1998 JF-65BL... Oh My!

[Treem]

Sorry to hear this. :x

 

[tjmangum]

Oh no. So sorry to hear. I can imagine your disappointment.
tj

 

[chazmo]

Well, the guitar was not in the condition described. Either it never was or it was damaged by the cold during shipping. The finish is cracked all over the guitar.

Did you let the guitar/case/package acclimate to the temperature in your house before opening it?

Sorry to hear about the bummer experience.

Jazzdog,

jcwu's question is the right one... If you received it and it was cold, the damage could have occurred when opening the case without letting the guitar adjust to indoor temperature. This is the most common cause for finish checking.

 

[adorshki]

Well, the guitar was not in the condition described. Either it never was or it was damaged by the cold during shipping. The finish is cracked all over the guitar. My opinion is that Gryphon Strings is incompetent and does not deserve any business. At their insistence, the guitar was shipped out on a Monday 3 day select and they assured me it would be delivered by DEC 31. UPS was't delivering that day and I specifically asked Gryphon if there was any concerns with the holidays. The guy supposedly checked while I was on the phone and said it would be delivered by Thursday. I'll be out the return shipping as a direct result of their error.

Jazzdog, so sorry to hear this. I must point out though that Gryphon has a sterling reputation here locally and I'm quite sure there was no intentional misrepresentaion of the instrument. In fact I just reviewed the posted pics and there was no visible checking except the ones by the fretboard/soundhole, and several shots intended to reveal the condition of the finish. I'm pretty sure those images weren't Photo-Shopped. Also a real merchant doesn't really have an incentive to "unload" or misrepresent a poor quality instrument since handling the complaints is a service cost all its own that can make processing a return into a net loss. AS for UPS, I work with them in my business, they WERE making BUSINESS deliveries on New Year's Eve, the status of shipments can be checked VERY quickly on line OR over the phone, and in general their delivery guarantees on "3 day select" are very reliable. I ain't sayin' they're perfect by any means, but they usually DO get it there on time. It sounds like you may have been the victim of a "perfect storm" of service failures, and I suspect the problem truly might have been with temperatures during shipping or opening. Where are YOU located?
I realize none of this "fixes" the problem of the cost of return shipping, but if Gryphon is saying "We'll take it back" then I'm pretty sure they intend to go after UPS for damages if it happened during shipping, and at the very least, they're standing behind their sale and not denying any redress of grievance at all. Hopefully that helps reduce the frustration a little.
Another point to bear in mind if you DO return it is to check very carefully the conditions under which any (further) insurance claims will be honored, such as how and by whom it's packaged.

 

[West R Lee]

Does anyone in the LTG Forum own an F-65BL? Any thoughts?

Also wondering what a pristine one like this is worth...

6

West has a JF-65. I think he should sell it so he can buy a D-100, but that's just me. :twisted:

I probably would sell that one. Got another I may sell too, but will probably list them on eBay.

West

 

[killdeer43]

I probably would sell that one. Got another I may sell too, but will probably list them on eBay.
West

Should we be looking anytime soon, Jim? :wink:

Joe

 

[West R Lee]

I probably would sell that one. Got another I may sell too, but will probably list them on eBay.
West

Should we be looking anytime soon, Jim? :wink:

Joe

Gosh I don't know Joseph. I've got all these guitars that just sit around gathering dust anymore. Some of those I'll never sell, but some will rarely be played. I'm a sucker for rosewood guitars and also love the D30, but the JF65, JF30 12, D25 and the Prestige Classic Prototype don't get much attention. Sometimes, with 2 in college, I have to ask myself what I'm doing with all these things. There is also a guitar or 2 I'd like to own :twisted: .

Who know's, I've still got landscaping to do here and more grass to plant, lawn tractor to buy ......maybe in the spring :idea:.

West

 

[killdeer43]

Yeah, I hear you. And Kerry's probably already started on your spring/summer/fall honey-do list. :wink:

Staying tuned,
Joe

 

[West R Lee]

Yeah, I hear you. And Kerry's probably already started on your spring/summer/fall honey-do list. :wink:

Staying tuned,
Joe

"The List" looks like a Leo Tolstoy novel. :shock:

West

 

[Jazzdog]

Yes, I let the box sit unopened for 24 hrs. The checking was likely the result of being exposed to the cold and it was exposed to extreme cold as a direct result of Gryphon's negligence not mine. They wanted to ship it out on the monday before the first so it didn't sit on a cold truck over the weekend. I asked them if 3 day select would be delivered that week and not run into problems with the holiday. They checked and told me UPS was delivering on Thursday Dec 31. I could have had them ship two day if I had known UPS wasn't delivering on Thursday but Gryphon assured me they were. They shipped the guitar but UPS wasn't delivering on the day Gryphon assured me they were and the guitar sat on a cold truck for 4 days at the shipping facility. It's Gryphon's fault. I had several conversations with them prior to accepting delivery and followed their directions completely. Sorry, but in my opinion they're a sterling failure. I've already talked to them about the situation and the guitar is on it's way back to them for a refund. I'm cutting my losses and taking my business else where. They are permanently off my watch list.

