Quality Control issues, real or isolated?

[Droog]

I'm not going to get on a soap box and tell the O.P. how to spend his money, I just see it as coming down to a few simple points

1) If you play this guitar you will, sooner or later, no matter how gentle you are, ding or scratch it anyways.

So decide which is the most important issue to you

a) a perfect looking guitar that hopefully plays and sounds great ( not necessarily going to happen )

b) a great playing and sounding guitar that hopefully, but might not look pristine.

Just make sure this doesn't become the one that got away as you seem to have great things to say about how it plays.



My #1 guitar is a 2008 R8. I played many Les Paul's before I purchased this R8. Many of them were cosmetically much better than my R8. ( My guitar had swirl marks, scuff marks and other stuff from customers and employees playing it ), Like this guitar, nothing that would show up in photos.

But man, I'm glad I found mine and I wouldn't swap the way it plays and sounds for any sort of cosmetic perfection that was available.

 

[choppedcadillac]

Doesnt look bad to me. Typical Gibson finish. Its not a PRS. Id be surprised if Gibson accepted it back.

 

[LPB-7]

You should buy a R9 VOS and rub tuna all over it.

All kidding aside, no guitar is perfect... It doesn't matter if its $6,299 or $500,000. Every guitar has character and if that really bothers you that much than you probably are looking for ways to not like the guitar. Good luck on your search for a better guitar.

 

[JTele]

Take a look at my thread regarding a 2013 Gibson Firebird V I purchased and am likely going to return it because of the finish, or lack thereof. If they'll order me another new one I'll give Gibson one more chance to sell me a guitar that should be right before it leaves the factory.

My thread here. (With pictures.)

I've built a few guitars, and one in particular was a Firebird-style with the raised center portion. As noted by one poster in your thread, that area is extremely difficult to do an ultra-fine finish, but it can look quite nice with some extra care. The same could be said about the fretboard/body joints. And finally, the headstock looks to be under-buffed and simply not prepared enough before the plastic cover was installed. I've seen much better finish work come out of Gibson, and in this case I'd most likely return it.

Regarding the OP and the pencil-point dent, I'd have to agree with the majority here. Without seeing pics that portray a relatively obvious flaw, such as what we're seeing in LikesFirebirds' thread, it's rather difficult to make a truly valid judgment over the natural assumption we have of what that flaw may be as described by the OP. I have four Historics myself, and they all have minor flaws of some kind or another. I just consider them to be character flaws that become an inherent part of the guitar, and as long as they're good players while sounding great, I'm a happy camper!

 

[MiniB]

From the sounds of it, it's more of a pin-prick like mark that could have happened while handling and/or with the slightest of contacts. I think an actual finishing flaw would probably entail a little more like maybe a bubble or separation happening between the wood and clear coat. If that's really the only thing that one can notice upon close scrutiny over the whole guitar...then indeed you received a pretty darn perfect finishing job that could only stay that way if one were to handle the guitar with white gloves and extra special care.

So I would agree with those who express that you're perhaps too sensitive over it...as it really doesn't sound like a bad reflection on finishing or quality control. Quite the opposite really, in that the guitar was finished so well that it made the teensy-weensiest of natural handling marks stand out.

And given that you are delighted with how the guitar plays and sounds, you should probably consider yourself very lucky that you're able to bond with the guitar so well...as some can often go through several to find 'the one'.

 

[freddairy]

So 2013 Historics are supposedly closer the real deals because they use hide glue right? I thought the whole point of a Historic was to get something as close to a "real" vintage guitar?

I don't own a Custom Shop Gibson for many reasons and maybe I shouldn't even comment here because I can't even get into the mind set of spending the amount of money it takes to by a R9 to just make music on. But I'm thinking that back in '59(I wasn't alive then so again maybe I shouldn't comment) a whole bunch of Les Pauls left the factory with finish flaws. Little errors are part of the made by human hand process. Isn't that what the whole charm of the Historic line is?

Also without any pictures its hard to say, but a pencil point blemish in a nitro finish will wear away with some play time.

 

[Slick]

In 2008 I bought a brand new 335, it was 100% flawless, after 2 weeks it wasn't anymore. They are made to be played.

 

[Freddy G]

What's with all the OCD nowadays? Seriously! I find myself dealing with more and more OCD people all the time.

 

[The Wedge]

Am I the only one around here who thinks that what matters first is the sound and THEN the looks or what? You'll throw a guitar back to the box because it have a pencil point flaw on the coat? I'm not intending to offend, I'm just surprised.

I think playability matters most to me, then sound, then looks.

 

[Mcholley]

This thread made me smile...

When I get a new guitar, I play it. If it plays great, sounds great, I play it some more.

I honestly never "inspect" a guitar. Am I buying it to stare at it? Yes, but between "playing" it. And no two guitars are exactly the same. Treasure each one for it's perfections, and imperfections.

