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  #31  
Old 12-30-2018, 02:03 AM
GuitarLuva GuitarLuva is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raysachs View Post
I’ve read the whole thread too and haven’t seen any evidence of people taking anything close to “great joy” at this mishap. It’s a guitar that was shipped in a condition that many wouldn’t accept. Emerald probably tries to be more of a stickler than most of us would be and I’m sure they’ll do everything they can to make this right for the owner.

I think the thread is a good example of how differently some of us look at our guitars. I can honestly say that I personally could have almost all of these flaws on any of my Emeralds and I’d never have noticed them. I honestly had to stare at some of the photos a while to understand what the issue was. The exception may be the condition of the fret tops and the uneven buffing on the fretboard, which I would notice if I could feel them in playing but probably not otherwise. New guitars with scratchy frets bug me at any price level and would REALLY bug me at this level.

But that’s not a negative comment toward the OP or anyone else who finds these things to be issues. These are high dollar guitars (at least in my world - I know there are much more expensive ones out there, but my X20 and woody X7 are the most expensive guitars I own by a wide margin - I briefly owned a PRS electric that cost me more) and I know most of us Emerald owners have had to take a leap of faith with Emerald at some point. And everyone has their own eyes and standards and is entitled to be as much of a stickler as they’re wired to be. I hope and expect Emerald will make this right for the OP.

I’ve seen an honest discussion of the occasional imperfection inevitable with any manufacturer and our own personal standards and reactions to these particular issues. I haven’t seen anyone ripping Emerald or other Emerald owners here, or taking any joy in any of it...

-Ray
Yeah maybe the words "great joy" weren't the best words to use but you at least made me double check the post (even though I didn't think I needed to) and I still stand by what I said and it was mentioned by another as well. I also dropped a hint in my post as to what I was referring to.

The OP has good reasons to be upset but I have no doubt he will be taken care of by Alistair. The fret work I would grudgingly fix myself but the misaligned dots and the dent at the 24 fret area would make me upset as well.
  #32  
Old 12-30-2018, 06:58 AM
new2guitar_eh new2guitar_eh is offline
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Back to the OP, when you get in touch with Emerald let us know how this one plays out.

There is no question every company has the occasional issue with what they produce. How a company addresses issues is what can allow them to truly stand out. IMHO I fully expect Emerald will be a company that steps up, addresses the concerns and makes things right.
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  #33  
Old 12-30-2018, 07:40 AM
jonfields45 jonfields45 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdinco View Post
What exactly is "unqualified Emerald love" ? Seems like a pretty sharp stick in the eye of us Emerald owners.
The majority of all threads in this section are positive Emerald stories by a wide margin. That the AGF is home to many perfectionists is not news. That guitar failed QC at so many different cosmetic stages in its final assembly it is not one individual's error getting past final inspection. For those who do demand the details are done right all these posts showing veneers and tone much better than a Martin HD-28 might not be the whole story. The OP brings some detail to the reviews which you can can dismiss, take personally (hard to understand if that was not YOUR guitar), or consider before you order. It might be useful for others with Emeralds to post photos of the veneer work around the fret board extension and bridge for comparison and to set reasonable expectations.

When Ted at LA Guitar Sales stocks a special order it may not be exactly your choosing but you have a 3 day evaluation period and money back. Emerald states that custom orders are not money back. Once you've chosen that custom veneer you are stuck. Given my hang ups on detail, that would not work for me.

I knew that original post was edgy... Certainly I can be accused of being a brand defender too.
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Last edited by jonfields45; 12-30-2018 at 03:19 PM.
  #34  
Old 12-30-2018, 09:34 AM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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I dare to agree on many things that Jon says. I love Emerald guitars, and I still have an X20 with the Parker fretboard, 11/16 neck width and center sound hole, purchased over 15 years ago ! And two years ago I purchased a super nice X7 in black. But it seems to me too that some (not all, for sure !) members of this forum belong to a sort of "Emerald Fan Club", like when you always support a soccer team.
A few weeks ago there was a post about a new Emerald archtop, with a video from Emerald of a guy playing it plugged in. Very nice guitar, it seems, so one comment was that it sounded like a million bucks, which, even if I am not american, I know does not mean literally that it plays like a guitar costing one million dollar, but still, it was a great appreciation of the sound. I dared, poor me, to comment that today with amps and controls and effects you can make any archtop sound like the Emerald one, and suggested that it would have been nice to get a video of the guitar also played unplugged. Yes I know that most archtops are played amplified, but being the Emerald archtop a real deep hollow body, I believe that to judge its tonal qualities a video of the guitar played unplugged seems a good idea.
I regret having posted that comment. It was taken like I was "doubting" the quality of the Emerald archtop sound. I was bashed. In summary, there is a lot of love for this brand in this forum, mostly very well deserved, but it is obvious that if a customer decides to spend several hundreds dollars more for the same guitar model, only in order to get it with a beautiful wood veneer under the finish instead of the standard carbon fiber weave,this customer gives great importance to the looks of the instrument, it appreciates not only the sound but also the beauty of the form. It should be respected, not mocked with sentences like "looking at the guitar with an electronic microscope"... there are players who only give importance to tone and playability, others that give importance also to cosmetics. There is room for everybody in this forum, including members who love carbon fiber guitars but do not belong to any specific fan base.

