New pro mod cracked neck!!!!

[biged71]

Good luck with this. And yes, Jim is a great guy. I think his last name is spelled Mouradian, but it's been a while. He's one of the reasons I miss being in the Boston area.

Your right on the spelling. I should have set my spell-check for Armenian. LOL!!

[vondran]

Well that crack sucks. The only good thing if Charvel doesn't replace it, is its a very easy fix. With a crack like that usually all that is needed is to squirt some wood glue in it and clamp it down for a day or two. It should seal up stronger than before and likely you wont even be able to see the crack.

[Guitar Lawyer]

That crack looks like it will repair well. Some glue and clamps and it will be like new. This neck had the headstock break completely off, and it was fixed perfectly:

[biged71]

Well, the boys at Charvel made their decision based upon the photos. They said that they would not cover the repair under warranty, but offered to sell me a new neck at cost, which would have still been a couple hundred bucks.
I chose not to do that. I also let them know that I did not break the neck and based on their decision, I would no longer be purchasing any new FMIC products. In fact, I had just ordered 2 new RR24's and I will be returning them when they arrive. They have made their decision, which is their right, and I have made mine, which is my right. So for something that probably would have cost them under $100.00 bucks, they lost a customer that buys 3-4 high-end guitars a year, plus a couple of knock-around pieces too. I wouldn't run my business like that, but that is their choice.

To make myself feel a little better, I just bought a new LP Custom from Wildwood Guitars. 8.89 pounds of rock and roll madness coming my way. It's going to be a great weekend!!

[Grandturk]

I would no longer be purchasing any new FMIC products.

Life without Fender, Charvel or Jackson? Unthinkable!

[slash]

Life without Fender, Charvel or Jackson? Unthinkable!

He said new so perhaps he will still be buying used ones

[biged71]

He said new so perhaps he will still be buying used ones

Oh yeah, I will still be buying plenty of pre-loved ones.

[Chubtone]

This is not related to this particular case but I worked at a store once where a guy came in with his family to return a beautiful Gibson Les Paul that he had bought at the store because when he returned from a business trip his guitar that was "in the case the whole time" had a broken headstock. When we very politely explained to him that there is no way that EVER happens due to a manufacturing defect he thought we were just trying to get out of doing a return.

So we opened the phone book and told him to pick any of the guitar repair shops on the page and call them. He did and explained about his guitar being in the case, no one had touched it and due to a defect the headstock had broken. The repair guy told him the exact same thing that we had. The guy was just flabbergasted. Then his son who was about 12 or 13 just couldn't take it anymore and just started balling his head off.

Dad and family went outside and when he came back in to get his guitar, the owner told him that we would have our repair guy fix the neck for him for free as a good will gesture. That it would never be perfect cosmetically but that it would be perfectly playable. And it was. And they all lived happily ever after.

[shreddermon]

They offered to get you a new neck at cost, and you declined? You're entitled to your opinions, of course, but I think that was a very reasonable offer to try and meet you halfway. I've never heard of J/C doing that before, and it's pretty cool of them to try and make an exception to keep a customer happy.

[Grandturk]

Oh yeah, I will still be buying plenty of pre-loved ones. In fact, I am still on the hunt for an 80's pointy with original floyd. Anyone....

That's not an effective way of "sticking it to" the company. Buying in the secondary market - especially the vintage market - positively impacts a company's new product sales.

[DonP]

They offered to get you a new neck at cost, and you declined? You're entitled to your opinions, of course, but I think that was a very reasonable offer to try and meet you halfway. I've never heard of J/C doing that before, and it's pretty cool of them to try and make an exception to keep a customer happy.

+1

Buy the new neck.

Flip the old neck.

Maybe repair it first, but it depends on how much the repair costs vs. the sale price of a repaired neck.

[biged71]

That's not an effective way of "sticking it to" the company. Buying in the secondary market - especially the vintage market - positively impacts a company's new product sales.

I'm not sure how you arrive at that conclusion, but I'm not trying to stick it to anyone anyways. I am just choosing, as a consumer, not to buy new products from a company that I don't want to do business with any longer. At least for now, I still control my wallet.