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

Sorry about the mess...

But are you positive it WAS the seller's fault? What if UPS told them one thing and did another?

It also could have gone from outside unheated, to inside storage and back out again unheated on the trip as well.

I don't trust UPS personally...only use USPS priority mail.

Sometimes it IS the seller's fault...a guy shipped me a guitar by USPS ground when I requested Priority, then 'creatively' addressed the box, which went cross country...and back to him as the P.O. thought the return address was the delivery address...and then back again cross country before it was located...in the winter...talk about finish checking...and the seller wouldn't take any responsibility...the advantage to dealing with a 'dealer' is they are standing behind it and taking it back...and if they lose with UPS, which is likely...they'll be taking the loss on the guitar.

Again, sorry it happened, but there are a lot of possibilities here...

I don't know you or the seller so am defending no one.

 

[Jazzdog]

They've admitted the fault is theirs. When I talked to the salesman on Saturday, he admitted he didn't look at the calendar when I ordered the guitar even though I asked about delivery over the holidays. He supposedly checked while I was on the phone and said they were delivering.

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

Maybe in that case, they'll cover the return shipping as well. :wink:

 

[GardMan]

Jazzdog... Sorry to hear of your disappointment. I had something similar happen to me with my D-55... which shipped through the teeth of a New England blizzard/arctic deep freeze. When I opened the case 12+ hrs after it arrived, my heart sank... the front/back/sides showed significant checking. The seller claimed it was not there when he shipped... so I can only assume it happened due to the sub-zero temps it shipped thru. Tho' the seller agreed to take the guitar back, I would have lost the shipping both ways... which was a greater loss than the value depreciation from checking (about 10-15% of the value, according to my local sources). So I kept it... the checking doesn't affect the sound... but it does still eat at me sometimes when I pick her up and see the checking.

I also would give Gryphon the benefit of the doubt... perhaps they WERE assured that the guitar would be delivered in a timely manner. However, I would not trust ANYONES shipping estimate during the holiday season. We had one parcel ship on 8 Dec from New England... by USPS Priority mail... that didn't arrive in UT until the day before Christmas... that's 16 days for PRIORITY service. After my experience with my D-55, I will never again have a guitar shipped to me when temps will fall below 40F. I'll either not buy in the winter... or, if possible, have the guitar held until warmer weather before shipping.

(It's also why I jumped all over my D-50 when I found it locally... there just aren't that many Westerly Guilds on the market here... and I wouldn't have to have it shipped)

Anyway... my experiences don't ease your disappointment. Sorry 'bout that... if you persever, you'll find your Guild. Good hunting!
D

 

[6L6]

Wow, I feel AWFUL about this since I'm the one who posted the guitar...

I CAN assure you that those photos were NOT photoshopped or altered in any way. That guitar was GORGEOUS when I played it, and I would have bought it on the spot if I'd had the $'s

As for Gryphon, I live nearby and have been going to them and buying from them since just about the day they opened their door for business. I have nothing but the highest regard for the folks who work there and the two men who own the place.

VERY, VERY, VERY sorry this beautiful guitar took a bullet from an apparent drastic temperature change.

6

 

[adorshki]

Wow, I feel AWFUL about this since I'm the one who posted the guitar...

I CAN assure you that those photos were NOT photoshopped or altered in any way. That guitar was GORGEOUS when I played it, and I would have bought it on the spot if I'd had the $'s

As for Gryphon, I live nearby and have been going to them and buying from them since just about the day they opened their door for business. I have nothing but the highest regard for the folks who work there and the two men who own the place.

VERY, VERY, VERY sorry this beautiful guitar took a bullet from an apparent drastic temperature change.

6

Yeah I forgot, you actually had it in hand...Seeing as how there's a very interesting article on repairing finish checks on frets.com, I wonder if they'd consider it a worthwhile effort when they get it back? In fact I wonder if Jazzdog, if you're still reading, would be interested in exploring the possibility? Maybe the situation could be salvaged to everyone's happiness...

 

[6L6]

I'll pay a call on Gryphon and let you know if i can find out the next step.

6

 

[adorshki]

No need to keep ME posted, I was only trying to offer an idea. :wink:

 

[Jazzdog]

Quick update. I got an email from Nancy at Gryphon informing me that once the receive the guitar, they'll refund the shipping both ways. They deserve to be commended for going above and beyond. It certainly affects my opinion and goes along way of redeeming themselves in my eyes. Whether it will lead to a second chance, I don't know, but it certainly opens the door to the possibility.

JD

 

[southernGuild]

I'm impressed........They seem to have acted quickly and without stalling tactics to do all they can to make it right.