Last edited by gerardo1000; 12-30-2018 at 09:41 AM.
  #35  
Old 12-30-2018, 09:52 AM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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I made a post on December 21st (In the Spirit of the Season), hoping the "brand loyalty" wouldn't further devolve and wishing all here a happy holiday season.

While, like Scott, I have never looked at any guitar as close as the OP, I do see the apparent joy some have had with this thread. In the grand scheme of things, all these carbon fiber guitars are still pretty much "hand made." As such, I would expect the human input to result in some variation.

The OP made the post shortly after midnight - rather than taking it up with Emerald first, during their business hours. Not how I would do it, but that is the internet we have. It puts everyone on the defensive.

I suggest we all take a breath and let the OP and Emerald work this out.
  #36  
Old 12-30-2018, 09:55 AM
jwellsy jwellsy is offline
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I'm tempted to go back to that last Friday shipment video and count how many are shipping out at once. They seem to be turning out more quantity.


edit: I counted 20 in the 12/14/18 video.
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  #37  
Old 12-30-2018, 10:10 AM
DoryDavis DoryDavis is offline
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I totally understand the OP's posting, they received a guitar they paid top dollar for, known for outstanding QC, and it wasn't up to standard.

The company was closed, no one to turn to until they open and get back to him. Difficult to just sit and do nothing.

Reaching out to see if this was truly an anomaly, or for encouragement, or anything is a totally legitimate use of the board imho.

This is an opportunity for Emerald to make it right, and somehow hopefully compensate him for the trouble and stress. If they do I'm sure the OP will report on that too. If this one hadn't gotten through QC, it never would have happened to begin with. I'm sure they'll make it right, and of course mistakes do happen. just my humble opinion.
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  #38  
Old 12-30-2018, 10:24 AM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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"The company was closed, no one to turn to until they open and get back to him. Difficult to just sit and do nothing.
Reaching out to see if this was truly an anomaly, or for encouragement, or anything is a totally legitimate use of the board imho. "

Could not agree more!
  #39  
Old 12-30-2018, 10:59 AM
jaan jaan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GuitarLuva View Post
Yeah maybe the words "great joy" weren't the best words to use but you at least made me double check the post (even though I didn't think I needed to) and I still stand by what I said and it was mentioned by another as well. I also dropped a hint in my post as to what I was referring to.

The OP has good reasons to be upset but I have no doubt he will be taken care of by Alistair. The fret work I would grudgingly fix myself but the misaligned dots and the dent at the 24 fret area would make me upset as well.
IMHO, the biggest issue is the fretboard divot of frets 23-24 that couldn’t have been missed, and it was fretted over. I mean come on, that’s something you get with a Cort guitar, not a $3K top shelf guitar. If this were a Martin/ Gibson/ Taylor I would be saying the same thing. That’s not something you can can easily fix either. So a new member bought a guitar sight unseen, one that can’t be played anywhere first, and that’s what was sent to him. Reaching out to those who have them to see if they have this too is what we are here for, isn’t it? I ordered an Emerald and mine was absolutely perfect. So this seems like an anomaly, but that doesn’t excuse it. These aren’t magnifying glass issues. The fretwork is amateurish at best, it’s not nit picky to point this out, nor is it brand bashing. What I’m finding interesting is the others pointing out they have some of these issues too. To each his own but personally that’s disappointing to hear. Sorry if this isn’t a positive response to all but again to me, this is an issue no different that what you see with modern Gibson QC, and absolutely no one walks on eggshells when discussing them. This isn’t a return your guitar to Sam Ash. This is a return that will take weeks to get back, and then weeks to get replaced; at best. I’d feel horrible if it were me. OP paid good $ for something he won’t get to truly enjoy for months. I’m speaking totally emotionally free, just stating facts I see from the photos. No bashing of Emerald owners in any way. I’d write this same response no matter the maker, especially when discussing this price point.
  #40  
Old 12-30-2018, 12:06 PM
AZLiberty AZLiberty is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jonfields45 View Post

When Ted at LA Guitar sales stocks a special order it may not be exactly your choosing but you have a 3 day evaluation period and money back. Emerald states that custom orders are not money back. Once you've chosen that custom veneer you are stuck. .
Technically this guitar was not custom order. It was actually one of their in-stock instruments. Which is why the OP was able to get it within a week or so of ordering.

I like Emerald, I have a custom on order with Emerald, as for this guitar:

--The Fretwork is horrible for a new guitar. Really no excuse for it. A $200 Pac Rim import has better finished frets.

