What's going on with Gibson? My horror story.

[Dogbreath]

I purchased a brand new Custom Shop Les Paul Junior a few days ago from a dealer who's name will remain unmentioned. After it arrived this afternoon I found that the volume pot was mounted a bit loose, so I removed the knob so that I could tighten the nut. To my horror I found that the pot shaft was swimming is a large, gouged out hole. It looks like the person who was drilling the hole missed the mark and tried to enlarge the hole with a rat-tailed file and then figured that they could hide the mess.

This isn't the dealer's fault. Why would any dealer expect to find this kind of mess hiding, beneath a volume knob? What's happening with the Gibson Custom Shop? Needless to say, this one's going back.

 

[Leee]

Well, back to the dealer.
Full refund.
All expenses covered.

Hopefully they’re eager to help you resolve the issues and make you whole.

Let them deal with Gibson.
As a dealer, it’s their job.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

Looks like someone covered his mistake with the knob.
Unacceptable for Custom Shop.
Unacceptable even for regular production.

 

[searswashere]

odds that was a return by someone who tried to put a different pot in? The fact there’s no finish right to the route is why that’s my guess.

 

[Who]

odds that was a return by someone who tried to put a different pot in? The fact there’s no finish right to the route is why that’s my guess.

Yeah… that didn’t happen at the Gibson shop.

It still needs to go back.



Where it will be sold again until a buyer doesn’t notice.

 

[1allspub]

The pot holes are drilled before the body is painted… that’s a post production event. Gibson makes it easy to bag on them when it comes to QC (because they often deserve it), but I don’t think this was done by Gibson,

 

[Dilver]

Wonder if the dealer will disclose that and sell it at a discount…

 

[fretout]

Return it to the dealer for a full refund. And afterwards, keep an eye on the Mod Shop because your guitar will be resold there.

The only question is: how will Gibson fix it? I bet they turn that wallowed pot hole into a toggle switch with a poker chip added on to cover the hole!

Strange question though: do you happen to have a picture of the pot itself? After looking at your pic, I cant figure out what the metal bits between the shaft and the hole (picture below). Is it a lock washer?!

 

[Peter M]

Wow, shoddy AF.

Be better, Gibson CS.

 

[Dogbreath]

Well, back to the dealer.
Full refund.
All expenses covered.

Hopefully they’re eager to help you resolve the issues and make you whole.

Let them deal with Gibson.
As a dealer, it’s their job.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Needs to be plugged and redrilled.

 

[Dogbreath]

The dealer is taking care of it and appears to be just as shocked as I was. They’ll do whatever I want. I’m asking for a perfect replacement. What confuses me is there’s no other evidence of anyone handling it, fine scratches, anything. And what you’re seeing is the lock washer.

 

[Dogbreath]

The other thing that doesn’t look like something that happened post production is that the control cavity is pristine. Nothing was messed with there. Everything was put in only once. It’s super clean and tidy, solder attachments and all.

 

[LtDave32]

Sprayed lacquer buildup can collect in the holes, so you tightly roll up a piece of 220 into a cylinder and gently ream them out. -before it gets brittle.

Whoever did that tried to use a drill bit to clean it out, and it skipped all around the hole. Then they used a rat-tail file to try and clean it out. Rat-tail being tapered, there's no way to control it and they went too far.

This is what happens when you give your kid brother you are supposed to be babysitting something to do.

 

[Brazilnut]

Yeah, Dave. A reamer is really the only way, other than rolled-up sandpaper. But they were too impatient to use sandpaper, and didn't have a reamer either. What a mess.

 

[LtDave32]

Lacquer build-up in the pot-holes is inevitable. The key here is to clean it as you go, and don't wait too long to address it. It will get brittle. Then you get chips.

I've been down the lacquer build-up road so many times, they named a side-street after me.

 

[scgarman]

The custom shop better get it's shit together. Whomever cobble jobbed that should not be working there. Obviously someone in final assembly. I'm sure Gibson can trace the serial # of the guitar to the culprit. As I said before, my new LP custom had a loose pot nut never tightened down, and a chipped up beveled edge on the pickguard, which should have been tossed in the trash instead of being installed on my guitar. The USA factory seems to be sending out better guitars than the custom shop. At 4 times the volume. Something amiss there!

 

[LPaddicted]

I'm surprised to see that there are still people buying new Gibsons since 2014

 

[scgarman]

Yeah, Dave. A reamer is really the only way, other than rolled-up sandpaper. But they were too impatient to use sandpaper, and didn't have a reamer either. What a mess.

I have seen them use a reamer on headstock holes. This is the only acceptable tool to use. Either somebody got real sloppy using one, or they were having a really bad day. Either way this crap is unacceptable on any Gibson at any price. Cesar better get over there and have a chat with the workers about sending shit out the door.

 

[LtDave32]

I have seen them use a reamer on headstock holes. This is the only acceptable tool to use. Either somebody got real sloppy using one, or they were having a really bad day. Either way this crap is unacceptable on any Gibson at any price. Cesar better get over there and have a chat with the workers about sending shit out the door.

Take shooter's earplugs, put them in the holes, trim the expanded excess with a razor blade.

There are many ways to avoid trouble.