Should I be upset? VIDEOS ADDED

[psychodave]

When I talked to him a few days later, he requested $700 for hardware and to get the ball rolling. I thought that would be off the top of the guestimate above. I was wrong.

Here’s the final bill:
Items, Parts, Materials.

Ernie Ball 11/ 48 pure nickel $ 7.10
Gibson selector switch indicator, creme, $ 21.95
Gibson Historic Authentic M-69 Pickup mounting rings, creme, pair, w/screws $ 42.00
Gibson Historic screw set, complete, aged, nickel, $ 38.00
Switchcraft input jack, long shaft $ 6.85
Wire, Braid, vint correct. $ 5.25
Caps, pair, .022. $ 2.50
Gibson Historic Authentic 6/6 Nylon Nut $ 25.00
Fretwire, jumbo / tall, 3 sticks, $ 16.71
Gibson Gold Speed Knobs $ 19.40
CTS pots, 500k, 7% tol. $ 29.00
Switchcraft toggle switch tall, chrome $ 21.59
Custom Chrome Jackplate $ 9.80
Tone Pro’s Tail Piece assy, Chrome, $ 39.31
Tone Pro’s Abr Bridge assy, Chrome, $ 50.24
Mohawk inst. Nitro Laquer, 1 qt. $ 34.00
3M sanding papers, various grits, 12 sheets+ $ 24.00
Miscellaneous materials (solvents, glues, paper towels, etc.) $ 17.00
————————————————————————————
Sub total $ 409.70
Labor, 28 hrs. (guesstimated at 19 hrs, minus 4hr adjustment, 24 total) $ 1440.
————————————————————————————
Sub total $ 1849.70
Deposit (PayPal $700. minus fee’s) (-) $ 679.40
————————————————————————————
Sub total $ 1170.30
Shipping, UPS Ground, signature required, $ 60.38
Total amount Due,
Paypal with fee’s, $1267.74
or,
Paypal, friends/ family, (zero fee’s), Postal M/O’s, Checks (cleared), $1230.00


All parts, items, materials, etc. are procured from a select few of sources,
Ex. Stew mac, Reverb, MojoTone, company direct.
State taxes and shipping costs included on all items.
No labor costs during procurements, communications, shipping, handling.

Gibson Les Paul # 551475, Guestimate 1975 Kalamazoo build.
Re finished and aged to resemble Peter Frampton LPC.
Spec’d and build out, set up to Client's requirements, requests.

Re finished and aged to resemble Peter Frampton LPC

IDK man, seems like he built in an out right there.

This is what I’m thinking. Aged is a big out to not make it look flawless.

 

[LP Freak]

To me the finish should have been returned to new and from there relic’d. Not do a shitty job and call it relic’c.

 

[Mr. Willy]

This is what I’m thinking. Aged is a big out to not make it look flawless.

But this is part of my original email -

“In short, I just want her to look and play the absolute best she can. I’d already decided to go with the 70’s look like the Frampton LPC when I came across your site.”

If I decide to reveal who this is, I’ll direct you to his site. There are examples of the Frampton LPC on it that look near flawless in his pics. I referenced those pics more than once in our communication.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Some of these chips on the back go clear to the wood. I think this possibly happened when he took the pictures of the guitar sitting on his deck steps. When he sent those pictures in the steps to me, I thought by that representation that the guitar was finished to the quality I requested. It wasn’t until I got it home and saw it for my self that I saw the back and that I saw the fret board. There are razor / file marks all up and down the fretboard. There are also spots where he didn’t clean the glue off adequately. The fretboard issues have absolutely nothing to do with an “aging” process of any kind. That issue is due to poor workmanship, laziness, or both.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Here are some of the pics he sent to me of the finish process. On the one pic of the back, you can clearly see the grain pattern. I thought for sure he’d level it out in the finishing process. When he sent me the pics of the finished guitar, they looked near flawless in the pic, so I assumed the back looked the same. WRONG!

 

[paulyc]

I agree with you on all counts OP, but he built in the "out" already. All of it (fretboard, finish work, the up-charging, etc) all reek of dirty asshole, but IMO you'll be hard pressed to "prove" to him that he fucked you in the ass, but that's what happened.

 

[Sitedrifter]

His work is terrible but maybe he up charges for sanded fret boards and you did not pay for that? J/K LOL
I would doubt he will give any credit back to you since he feels he did the right job even though you have concerns.

Good luck with this terrible luthier.

 

[Mr. Willy]

I’ve directed him to this thread and admonished him to make this right. He has not responded yet.

He’s a member here on rigtalk, btw.

 

[Racerxrated]

To me the finish should have been returned to new and from there relic’d. Not do a shitty job and call it relic’c.

This

 

[Goat]

He’s a member here on rigtalk, btw.

 

[Mr. Willy]

To me the finish should have been returned to new and from there relic’d. Not do a shitty job and call it relic’c.

This

I never said I wanted it relic’d. That word was never even used by either of us. He said when it was all over, I’d basically have a brand new vintage guitar. That’s what sold me when I brought him my concerns about cost when we had our first conversation on the phone.

 

[paulyc]

I'm sure that's the case...but in that conversation or message or whatever you posted and I quoted, he built in the out. IDK how you get around that. If I read that and we hadn't discussed relic etc that would have set off my BS meter right away.