--The uneven side markers? How this happens on a $3000 guitar is unimaginable?

I can understand the squared off trim of the veneer. I'm sure it's laser cut to size/shape. Not sure about the divot in the fretboard. Again. This shouldn't happen on a $300 guitar much less a $3000 one.
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  #41  
Old 12-30-2018, 12:17 PM
jdinco jdinco is offline
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Excellent posts from everyone me thinks. A lot of valid points. I do tend to think that the OP should have given Emerald first shot at a response before posting, but can understand his looking for some support and input from the forum members during the shutdown.

It will be interesting to see if Emerald responds directly to his thread.
After they take my order for an X7 of course.
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  #42  
Old 12-30-2018, 12:19 PM
bsman bsman is offline
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I’m looking with interest on this as well. I hope that the OP will either have the option of getting the guitar back to them for necessary fixes or a reasonable amount of money back if he chooses to have the fretwork done locally (most luthiers charge a premium for SS frets). For reference, I AM an Emerald fan, but my Emerald (an X7-“Life” woody I got second-hand that was originally purchased at NAMM in 2010 and signed by Alistair) is far from perfect. There are micro-cracks in the edge of the fretboard on some of the higher frets, and since it doesn’t have a trussrod, I cannot get rid of the ‘thump’ noise I get when strumming it hard (one of the reason I use 0.13s or higher on this particular instrument), but it is still so handy, light and a joy to play. This was my travel guitar for about five years (until I got tired of having to gate check it as airlines got more and more overbooked and crowded and I replaced it with a Journey OF420B). It now goes to the office with me every day, but like I said - it is far from what I would term perfect.
  #43  
Old 12-30-2018, 12:27 PM
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Melt;

I don't think anyone doubts the validity of your concerns. What's at issue is your response. While I share your indignation I also make a distinction between a screw-job and a screw-up.

For example, my wife took her car to a dealership for an oil change and a notation on the bill indicated that a serious oil leak would cost $4000 to repair. I took the car to an independent shop considered the best in town run by an engineer with a vast array of certifications--there is no oil leak. That was a dealership screw job that cost the dealership in an-progress new car order. I also did as much on-line dirt as I could.

What you describe is obviously a screw-up. As numerous responses indicate, Alistair will not be happy with the situation and he will, no doubt, take care of the problems, one way or another.

I don't subscribe to your forum response before making Emerald contact, but I do think you point to what may be a problem with Emerald's business plan. When I saw that Alistair was shipping out 22 custom guitars I wondered about how a small shop could sustain such volume--your situation may indicate that it can't.

My belief is that Alistair has established too low a price point on his custom work. It's been great and I've been a beneficiary, but if the screw-up you discuss becomes noted by others then the business plan needs to change.

By the way, while I do not subscribe to your response on this forum, I understand it--it is human. Lo siento.
  #44  
Old 12-30-2018, 12:52 PM
gerardo1000 gerardo1000 is offline
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I also wonder if, because of the increased volume due to the brand's success, Emerald is finding itself in the delicate phase when it still has to adjust its Quality Control to the increased production numbers ?
However, I think that, for example, the guy who did the fretwork flattening the frets like if the guitar was a Guitar Center Rogue laminated, rather that a 3K instrument, well that guy should have a conversation with Alistair, at least. Even with an unpredictable QC, these things should not happen at all during the build of a premium guitar.
In regards to Evan B point that may be it could have been better to contact Emerald before posting, I am not sure I agree for two reasons: 1) It is completely understandable that after receiving a flawed 3k guitar you don't want to wait over a week to be reassured by Emerald, and you look for opinions and/or reassurances through this forum. 2) Do we want this Forum to become only a promotional tool for Carbon Fiber brands ? Only praise for their guitars and, if there is an issue, please do not post but contact the manufacturer instead ? I have two Rainsong, a dread and an OM, the OM shows a tiny bit bump around the sound hole under strings tension. It does not affect the integrity of the guitar or the tone or the playability but it bugs me. So I posted about that and asked if other members had a similar issue, and yes some of them had the same issue but all of them reassured me that it is quite normal with the uni-directional top. The Forum helped me. So, as long as it is not a mean or vindictive action generated by irrational anger, but just an honest criticism or an attempt to understand if a possible "flaw" is a real flaw or not, through communication with other members, I would continue to welcome also posts that are not necessarily of "praise", because they add value to this Forum, in my opinion.
  #45  
Old 12-30-2018, 01:16 PM
JerryM JerryM is offline
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The number of serious issues noted by the OP add up to some pretty shoddy workmanship to say the least. Being out that kind of money makes anyone upset, a refund would be the only acceptable resolution in my eyes. One flaw, well, two not good, this many, bad to say the least. Even a cheap import Eastman has flawless frets. I don't blame the OP I'd be PO'd too.
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