Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisN
Those pics are just making me feel bad! I should clarify that my 390 is built fine and plays well, but mine has multiple small finish flaws that, while easily correctable at relatively small additional expense, should never have left the factory in a first-run item. Amazingly poor QC, imo.
I'm still in the inspection period and I'll probably keep mine because new ones are getting rare (only 1 other available, so far as I know, and there's only 1 used one w/mini humbuckers available), but with what I know now, I'd instead be tempted to get the Epi Casino Coupe and upgrade the electronics, and switch to mini humbuckers. I try to avoid Chinese guitar stuff (Japanese and Korean OK), when possible, and buy USA, when possible, but this experience is causing me to rethink that philosophy. Since getting this 390, I've read just a ton of negative press about Gibson over the last 15+ years - nobody's happy with them, inside or out. Too bad - could be great. No point in paying a hefty premium to support USA companies if they're not going to treat their workers and customers better than shown by this result.
Thanks for the extra pics.
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Getting the Casino Coupe and upgrading the electronics would be quite affordable. Just make sure that you can inspect the sample before finalizing, as some of the Chinese Epis vary in how well they are done. I did play a Casino Coupe a while back and it was nicely done!
New Japanese Elitist Casinos are available, but I think that they're up around $1600-1700 or so?