First Les Paul - would you return because of this?

[BDW60]

If you’re really concerned about the flaming, buy a guitar from a dealer that shows you quality pics of specific guitars. Then you can pick a top, and usually they have weights listed as well. And some, like Wildwood, have neck measurements.

Don’t just keep ordering guitars blind and sending them back. A good dealer will send you close up pics of the binding, etc.

Just keep in mind that Gibson’s definition of AAA flame these days is sketchy at best. And a guitar’s glamour shot is not necessarily exactly what it will look like under non optimal light conditions.

 

[Dkg1616]

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Keep it. Everything else you seem to like about it. There will never be a perfect guitar. There are people involved in making them 'by hand'. That's what you are paying to get.

Is the price of the guitar way above your normal spending pattern? A 'dream guitar' you saved for a long time to finally get? That is common to over analyze a product after the new-thing euphoria wears off and buyer's remorse kicks in making you rethink what exactly you are doing. That old guitar I've played for years plays as good as this one. What am I doing? I should send it back. Ah, here's a flaw to enable me to send it back, but that's petty. Maybe I should ask the pals on the forum. And so it goes. You are just in that second stage of post-buying-euphoria depressingly filled with remorse. That will fade after a time.

I stopped buying Gibsons because of the headstock drama. That's a design flaw that all of them have, not a particular unit to unit or batch to batch problem. All of them will lead to drama someday. Especially in shipping. I got tired of all that, the value of a repaired vs original used guitar is 50% loss in value. So, while you are still in the return window, I'd suggest doing your research on that aspect and make up your mind that you are comfortable with that potential the whole time you own the guitar or decide to sell it later. Other brands do not have this problem, like Gibson's Epiphone line has design changes to fix the weakness, it's not that they don't know how to change it's that they choose to not change the design.

Otherwise keep this guitar, any others you get shipped to you will have various other issues you will find too.

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Lol appreciate your financial concern, bud. Not the case here and no buyers remorse - I want one, just want to find the right one.

 

[Zylo]

The only real solution is
Stop buying online or having it sent out
Take your time and go out to the store and seeing the guitar in real life and then decide if you are going to buy it or not

 

[moreles]

As factories automate and stop developing a long-term group of experienced craftspeople to do handwork, this is what you get. Nibbed bindings are not all that hard to do right -- look at any old Gibson -- but in the new production environment have become a weak spot. Similarly, almost every company sends out guyitars with crappyt nut jubs, because that requires skilled handwork, too. I hate settling for imperfections and small defects, but in this case, what I see does not llok bad and at least is a sign that a non-robot (an unskilled non-robot, unfortunately) worked on your guitar. Ordering up guitars online in the hopes of getting a good one is, IMO, a terrible and irresponsible approach, The waste of doing this try-and-return stuff is unconscionable, and of course not the way at all of getting a really good guitar.

 

[Zylo]

I agree

buying a cheap guitar yes online is worth taking a risk
Spending thousands, no chance
I want to see the thing in my hands before money swaps hands

 

[MP4-22]

What's the issue ? is it the tooling marks on the binding ?


Honestly i'll tell you this after owning alot of gibson's..... You will always find a finish flaw if you look hard enough, It's just the way they are. Not defending gibson per say.... Just trying to help you limit your expectations and not go in circles. It's just the way they are made.... The gibson USA line are production line guitars, Albeit expensive ones they are still made on a line.

Mexican made nitro finished telecasters are 1200-1400 these days so a 2200 dollar standard with a finish blem isn't really that egregious

 

[boola1]

I get everyone’s point of minor imperfections, and maybe the picture isn’t that great to show because of size limits.

I got the guitar for 2270, so decent discount.BUT they also told me they would match that price for a brand new one.

I think I’m going to keep trying with a factory fresh till I find the right one, but we will see. I also sent high res pics to two of my buddies and they all said the same thing of what the issue is, but that is pretty bad and noticeable for a new guitar.

I fear your quest will not be complete until you get a historic.

 

[LPTDMSV]

It is a killer guitar and I love it.

Then keep it!

As you already know, they don't *all* sound and play the same even within one model/batch, so when you find a good one hang on to it. That finish flaw is really nothing, nothing at all, if you'd paid $5,000 for a Custom Shop special order you could reasonably ask them to clean it up but on a stock guitar I simply wouldn't bother.

