New pro mod cracked neck!!!!

[chrisolson]

Wow...just...wow.

I can't believe the decision made in this thread, followed up by some really questionable reasoning. But whatever. I don't think it'll effect the bottom line too much. There's plenty of people buying FMIC stuff. Have a ball with Gibson's STELLAR customer service...and with the quality issues they've been having recently.

[biged71]

Wow...just...wow.

I can't believe the decision made in this thread, followed up by some really questionable reasoning. But whatever. I don't think it'll effect the bottom line too much. There's plenty of people buying FMIC stuff. Have a ball with Gibson's STELLAR customer service...and with the quality issues they've been having recently.

I am pretty sure I made it clear that I don't think my one man boycott is going to "effect the bottom line" and I know there are plenty of people buying FMIC products and I say more power to them. I'm not. I wouldn't pay 10 dollars to buy a new neck when I didn't break the old one. It's cool though. It might be fun to have a knock-around guitar I can take places and not worry about. If you don't understand my "questionable reasoning" to be completely honest, I really don't give a f*ck. This has been about MY experience with MY guitar. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Gibson makes some great guitars and some sh*tboxes, just like any other manufacturer, including your beloved FMIC. The key is to find the good ones, which sometimes requires some effort, regardless of the brand.

As far as Gibson CS goes, thankfully I have never had to deal with them so I can't comment on them one way or the other. I hope it stays that way. You sound like you have had some serious problems with Gibson's quality AND their customer service though, so maybe you should start a thread on that topic?

Now if it's OK with you guys, I would like to end this thread. This horse has been beaten to death. We can all agree to disagree, and let's just put this thread to rest. Thanks for all the opinions and information that were provided during the duration, but it's pointless to waste anymore time on this topic.

[zarl]

Have a ball with Gibson's STELLAR customer service...and with the quality issues they've been having recently.

My only experience with Gibson customer service has actually been "stellar" -- no joke. I had pickups and wiring harnesses on two Les Pauls go bad on separate occasions. Both times, the head customer service guy at Gibson called me up and arranged to have pickups and parts mailed to me directly so I could install them myself. It saved me a long drive to a service center or having to ship the guitars to them. It wasn't their standard service protocol, but he made it happen. And the guy called me to follow up, too. I'm sure that others have had their share of horror stories, but this was one bright spot for Gibson.

On the GMW thing.... I read the GMW response, also a good read. I see both sides of the story, but I think Lee should have just made another neck and put that whole issue to rest. It can't be good for business when you google "GMW" and that guy's story comes up. That fretboard overlay cutaway photo is a business killer too. That said, I'd still consider sending a body to him for paintwork -- seems top notch on that front.

[buckethead bungler]

FMIC lost a customer. So what? Their not losing any sleep over it and neither am I.

I think "relieved themselves of" would be a more apt description than 'lost'!

[biged71]

I think "relieved themselves of" would be a more apt description than 'lost'!

Well, that's an interesting way of looking at it. I CHOOSE not to do business with them, but somehow they "relieved themselves of"? :think:

I get it...."You can't fire me because...because...because I quit!"

Sure pal.....whatever works for you.

[Thrust]

I'm going to go against the grain here a bit and say, from a customer service standpoint, I think FMIC should have replaced the neck at no cost. Obviously, biged71 is convinced he didn't break the guitar. Everyone else here, including those who are highly regarded, says this cannot be a defect. Regardless of how the neck was broken, it appears biged71 is sincere in his belief. He is/was obviously a loyal customer and hasn't complained about any prior issues with FMIC J/C products. Why not give him--the customer--the benefit of the doubt on this one? He's right, it wouldn't affect their bottom line too much and it would go a long way toward retaining one customer and possibly encouraging others. At the very least, it would reinforce the belief that FMIC values their customers.

[waylay00]

I'm going to go against the grain here a bit and say, from a customer service standpoint, I think FMIC should have replaced the neck at no cost. Obviously, biged71 is convinced he didn't break the guitar. Everyone else here, including those who are highly regarded, says this cannot be a defect. Regardless of how the neck was broken, it appears biged71 is sincere in his belief. He is/was obviously a loyal customer and hasn't complained about any prior issues with FMIC J/C products. Why not give him--the customer--the benefit of the doubt on this one? He's right, it wouldn't affect their bottom line too much and it would go a long way toward retaining one customer and possibly encouraging others. At the very least, it would reinforce the belief that FMIC values their customers.

+1 I agree. Granted, FMIC wasn't obligated to give him a new neck, but I think they should have, considering his past purchase history.

[Matt_B]

I'm going to go against the grain here a bit and say, from a customer service standpoint, I think FMIC should have replaced the neck at no cost.

That would be akin to opening Pandora's box as far as warranty claims go. Also, as I recall they did offer to sell him a replacement neck at a very reasonable price.

Obviously, biged71 is convinced he didn't break the guitar.

Yes, he is but that doesn't mean that something else didn't happen to it that he is not aware of.

Everyone else here, including those who are highly regarded, says this cannot be a defect.

Exactly. Warranties cover defects in materials or workmanship. Case closed. Necks don't break like that on their own.

