warranty work

[stevoc]

I'm considering sending one of my dk1's in for some warranty work to have the headstock repainted. I swapped the locations of my EMG's, do I need to put them back before I send it in? Wil Jackson void my warranty if I send it as is with the pickups swapped?

[Newc]

I doubt they'd refuse it because of that. The warranty is for the build itself (wood and paint) and if the electronics are crappy from the factory (which being EMGs... )

Is the finish flaking off from normal use?

[stevoc]

)

Is the finish flaking off from normal use?

Nope. I purchased it like that, although I wasn't aware of it when sold because it was bought online. I got a great deal on it, so I didn't argue once I received it. I took it to an authorized Jackson repair shop and they said it could easily be warrantied and fixed.

I'll take some pics tonight and post them.

[DonP]

I thought you only get a warranty if the axe is purchased from an authorized dealer? (by online I'm thinking you are saying ebay, maybe online from a dealer?)

[stevoc]

I thought you only get a warranty if the axe is purchased from an authorized dealer? (by online I'm thinking you are saying ebay, maybe online from a dealer?)

No, it was an online authorized jackson dealer.

Here's the pic. Notice the finish over where the paint is missing.

[sully]

granted, you've got the guitar, so you can see better than we can, but it looks like it's painted, but the clear coat is lifting.

sully

[neilli]

Why the fuck do they have such a problem with clearcoat on the headstock face of USA made guitars where the neck is unfinshed / oiled? I've never seen this problem on guitars with painted necks, but for some reason the natural / clear coated join seems to cause JC big issues on guitars from the USA.

I've not ever heard of other companies having this issue, and don't recall it on an import J/C guitar either...

[stevoc]

granted, you've got the guitar, so you can see better than we can, but it looks like it's painted, but the clear coat is lifting.

sully

The clearcoat isn't lifting...it looks as though they just didn't paint the entire headstock and put a clear coat over top. The clearcoat is still smooth and level with the rest of the headstock. weird, but it's almost like the quality control inspector was sick on the day this one was deemed ready.

I'll see if I can take a better picture.

[stevoc]

Maybe these show it a little better...

[DrDoug]

That looks like typical poly delamination. Oil applied after it was painted should not cause lifting like that. The usual culprit of clear coat delamination is time, as in they let it sit too long between application of the base coat and clear coat. A second culprit is base coat contamination prior to clear coating.

Time is critical in the application of polyurethanes. For example, the Sherwin-Williams two component system I use has time constraints for every single step of the process.

Priming: May be base coated within four hours without sanding. If it sits longer than four hours, it must be scuff sanded before base coating. If it sits over a week, it must be scuff sanded prior to base coat. Can be solvent cleaned and scuff sanded prior to repriming or base coating. Failure to follow instructions may lead to base coat lifting.

Base (and Mid) coats: Must be topcoated (or resprayed) within a week or base coat must be removed and resprayed. Can be sanded and base coated again, but not sanded and clear coated or clear coat may lift. Can be solvent cleaned and base coated again, but not solvent cleaned and clear coated as clear coat may lift.

Clear coat: Each coat must be applied within 45 minutes of the last coat or lifting may occur.

Some paint systems are more forgiving, but when it comes to clear coating you just don't want to screw around. Once the base is ready, it should be clear coated immediately to prevent base contamination. If it sits around for any length of time before clear coating it, you are asking for trouble. The bond between base and clear is chemical, not mechanical.

Odds are the guitar passed QC, but it delaminated shortly afterward.

[stevoc]

granted, you've got the guitar, so you can see better than we can, but it looks like it's painted, but the clear coat is lifting.

sully

I'm thinking you're right, (as if I should have ever doubted the mighty Sully. )...I'm just learning about this stuff now through posts from others who've experienced it.


So am I required to go through an authorized service center to get it fixed? The nearest one to me is about an hour away and would prefer to ship directly if possible.

[stevoc]

So I just dropped off my DK1 at my closest authorized jackson service center and they're going to send it back to jackson. I'm praying it will be back in 30 or so days, but we'll see....I'll keep you posted with after pictures.

Sully: you were right on with your thoughts. The tech mentioned to me that they had a bunch of Tacoma guitars (a fender product) come in that had a similar situation. He took some sort of spray and was able to bring the color back. The spray was suppose to allow everything to cure and bond together. He tried a little on my guitar and, sure enough, you could see the paint. Problem is that the separation has gone so far in that he can't get all of it, so he suggested sending it in, which is what I wanted to do anyways. So, it's at the shop now and will be sent in either tomorrow or monday.

So, I'm down to one more DK1 and my old fender strat while this one's out.

If there are any Jackson employees on the board that can maybe get me some updates, I'd appreciate it!!!

[sully]

hey, glad to hear that you're getting it taken care of! dr doug gave a great bit of info about the situation as well. i remember mike learn mentioning something about the HOK paint and clear incompatibility; could be related. or, could be more of a time issue, like the doc mentioned.

i'm VERY interested in knowing what that spray was; can you find out?

sully

[stevoc]

i'm VERY interested in knowing what that spray was; can you find out?

sully

I need to correct myself, it wasn't a spray, he put acetone in the space with a toothpick. The acetone (as I understand it) helps the clearcoat to bond with the wood. The reason he didn't do the whole headstock with it is because the separation was so far up, he'd need to separate the clearcoat more with a razorblade. If it wasn't so far in, it may have worked. Also, acetone apparently can ruin plastic, so I don't know what affect it would have on the binding, since it is some form of plastic, is it not?

Got word it went back to Jackson this morning. The countdown begins...

[stevoc]

OK, so I have been in email contact with a Fender rep through the last few weeks about my guitar, and the return date for my guitar has consistently been around October 4th. That would have put my repair turn around at about five weeks. On Tuesday I emailed the rep again just to confirm we're still looking at the 4th, to which he acknowledged. Well, I got a call from my local shop today and they said my guitar was in! I went to the shop to pick it up this afternoon. They hadn't even opened the box yet, they were waiting for me to get there before doing so. Once I opened the box and took out the guitar, I noticed the headstock was all repaired and lookng great. (pics coming soon)

I must say I am super impressed with the turn around time for my guitar. I dropped it off August 21st, and it was returned in less than a month. WOW! So, I encourage confidence in anyone thinking about sending a guitar in for warranty or repair work. A+ for Fender/Jackson on my repair.

Thanks FMIC!

Signed, a very satisfied customer