BEWARE OF SIMS CUSTOM GUITARS!

PDC said:
This dude is a straight up THIEF. YES - the work he does is beautiful. But he is a THIEF! Deal with this guy at your own peril. I’m out close to a grand between the cost of the body and the paint job. I will survive. That doesn’t make it O.K.
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Lame...I seem to remember same issue with dude, search the archives at TGP....
 
PDC said:
Title of the thread says it all. BEWAR OF SIMS CUSTOM GUITARS!

I started a custom build a year ago and wanted a professional finish. I real all the reviews on line and Pat Sims, Sims Custom Guitars https://www.simscustomshop.com/guitars-parts-for-sale/sims-custom-shop-guitars/ Was at the top of the list. The work this guy does is nothing short of amazing Reviews were positive and said ‘just be patient.’

I emailed with Pat a year ago last October and he replied very promptly. We mapped out exactly what I wanted and he quoted a price just over $700.00. We even talked on the phone a couple of times. Pat said it would be 3 months to get the job done. I paid in full last October and the guitar body was delivered on November 3 a year ago. I have confirmation of delivery and Pat himself acknowledged delivery.

By February of this year, having not heard from him, I reached out to see how the project was coming. He said it was ‘almost ready to ship.’ Weeks went by. No guitar. No communication. I reached out again. He said it was ‘almost done and would ship soon.’ Weeks went by. No guitar. No communication. I reached out again. No reply. I reached out again. No reply. I filed a BBB complaint against him. He never replied. His FB Page (here: https://www.facebook.com/SimsCustomShopGuitars) Shows beautiful guitars going out every day to their excited owners. I have FB Messaged him over and over. No reply.

I have sent messages asking, begging, DEMANDING, that he just send the (probably bare wood) body to me and keep the goddam $700.00 he stole for the paint job. I’m ready to just bathe the body in Butcher Block Oil and play the dam thing. Of course, he has not replied.

This dude is a straight up THIEF. YES - the work he does is beautiful. But he is a THIEF! Deal with this guy at your own peril. I’m out close to a grand between the cost of the body and the paint job. I will survive. That doesn’t make it O.K.
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What part of the country is he in?
 
I know Patrick personally, known him for years. He lives across town and I've been to his shop where he does a lot of the work. I remember people having issues with him years ago. As far as I know he's a one man operation and good finishes can take time to do properly, it just sucks people have been getting the shaft. Maybe the finishes he does for individuals sometimes take backseat to finishes for bigger companies sending in quite a workload, who knows.
 
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Matt300ZXT said:
I know Patrick personally, known him for years. He lives across town and I've been to his shop where he does a lot of the work. I remember people having issues with him years ago. As far as I know he's a one man operation and good finishes can take time to do properly, it just sucks people have been getting the shaft. Maybe the finishes he does for individuals sometimes take backseat to finishes for bigger companies sending in quite a workload, who knows.
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Since you have known him personally for years, you should help a forum brother out and ask him to return PDC's guitar body. If his business practice is to give customers "backseats" for bigger companies and ignore all contact with them, that's no way to be.
 
japetus said:
Since you have known him personally for years, you should help a forum brother out and ask him to return PDC's guitar body. If his business practice is to give customers "backseats" for bigger companies and ignore all contact with them, that's no way to be.
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I agree.

If you've known the guy for years, the least you could do is to tell him that he's fucking up and cheating people of their hard earned money.
 
honestly, my experience with custom builders is that they do often do fantastic work and I loved the finished product BUT they also take over a year, always have excuses (someone sick in family, set back, a life event) will go MIA for long periods of time and then sort of hustle the product out the door last minute. Now, this certainly isn't all of them and there are some reputable builders right on this site, but they are part of the community and are known for their good practices. When you go outside the community and on the words of others or off forums, you just can't know. This is why I now target a finished product or someone selling one of said builder's guitars. No hassle, way less wait. I feel your pain though, it gets old feeling like a broken record when you have paid damn good money for a product that isn't delivered. It is theft.
 
