Please - just talk me off the ledge or push me off . . .

[Rixtoy]

Pardon my emotion, but you will soon see why . . .

-70 years old
- new player
- after much research bought a dream guitar for me - Martin D-28 Modern deluxe/Lefty
- after a couple of months decided to get strap buttons because I just couldn't get comfortable - I understand all the trade-offs.
- Took it in to a small guitar shop - owner is 82, been around forever and very reputable.
- Spent 30 minutes talking to one of his "sales" guys (old dude, guitar player, BS'er) about wanting the strap buttons and he even remarked - "Hey, the strings are upside down" - Funny, right?
- Assumed a luthier in the store would do the work. They told me I could pick it up at the end of the day.
-I go in and the owner shows me the guitar with the button and says "Well, we had a bit of a glitch. Even though you spent 30 minutes with Chuck, he forgot it was left handed and drilled it on the wrong side first, so it's got a blemish" and kind of laughed. I just stared at him trying to process all this. He said Chuck sure was sorry but these things happen".
- I am not really an explosive guy, but I just walked away and from him to decide what I was going to say. But, he kept trying to minimize it.
-I said pretty strongly "Dude - that is a $5,000 guitar. Or it was when I dropped if off."
He said "Well. we won't charge you anything - it was only a $5 button."
I said 'Well, it wound up being a lot more than a $5 button".
In walks Chuck. "Hey sorry about that screw-up" he said. I just stared at him and HE tried to say it is just a little blemish.
I said "It's a $5,000 guitar and I have to look at that freaking pock mark every time I play. Just put it in the case and let me out of here."

For some reason, he gathered I was upset.
He said, "Well I guess I could put another neck on it."
I said "Why in the world would I ever let you touch this guitar again?" and left.

Yes, I am sure all the employees think I was being WAY over the top, but this is not trivial to me.

OK- to the reality of the experience of this board-
Am I over reacting?
Is it like the first scratch on anew car you eventually forget about.
It wasn't even a smooth fill job.

Since it is a new MD, they have an asymmetric neck and the only place you could get a new one I expect is a factory repair?
I am at least going to ask the cost of replacing the neck.
any guesses as to the cost?
Would a reputable dealer have liability insurance to cover a screw up like that - I really don't want the old guy to have to pay $1,000 for his bone-head employees screw -up.

[bluemoon]

I would have thought they at least put a mahogany plug in there. Sorry for your troubles but I’d reach out to Martin. A competent repair would plug and likely nearly hide it.

[M19]

My head would have exploded.

[CoffeeFan]

You're not overreacting at all.

For a competent repairman/luthier, these just don't happen. The fact that they offered that as an excuse, and then amplified the insult with the offer of a free strap button, demonstrates they're nothing but hacks. I don't care how old the owner is or how long he's been in business.

I would make the following offer to him: He ponies up and orders you a brand new Martin D-28 Modern Deluxe Lefty, or you're going to sue him and drag his name through the mud. While his boneheaded employee may have made the mistake, he's the first one who tried to make the fact that your $5,000 Martin being screwed up is trivial.

And, if he's not a Martin dealer and unable to order such a guitar, he hands you either cash or a cashier's check in the amount it will take to replace your guitar. I would not go for a neck replacement. It will never be the same.

This is absolutely inexcusable. I would not reach out to Martin. I would reach out to an attorney...

[gretsch4me]

I'd be really pissed too. But, as mentioned it can be repaired with a mahogany plug and refinished so that you won't even notice the damage. What I would do, is get the shop to agree to pay for the repair directly to whom it is doing the fix.

Let us know how it works out for you.

[pagedr]

I would've lost my marbles, you definitely did not overreact. Look, mistakes happen, I get that, and thankfully this mistake is cosmetic, but like you said, this is a $5k guitar. Don't try to minimize it or joke around, just OWN it, apologize, and do what you can to make things right. I would never go back to that shop again.

