Anyone ever deal with LRC Guitars out of Orlando??

[DanTravis62]

Maybe you should just run all your company's communications through rig talk. Honk Honk.

 

[SMCLEARY]

Captain infowars with 20k unhelpful troll posts at your service.

I'm sure they saw the number of dissatisfied customers posting here was growing, the thread climbing in the search results, and saw that talk of taking coordinated legal action was being discussed, and decided maybe it's time to give people their stuff back. So they sent Team Shill in here tonight to reassure you that despite holding guitars for years at a time, they do amazing work. What are the odds that everyone who is missing an axe here has them back in their hands in two weeks or less?

It tells the reader everything they need to know about this dumpster fire luthiery, sending out forum shills instead of customer guitars.

As stated previously, we all know how much you post here. You are in every thread and spend the majority of your life on this forum. It is sad. You have no intention of truly helping anyone in this thread. You are simply feeding your own need to troll and bully. I am going to go ahead and block you now. I am happy to discuss my interactions with LRC and help out others, but I am not here for you.

 

[CoreyW]

I bet it does look good, even as someone without a ton of experience, I would be able to make that look pretty good. The crack is good placement as far as that goes. Just glue, clamp/wrap, and then drop fill with lacquer and color match where applicable,wet sand a bit, and boom. I was surprised at what just wet sanding can do. Had a really beat up back on an older Gibson. Spent an evening wet sanding it and the back looks nigh on new.

It was far far worse than the photos show, it was almost completely separated and splintered really badly, I shopped around and couldnt find anyone else that would touch it, even the most/highest recommended shop in Alabama.. I should have reached out to Glazier in Nashville, but I really didn't learn much about him until after I had already sent my guitar away.

Maybe you should just run all your company's communications through rig talk. Honk Honk.

Im about 99.9% certain that @SMCLEARY is not employed by LRC, and according to the email chain I saw, he sent this thread to them and went to bat for me, I do believe he is someone who has dealt with them and has had his run ins with them but they made it right at the end for him, and he is a friend of the guy doing the email responses now, who has made a very solid effort to get this corrected.

Now the other guy, I have no clue, but I wouldn't be surprised for someone who knows the shop and is local to the shop to get more consistent communication.

So they pulled the ole check is in the mail routine or have you actually gotten your guitar??????????

Tracking is showing it will arrive tomorrow, wife will sign for it, but I wont get to open it until Friday.

Yeah I do. Easy to pile on when you only know one side of a story and have no experience with the shop. Continue on . . .

First, thank you for reaching out to them for me when you did. Second, I am pretty sure you can verify that everything I have wrote has been the truth and not just "my side". All dates and references I have made can be collaborated if I post my email and text logs, which I do not have plans to do.

Everything I shared is 100% factual. I'm not a monster. I don't vindictively dream up stories online to damage small businesses or any business for that matter.

What I will say is that after 11 months of waiting and finding this forum this morning, I ironically received a phone call tonight - what are the odds? No idea if you are RJ, or if you relayed today's interaction to RJ, or if it's just pure coincidence that after sharing my experience on here I happened to get phoned. If you or anyone on here helped me get that call tonight, thank you. It's unfortunate all the way around bc had I received this call back in October or November or January with a five or ten minute interaction, I would have never even been compelled to find & use this "resource" to generate a response. Hell, I didn't even expect a response, nor was it my attention to use this as a "weapon" to get a response! I was just hoping I'd get some reassurance that what I was experiencing was....normal and I didn't just lose my guitar and nearly a thousand dollars. I was encouraged in the future to "power email" them for 3-4 days straight so they could make sure someone responds in the future. So maybe try that if you can't get anyone to call?

I knew my repair was going to be a b*tch bc the first attempt via another luthier failed miserably, and from what I was told, has made this project more difficult than anticipated - that's fair. I was and still am grateful that RJ wanted to take it on. But setting an expectation for turnaround + the manner & cadence of communication isn't my responsibility. My responsibility was to present them with an opportunity/challenge and fulfilling payment in full upfront. I did that back in May.

