Carpster61 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Hi People, Maybe a bit of a strange request this but could somebody please put up a pic for me of a 1959 Les Paul VOS in ICED TEA ... ??? I mean a pic of someones new guitar that they have recently had ... ??? I don't really know what to expect, I ordered mine back in February 2011 and I am still waiting although I was told it would be finished in August 2011 and I would get it by end of September in my hand. Must admit, Gibson's customer service is appalling. The shop I ordered from have not managed to get a single reply from the Custom shop when they have tried to find out the state of play. Gibson Europe have even failed to get a positive update. Spending £4000 you would think Gibson would be only too happy to do this. I am obviously not going to get it in time for christmas, and I have no idea whatsoever when I will be getting my guitar, so I would just like to see someones pride and joy so I can see what I am going to get. I just hope the 'flame' is going to live up to my expectations. I have seen all the pics in adverts but just want to see one that someone owns. When I see pics of guitars on this forum, people tend to give all info but the colour. Hope someone can help ... Thanx, Gavin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CR9 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Sorry I don't have photos of an Ice Tea 59 of my own and please do not consider this an official answer from Gibson. I am speaking from my point of view, not as a spokesman for Gibson. When you say "Gibson's customer service is appalling" I would think that you should be saying the "dealer's customer service is appalling". You are not directly ordering a guitar and speaking with a salesman inside Gibson but hearing what the dealer is telling you. The dealer should be able to pick up the phone and call to find out what is going on but doesn't seem to be doing that for you. I would be upset too if I wasn't getting answers and waiting this long for an Ice Tea 59 unless there was something special about the order that was not "normal" production. Every dealer I have ever worked with has been able to call and get an answer. Maybe not immediate, as the guitar must sometimes be found in the shop, or the production schedule must be checked, but within a couple of days. From my perspective, I think you should be addressing the issues with the dealer. When did the dealer place the order? When did Gibson confirm the order? Who did the dealer talk to at Gibson? Is there some reason Gibson is not wanting to fill the order for this dealer? What day was it scheduled to go into production? Maybe the dealer is behind on payments for guitars they have already ordered and it is holding up your order? There could be lost so reasons that the guitar has not been shipped to your dealer that could cause a delay that you might not know about. If the shop you are dealing with can not get even a reply, there is something else going on. Maybe you could ask them for proof of when they ordered it and when the order was acknowledged by Gibson? As I said, I would be upset too, but at my dealer. I would be talking to the dealer daily until I got an answer. Yes I am sticking up for Gibson as there are many salesmen that will just give you an answer even if it is not correct. This is an Ice Tea that Wildwood has on their web site: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 Hi, and thanx for taking time to reply, I appreciate it. :-) ... The blame lies firmly at the door of Gibson for me. I went to the shop in December 2010 and ordered one. The only thing that makes it not a standard order is that I am left handed. I asked if I could choose the colour and was told they would contact Gibson to find out. I watched as they sent the email with the query. It took 8 WEEKS !!! for Gibson to get back to them with a reply. They said they can only call Gibson Europe as the custom shop don't give out their number. So officially I got confirmation of order at start of February. I was told before I ordered it that I could be in for a long wait due to the time it takes. I went with it. I started looking for updates in July, the shop could not get replies from Gibson Custom Shop about updates. I took it upon myself to get Gibson Europe's number. I called them and have spoken to them numerous times. The first time they told me on 15th August that the guitar had been started in production at the beginning of August, would be finished by the end of August and would take 3 weeks to get to Gibson Europe and a further week to get to the shop in London. So I would have it by end of September in my hands. I have since called Gibson Europe and they told me that they gave me that info as a one off, and any future correspondence has got to go through the shop I ordered with because they cant get involved with me with updates because it makes them middle men. I told them that the shop can't get any info etc and Gibson Europe told me the problem regarding the Custom Shop is (quote)........ "The information really goes through our dealers; it might not always be easy, as the custom shop are private entrepreneurs we cannot give insight into their financial status." ............ They also told me that the custom shop are not set up for giving order statuses and basically I will get it when it is done. Last info I got from the shop a week ago was that Gibson were going to review all their orders and when the shop found out, they would contact me. The shop I ordered from are probably the biggest Gibson dealer in England. They did warn me before I ordered that one of their clients had been waiting well over a year for his guitar. May I also point out that when I heard about the raids, I contacted Gibson Europe and I was told that the Custom Shop was totally unaffected by the raids and it was business as usual. I would have had no problem waiting 18 months for it, but I was told by Gibson Europe that it would be finished end of August, so you can understand my issue. It would have been better if they had said nothing really. I hope this gives you a better insight. Gibson Europe are virtually seperating themselves from the Custom Shop as if they are a seperate company when you read their quote. I am a cabinet maker and it is like me taking £4000 from a client and telling them that they will get it when I am ready to make it and they will not know when it is coming. Not on is it ... !!! ;-) Regards Gavin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CR9 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Thanks for the added info and I asked a rep inside Gibson to check into it. I can now see a better picture of why you are upset. The Custom Shop WAS effected by the raid in a big way and that plays into this. The Custom Shop and Gibson Europe can not give you information as you are buying a guitar from the dealer not Gibson and if they did give you information instead of the dealer it would be like insider trading even if it is only a shipping date. The dealer is a customer of Gibson and the dealer is not giving you good customer service. Even with the info