D55 with checking from factory

[Stuball48]

The story I was told by a seller is that he has a 2014 D55 that had checked finish when it came off the factory line in New Hartford and never offered to the public. Says he bought it at at internal employee sale and has been the only owner. It is a tobacco burst and very tempting - no trades.
Will there be any notations or marks on this guitar to veryfy it never was offered to the public?
Sent a picture of label and is an "NO" serial number - which is 2011?

 

[fronobulax]

The story I was told by a seller is that he has a 2014 D55 that had checked finish when it came off the factory line in New Hartford and never offered to the public. Says he bought it at at internal employee sale and has been the only owner. It is a tobacco burst and very tempting - no trades.
Will there be any notations or marks on this guitar to veryfy it never was offered to the public?
Sent a picture of label and is an "NO" serial number - which is 2011?

If there is a serial number on the label and it begins with NO then there is a discrepancy somewhere since the serial number would have been assigned upon completion and a 2014 D55 should not have a 2011 serial number.

We do know there are several paths "to market" besides the official ones. We have heard of instruments that were slated for destruction but ended up going home with an employee and getting repaired. We have heard of internal sales of instruments that might have been sold to the public as seconds under different circumstances. We know of instruments that were nearly finished when the factory closed and ended up in employee hands. So the story rings true. But I'm not sure there is any way to verify it.

 

[Stuball48]

Thanks Frono and may go look at it to get a better idea of the condition. He told me he bought it in 2014 and it could have sat idle in the factory for a while. Now, to get my GAS under control.

 

[Guildedagain]

It takes a while for Nitro lacquer to dry enough to check, typically doesn't happen for years, but could happen sooner because of temp extremes. If only they'd had a factory relic program, which some factories are reluctant to embrace, they wouldn't have had to reject it as a blem.

While some obsess over the tiniest of dings, others beat/neglect their instruments on purpose trying to misguidedly cop some vintage vibe, as well as factory distressing programs where every scratch and ding comes at a very high price.

The mantra I'm hearing from young folks on the net is "it's a tool, and I refuse to take care of it" as if that's how people treated their tools in real life.

 

[chazmo]

Thanks Frono and may go look at it to get a better idea of the condition. He told me he bought it in 2014 and it could have sat idle in the factory for a while. Now, to get my GAS under control.

We'd have to see pictures of the label to help you, Stuball. The story is definitely plausible!

I think you should just treat it as a normal, used guitar purchase. D-55s from New Hartford were stellar, so if you're dealing with a little finish checking then so be it. If it wasn't sold, though, it probably wouldn't have a typical label in it... Anyway, good luck!

 

[Stuball48]

I asked seller for photo of label and just received this.

 

[walrus]

"NO" should definitely be a 2011...

walrus

 

[chazmo]

^ Right.

OK, and Stuball, this guitar must've gone through final assembly, so I'm not sure in what way it's not a production guitar. By end-2011, when this guitar was finished, production D-55s had been made in New Hartford for almost 3 years.

So proceed undaunted (IMO).

 

[Stuball48]

^ Right.

OK, and Stuball, this guitar must've gone through final assembly, so I'm not sure in what way it's not a production guitar. By end-2011, when this guitar was finished, production D-55s had been made in New Hartford for almost 3 years.

So proceed undaunted (IMO).

CHAZMO - you are not help my GAS attack but the comments from the members are adding fuel to the GAS.

 

[fronobulax]

September 16, 2011

9th instrument finished that day.

Without trying to claim anyone isn't telling things "properly", my hypothesis is that the damage is not necessarily the thermal induced cracking we normally refer to as "checking". There wasn't really time for that to happen unless the factory had a problem with temperature control in a storage area in a New England winter. It may be some other finish flaw, or may not.

The instrument was completed in 2011 and stored at the factory. At some point the flaw was observed - perhaps it was improperly stored or it almost passed final inspection but sat somewhere with a red tag waiting to be corrected. No one did anything about the flaw and at some point inventory management realized the flaw was unlikely to be corrected so the instrument was released for sale to employees.

If the seller was not being honest about the origin and telling us, I suspect we would see this as a 2011 NH D55 that had some finish damage after leaving the factory. This seems like a case where the honesty in the origin story has the potential to lower value but perhaps it shouldn't.

 

[Stuball48]

If it is still around Sunday - may drive and take a look - great thought provoking comments.

 

[chazmo]

CHAZMO - you are not help my GAS attack but the comments from the members are adding fuel to the GAS.

Dude, what do you expect from me?!