NGD - Terribly QC'd Gibson

enjo · October 2023

It was actually last week.

I have been looking for a used special tribute for a while and saw Coda had a nice looking example listed as used but looking brand new on Reverb.
I decided to go for it - when it arrived it was clearly not the guitar pictured. In fairness to them when I pointed this out they apologised profusely and offered to collect it or a partial refund if I'd like to keep it...

I was 100% set on sending it back as this should not have passed QC at any price level!

There is a massive weird mark under the tone knobs. The tailpiece inserts had paint over them which was flaking off. There are also inclusions in a couple of areas (specks of dust in the paint). The edges have a very inconsistent fillet around the body of the guitar. The 3pc body isn't brilliantly matched and the join on one part is quite visible (even with a bit of a divot in the bottom).

It's a 2020 guitar - clearly the runt of the litter which is why they were punting it off as 'used' even though it still had the protective sticker on it and zero play wear - as evidenced by the un-glossed satin finish and perfect frets.

Then I played it.

Bugger.

I can't stop playing it.

I realise I shouldn't support poor manufacturing practices but this thing just makes me want to play it and learn new things on it. It's really inspiring. I've had Gibsons, Fenders, a Taylor, a Martin, a Larrivee - they don't always have 'it'... This does.

This feels more like an admission of failure but sod it I'm keeping it.

https://imgur.com/K20XMJe.jpeg

theatreanchor · October 2023

Nice!

jasonbone75 · October 2023

And a partial refund to sweeten the deal. Win all round I would say!

Philly_Q · October 2023

enjo said:

There is a massive weird mark under the tone knobs. The tailpiece inserts had paint over them which was flaking off. There are also inclusions in a couple of areas (specks of dust in the paint). The edges have a very inconsistent fillet around the body of the guitar. The 3pc body isn't brilliantly matched and the join on one part is quite visible (even with a bit of a divot in the bottom).

That all sounds like a typical Gibson, to be honest. And that's not sarcasm.

Offset · October 2023

I have to say that's a bit of a result as it looks absolutely fine in your picture!

noisepolluter · October 2023

I have the same model in the same finish - ordered it new (but discounted) in early 2021. No actual faults other than the nut slots being way too shallow - but the fretboard was dry as a bone and the frets needed a damn good polish. Not the prettiest bits of wood but they did at least manage to join the body down the middle.

Once that was all sorted, the punch and resonance of it is remarkable. Sounds absolutely colossal through a crunchy amp at decent volume.

@enjo if you like it now, I would strongly recommend trying Faber locking tailpiece studs - makes the guitar even more resonant and sweetens up the intonation a bit as the wraparound tailpiece is anchored flat rather than tilting up at the back.

Edit: my other half was so impressed by it, she bought one in white! (She is a big Joan Jett fan)

Musicman20 · October 2023

I bought a Tribute back in 2017.

I think I was fairly lucky especially price wise (less than £600 new!) plus the QC is actually surprisingly good.

I compared it to an R8 in my house (one of the Peach deals) and sent back the R8....the Tribute was way more fun to play.

noisepolluter · October 2023

You’ll also find that any dings and divots in the finish will bother you less over time, as the finish marks so easily you won’t be able to distinguish them from the ones you’ve done yourself!

TTony · October 2023

enjo said:

NGD - Terribly QC'd Gibson

At least you know it's genuine, and not a Chibson

impmann · October 2023

You can't hear cosmetic defects.

TBH, if it plays and sounds nice, then its good guitar - fuck what it looks like.

maltingsaudio · October 2023

Good decision. You always struggle to find “the one” and it’s usually the imperfections which make a guitar great. What I would do if you feel so inclined, and they have offered, is to ask them to give the partial refund to a charity of your choice.

stickyfiddle · October 2023

Sounds like a fairly typical Gibson. If it plays well and sounds right it's all worth it.

Perfection is boring. I will die on this hill

markj · October 2023

If you love it keep it.
I’ve just bought a Custom shop Gibson, fantastic guitar that plays superbly and it extremely resonant.
A few minor and I mean minor build flaws but it’s a killer guitar and it’s going nowhere.

elstoof · October 2023

Ah, the old “send him that ugly thing that would play like butter if anyone ever actually picked it up” switcheroo

jeztone2 · October 2023

Philly_Q said:

enjo said:

There is a massive weird mark under the tone knobs. The tailpiece inserts had paint over them which was flaking off. There are also inclusions in a couple of areas (specks of dust in the paint). The edges have a very inconsistent fillet around the body of the guitar. The 3pc body isn't brilliantly matched and the join on one part is quite visible (even with a bit of a divot in the bottom).

That all sounds like a typical Gibson, to be honest. And that's not sarcasm.