I've waited 11+ months without any calls or update (aside from the boiler plate email response template) - I'm not looking for a pat on the back AT ALL, but I think any rational person would say I've been very patient & understanding up to this point, yes? No nasty Google reviews, no nasty emails. Just being patient. For god's sake, I've had buddies asking me for updates on my guitar and it's a little awkward to have to say... eh, not sure - haven't heard anything. Wasn't it supposed to be done in August? Uh, yeah, but it's only December/January/February/March/etc.

That said, assuming this gets wrapped up like it was communicated to me tonight, I'll do my part and share my appreciation.

My advice to RJ is this. Charge more for your work so you can hire someone that can actually handle customer service in an effective manner. Sending an email that says someone will be contacting you and in the very next sentence say if you are receiving the auto reply no one will be contacting you is basically the Penrose Steps of inaction. That, or just be upfront on turnaround times. Tell a customer it'll take a year. If you get the work done in 6-8 months, better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around.

What the OP said is absolutely on point - Gibson charges $3k+ for a full neck replacement. I think RJ is actually trying hard to not price gouge customers by charging what he does, and good on him for that - sincerely. But that goodwill evaporates quickly if the turnaround is a year or more without any comm or updates. I can't speak for others, but I would have gladly paid more if I could have had my instrument back in 3-4 months vs this timeline.

Anyway, I felt I owed everyone an update after I shared what I did earlier today. I appreciate the support and feedback, fingers crossed I'll have my LP back soon. Have a gnight all.

The new communications guy Shawn has been responding, to me he did seem genuinely interested in helping.




Now, with all that out of the way.

I really appreciate everyone who has joined me along this roller coaster and I do believe this has helped, finally get us to a resolution.

Over this weekend, I did receive some more emails and texts. They have apologized for the delay, included some gifts in the shipping box, and have offered a partial refund from my original payment to try and make things right.

I do feel I need to reiterate.. the work taking longer than expected was never an issue for me, not being told it was going to take longer was the problem. Initially, it was decided the finish work needed redone as the nitro clowded up. Then when doing final inspection and set up, they found the truss rod nut was broken, so they pulled the board and replaced the truss rod, RJ decided to do this because he never noticed if the nut was broke before he started the repair so he was unsure when it broke. (I appreciate him doing this, but again I was never informed it needed to be done or it was/had been done until after the fact). I received photos of it this weekend, and I am very happy with the results just by looking at the pics but I will save my excitement until I can actually put my hands on it.

 

[VonBonfire]

Im about 99.9% certain that @SMCLEARY is not employed by LRC, and according to the email chain I saw, he sent this thread to them and went to bat for me, I do believe he is someone who has dealt with them and has had his run ins with them but they made it right at the end for him, and he is a friend of the guy doing the email responses now, who has made a very solid effort to get this corrected.

He wasn't as forthcoming as he should've been with regard to his company connections. He had a friend that had worked there before and "Unbeknownst to me" his friend has been rehired. Never mentioned anything about having previously been friends with someone there in his posts until page 5. He's being deceptive when you consider that he only showed up on rig talk to defend the company, and then like magic is able to forward the thread to someone there at which point you and others finally start getting responses and phone calls? I guess it doesn't matter what the case is. LRC= 100% clown show.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I dont really care about anything other than that you all receive your guitars soon. I have made my opinions about the company clear, but that is by far secondary to the guys in this thread being made right.

 

[Music&Chaos]

It was far far worse than the photos show, it was almost completely separated and splintered really badly, I shopped around and couldnt find anyone else that would touch it, even the most/highest recommended shop in Alabama.. I should have reached out to Glazier in Nashville, but I really didn't learn much about him until after I had already sent my guitar away.




Im about 99.9% certain that @SMCLEARY is not employed by LRC, and according to the email chain I saw, he sent this thread to them and went to bat for me, I do believe he is someone who has dealt with them and has had his run ins with them but they made it right at the end for him, and he is a friend of the guy doing the email responses now, who has made a very solid effort to get this corrected.