you may have gotten from Gibson Europe, the communications problem is between the dealer and Gibson and someone is dropping the ball on your order. There is a production schedule in the Custom Shop, just like other shop, and it should be possible for Gibson Europe to call and get an answer for you .Left hand guitars are made on a special basis and usually as a one-off. I think the answer will still have to come through your dealer and not directly from the Custom Shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 Thanx for that info, it has been an enlightenment. I still have all emails from Gibson Europe including the one where they stipulated that the custom shop were not affected by the raids in any way. The shop have continually told me that they have done everything they could to chase up the order and assured me I would not have got my guitar any quicker frrom any other dealer in the UK. It is not about the time it takes to make it, I dont mind that, it is the being told that it would be finished end of August and no updates since. I have no doubt it will turn up but if it is finished, as they said it would be, I want to know why it is taking over 4 months to get it to me. The shop have also assured me that nobody is telling lies either. It now appears that in the very latest info I have, that it was in the final stages of production 3 weeks ago and I should receive it soon, but not in time for Christmas. I just don't know whator who to believe. I am not in any way angry. Saddened yes, having spent a lot of money with no feedback. Although I would love to buy an SG and maybe a 355, there is no way I am going through this again, so I think this will be my first and last Gibson purchase ... Even Fender got my Leftie Strat to me within 3 weeks and kept me informed every step of the way. Ok it wasn't a custom made guitar but it still had to come from the States. I do really love the Gibson Les Paul and it will take pride of place in my flat, for the rest of my life. I really look forward to it, it is an unbeatable guitar yes. Why the heck do I have to be left handed ... Ha,ha ... !!! Happy Christmas ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CR9 Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 As a side note, I too am left handed but when I first started to take guitar lesson, I started as right handed. About the only things I do specifically left handed is write and throw a ball. Maybe I would be a better guitar player if I would started left handed. This was back in the 60's and I was told that it was almost impossible to find a left handed guitar in a store and one would be special order. It seems like times have not changed much and the left handed guitars are still hard to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronnie Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I am a lefty, Just got my latest guitar 58 vos plain top in cherry although I preferred the Iced tea, I missed out on this and Cherry is so nice!! I do not understand why someone would pay £1500 extra for a flame top as the plain tops look so nice and clean. Anyone that has not tried the 58 vos before purchasing the 59 's are simply being mugged I played both and I can categorically say that the 58 sounds as good as the 59 no bother. Here's to the 59 RIP, 58 all the way oh you should also try a PRS MCCARTY 58 left (if you can find one) I have one and its peachy. Conclusion : YOU DON T NEED TO SPEND ON A 59, 58 all the way. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sok66 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 As a side note, I too am left handed but when I first started to take guitar lesson, I started as right handed. About the only things I do specifically left handed is write and throw a ball. Maybe I would be a better guitar player if I would started left handed. This was back in the 60's and I was told that it was almost impossible to find a left handed guitar in a store and one would be special order. It seems like times have not changed much and the left handed guitars are still hard to find. I used to really discourage new left handed students from trying to play left handed guitars fro that very reason. Once they started to learn on a normal guitar it made no difference in their progress, etc. There are no left handed saxophones, pianos, violins, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuidoX Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Hi People, Maybe a bit of a strange request this but could somebody please put up a pic for me of a 1959 Les Paul VOS in ICED TEA ... ??? Here's mine... it's a 2011 Iced Tea R9 VOS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Wow, that is exactly what I wanted to see ... If this is what mine will look like, I will definately not be dissapointed ... !!! I have ordered exactly the same but a leftie, and still no sign of it ... !!! That looks absolutely awsome ... Exactly the flame I am hoping for too. Thanx again ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yaff Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Here's mine... it's a 2011 Iced Tea R9 VOS Love that top! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Well the guitar arrived and to say I am happy is an understatement ... Absolutely beautiful ... Can't find fault and I have tried. The shop were very surprised to recieve it, they said it is normally a month shipping AFTER they are told it is finished ... Gibson didnt even bother emailing the shop to tell them it was done .. Oh well, I have the guitar, the flat smells of laquer. The smell hit me when I opened the case ... It must have been unopened for at least a month after completion. One niggly thing is that apparantly Gibson don't supply straps with custom guitars ... Thats the least they could have done after all the grief i've gone through ... Happy days though ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renegade6 Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Read your "story". Know your very happy to have your new R9 in hand. My 2005 R9 came with a strap but my 2011 R9 did not. Must be a cost savings thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZuWa Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 Well the guitar arrived and to say I am happy is an understatement ... Absolutely beautiful ... Can't find fault and I have tried. The shop were very surprised to recieve it, they said it is normally a month shipping AFTER they are told it is finished ... Gibson didnt even bother emailing the shop to tell them it was done .. Oh well, I have the guitar, the flat smells of laquer. The smell hit me when I opened the case ... It must have been unopened for at least a month after completion. One niggly thing is that apparantly Gibson don't supply straps with custom guitars ... Thats the least they could have done after all the grief i've gone through ... Happy days though ... Cool! Please post a few pics and a sound clip! Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Hi, I will post some pics soon, no problem ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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