My 2001 SG Standard was the same. It was a weird strawberry red colour with filler in the inlays and stain all over the neck binding. It did sound fantastic. Later on I sold when times were tight. I bought a cleaner one used in 2011. But despite it being a nicer example, we never bonded.

willo · October 2023

I kept an Jazzmaster that had one or two minor finish imperfections because, the first time I picked it up, I wrote a new song. And just went from there - I would love it to have looked perfect but it inspires me to play different, better music and that's what these things are actually for after all.

Dave_Mc · October 2023

It always annoys me that Gibson seems to get a bit of a free ride when it comes to QC- things get accepted with them that would be unacceptable on almost any other brand's £200 beginner guitars.

That being said... I have to grudgingly admit that people are probably right to do so! When you get a good one they're great, and the good ones aren't always the perfect-looking ones. To be honest that probably applies to most guitar companies- unless something is really bad (like- really bad to where it's actually really affecting how good of a guitar it is) I usually keep it and don't send it back in case the next one is more "perfect" but a worse guitar...

Awesome score, in other words.

You're quite right to keep it if you like it that much. It looks awesome in your photo.

BillDL · October 2023

You mentoned a "massive weird mark under the tone knobs". Is this the very slightly "washed out" area of stain / tint right at the edge of the body?

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/243f563b4d160050eb49276a0b6fc18ddf96e4ef99ea516896

If so I think you will eventually become oblivious to that and I'm not sure anybody else would even notice it, because the body has just enough natural sheen to show reflections and highlights. That would probably annoy me for a while if I had spent a fair amount on a guitar, but as you have experienced I think I the great playability and sound would most likely take precedence and the "blemish" would just become a feature of that guitar.

enjo · October 2023

BillDL said:

You mentoned a "massive weird mark under the tone knobs". Is this the very slightly "washed out" area of stain / tint right at the edge of the body?

If so I think you will eventually become oblivious to that and I'm not sure anybody else would even notice it, because the body has just enough natural sheen to show reflections and highlights. That would probably annoy me for a while if I had spent a fair amount on a guitar, but as you have experienced I think I the great playability and sound would most likely take precedence and the "blemish" would just become a feature of that guitar.

That's the mark.
Bit of background - I'm a design engineer and used to be responsible for QC for a small company. I've also finished two guitars in my garage better than Gibson have managed in their guitar factory.

All of the other guitars I have ever owned have had a better finish and as @Dave_Mc mentioned earlier I won't let Gibson get a free pass...

Apart from I will because it makes me feel all tingly.

rossi · October 2023

Its a musical instrument not a work of art or exhibition peice .just enjoy .looks like its doing its job .

ICBM · October 2023

enjo said:

I've also finished two guitars in my garage better than Gibson have managed in their guitar factory.

Just refinish it in the colour of your choice. I’ve always thought these ‘wave the spray gun at it once and call it done’ Gibsons look terrible anyway - ideal candidates for a proper refinish, and cheap enough that it’s justifiable.

Philly_Q · October 2023

Dave_Mc said:

It always annoys me that Gibson seems to get a bit of a free ride when it comes to QC- things get accepted with them that would be unacceptable on almost any other brand's £200 beginner guitars.

You're right, but I do give them that free ride. In fact if I buy a Gibson and there's no ridge along the binding, or orange peel on the sides of the headstock, or polishing compound residue everywhere, I worry that it may be a fake.

suspiciousminds · October 2023

I was going to post something similar about the QC on my 2012 gibson junior special with the baked maple fretboard
Bought new from guitarguitar, within a ahort time some of the binding nibs shrank sufficient to trap the high E (small gaps were evident when i got it but it got much worse).
Loose p90’s which i had to pad really well underneath.
The thing that does annoy my ocd a bit though is the uneveness of the headstock shape, something i’ve seen on a few gibsons particularly melodymakers (i had 2 p90 melodymakers previously with similar uneven headstocks).
At the time though (i think) it was around £550 which i thought outweighed the issues.
I’ve since had it refretted and the binding nibs removed and it plays and sounds great.
https://imgur.com/a/N5Y4nd0

camerondavidsonmusic · October 2023

Oh god. Must. Not. Join. In..
Off to get some popcorn though.

ElectricXII · October 2023

Good decision. An LP Special with P90s can be very, erm, special. My main gigging guitar is a 2020 TV Yellow Special and it also had QC issues, namely tool marks between a couple of the frets around the 12th fret. Easy to sand out, but still irritating.

Enjoy yours, ding it up a bit, and you'll forget the minor blemishes.

Dave_Mc · October 2023

Philly_Q said:

Dave_Mc said:

It always annoys me that Gibson seems to get a bit of a free ride when it comes to QC- things get accepted with them that would be unacceptable on almost any other brand's £200 beginner guitars.

You're right, but I do give them that free ride. In fact if I buy a Gibson and there's no ridge along the binding, or orange peel on the sides of the headstock, or polishing compound residue everywhere, I worry that it may be a fake.

LOL

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NGD - Terribly QC'd Gibson