I don't know what kind of legal recourse you have here. Someone else suggested threatening to sue...not sure if that's realistic, but you could at least see what they'd be willing to offer you to make up for the mistake. In the meantime, I'd take the guitar to a competent repairperson and have them plug/smooth over the hole to see if that fixes the cosmetic issue in your eyes, and also have them ensure the other guy didn't do anything that could structurally impact the neck.

[Ben M.]

I personally wouldn’t worry about it but I’ve never cared much about cosmetic issues. But that’s me and I’m probably in the minority here on this issue.

I’d still say you have every right to be upset about it. Everyone makes mistakes but they should be responsible enough to make it right.

I’m sure there’s a way to cover that up and it probably wouldn’t cost much. If they were capable of doing such a repair I’m guessing they would have.

You could take it somewhere else and get an estimate then see if this guy would cover the bill.

[bufflehead]

You spent 30 minutes talking to the guy about a five-minute job?

Any time I've had a shop install a strap button, it's been done while I wait. While I watch.

[CoffeeFan]

Originally Posted by pagedr

I don't know what kind of legal recourse you have here. Someone else suggested threatening to sue...not sure if that's realistic, but you could at least see what they'd be willing to offer you to make up for the mistake.

I don't see how it's unrealistic at all.

If you take your brand Mercedes to someone to tint the windows and, in the process, they scratch your $6,000 paint job and cover it over with a paint pen, are you going to let that stand?

As for what the shop can offer, here's another thing to bear in mind: This will be, forever and always, a guitar that has had a repair. In the case the OP ever wants to sell it, he'll have to disclose the repair. That will have a pretty negative impact on what he's able get, price-wise.

Also, the "repairman" drilled into the heel, so I would submit that this isn't strictly a cosmetic issue.

Sorry, but this is unforgivable. The "repairman" screwed it up, and the owner insulted you by suggesting "these things happen" because he knows he doesn't have a leg to stand on...

[Rixtoy]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

You spent 30 minutes talking to the guy about a five-minute job?

Any time I've had a shop install a strap button, it's been done while I wait. While I watch.

I appreciate that - but they were not going to get to it for an hour and I had to go back to work . . .
A life lesson . . .

[justonwo]

They should pay to have another shop either repair and refinish or replace the neck. You didn’t overreact. I would be pretty upset myself.

[Earl49]

That is really unfortunate and unbelievably stupid. Then to minimize it with an "aw shucks" and a shoulder shrug. Think about it overnight and formulate a plan rather than go back in a rage. To me it would not be unreasonable to make him buy you a new guitar, or at the very least send it back to Martin for a new neck. But you will be without your new guitar for six months minimum that way. My guess on a replacement neck is $2K as a minimum from Martin. It is basically a new part plus a neck reset all in one. The other downside is that even with an expert and mostly invisible plug to repair the problem, you will still always know it is there and it will taint your feelings about this guitar. Been there, done that. And if you ever go to sell it, good conscience on your part means disclosure. It is now a "damaged guitar", even if expertly repaired.

Grasping at straws: Is there any possibility that an inlay (such as an engraved dot or birthstone) would cover it and satisfy you?

[Rixtoy]

Originally Posted by bluemoon

I would have thought they at least put a mahogany plug in there. Sorry for your troubles but I’d reach out to Martin. A competent repair would plug and likely nearly hide it.

Thanks. I think I will do this. . .
I also believe replacing the neck would perhaps jeopardize the integrity of the instrument.
I am glad to hear several of you think an appropriate repair would make the pock mark almost invisible. That is something I could possibly live with. I will pursue that and ask the owner of the shop to cover the repair.

As it stands now, I should just tape a picture of my ex-wife's attorney on the neck - that's about equal repulsion.

[Rixtoy]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Grasping at straws: Is there any possibility that an inlay (such as an engraved dot or birthstone) would cover it and satisfy you?

Now, THAT is creative thinking - let me ponder that.

Resell (at least while I am alive) does not seem to be in the future for this guitar - independent of the blemish.

Thanks.

[Spyvito]

I would be like you, seeing that hole every time I picked up the guitar. Take a look at a pro repair and if you can’t stand it, neck replacement.


http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luth...screwhole.html