Fiesta Red said:
I would add JR Guitarworks to that list. I'm getting the body back a month ahead of time

cdZXvc3.jpg
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You get your body back yet? I sent him a message via instagram a couple weeks ago but no response. Any other way to get in touch with him? He does great work, I'm sure he's busy AF. Yours looks like a KnE rig, I've got one coming from them in a week or so, they quoted me a 4 week turnaround.
 
* velcro-fly * said:
You get your body back yet? I sent him a message via instagram a couple weeks ago but no response. Any other way to get in touch with him? He does great work, I'm sure he's busy AF. Yours looks like a KnE rig, I've got one coming from them in a week or so, they quoted me a 4 week turnaround.
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Not yet -- he said he had about 4 weeks of work left on it. He is busy as hell because he paints for so many builders. Original time quote was 4-5 months but he had a cancellation. I'd say keep hounding him. Tell him Cup.O.Cheese from Instagram referred you.

This is a Locke Custom Guitars body. Heavy ash.
 
Fiesta Red said:
Not yet -- he said he had about 4 weeks of work left on it. He is busy as hell because he paints for so many builders. Original time quote was 4-5 months but he had a cancellation. I'd say keep hounding him. Tell him Cup.O.Cheese from Instagram referred you.

This is a Locke Custom Guitars body. Heavy ash.
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Cool, thanks.... 4-5 months huh? dang, that's booked out! What sort of paint job are you getting on that body? I keep looking at that sparkle red GMW hardtail you had, I'm thinking something that color or green metallic. That whole GMW thread we've got going is straight up paint porn. I've got a full brass hardtail + hardware setup for a 1 hum and a dark flamey roasted maple neck en route. Haven't had a Strat like that in years.
 
* velcro-fly * said:
Cool, thanks.... 4-5 months huh? dang, that's booked out! What sort of paint job are you getting on that body? I keep looking at that sparkle red GMW hardtail you had, I'm thinking something that color or green metallic. That whole GMW thread we've got going is straight up paint porn. I've got a full brass hardtail + hardware setup for a 1 hum and a dark flamey roasted maple neck en route. Haven't had a Strat like that in years.
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That body I bought was unpainted. In the pic it has been painted a see through white and the grain has been filled in with dark filler, so it is almost completed. It needs a clear coat and then a polishing.

PS -- I started a separate thread on it to keep the OPs thread on topic.
 
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Update - When i ordered this guitar, I wanted the body done VH-II stripe pattern with White Body and Black Stripes - sort of like the bastard child of VH-I and VH-II guitars. I actually reached out to EVH Corp and asked if I could pay a licensing fee to have written permission to do this copy-written pattern In black and white. EVH corp replied that as long as I was building the guitar for myself and NOT selling the guitar as an EVH product, it was a fine. They literally gave me written permission to paint away. I forwarded the email to Pat and he accepted the project with a 3 - 4 month time frame. The body was delivered the first week of November a year ago. I was expecting delivery in early March.

Pat blew me off over and over and over again - countless emails saying the body wold ship at the end of the week. Then went radio silent - no replies to emails or FB messages.

SO - I asked him on his FB page where my body was? And he didn’t reply. So, I cut and pasted that message into as many of his FB posts as I had the patience to click and paste into.

Well, THAT pissed him off. And (of course) he ‘blocked’ me on FB (waaaahhh boooo hooo).

Still no email or phone call - and yes, I ‘reminded’ him of my personal cell phone # with every email.

So, 11 months later, he (finally) says the body is done and sends me pics - BUT IT’S THE VH-I “FRANKY’ STRIPE PATTERN!!!!

I re-sent him ALL of our initial e-mails confirming that I wanted the VH-II Stripe Pattern with White Body Color and Black Stripes.

He emails me asking if I want him to sand it down and start over…. REALLY???

YOU’VE HAD THIS BODY FOR A YEAR AND YOU ARE ASKING ME IF I WANT YOU TO START OVER????????

I declined and asked him to ship me the body.

It arrived and REEKED of fresh clear coat. I am 100% convinced he had jammed it out in about 36 hours to get it out of his life.

