ufboy73 Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I just got my first Les Paul Custom guitar a few days ago and have been ecstatic with it. As I was admiring late last night, however, I noticed something that had escaped my usually hyper-critical eye up to that point. The mother of pearl inlay on the 5th fret has a realtively small 'nick' on it. The inlay is, of course, smooth so the nick appears to be in the mother of pearl itself. My question is whether or not this type of 'blemish' (if you even would consider this a blemish) is typical on les paul custom guitars. I do not have any previous relationship with the particular dealer that i had to purchase this from and so just want to make sure that he didnt end up selling me a B-stock under the pretense of a belm-free guitar. It is obviously only cosmetic and, as i say, is relatively small....but now that i know it is there it is quite visible and i would just like to put my mind at ease that it falls under the category of 'no guitar is going to be perfect and if you went looking up and down the neck of any guitar you would find something'. Any feedback would be much appreciated. I dont have a lot of experience with higher-end guitars and so dont know what constitutes a 'blemish' vs. just run of the mill stuff that happens to any manufactured guitar. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 I think anyone here could look over their Lesters ( new or otherwise ) and find some small flaw. I bought my black beauty new, and there is one or two things that made me scratch my head. But thats what happens when humans make guitars. They need to handle them. Sometimes its something simple like a tiny scratch on the back or neck...sometimes its a huge nick. Im sure if buy new theyll take it back and get you another. If you really love the sound of "said" guitar you have to ask yourself if you can live with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXE® Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Mine are all perfect in every way.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepblue Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Mine are all perfect in every way.... ummmm...ya, mine too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMayhem Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 post up a few pics of the guitar and the blemish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 ufboy73, Gibson stopped selling B-stock in 1985. That doesn't mean every guitar is perfect, it just means they destroy anything they deem as B-stock. Email your serial number to Gibson (the email address is on their website) and ask for your guitar's model number. If the last number is 1, it's not B-stock. If it's 2, it is B-stock. I guarantee you if the guitar is fairly new the last number will be 1. I bought my black beauty new' date=' and there is one or two things that made me scratch my head.[/quote']Care to mention what they were? Hopefully, you didn't get one with three screws on the truss rod cover. Not nice, Tim...not nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ufboy73 Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share Posted October 26, 2008 here are some quick shots that i took - i had to get pretty close up to be able to show anything discernible from the MOP and the light....i think it is a bit more visible in person (even when not up quite this close) but this should give a general idea. What do you guys think - am i worrying about nothing? The guitar is otherwise pretty much flawless and I have certainly enjoyed playing it so far. Just one of those things that once i noticed it....i kept on noticing it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Yup; you're worrying about nothing. IMHO, of course....... Just turn the lights down a bit more, plug-in and play the thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_HEWC Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Really, it doesn't affect playability or sound. If anything it brings character to your guitar, and can also be a mark to identify your guitar if you forget the serial #. I don't see that as a big deal, I mean Les Pauls are workhorses and supposed to be played. As you play your guitar more I'm sure you'll add some marks of your own to it. I don't mean to belittle your problem, but try to look at the big picture. Your a proud owner of a awsome guitar, that will only sound better and better the more you play. Best of luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajunman831 Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 i,m scared to buy online anymore ,due to the fact of cosmetics of many of the gibson guitars.you,ll have some flaws.i usually look good at my guitars and always find something wrong.my girl sent me some pics of my new expensive custom and there was some flaws on it.i sent an email to gibson service and all they said was ..oh so sorry,nothing we can do.so mf was going to replace it,but i was scared i get one worser.i want another one ,but i,m scared to purchase online.you would think paying over 3,800 bucks ,that they would inspect them.i bought many fenders and they always were in good shape.my first les paul and it,s messed up.oh well i,ll live with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturn Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I agree that as long as you can't feel it and it doesn't affect the playing, that little mark is nothing to worry about. Your guitar just has a freckle, that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 It looks like a naturally occurring flaw in the mother of pearl, to me. Many natural products contain such random things... it's the... well.. nature of nature . +1 on the uniquely identifying mark. You could pick this one out of 100 similar guitars. Gratz the new custom!