[Thrust]

That would be akin to opening Pandora's box as far as warranty claims go. Also, as I recall they did offer to sell him a replacement neck at a very reasonable price.

Yes, he is but that doesn't mean that something else didn't happen to it that he is not aware of.

Exactly. Warranties cover defects in materials or workmanship. Case closed. Necks don't break like that on their own.

I didn't intend to imply FIMC should be obligated to replace the neck. And, this wouldn't open Pandora's Box, IMO. An act of goodwill is just that an 'act' --a one-off. As the previous poster said, considering his past purchasing history, experiences with high-end guitars, and belief that he was not at fault,

it wouldn't have hurt FMIC to use this as an opportunity to go above and beyond for the customer.

Again, just my observations.

[biged71]

Very reasonable, articulate, and well thought out replies guys. Thanks you. As far as my one man campaign to take down FMIC, LOL, in the past two weeks I have bought 2 EVH Wolfgangs and a 2005 Charvel Pointy. I am saving a ton of money on the used market and getting some great guitars. This whole thing has been a win-win situation. FMIC saved themselves about a hundred-bucks, and in the long run they will have saved me thousands in the price difference from buying used guitars on the open market, vs buying new ones from them. Ain't nothing wrong with that right? Happy New Year everyone.

[lerxstcat]

I'm actually having someone repair the broken neck. I bought the guitar the first day they came out because of the color and I paid 1000 for it. From a fiscal standpoint, there is no way I would invest another 20 percent in what is basically an entry-level or maybe mid-level guitar to begin with.

Couple that with the fact that out of principle, I didn't break the original neck, so I wouldn't pay a dollar toward a replacement neck, which means for me the whole situation is a non-starter.

You may have caused the initial stress crack when you put the Allen wrench holder on it, as Newc posted earlier in the thread. Charvel offered you a new neck at cost instead of telling you outright that you probably fucked it up installing the wrench holder. You yourself said you don't know that much about wood, so how do you know you DIDN'T put a hairline crack in it, which you didn't notice but which got worse sitting in the case for months?

You made a thread to ask what people think, and at the most knowledgeable C/J forum on the net, the feedback you're getting is that it's not a manufacturing defect, but an impact damage. If truly no one else has touched it but you - sure no one has access to that room, EVER? - then you did it. Too bad for you, and if you don't want to buy any more new C/J guitars, that's your right. But you're really just making yourself look like an ass when everybody is politely telling you your story is a fairy tale and you are lucky Charvel offered you a new neck for cost.

[lerxstcat]

I didn't intend to imply FIMC should be obligated to replace the neck. And, this wouldn't open Pandora's Box, IMO. An act of goodwill is just that an 'act' --a one-off. As the previous poster said, considering his past purchasing history, experiences with high-end guitars, and belief that he was not at fault,

it wouldn't have hurt FMIC to use this as an opportunity to go above and beyond for the customer.

Again, just my observations.

Except that the NEXT guy to fuck up his own neck could cite this thread and that theoretical outcome to try and pressure them to do the same. Do it once and some will take it as admission of fault and not as goodwill.

[lerxstcat]

Well, that's an interesting way of looking at it. I CHOOSE not to do business with them, but somehow they "relieved themselves of"? :think:

I get it...."You can't fire me because...because...because I quit!"

Sure pal.....whatever works for you.

Well, if you have a customer who breaks his own shit and then tries to blame you for it, then yeah, it's a relief to be done with him now than to deal with him for the next 50 years, always trying to make you pay for his fuckups.

[lerxstcat]

I'm actually having someone repair the broken neck. I bought the guitar the first day they came out because of the color and I paid 1000 for it. From a fiscal standpoint, there is no way I would invest another 20 percent in what is basically an entry-level or maybe mid-level guitar to begin with.

Couple that with the fact that out of principle, I didn't break the original neck, so I wouldn't pay a dollar toward a replacement neck, which means for me the whole situation is a non-starter.

I'm curious. Charvel offered you a new neck for $200; how much is it costing you to repair that neck? Which you broke without even realizing it, btw.... :ROTF:

[Frigo89]

I'm curious. Charvel offered you a new neck for $200; how much is it costing you to repair that neck? Which you broke without even realizing it, btw.... :ROTF:

I agree, the repair isn't gonna be a whole lot cheaper if any than the new neck.

I remember when this thread first started, and was thinking "this guy obviously did something stupid with the guitar"

and now after reading all of it I'm saying.

"this guy obviously did something stupid with his guitar"

You have to be such an idiot to think that a guitar, a mass produced, CNC'd guitar at that, would have such an issue, to cause it to seemingly blow apart "just for fun." I mean, I could see the potential if it was a hand built guitar (by underqualified hands) but this is coming off a line with hundreds of these, and I'm pretty damn sure that unless they decided to use your neck as a baseball bat in the factory, that we would be seeing more complaints about neck explosions.

If you put on the tool holder as has been suggested, and a hairline crack formed without your knowledge, and then you left it in a case for months, it is extremely likely that because of the tension of the strings pulling on one half of the cracked section, it would split, and it did.

And unless it was due to some health issue, you have no business owning said guitar if you didn't pull it out of its case for that long, thats just stupidity IMHO, I'd rather have money in the bank than a guitar sitting unplayed in a case.