Other brand guitar quality issues.

[MartinD12-20]

The thread "2022 Martin Binding Issues? Yes!" got me to thinking. Are there binding issues such as the ones associated with newer Martin guitars being experienced by owners of "Other" brand guitars?
My Martins range in age for 70 to 51 years old. They are all in as built condition apart from the normal markings of having been played.
My Larrivee has no binding so can't compare that. My Breedlove's show no sign of any build quality issues. Even my old Ovations have nothing wrong with them.
Is this binding issue strictly a Martin problem?

[Monty Christo]

Originally Posted by MartinD12-20

Is this binding issue strictly a Martin problem?

I had a late-70s Les Paul Custom with binding separation on the neck, but I haven't heard of any manufacturer with a persistent and/or widespread problem like Martin's.

[MartinD12-20]

244 views and only one problem reported so far on an electric guitar.
A very small sample size to be sure but it's not looking good for Martin concerning build quality.

[jimmy bookout]

I can't say 100% but this binding issue seems to be owned soley by Martin.
In all my years here at AGF, I don't recall one thread involving loose binding on another guitar brand.

[rollypolly]

Old entry level Gretsch archtops and some flat tops have a reputation of having deteriorating binding, among other issues. Gibsons are known for getting left out in barns.

[SRL]

I haven't seen many cases of binding issues, at least not with major brands. Heck, most dimestore guitars from 80 years ago still have their binding.

The only one I can think of is the white binding that Taylor used in the 1990s in a handful of models (W14c for example). It shrinks slowly over time leading to tiny (0.5mm to 1mm) separations at the waist, but I've never seen it fully come off.

As far as quality control in general, obviously every brand has had some issues at one point or another, but usually it's something that affected a small batch of guitars and resulted in a recall.

And some brands (not going to name names to avoid starting an argument) just have sloppy build quality, either because of how/where they're made, or the price point they sell for, or both. Paint over spray, dried glue that wasn't wiped off, crooked logos, sunken inlays, rough edges, etc.

[jimmy bookout]

^^^
I bet those "brands" with rough inlays/glue squeeze out/etc aren't the price of a new Martin.

[slimey]

I maybe wrong and I'm sure I'll be corrected, but I also hear about more neck resets with Martin than any other brand. Sometimes in not very old instruments.
I know others sometimes need neck resets but I just don't hear about it as often as with Martins , I'm not a hater, I have two, but I do watch them like a hawk.

[Gryf]

I've been buying guitars since the 70's, and I've never had any workmanship-type problems with any guitar brand. Ever.

Well, except for Martin....

[lneal14513]

I’ve only had binding separation issues with one Martin, a 2013 NAMM D28. I wasn’t terribly surprised because according to what I’d read that was in a window of time where they had changed adhesives. It was pretty easy to correct but still a little annoying. In any manufacturing environment where a coating is applied control of the environment and potential contamination is always a challenge, but it’s a little frustrating (as I’m sure it is for Martin) if this is occurring again on any scale.

[sinistral]

I had a warped neck on a Taylor replaced under warranty, and Taylor made the shop jump through a lot of hoops before sending out a replacement neck. The warranty reimbursement was a small fraction of the cost of the tech’s labor. The tech at the shop where it was repaired (a Taylor dealer—I bought the guitar online from another shop) has a bin next to his bench full of warped necks from a variety of brands, including a few other Taylors. The tech has noticed that warped necks are more common than they were years ago.

[Pickcity]

If we are going to change the subject…

I gave my nephew a Takamine from the 2000’s that fell apart at the binding.

I don’t like Takamine either.

It’s the only guitar I’ve ever seen that did this, besides Martin.

A friend of mine showed me his grandfather’s old D-28 from the 50’s. It sounded great and played good, but it was coming apart at the binding. It was a severe binding issue too.

Maybe I could somewhat understand a 70 year old guitar having issues, but not a newer guitar that costs $3k. That’s madness.

I’ve always heard it’s not a matter of if a Martin will need a neck reset, but when…

[musicman1951]

I've never had a binding problem with any guitar - and quite a few of them were Martins. I do have a good friend who had an Eastman mandolin more or less un-glue itself into pieces. I do read about quite a variety in Gibson QC.

On the one hand I think it's ridiculous that Martin has all these binding problems. On the other hand, they make quite a few lovely guitars each year with some fairly high QC.

[abn556]

I have owned and played all kinds guitars for over 50 years. The only guitars I have ever seen with binding issues are Martins. I did see a Les Paul once that some moron pried the binding off with screwdriver or a knife. This was in Ron Pace’s luthier shop in Houston. When I was first playing and during 8 years in the Army, I had some lower cost acoustics like Yamahas, Sigmas, Cort, etc… So this is not an issue of cheap vs expensive.

I paid to have the binding on an OM-45 repaired in two spots. One on the head stock and one spot on the waist of the body. This guitar had been in a house with no AC in Austin after my buddy passed away. The AC was shut off. It was 8 days before we could get there after the body was found. A week plus in the Austin summer heat with no AC and the guitars and basses were on the walls and on stands. The OM-45 was the only one with a binding issue. Keep in mind this was a OM-45 from the run in the 1980s, so it was not a new guitar.

[TheGITM]

I have a 2013 Martin 000-28EC and I've only heard/read about the Martin issue. I've not experienced it, nor had anyone close to me experience it.

I've also had many other non-Martin guitars over the years and never had a major issue. Just the normal wear and tear maintenance stuff.