ljredux Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 ...had a chip in the headstock, like this... Would you keep it? Hey, they all get chipped eventually, right? But don't all those chips tell a story about you? Bits of explainable history, as opposed to unknowns relating to manufacture or transit. (The idea this guitar was dropped on its headstock scares me a little.) Or would you ask for a replacement? Or maybe even a refund? I've learned the lesson (the hard way) that you shouldn't buy guitars via mail order. Even from an approved dealer. Even if the retailer covers the return postage, other conditions relating to the way it should *be* returned can leave you so out of pocket, and entail so many other liability risks, that it's just not worth it. I'm wishing I wasn't seduced by such a low price. I'm wishing I'd bought a second hand Epiphone Dot instead a few months ago, because the one I saw (three years old) was actually in better condition than this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amx05462 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 it would go right back.. you paid for new not slightly damaged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljredux Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Thomann are a very reputable seller, but because I ordered multiple items (Epiphone Dot, hard case, etc.), the box is oversized for returning one item. You'd think padding it would be trivial, but they have very specific requirements about returning parcels. The outer box must be a brand new box, not the one it arrived in. The cushioning must be of a specific kind (which is quite expensive). Even if they pay the postage, it would be more convenient to get the guitar repaired than go to the time, trouble and expense of all that. Not to mention worry about the liability they talk about should the item get damaged and they decide it wasn't correctly packaged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgruff Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm very concerned how a guitar sounds and plays but don't care one bit about cosmetic issues (especially on a sub-millimetre scale..). If I found a minor problem, I might try to haggle for a set of strings, or a small discount but, if it was that little bit livelier than all the other, perfect models in the shop, I'd still want to take it home. Some of the most expensive instruments you can buy are *deliberately* reliced... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljredux Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Then don't make a big deal out of it. Go get some nail polish and touch up the spot. If I want to express my feelings on a manufacturer's forum about a defective guitar of theirs I was sold (a guitar with a guarantee against workmanship defects) I will. Particularly after the employee who manages Epiphone's Twitter feed pointed me in this direction. I am genuinely curious what other guitar players think about this kind of defect. Would they accept it? Or would they return it? I posted on Reddit too and although I got a 50/50 mix of responses, thankfully I didn't get anybody trying to shut me down by saying "stop making a big deal/get some nail varnish". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljredux Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 I'm very concerned how a guitar sounds and plays but don't care one bit about cosmetic issues (especially on a sub-millimetre scale..). If I found a minor problem, I might try to haggle for a set of strings, or a small discount but, if it was that little bit livelier than all the other, perfect models in the shop, I'd still want to take it home. Some of the most expensive instruments you can buy are *deliberately* reliced... Thanks. I appreciate what you're saying in the first paragraph about sound over appearance, etc. I just happen to look after my guitars (that's why I bought a hard case for this one at the same time), and would rather any chips were done by myself. If I want questionable or unexplainable defects, I would rather buy second hand. I don't like unexplainable neck/headstock impact damage in particular due to the potential wider ramifications on the neck. The chip isn't 'reliced' in any sense of the word. I would have to relic the entire guitar in a very specific way for the chip to become a part of such a context. The damage is also not sub-millimetre. The varnish is cracked on the end of the headstock too, but that's difficult to see in the pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomse Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Send it back i had to send 3 arch tops back to MF but i did finely get a great Guitar first one broken neck number 2 Bad finish number 3 bad finish and number 4 is a great guitar . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amx05462 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 as mentioned above broken neck. i see alot of broken ones on ebay etc. who knows how hard a bang this took. may have weakened that glue joint. you dont know. if i pay for brand new everything should work and there should be no marks on the guitar ....unles i make them myself.. just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amx05462 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 as mentioned above broken neck. i see alot of broken ones on ebay etc. who knows how hard a bang this took. may have weakened that glue joint. you dont know. if i pay for brand new everything should work and there should be no marks on the guitar ....unles i make them myself.. just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljredux Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Dude, mine is just another opinion, nothing more. You are more than welcome to ignore it. Recommending someone to "not sweat the small stuff" is not an attempt to "shut someone down". But the bottom line is that you have 2 choices - to deal with Thomann's requirements and send it back or not. It's really that simple. I know what my options are with Thomann. At no point did I ask for advice or opinions on my choices with Thomann. I asked how people would feel if they bought a brand new guitar and it arrived with a chipped finish like that. Glad to clear that up for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljredux Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 as mentioned above broken neck. i see alot of broken ones on ebay etc. who knows how hard a bang this took. may have weakened that glue joint. you dont know. if i pay for brand new everything should work and there should be no marks on the guitar ....unles i make them myself.. just my opinion. Agreed. I'm hoping the lack of any obvious stress or cracked paint around the neck joint means it's OK. It really does look like I'm keeping this guitar because if I return it in exactly the same way that Thomann sent it to me, they can hold me liable for any further damage that occurs in transit. They could end up repairing the guitar and billing me for it. No thanks. I contacted Epiphone Europe, but they were about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljredux Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Send it back i had to send 3 arch tops back to MF but i did finely get a great Guitar first one broken neck number 2 Bad finish number 3 bad finish and number 4 is a great guitar . Thanks. I'd love to, but as indicated above, it's not going to happen. Too many liability risks with this company that got lost online amid all the positive reviews. It's a pity Epiphone themselves aren't more helpful to (EU) customers when