Funny stuff...

Mark

 

[SteveC]

This weekend I got a little scratch on the back of my ~2week old 2013 R9. For about a nano-second I was upset. "Oh... fvck!!! MY GUITAR!!!!"

Then, I realized that this is the beginning of a lifetime worth of mojo Looking at my 81, sitting on the stand next to it, I could remember almost each time that one got mojo-marks.

It made me smile.

I'm with Freddy here... OCD sucks - get over it and just play the shit out of your guitar!

 

[crapthatsloud]

I completely understand being upset that your $5k custom shop guitar arrived flawed, but it doesn't really sound like it arrived flawed in any way that would be considered significant. Finish irregularities are a fact of life, especially with nitro.

I had the opportunity to put hands on a Custom Shop PRS that cost $8k very recently. It had less than 2 hours playing time on it. It was amazing but not 100% flawless, either. There were 1 or 2 finish ripples, much like what you describe. It happens.

 

[MiniB]

If the OP really is clinically OCD...I have a few friends who are, and the tough thing is that once something is first perceived a certain way it's incredibly difficult for the person to feel differently about it. Even if they can discuss it rationally, it becomes like a physical reaction knowing that it's there, like an allergy, and can't just be ignored without acknowledging its presence in the first place.

Now...the good news is that from the way the finish 'issue' is described, it's something that can be filled/buffed out pretty easily so you can neither see nor feel it anymore. It may be an out-of-pocket cost, but it shouldn't be too much at all. Heck, a dab from a lacquer pen and a light buffing with a Dremel polisher should probably be all it needs. The question is whether someone can somehow get over that it was ever there at all, and will they be so afraid of making more marks in the guitar (as they don't want to go through that hypochondria again) that they just won't play it earnestly.

I know to most of us it seems silly, but for someone clinically afflicted with this disorder, it's very real and a snowball effect that's incredibly hard to stop or 'undo'. They can't just 'get over' something like most of us can...that's why it's a medical condition. In that case, the hope is that they're receiving effective treatment and support for it to aid in many areas of daily life, not just guitar playing.

 

[frankv]

After months of deliberating, bit the bullet and bought a 2013 R9 Faded Tobacco LP. Absolutely beautiful. Sounds and plays great. But I noticed a very small flaw in the lacquer on top near 19th. fret. Called dealer, they will refund my money, but said chances are the replacement will also be flawed, "it's just the way things are coming out of the Gibson custom shop these days".
I'm very O.C.D so I have to return guitar for my money, but very sad and frustrated to hear about the lack of QC at the top of the Gibson machine. Is what I'm being told have much validity to it? I don't want to exchange my guitar for what might not be as good an instrument, and have cosmetic issues that equal or are worse. Doesn't make sense to buy a less expensive Gibson USA, and get a better finish. When spending this kind of money, I don't want any excuses. Just venting guys, but really disappointed.
MC

Clearly you will only be happy if you exchange it for a PRS

 

[frankv]

Sorry I wasted everyone's time, at least you all got a good laugh. I was only looking for opinions, well I guess I got them. The only thing I can take away from this, is maybe I work too hard for my money.

Sorry

 

[frankv]

Sorry I wasted everyone's time, at least you all got a good laugh. I was only looking for opinions, well I guess I got them. The only thing I can take away from this, is maybe I work too hard for my money.

Don't be mad

 

[frankv]

The OP mentioned in another thread dated 03.09.13 that he just ordered an R8 from Wildwood Guitars. Wonder if he's got it yet. Is Wildwood gonna be in for a surprise?

Doing a little detective work are we..

 

[HeartString]

I paid 990.00 for mine and it was a 2011 new sale that had obviously been touched up from a bump incident and had belt buckle worm marks on the back but it is the sweetest sounding guitar I've ever owned. I've work hard all my life and waited some 40 years to get it. I hope by the time I'm dead it has all the customary wear marks of someone who loved playing! Money ain't nothing imho.

You could always touch it up with nail polish jk.

 

[Lefty Adams]

Its not my guitar and not my money, but if it were, and I loved the guitar apart from the flaw, i would play it lots, grow more in love with it, and forget about the flaw. As others have said, you are going to pick up the odd flaw. And anyway, that's what makes it individual from other 2013 R9 Faded Tobacco LPs.

Just my two quids worth.

 

[zerolight]

When my R9 arrived it had (still has) a mark on the fretboard around the 10th I think from memory. Like an indentation in the wood a few mm square. I sanded that as smooth as I could. The whole fingerboard was very dry but a few coats of bore oil sorted that. The cream binding on the neck wasn't particularly smooth where it meets rosewood - again some micro-mesh and patience sorted that. And there's the odd imperfection in the lacquer. But it's otherwise killer, light, plays and sounds great. Keeper.