Think of it as "patina" - in the art and antiques world you pay more for that!

 

[Gitter]

If you're able to get a killer guitar that you love, then the discount should help you sleep at night. If you paid full price, then I'd understand the argument. I've seen a lot worse get scooped up for the same or even less of a discount. I can't believe some of the guitars Sweetwater sells in their demo section.

 

[Snakum]

Brother, I totally understand where you're coming from. I get it. But IME I seriously don't think a Les Paul is for you. With one exception the last four new Gibsons I bought had issues (tooling marks, scratches, crooked control posts, wouldn't perfectly intonate, board not flush with neck, bowed pickup rings, etc.). Even my beloved Gold Top Tribute had a gouge under the scratch plate where someone had hit it and the screw went into the body. It had to be from the factory cuz I was the first person to touch it when it came out of the box. I just left the plate on and forgot about it.

All were easily addressed or lived with, but it IS frustrating. I'm hoping QA will step it up under new management, but it'll be a while before those hit the pipeline. But if want a Les Paul I kinda know what I'm getting into. I don't mind a little work or having to overlook things that don't affect playability.

IME at least, If you're looking for flawless out of the box I think you need to look at USA PRS. Hell, every Indonesian SE I played appeared perfect. But I didn't try to set them up so they may have had problems too. I hate to admit it but PRS is kicking Gibson's azz in the QA dept. But the Les Paul is my thang, so I do what I gotta do to have one.

Best of luck in your quest. Hope you find one you like or something else that fits better.

 

[Mike I]

I firmly believe that the best way to buy a Les Paul, is to go play a boat load of em, until one grabs you and checks most if not all the boxes.

I let the guitar pick me, and sometimes it's not even what I had my heart set on.

Some of mine are old and beat to hell, but I have them for the way they play and sound.

Which is the main point, right?

 

[Dkg1616]

All - I appreciate all the input. I’ve actually had a couple close buddies take a look and I’ve seen a similar theme.

At the end of the day, I love the way guitar plays, sounds and looks! So I am going to keep it. In 3 months from now and 5 dings and scratches later I am not going to care. It’s not worth tying up 10-15k to hopefully (no promise) find one “better”.

I can ask a local luthier what he thinks about the binding and just go from there.

appreciate all the input!

 

[tzd]

1:04 in this video is how the tooling mark got there -

 

[diogoguitar]

I wouldn't return the guitar for that one reason.
I wish we could just try 10 of them and pick one, but current availability isn't like that.

Maybe the pictures don't show how bad it is, from what I can see, such marks are completely normal and "acceptable".
I've seen worse from $2.5k+ Gibsons... chip on the fretboard, sloppy wiring, binding that is way too thin then grosses up upper in the fretboard...

IMHO, if that's the only issue, it plays well, feels well, sounds well... I'd keep it.

 

[Nintari]

What am I doing? I should send it back. Ah, here's a flaw to enable me to send it back, but that's petty. Maybe I should ask the pals on the forum. And so it goes. You are just in that second stage of post-buying-euphoria depressingly filled with remorse.

Oh man... I've been there more times than I care to admit lol

 

[Nintari]

1:04 in this video is how the tooling mark got there -

Yet another great example of why when it comes to instruments, our grandparents and great-grandparents way of doing things truly was better.

 

[Nintari]

I wouldn't return the guitar for that one reason.
I wish we could just try 10 of them and pick one, but current availability isn't like that.

I'll tell you what... the next time I buy a Les Paul (which will probably be later this year), that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm never going to buy another high-end guitar online again. Only in person. And only after I've inspected it from head to toe.

 

[emerald81]

Just return it. Next time request detailed photos of the guitar or inspect only in person.

There is no way having those qc issues.

 

[Thrill]

If you look hard enough, I think you can find something "wrong" on just about every new guitar. For me, if it plays well and feels right and sounds good, and its not a structural problem, or a problem that impedes the playability, Im usually good with it.

 

[Nintari]

If you look hard enough, I think you can find something "wrong" on just about every new guitar.

Yes, and it's why I'm leaning more and more toward having all my guitars made by renowned luthiers.