something like this happens with one of their dealers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sada Yairi Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I would fret and worry and try and convince myself it didn't matter, then I'd eventually decide to return it and would be very pleased in the long term that I did. If it's a new guitar it shouldn't be damaged, whether it still plays well or not. If I bought a new car and it was delivered with a big dent in one door but still drove great, I'd be taking it back without any hesitation whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I would call them up or email them with photographic evidence, and tell them you are happy with the guitar other wise, and suggest that you are not happy paying full price for damaged goods. .. If you catch my drift. You can then put a little bit o black nail varnish or something similar on to hide it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljredux Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Just a message here out of respect for Thomann, and in case any of my comments above lead others to avoid the company. Somebody has been in touch with me this morning to resolve the problem. If any further damage occurs in transit, they will not hold me liable. I'll be getting a brand new replacement. Phew. I don't think I'll be buying a guitar without seeing and playing it first in future, but at least Thomann came through in the end. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljredux Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 I would call them up or email them with photographic evidence, and tell them you are happy with the guitar other wise, and suggest that you are not happy paying full price for damaged goods. .. If you catch my drift. You can then put a little bit o black nail varnish or something similar on to hide it. They did offer a discount, but it just wasn't enough. It's almost like the headstock has taken a considerable impact from something like a screwdriver. The downward pressure on the neck freaks me out more than the visible damage. Still, at last they have sorted it out. The reason I posted is to try and gauge opinion from other guitar enthusiasts about this kind of damage in a brand new guitar. Is it acceptable? Am I over-reacting? Etc. The mix of reactions here and at Reddit has been reassuring. I don't think I'm overreacting, but I can certainly understand the reasoning behind comments which suggest it might be worth keeping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I'll be getting a brand new replacement. Good to hear you got it worked out. Congrats! And yes, I would have sent it back. For future reference (and boo-boos) here is a link about "drop fills". http://www.stewmac.com/Shopping?actn=search&keyword=drop+fill+&x=29&y=11&tab=freeinfo&offset=0&sort= With poly finishes you can, in many cases, use household items such as the nail polish suggested by Bigneil. Hoping for the best, Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Just a message here out of respect for Thomann, and in case any of my comments above lead others to avoid the company. Somebody has been in touch with me this morning to resolve the problem. If any further damage occurs in transit, they will not hold me liable. I'll be getting a brand new replacement. Phew. I don't think I'll be buying a guitar without seeing and playing it first in future, but at least Thomann came through in the end. :) Great news and helps restore my faith in Thomann which I have always found a good company to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amx05462 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 great news and now you can sleep better, good luck with the replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkuss Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Great news and helps restore my faith in Thomann which I have always found a good company to deal with. Ditto. I love Thomann and was surprised with the intial returns policy. Never had a problem with them. Glad you're sending it back. The only sensible solution if it was a new guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkfanatic Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I wouldn't like it at all, and in fact DIDN'T like it when it happened to my nighthawk a week ago. It dropped face first onto a tile floor and appeared to be unscathed till a few days later i noticed a chip like that on the neck around the end of the nut covering the binding and extending onto the mahogany.. Let me tell you something about epiphones, or at least the NH if not all of them....the finish is perfect for super glue repairs. Some poly type finishes won't, but this one allows superglue to melt in and bond in a way that seals and makes any crack melt into the glue fill becoming 100% invisible. Of course after filling several times allowing drying in between, you have to sand it smooth and flush with gradually finer grades of wet and dry paper used wet starting with #400. Then polish. I did it to this chip and sanded with all i had here at the moment, #320 then #600. Once fully smooth i used a dremel and cloth wheel and blue magic metal polish then finished it off with a cloth and the same polish. The chip is literally 100% gone. You can look at it with a magnifier and you'll never know. I've been doing this for years, but i;'ll tell you, a lot of finishes won't let it melt in like that and making a perfect fix is impossible. Hopefully all epis used the same finish type, but being they are made in different countries it's hard to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Good to hear it worked out for you. I always balance the risk of mail order guitar purchase with knowing the return policies from the places I prefer to buy from are usually pretty customer friendly if you make contact right away with a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FistFullOfSteel Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 If I want to express my feelings on a manufacturer's forum about a defective guitar of theirs I was sold (a guitar with a guarantee against workmanship defects) I will. Particularly after the employee who manages Epiphone's Twitter feed pointed me in this direction. I am genuinely curious what other guitar players think about this kind of defect. Would they accept it? Or would they return it? I posted on Reddit too and although I got a 50/50 mix of responses, thankfully I didn't get anybody trying to shut me down by saying "stop making a big deal/get some nail varnish". Look, if you are that angry, send it back...... When people shop "price" over value, you get what you get. Price is part of value, but not the entirety of value. Bet those few bucks you "saved" aren't that important right now...... Support your local shops, don't be a mooch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemans335 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 it would go right back.. you paid for new not slightly damaged +1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 +1. Yep. After waiting 12 days for USPS to get it from Florida to here in the Wild West, I just got (a steal) off ebay: a 2010 Epi Les Paul plustop flamed translucent amber. It was represented to be in mint condition. If it had a chip in the headstock like that pictured, it would be getting shipped back. As it is, it is in freaking mint condition gorgeous! Not a mark on it. Packed pretty well -- it was still in tune. Plays like a dream. I'm happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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