As far as impacting new sales, there was a kick-ass white with black pickguard so-cal at the store that I had the store hold for me because I was going to buy it if FMIC took care of the neck on the other one. Since they chose not to, I chose not to buy the new one. I had also bought 2 new RR24's a few days ago because they were on sale at a great price. When they arrive I am going to return them. So that's three sales that they lost from me so far. I was also going to place a custom shop order because I wanted that darn strat headstock on a guitar idea I came up with, but instead I am going to have GMW build it. I don't get the head stock, but the quality will be at least as good and it will be far less expensive, not to mention built in a timely fashion.

I still like my Charvels and Jacksons and a good strat once in a while. I just won't buy them new anymore. Not a big deal to me or FMIC, I can't imagine why it would be to anyone else.

Let's be real about it. Charvels are cool and have a great vibe, but no one is reinventing the wheel here. Besides the headstock, they (Charvel Custom Shop) are not offering anything you can't get from a number of other high-quality builders, often times quicker and less expensive. I have said from the beginning I think the pro-mods are a good value and I stand by that. But I also have my principles. I didn't break my guitar, no matter what all the amateur Arborists on here might have to say.

The bottom-line for me is this: If a company won't stand by me when I have a problem with my Chevette, then I am not going to buy a Corvette from them.

[zarl]

If I were in charge at Charvel, I'd do the same --- offer you a neck at cost. Sorry, but I'd have a hard time buying a story that that kind of a crack is a manufacturing defect, and I wouldn't expect the company to believe that were the case either. I know that's a bummer for you, but it seems that there's no other way that could have happened short of the guitar taking a hit at some point in its life. Maybe, it took a hit during shipping and developed a hairline crack, then took a little bump in your closet? I don't know.

A couple of years back my custom shop Charvel developed a major crack under the Floyd Rose plate shortly after I received it new. The back pressure from the FR base plate from the spring tension resting against the body caused the damage when I was changing strings the first time. I was bummed because it was a light weight flamed Swamp Ash body that was truly unique. It was probably my fault for not putting a piece of cardboard or wood shim under the FR before taking all the strings off --- but, I've done it this way for 20 years and never had the wood just break. That said, Charvel took the guitar (they paid shipping both ways), cut a new body, reassembled, setup, and shipped back to me within a month. And, they hand-picked another lightweight flamed Swamp Ash body, which is no easy task. For me, Charvel went out of their way to make good in my situation, when they really could have claimed no fault on their part, and probably have been right. I believe they stand behind their product.

For your situation, here's what I'd suggest. If you purchased that guitar within the past year with a Visa/Mastercard, file a claim with the credit card company through their insurance program. Most credit cards offer buyer protection on items by doubling the warranty and providing insurance against theft and damage. You could probably claim this as damage to the product and have the CC company credit you on it for the full purchase price. You might have to send them the guitar....not sure. But, there's a dealer selling all the ProMods right now (posted in another thread here) for $699. You could potentially get your replacement guitar and have some $$$$ left over. A Happy Ending.

[Grandturk]

I'm not sure how you arrive at that conclusion, but I'm not trying to stick it to anyone anyways.

Its very simple. If you (or anyone) buys a used guitar, the surplus on the market is depleted and the price of the next used guitar will be higher. When the price of a used guitar is greater than the depreciation value vs. the cost of a new guitar, a potential buyer is more likely to buy the new guitar than the used guitar.

Take me, for example - my "buy it now" price for a used ProMod is probably about $500. To me, that's what that guitar is worth used. Any higher, and I'd rather have the new one off the shelf.

Further, if you go and buy up some early San Dimas pointies, the reduction of the surplus will increase the prices. Now me, not being a vintage expert and generally being unwilling to invest the time, I might buy a San Dimas pointy at $800 and roll the dice, but at $1200 I'd rather pay twice that and get a guaranteed legit Custom Shop.

[Rich#6]

I have a good example of this. Gunslingers. a couple of years ago you could buy them all day long(when they poped up that is) for 400-500. I paid 460 for the one I had a few years ago. After the retros came out I sold mine for 575 and now you can't find them for under 750-1000. Look at the new prices of the retros too they have jumped a few hundred. 860 for a blade new.