My Blem CV-1 Arrived - Trainwreck Neck

[Scratch]

I stopped by Ross the Magic Luthier this evening to pick up the F212CNT (new nut) and drop off the new F40 for a setup. We discussed the CV1 and my concerns. His response was "It's going to be fine. Wait till I'm done with it and then tell me what you think." He went on to say it is one of the prettiest guitars he has taken in. Ross has absolutely never let me down. Can't wait to get it back even though it may be another three or four weeks...

 

[West R Lee]

They are beautiful. I hope all of you have good luck with them.

West

 

[Jeff]

Today I got permission from Fender to ship my CO1 myself rather than go thu an authorized dealer. Just so happens I have the original box in the garage rafters.

 

[West R Lee]

Good luck Jeffrey!

West

 

[capnjuan]

Today I got permission from Fender to ship my CO1 myself rather than go thu an authorized dealer. Just so happens I have the original box in the garage rafters.

Hi Jeff; maybe they've figured out how to fix them ... they probably had to pay the guy who designed the Turbo-Matic neck block in the first place for a fix ... Hope it all works out. J

 

[chazmo]

Today I got permission from Fender to ship my CO1 myself rather than go thu an authorized dealer. Just so happens I have the original box in the garage rafters.

Hi Jeff; maybe they've figured out how to fix them ... they probably had to pay the guy who designed the Turbo-Matic neck block in the first place for a fix ... Hope it all works out. J

That's patent (pending) #2.

 

[capnjuan]

Today I got permission from Fender to ship my CO1 myself rather than go thu an authorized dealer. Just so happens I have the original box in the garage rafters.

Hi Jeff; maybe they've figured out how to fix them ... they probably had to pay the guy who designed the Turbo-Matic neck block in the first place for a fix ... Hope it all works out. J

That's patent (pending) #2.

Hi Charlie; 25 years ago, I worked for a guy who, along with two other partners, had paid a programmer to develop a complex, proprietary computer application. I didn't know the details but the application, like others in its developmental stages, generally functioned but had all these little quirks; if it was Tuesday and the lights were off, it wouldn't do this but on Friday, if it was raining, it would do this but not that.

Anyway, to get the app fully debugged, my boss and his two partners had to keep paying the programmer to fix all the bugs; my boss said they were deficiencies, the programmer called them enhancements <sigh> but the watchwords have to be: "If you can't be part of the solution, there's good money to be made in compounding the problem" ... words to bill by ... I'm sorry, make that 'live by' ... :wink: Best, J

 

[chazmo]

Hi Charlie; 25 years ago, I worked for a guy who, along with two other partners, had paid a programmer to develop a complex, proprietary computer application. I didn't know the details but the application, like others in its developmental stages, generally functioned but had all these little quirks; if it was Tuesday and the lights were off, it wouldn't do this but on Friday, if it was raining, it would do this but not that.

Anyway, to get the app fully debugged, my boss and his two partners had to keep paying the programmer to fix all the bugs; my boss said they were deficiencies, the programmer called them enhancements <sigh> but the watchwords have to be: "If you can't be part of the solution, there's good money to be made in compounding the problem" ... words to bill by ... I'm sorry, make that 'live by' ... :wink: Best, J

John, I've known mercenarial contractors over the years, but I've never actually run across one (or a full-time co-worker) who actually wrote code like that. Part of the issue is that, in the "application" world, you can get sloppy people who don't really care a fig about maintainability or futures for the software that they write. In my line of work, which has been systems-level programming since 1984, you really can't behave like that. Also, since I've been employed by (mostly) well-established companies, system-level software simply cannot be temperamental. Most of us take a lot of pride in writing software that works properly in most/all environments. Also, in my own case, I've bounced around quite a lot with different operating-system environments and organizations within my companies, and I've never been interested in the job-security behavior that you mentioned. It's completely counter to my nature and goals wtihin the business.

There's also an argument that says when you're working on the bleeding edge, as indeed some applications are, you can't fall back on good design and testing techniques (because they just don't exist for that kind of work). I don't buy that one, by the way. The guy you're talking about just sounds like a mercenary. Ouch. Gives my "people" a bad name.

 

[capnjuan]

... The guy you're talking about just sounds like a mercenary....