Now the other guy, I have no clue, but I wouldn't be surprised for someone who knows the shop and is local to the shop to get more consistent communication.




Tracking is showing it will arrive tomorrow, wife will sign for it, but I wont get to open it until Friday.




First, thank you for reaching out to them for me when you did. Second, I am pretty sure you can verify that everything I have wrote has been the truth and not just "my side". All dates and references I have made can be collaborated if I post my email and text logs, which I do not have plans to do.


The new communications guy Shawn has been responding, to me he did seem genuinely interested in helping.




Now, with all that out of the way.

I really appreciate everyone who has joined me along this roller coaster and I do believe this has helped, finally get us to a resolution.

Over this weekend, I did receive some more emails and texts. They have apologized for the delay, included some gifts in the shipping box, and have offered a partial refund from my original payment to try and make things right.

I do feel I need to reiterate.. the work taking longer than expected was never an issue for me, not being told it was going to take longer was the problem. Initially, it was decided the finish work needed redone as the nitro clowded up. Then when doing final inspection and set up, they found the truss rod nut was broken, so they pulled the board and replaced the truss rod, RJ decided to do this because he never noticed if the nut was broke before he started the repair so he was unsure when it broke. (I appreciate him doing this, but again I was never informed it needed to be done or it was/had been done until after the fact). I received photos of it this weekend, and I am very happy with the results just by looking at the pics but I will save my excitement until I can actually put my hands on it.

Man, that is weird to me, as they are fairly common to have to repair and I have seen some really, really nasty ones. There are several I have seen where you have to cut all the way through and get the area prepped and glue em back together, etc. My local luthier is a step-above when it comes to Gibson guitar repair, that's for sure though.

 

[harddriver]

Tracking is showing it will arrive tomorrow, wife will sign for it, but I wont get to open it until Friday.

Hey Corey I hope you get your guitar and it is repaired to your satisfaction.

Any shop providing a service and providing no communication as happened to you is inexcusable and the fact that pretty much hold you hostage with your own property is completely reprehensible behavior in my estimation.

 

[CoreyW]

Man, that is weird to me, as they are fairly common to have to repair and I have seen some really, really nasty ones. There are several I have seen where you have to cut all the way through and get the area prepped and glue em back together, etc. My local luthier is a step-above when it comes to Gibson guitar repair, that's for sure though.

Yeah, I know its not a rare repair, but this one was particularly bad, apparently it decided when it fell to do a kick flip off one of my monitors before completing a full back flip with a twist into my desk.. the sad thing, I had an SG on the hanger right behind it, and you couldn't even tell it fell.

 

[parr0t]

That is the point man. I do not know the other side and neither do you. You tell me the other side without making stuff up.

What other side of the story you seem to be looking for? As a customer, I paid for my invoice and was told to wait two weeks. It's not like there's anything else as far as my side of the story is concerned. Unless your implying that we are all just ganging up on this shop for some mysterious reason. At that point, I have to ask: what is there for us to gain if that was really the case?

 

[VonBonfire]

Unless your implying that we are all just ganging up on this shop for some mysterious reason.

It makes sense that someone who was having problems would run a search on the company looking for feedback on their business practices and then chime in with their own issues SINCE THEY HADN'T RECEIVED THEIR GUITAR BACK AFTER SIX+ MONTHS. It doesn't make sense that someone who wasn't having any problems would run that search, and then sign up for a forum just to defend them with all their positive experiences, UNLESS THEY WORKED FOR LRC.

Look at what this clown posted:

I’ve cycled dozens of axes through LRC at this point. Not once have they dropped the ball. It’s just consistently solid work—no drama, no excuses, just done right.

Dozens of axes. So reeeeeeeL. Apparently this ^ dude is running some sort of very busy independent used guitar shop. One post, on the day of membership.