 

[Mr. Willy]

I'm sure that's the case...but in that conversation or message or whatever you posted and I quoted, he built in the out. IDK how you get around that. If I read that and we hadn't discussed relic etc that would have set off my BS meter right away.

Again, there cannot be an out for him because even if the word relic was used (it wasn’t, the word he used was aged), file and razor marks on the fretboard are NOT part of an aging or relicing process. The work on the fretboard alone negates any argument he may make for his defense.

 

[gtrwun]

Personally....I would never handle a situation like this by posting on the internet about it. I guess I’m “old school, or just old” but if you feel you got fucked, take it up with the guy or the business and get resolution. Threatening a business by showing a thread posted on a forum isn’t likely to get anything accomplished. I know I don’t respond kindly to threats and I feel most people feel the same.

I suppose if I paid the amount you did and I was expecting a “perfect” looking finished product I might be upset. I don’t get hung up with perfect looking guitars. I’m much more concerned about the playability and tone of an instrument. Just MY opinion.

 

[paulyc]

I'm sure that's the case...but in that conversation or message or whatever you posted and I quoted, he built in the out. IDK how you get around that. If I read that and we hadn't discussed relic etc that would have set off my BS meter right away.

Again, there cannot be an out for him because even if the word relic was used (it wasn’t, the word he used was aged), file and razor marks on the fretboard are NOT part of an aging or relicing process. The work on the fretboard alone negates any argument he may make for his defense.

Again OP, I agree as far as the fretboard goes, that's NOT relic work...BUT the refin ? He's got an out. FWIW.

 

[Devin]

Honestly, even if the job was done absolutely perfectly, $1900 seems like a ludicrous price to me. You could buy an entire used Les Paul for that lol

 

[RaceU4her]

I think this possibly happened when he took the pictures of the guitar sitting on his deck steps.

there is nothing that annoys me more than idiots selling guitars and feeling the need to take pics with the thing laying in places like deck steps, on the front lawn, or my favorite the jagged rock garden where it is impossible not to leave some kind of mark. i even messaged sellers sometimes just to tell them they are an asshole for doing that.

 

[Mr. Willy]

Personally....I would never handle a situation like this by posting on the internet about it. I guess I’m “old school, or just old” but if you feel you got fucked, take it up with the guy or the business and get resolution. Threatening a business by showing a thread posted on a forum isn’t likely to get anything accomplished. I know I don’t respond kindly to threats and I feel most people feel the same.

I suppose if I paid the amount you did and I was expecting a “perfect” looking finished product I might be upset. I don’t get hung up with perfect looking guitars. I’m much more concerned about the playability and tone of an instrument. Just MY opinion.

I needed outside opinion to make sure I’m not overreacting to the quality of this work. I don’t get work done like this often. I’ve had this guitar for nearly 30 years and this is the first and only time I’ve attempted to get it fixed. Besides that, I still have not told anyone who this person is. Can you tell who this is by this info?

I had a major issue with this guy when the bill came because it was so far off the mark for what he quoted.

The public has a right to see his work and decide for themselves whether or not to employ his services.

One thing to mention, is that based on the interaction I’ve had with him so far, I do not expect any of my money back. This is part of a last ditched effort to get him to realize how poorly he’s done and to make it right somehow.

Posting this on a forum is a tool I’m going to use. Put yourself in my shoes and see how you’d feel if your most sentimental guitar was worked like this and you spent as much as I did on it.

 

[romanianreaper]

Well so you don't feel like it is a complete frustrating loss, I will say that the guitar as a whole looks nice man. It sucks that with what you paid that the dude skipped out on certain parts like filling, etc. He is doing the work anyway, why the hell wouldn't he make sure every single detail is taken care of?

Unfortunately it seems like people are doing this more and more in all types of jobs. Without sounding like an old man, people just don't focus on the details like they used to.

 

[gtrwun]

Personally....I would never handle a situation like this by posting on the internet about it. I guess I’m “old school, or just old” but if you feel you got fucked, take it up with the guy or the business and get resolution. Threatening a business by showing a thread posted on a forum isn’t likely to get anything accomplished. I know I don’t respond kindly to threats and I feel most people feel the same.

I suppose if I paid the amount you did and I was expecting a “perfect” looking finished product I might be upset. I don’t get hung up with perfect looking guitars. I’m much more concerned about the playability and tone of an instrument. Just MY opinion.

I needed outside opinion to make sure I’m not overreacting to the quality of this work. I don’t get work done like this often. I’ve had this guitar for nearly 30 years and this is the first and only time I’ve attempted to get it fixed. Besides that, I still have not told anyone who this person is. Can you tell who this is by this info?

I had a major issue with this guy when the bill came because it was so far off the mark for what he quoted.

The public has a right to see his work and decide for themselves whether or not to employ his services.

One thing to mention, is that based on the interaction I’ve had with him so far, I do not expect any of my money back. This is part of a last ditched effort to get him to realize how poorly he’s done and to make it right somehow.

Posting this on a forum is a tool I’m going to use. Put yourself in my shoes and see how you’d feel if your most sentimental guitar was worked like this and you spent as much as I did on it.

Again, I was pointing out I would handle it differently. Still a free country (for now anyhow) and it’s fine that you want to go this route. You did pay a shit ton of money for the work, no doubt.

I think what I’m saying and what others have injected means nothing. It’s your money and how you feel about the guitar and the quality of the work is what matters. I feel bad for you honestly.