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Mine are all perfect in every way.... Mine too... I havent found a blem in them yet' date=' I seem to have lost my glasses tho... [img']http://joehillfiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/mr_magoo__2_.jpg[/img] I think that is not to be considered "a flaw", you'll learn to live with it and even apreciate it... I remember some time ago a member of the forum told us he inspected his new guitars with a magnifying glas and found a little scratch measuring a micron... I just LMFAO... really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flight959 Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Yup; you're worrying about nothing. IMHO' date=' of course....... Just turn the lights down a bit more, plug-in and play the thing![/quote'] +1 Thats nothing! Im surprised you even noticed it... Flight959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LT ED Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I know it seems a big deal today but this time next week you won,t care because you will have spotted another manufacturing howler. Welcome the sometimes disappointing world of Gibson guitars. Saying that I still cant stop buying them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Paul Fanatic Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Just a freckle or a birthmark. Depends on how you look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darryl99 Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 It looks like a naturally occurring flaw in the mother of pearl' date=' to me. Many natural products contain such random things... it's the... well.. nature of nature '](*,). I thought "Mother of Pearl" was plastic or more specific, acrylic. I wouldn't consider it a flaw, definitely would not constitute a "B" stock guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRV-Zeppelin Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 No offense, ufboy73, but when a lot of people buy their first Gibson they expect it to be completely perfect in every way without error (like Axe's guitars... just kidding.) What you have to realize is that Gibsons are built by real human beings, who make mistakes (however small) and that if even if you shell out $4K for a guitar there's still going to be some tiny flaw you'll find with it. What you have to do is fall in love with the pros of your guitar and learn to live with (or ignore) the cons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 I thought "Mother of Pearl" was plastic or more specific' date=' acrylic. I wouldn't consider it a flaw, definitely would not constitute a "B" stock guitar. [/quote'] ? First I have ever heard that. Faux Pearls are acrylic... mother of pearl is the substance pearls (and the inside of some shells) are covered in... or so I seem to recall from school years ago, and my mind is like a steel trap. Rusty steel, mind you, but steel none the less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ufboy73 Posted October 27, 2008 Author Share Posted October 27, 2008 hey, thanks a lot guys. sentiment seems to be clearly be that I am making something out of essentially nothing and the marking is nothing more than a hundred other things that commonly happen during making guitars....still, it was nice to hear some corroboration - my love affair can now continue, unabated:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ufboy73 Posted October 27, 2008 Author Share Posted October 27, 2008 ufboy73' date=' Gibson stopped selling B-stock in 1985. That doesn't mean every guitar is perfect, it just means they destroy anything they deem as B-stock. Email your serial number to Gibson (the email address is on their website) and ask for your guitar's model number. If the last number is 1, it's not B-stock. If it's 2, it is B-stock. I guarantee you if the guitar is fairly new the last number will be 1.[/quote'] hmmm, well that is interesting. I thought the last several digits of the serial number pertained to the production number of the run the guitar came from (i.e. could be any number 0-9). of course, I dont really know anything about serial numbers but would have thought under this scenario that the number could end in anything. The last number on mine is 5 - does this mean anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 ufboy73' date=' Gibson stopped selling B-stock in 1985. That doesn't mean every guitar is perfect, it just means they destroy anything they deem as B-stock. Email your serial number to Gibson (the email address is on their website) and ask for your guitar's model number. If the last number is 1, it's not B-stock. If it's 2, it is B-stock. I guarantee you if the guitar is fairly new the last number will be 1.[/quote'] Geez Tim, is there anything you don't know?!? OK, it may be time to start a "Stump Tim" category. Maybe Gibson can denote a LP as the prize... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darryl99 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 ? First I have ever heard that. Faux Pearls are acrylic... mother of pearl is the substance pearls (and the inside of some shells) are covered in... or so I seem to recall from school years ago' date=' and my mind is like a steel trap. Rusty steel, mind you, but steel none the less [/quote'] If you checkout the Les Paul "Highlights" tab from Gibson's USA website and click on "Trapezoid Inlays" for more info it says; "A figured, swirl acrylic gives these inlays that classic "pearl" look." Gibson's spec sheet only states: Inlays: Trapezoid You are right about the definition for Mother of Pearl I just don't think it is used on Les Paul Standards. It is used on some Les Paul Customs. Can anyone else clear this up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarooster52 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 ufboy73' date=' Gibson stopped selling B-stock in 1985. That doesn't mean every guitar is perfect, it just means they destroy anything they deem as B-stock. [/quote'] R9 - L&M offered to sell me a Gibson B-stock ES335 when I bought mine. The fretboard had a natural looking little hole in it, and there was a little ding in it. The ding may have happened after? Anyhow I passed on it as there was only about a $300 savings. The guitar was factory B as indicated on a tag or something, but L&M were putting it out to rental stock. I couldn't live with the very minor defect knowing that the B-Stock would affect resale and really it would still have been very expensive. There was no effort made to hide the fact that it was a B-Stock. The guys at L&M were straight up about it. They bring them in to put out for rental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvette1980 Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 If you checkout the Les Paul "Highlights" tab from Gibson's USA website and click on "Trapezoid Inlays" for more info it says; "A figured' date=' swirl acrylic gives these inlays that classic "pearl" look." Gibson's spec sheet only states: Inlays: Trapezoid You are right about the definition for Mother of Pearl I just don't think it is used on Les Paul Standards. It is used on some Les Paul Customs. Can anyone else clear this up? [/quote'] Standards have fake pearl inlays and customs have real mother of pearl inlays. Thats one of the reason why they are higher. Plus all the binding and manhours it takes to wrap a guitar in 5 ply binding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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