 

[Music&Chaos]

It makes sense that someone who was having problems would run a search on the company looking for feedback on their business practices and then chime in with their own issues SINCE THEY HADN'T RECEIVED THEIR GUITAR BACK AFTER SIX+ MONTHS. It doesn't make sense that someone who wasn't having any problems would run that search, and then sign up for a forum just to defend them with all their positive experiences, UNLESS THEY WORKED FOR LRC.

Look at what this clown posted:

Dozens of axes. So reeeeeeeL. Apparently this ^ dude is running some sort of very busy independent used guitar shop. One post, on the day of membership.

View attachment 442430

They lit the Bonfire, eh?

 

[SMCLEARY]

What other side of the story you seem to be looking for? As a customer, I paid for my invoice and was told to wait two weeks. It's not like there's anything else as far as my side of the story is concerned. Unless your implying that we are all just ganging up on this shop for some mysterious reason. At that point, I have to ask: what is there for us to gain if that was really the case?

I am not suggesting you. I am talking about everyone that has never had experience with the shop and making assumptions. I do not know your situation or their side of your situation. I would suggest emailing them again. It seems to be working for others.

 

[japetus]

 

[SMCLEARY]

At any given point this is the normal stats from this forum. Only 3% of the current people online are actual "members." The remainder are lurkers and guests. To suggest a "new" user has never been on this site is, as most of his comments, ridiculous.

 

[japetus]

At any given point this is the normal stats from this forum. Only 3% of the current people online are actual "members." The remainder are lurkers and guests. To suggest a "new" user has never been on this site is, as most of his comments, ridiculous.
View attachment 442444

These numbers do not include members that have been thrown into the hidden forums "the void of no escape", or "Funsville 3000".

 

[VonBonfire]

They lit the Bonfire, eh?

Not really. If it was my guitar I already would've taken a crow bar to the door jam down at LRC and taken my shit back the old fashioned way. It's not stealing when it belongs to me.

 

[VonBonfire]

I spotted SMCLEARY online a few minutes ago. Must've been checking to make sure the LRC bashing wasn't getting out of hand tonight. Dude's behavior here has company shill written all over it. HONK HONK HONK HONK.

 

[parr0t]

I spotted SMCLEARY online a few minutes ago. Must've been checking to make sure the LRC bashing wasn't getting out of hand tonight. Dude's behavior here has company shill written all over it. HONK HONK HONK HONK.

While I appreciate the fact that he replied to me saying that there’s “no more to the story” as far as some of this shop’s clients/customers are concerned, it really threw me off too. I absolutely HATE shops that play both sides. I payed for a service, you provide me said service and we go about our ways. No drama. They’re a small “mom & pop” shop only when it’s convenient. They minute they have any leverage over you, they act worse then freaking faceless corporation.

I will say this: I casually found a very cheap guitar on facebook marketplace this week. The seller claimed the guitar had been at LaRCeny guitars and I immediately asked them what their experience had been. I’m not yet ready to doxx myself (so no screenshots for now). I’ll let you all read a slightly redacted version of it for yourselves.

> **Seller:** I used to have a direct line to them, but I think I called too often. Honestly, if things get bad, you just have to show up in person. It’s a lot harder for them to ignore you when you’re standing right there.
> **Me:** I might have to do that. I wasn't expecting this level of radio silence—no phone, no texts, just automated emails.
> **Seller:** It’s a shame because I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but this is a recurring issue. I’ve seen others post the exact same complaints.
> **Me:** It’s definitely a pattern. I’m tired of the attitude that a regular person’s gear is somehow less important than their "commercial" or "enterprise" contracts. I’d be out of a job "yesterday" if I treated my own customers that way.
> **Seller:** Exactly. I basically had to get a bit aggressive and push them just to get my property back.

 

[VonBonfire]

 

[VESmedic]

Frustrating to see this for sure. LRC has been the only guys I let touch my guitars, and has been for some time. RJ and ken Andrews are top notch on all their work they’ve done for me. Both are good friends of mine, i didn’t read this whole thread but if there’s something I can do to help, let me know. I’m a whopping 10 minutes from their shop.