Explanation For Finish Peeling on Murphy Lab LPs

[calieng]

I do feel for the retailers who now have the task of selling Gibson’s latest and greatest product while the manufacturer itself pulls the rug out from under them with a PR mess.

It’s also pretty grim for any customers caught in the dilemma of either playing ‘wait and see’ in the hope that the finish on their ML guitars doesn’t develop problems, or deciding whether it might be best to return a guitar now before its too late for a simple refund, meaning they’d have to go down the warranty/replacement route if finish starts to flake off later.

What could make the situation better for those like Calieng & KeoRS who sent guitars back for repair or replacement would surely be for Gibson to go ‘above and beyond’ with their response instead of merely doing what they are ‘required’ to. Seems to me that even just a little bit of extra communication in terms of offering a choice between a small selection of possible replacement guitars would go a long way towards alleviating some quite understandable customer dissatisfaction.

The company needs a reality check if they don’t understand that these are customer’s crazy-expensive dream guitars they are replacing, not some free promotional novelty toys ordered with cereal box tokens, and that there is a certain level of care and service that people might reasonably expect when they are paying lots and lots of money...

There is one dealer with 20 of them at $14,699. plus applicable tax. Good luck! I wonder if they have sold even one of them? The most I paid was $8k for a heavy aged and even then had second thoughts....

 

[Brek]

Not seen too many issues with finish flaking in uk stores, seen two so far, both of which have been posted on here by others, and one that looks like it will the minute its picked up to play it. Which should be sent back to gibson as it looks exactly like the one calieng posted pics of. Which really illustrates the PR disaster thats unfolded because of a handful (dare i speculate its that low) of affected guitars. I know a lot of people love to bash 'gibson', they should have learnt by now they have to get ahead of these things. Mine are still in my loft, been a few hot days recently, i suppose i should bring the R8 down and leave for 5 hours and check it.

 

[calieng]

Not seen too many issues with finish flaking in uk stores, seen two so far, both of which have been posted on here by others, and one that looks like it will the minute its picked up to play it. Which should be sent back to gibson as it looks exactly like the one calieng posted pics of. Which really illustrates the PR disaster thats unfolded because of a handful (dare i speculate its that low) of affected guitars. I know a lot of people love to bash 'gibson', they should have learnt by now they have to get ahead of these things. Mine are still in my loft, been a few hot days recently, i suppose i should bring the R8 down and leave for 5 hours and check it.

7 out of 8 of mine with cherry backs had to be returned. What you are not seeing is what happens a few months after they are taken home from the UK stores. I cannot imagine it does not effect most of the cherry back guitars eventually. At least up to the point they changed the pore filler mix which was mid 2021.

 

[calieng]

Well here is my email to Gibson and replacement guitar pics. A defective 2020 POS guitar already having issues.


"Bob

I received the replacement guitar today and I reject it.

It is a 2020 model with the same defective pore filler and small flakes already coming off the guitar. The hardware is not properly aged. And the wood quality is far below the original guitar.

I demand a refund. If Gibson fails to confirm a refund will be provided within 10 business days I will file a claim in Small Claims Court of San Diego County for the original purchase price and court fees.

Please advise.

Thank you,"


This is not even funny anymore. I am going to sue Gibson in small claims court for every one of my remaining ML guitars to get a full refund. And they will have to show up to San Diego each time for each of the remaining 8 guitars on 8 separate occasions. I am that pissed off.

Over $8k for a nice shinny stop bar and bridge. Thanks for the total lack of care!

 

[calieng]

What should have been sent or better...

 

[amorrow]

That doesn’t even make sense. Finish clearly looks like Murphy Lab, but on a January 2020 build?

 

[calieng]

That doesn’t even make sense. Finish clearly looks like Murphy Lab, but on a January 2020 build?

I have no idea WTF they are doing anymore...but one thing is clear - don't touch a ML guitar even if your life depended on it.

 

[MikeyV]

January of 2020? WTF! How is that even possible, it's like 15 months before ML was a thing.


I see two new listing at Wildwood, they both have the light back, not the cherry. Makes sense if it's an issue with that specific color filler.

 

[mudface]

That color!!......yuck

 

[NightShift88]

I actually like that color a lot, it reminds me of my 2002 honeyburst Standard. Unacceptable customer service though, at the very least they should’ve sent you pix to approve (or not) before they shipped…hope you get it all sorted out OP, sorry you’re having to deal with this.

 

[calieng]

I actually like that color a lot, it reminds me of my 2002 honeyburst Standard. Unacceptable customer service though, at the very least they should’ve sent you pix to approve (or not) before they shipped…hope you get it all sorted out OP, sorry you’re having to deal with this.

Thank you.

I hope they will decide to offer a refund now but I will pursue small claims court if not. I am not wasting any more of my time on these failed guitar replacements.

Will post the responses from Gibson and events as they unfold.

 

[NightShift88]

Thank you.

I hope they will decide to offer a refund now but I will pursue small claims court if not. I am not wasting any more of my time on these failed guitar replacements.

Will post the responses from Gibson and events as they unfold.

Definitely keep us posted, a refund is the very least they should do at this point...I’m a former retail manager of many years, this is definitely not how I would ever have treated a valued customer. Contrarily, I would’ve bent over backwards to make things right.

 

[soyboi]

totally unacceptable replacement. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re being treated like a mook despite buying the Ferrari of guitar models.

 

[NINFNM]

Not sure about that finish to be flaking. Those chips don't look the same

 

[calieng]

Not sure about that finish to be flacking. Those chips don't look the same

Yes they are. The defective finish flakes have a grey or pink grey color below which is the defective pore filler. The normal factory wear spots have a natural wood brown color. The guitar actually looks like one that had some prior chips that they tried to repair. The finish looks wet sanded near those areas like it was touched up and then smoothed out.

I have filed a Paypal claim against Willcutts and advised Gibson I want a refund. Hopefully that generates the willingness for the two to work together to process the refund. If not I will have to proceed with the small claims lawsuit. It is not like it is just one guitar. I have had to return 9 of them. And I have reached my limit of patience for this screw up and fraud on the part of Gibson management and the dealers who continued to sell these defective guitars long after they knew there was a problem.

 

[framos]

I agree that these marks look defective.

However, the new data point here (to me, at least) is seeing a 18 months-old ML finish (assuming it was not refinished).

This particular guitar seems not to exhibit the severe flaking that some way newer guitars were showing.

Interesting.

 

[Zylo]

simpleton me, doesnt get it

People paying extra to get a battered looking guitar
they get a battered looking guitar
now complaining its a battered guitar..

 

[50thLPmania]

January of 2020? WTF! How is that even possible, it's like 15 months before ML was a thing.

901589 was made in 2020 but finished on Jan 19th 2021

 

[calieng]

901589 was made in 2020 but finished on Jan 19th 2021

Whenever it was made it is a lower serial number than the one it is replacing (purchased in April 2021) so it does have the defective pore filler. How in the hell does Gibson even send this as a replacement? Maybe it was one that was already returned by a customer or dealer and they tried touching up the finish? Not sure. But they must know the defective pore filler is still there and will cause more problems in the future.

 

[50thLPmania]

I was lucky with mine (a heavy aged one made in 2020; no flake finish at all anywhere on it ! the back and side have a more light cherry colored than yours though. I have this Les Paul since March 30th and I play with it every day !

the finish cracks are very light.
I took many pictures when I got it five months ago, no peeling or flaking finish on it ! And today, it has the same "heavy aged" work done on it and nothing more as when I got it.