have a plan in place before going into production? How hard is it to follow a flippin' blueprint for Pete's sake? Anyway, hope I didn't kill your buzz too much. Congrats on the new guitar, play it in good health.
GuitarJunkie Posted October 8, 2008 Posted October 8, 2008 This is an assembly line product. Don't these design engineers have a plan in place before going into production? The difference with the Gibson "assembly line" is that there may be a couple dozen different models being produced on any given day. It's not like the guy is building Explorer after Explorer all day long. Having said that' date=' Gibson usually builds guitars in batches of approximately 40 at a time. I would hazard a guess that it would have only been one batch that got the error. Forty out of one-thousand [i']would[/i] make it pretty rare if that were the case. Either way, you have a nice guitar. Congrats. Oh, and I almost forgot... PHOTOS?!?!?!?
Space Pup Posted October 8, 2008 Posted October 8, 2008 I have been to Gibson's Acoustic plant in Montana a few times and the "Assembly line product" comment is not entirely acurate. Gibson's are built by order, which means they don't build the guitar until a seller has already ordered it. They don't make a batch of J-45's and let them sit in a warehouse until a seller asks them. I've seen the guiatrs waiting in line to be sanded and it's a mix of what ever models have been completed up to that point. Mvfvette you may wish to keep in mind that production of this guitar is limited to 1,000 If 1,000 aren't ordered their will be actualy less than 1,000 of them out there.
cvansickle Posted October 8, 2008 Posted October 8, 2008 The difference with the Gibson "assembly line" is that there may be a couple dozen different models being produced on any given day. It's not like the guy is building Explorer after Explorer all day long. Regardless, every one of those guitars being produced has a design spec to be followed, right? Or do the employees of the factory have free reign to do as they please on each model? Bottom line: somebody didn't do their job right, and somebody else let it slide. If that guitar wasn't built to spec, it never should have left the factory. I don't know about the orignal poster, but if I'm going to spend this kind of hard earned money on an expensive musical instrument, I'm going to demand satisfaction.
Mvfvette1 Posted October 8, 2008 Author Posted October 8, 2008 Thanks for the comments. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow along with my other Explorers. Do I have to use a photobucket account or can you upload directly to this forum? I have to say that I am not disappointed that I received one of the guitars with the errors, but as someone said, a guitar of this price shouldn't have left the factory with the mistake. If they do make 1000 of these guitars and a small percentage left the factory with the error, I feel it will be more desirable down the road. If a majority or close to half of them have the error, then I would probably prefer to have one with the vintage logo. That's why I would love to hear more info on exactly what happened. Gibson will replace the guitar if that is what I'd like. I'm just not sure yet. Mike
VRob8 Posted October 11, 2008 Posted October 11, 2008 Don't know if it helps but Sweetwater's stock all have the incorrect logos, as do Wildwood's. In fact, I haven't to this point seen an example of the guitar that does have the correct logo. So I think that the answer to this is that a pretty large percentage -- if not all -- have the wrong logo, making the correct ones actually rarer. At least it appears to be that way.
Mvfvette1 Posted October 11, 2008 Author Posted October 11, 2008 I had the same observation. The four that I seen at Sweetwater (that's where I purchased mine) and the two that are listed on the Wildwood site all have the incorrect logo. However, these are the only six that I have seen pictures of, and all six of them are well below serial number 100 of the 1000 that are supposed to be produced. So it's still hard to say which one will be rarer. They still haven't made nearly all of these guitars. If the correct logo began going on by serial number 100, then the other 900 would have the correct logo. It just depends on when the error was caught and corrected. I'm definitely interested to see what logo the higher serial numbers have.
Morten M Posted October 12, 2008 Posted October 12, 2008 Don't accept a swap. First, what guarantee do have that the next one is as good a player as the one you got. Second, you are in possesion of the something very rare that'll fetch a nice price among collectors in the future. Keep it!!!!!
MReynolds Posted December 21, 2008 Posted December 21, 2008 Hello all. I just received my new 50th anniversary Explorer (Brimstone' date=' GOM for Oct 2008). This guitar was marketed with a vintage Ted McCarthy headstock logo (like the one on the reverse Explorer and the 50th Flying V). When my guitar arrived, it had the newer style Gibson logo (like on all new Explorers, except in gold). [/quote'] Mike, the one I see on the Gibson Custom site for the '58 anniversary issue is the same I see on the Wildwood site. I don't see anything about having a "McCarthy" headstock logo like on the V. Nothing is mentioned in the description by Gibson about it either.
Rat Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Hello all. I just received my new 50th anniversary Explorer (Brimstone' date=' GOM for Oct 2008). This guitar was marketed with a vintage Ted McCarthy headstock logo (like the one on the reverse Explorer and the 50th Flying V). When my guitar arrived, it had the newer style Gibson logo (like on all new Explorers, except in gold). I called Gibson and they explained that this was a factory error and that some were shipped to dealers with this incorrect logo. It was supposed to have the vintage McCarthy logo as marketed. Gibson said they would replace the guitar with one that has the correct logo if that is what I want. I have been unable to get any specifics as to how many left the factory with the wrong logo. I called Gibson again. They simply emailed me that there were no production numbers and that they would replace the guitar if I was unhappy. Does anyone have more specifics with this matter? I'm reluctant to have the guitar replaced for several reasons (low serial number, fantastic flamed top, possibility that not many left the factory with this error), but I also do like the headstock logo that the guitar was supposed to have. If I had more information as to how many left the factory with the error, it would make my decision much easier. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Mike[/quote'] Any clue how many Gibson made with the wrong logo? I just discovered that I have two and also had a third a while back. All were very low serial numbers.
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