The paint job is absolutely beautiful.

(Pat - if you are reading this, please read the previous sentence again: THE PAINT JOB IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL)

BUT … it is NOT the paint job I paid for AND it took 11 months - not 3 months - to complete.

Sorry - I cannot possibly recommend or endorse Pat Sims to anyone for any reason. Yes, he is unquestionably talented. Yes, he does unquestionably 1st rate quality paint work. BUT - his communication is shit. His customer service is shit. His attention to original work order is shit. Better off handing your hard earned money to a stripper in the VIP room - you will emerge with empty pockets, but fond memories. No fond memories with Sims Custom Guitar Finishes.

P.S. Anyone want an absolutely BEAUTIFUL San Dimas Single Hum Alder Guitar Body with a VH-I Stripe Pint Job???

I honestly do not know if I can finish assembling this particular build and ever feel good about it…
 
PDC said:
Update - When i ordered this guitar, I wanted the body done VH-II stripe pattern with White Body and Black Stripes - sort of like the bastard child of VH-I and VH-II guitars. I actually reached out to EVH Corp and asked if I could pay a licensing fee to have written permission to do this copy-written pattern In black and white. EVH corp replied that as long as I was building the guitar for myself and NOT selling the guitar as an EVH product, it was a fine. They literally gave me written permission to paint away. I forwarded the email to Pat and he accepted the project with a 3 - 4 month time frame. The body was delivered the first week of November a year ago. I was expecting delivery in early March.

Pat blew me off over and over and over again - countless emails saying the body wold ship at the end of the week. Then went radio silent - no replies to emails or FB messages.

SO - I asked him on his FB page where my body was? And he didn’t reply. So, I cut and pasted that message into as many of his FB posts as I had the patience to click and paste into.

Well, THAT pissed him off. And (of course) he ‘blocked’ me on FB (waaaahhh boooo hooo).

Still no email or phone call - and yes, I ‘reminded’ him of my personal cell phone # with every email.

So, 11 months later, he (finally) says the body is done and sends me pics - BUT IT’S THE VH-I “FRANKY’ STRIPE PATTERN!!!!

I re-sent him ALL of our initial e-mails confirming that I wanted the VH-II Stripe Pattern with White Body Color and Black Stripes.

He emails me asking if I want him to sand it down and start over…. REALLY???

YOU’VE HAD THIS BODY FOR A YEAR AND YOU ARE ASKING ME IF I WANT YOU TO START OVER????????

I declined and asked him to ship me the body.

It arrived and REEKED of fresh clear coat. I am 100% convinced he had jammed it out in about 36 hours to get it out of his life.

The paint job is absolutely beautiful.

(Pat - if you are reading this, please read the previous sentence again: THE PAINT JOB IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL)

BUT … it is NOT the paint job I paid for AND it took 11 months - not 3 months - to complete.

Sorry - I cannot possibly recommend or endorse Pat Sims to anyone for any reason. Yes, he is unquestionably talented. Yes, he does unquestionably 1st rate quality paint work. BUT - his communication is shit. His customer service is shit. His attention to original work order is shit. Better off handing your hard earned money to a stripper in the VIP room - you will emerge with empty pockets, but fond memories. No fond memories with Sims Custom Guitar Finishes.

P.S. Anyone want an absolutely BEAUTIFUL San Dimas Single Hum Alder Guitar Body with a VH-I Stripe Pint Job???

I honestly do not know if I can finish assembling this particular build and ever feel good about it…
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Damn! That sucks. I love it when someone screws up your order then puts it on you that they have to "start from scratch all over" as though it's am inconvenience. Poor attention to detail.

Pics?
 
I haven’t even been excited enough about it to shoot any pics. It a Butala San Dimas Single Hum / Recessed Floyd body and the paint is admittedly perfect. I’ll shoot a couple of pics here soon. I have envisioned it with no pickguard. I’ve got a Pariah pickup and Floyd original for it. Randy Butala made a gorgeous Birdseye San Dimas neck with compound radius FB and Floyd prep. I need to just get over it and slap this bitch together!!!
 
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