My boss thought he was that and plenty more :evil: Several years ago, the Palm Beach County Clerk's office 'bought' a software system designed to consolidate records ... as a practicioner, I know you're aware of the headaches associated with projects of similar scope and scale. The County Gov had about $40 million in it including changes and, among imprecise specification-writing, a dynamic hardware/software environment, and some clumsy code-writing, they wound up dumping what they had and starting over. As Bobby ('Bill Gates') Jones once said: "Not every shot lands on the green" ...

As I've learned here from reading posts by 'Glue, WIW, and the others, one reason luthiers/mfrs like hideglue is because you can take joints apart. FMIC/Guild's reliance on space-age composites - that apparently can't safely be taken apart - to save a buck or two borders on the worst sort of bean-counting hubris. :lol: Best, J

 

[Jeff]

Latest response from Fender,


"Hi Jeff,

Are you the original purchaser of the guitar? Is this something you were looking to get covered under warranty? Let me know."

Best Regards,
.................................

My response: "Yes, I am the original purchaser of the guitar, at least it was advertised on Ebay as a new guitar.

My assumption all along has been that the reseller I purchaed this guitar from was not an authorized/official/ mainstream Guild dealer, hence the attractive price & no warranty.

No warranty information was ever filed with Guild. .

Thank you

Jeff

 

[Scratch]

Latest response from Fender,


"Hi Jeff,

Are you the original purchaser of the guitar? Is this something you were looking to get covered under warranty? Let me know."

Best Regards,
.................................

My response: "Yes, I am the original purchaser of the guitar, at least it was advertised on Ebay as a new guitar.

My assumption all along has been that the reseller I purchaed this guitar from was not an authorized/official/ mainstream Guild dealer, hence the attractive price & no warranty.

No warranty information was ever filed with Guild. .

Thank you

Jeff

Good luck, buddy. Do they communicate via email? Looking forward to hearing their response.

 

[Jeff]

Yep, email, back & forth.

 

[kitniyatran]

Hi Charlie; 25 years ago, I worked for a guy who, along with two other partners, had paid a programmer to develop a complex, proprietary computer application. I didn't know the details but the application, like others in its developmental stages, generally functioned but had all these little quirks; if it was Tuesday and the lights were off, it wouldn't do this but on Friday, if it was raining, it would do this but not that.

Anyway, to get the app fully debugged, my boss and his two partners had to keep paying the programmer to fix all the bugs; my boss said they were deficiencies, the programmer called them enhancements <sigh> but the watchwords have to be: "If you can't be part of the solution, there's good money to be made in compounding the problem" ... words to bill by ... I'm sorry, make that 'live by' ... :wink: Best, J

Programmers name Gates? Sounds like any Microsoft product.

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Elrod; do you remember that the Attorney Gen. of FL brought a class-action suit against Microsoft in the '90s for predatory marketing practices? Forcing PC mfrs to buy/install MS operating systems? I know the AG meant well and I know MS meant evil, but the benefit to me effectively worked out to the equivalent of a handful of those 'cents off' coupons from the newspaper and was valid only towards to cost of yet another 'puter. Was tempted to write the AG and ask him not to do me any more favors. :evil:

 

[capnjuan]

From Acoustic Guitar, review of Guild CO/CV models: "...While Guilds were originally built with dovetail neck joints (which are still used on the company’s Traditional and GAD Series guitars), the Contemporary Series uses a completely new and patent-applied-for neckblock and upper-bout support system. Made of lightweight carbon-fiber material, the system replaces the traditional wooden neckblock and lateral braces in the upper bout of the top. A section that attaches to the fretboard extension stiffens this crucial area, preventing the dreaded “ski jump” at the neck/body joint. The entire assembly is held together with metal bolts, making future adjustments a simple matter of some handy Allen-wrench work." (emphasis supplied) .... "Piece of Cake!" Marie Antoinette, famous luthier

Hey Jeff; still got that set of Alllen wrenches you borrowed from your neighbor?

 

[cuthbert]

From Acoustic Guitar, review of Guild CO/CV models: "...While Guilds were originally built with dovetail neck joints (which are still used on the company’s Traditional and GAD Series guitars), the Contemporary Series uses a completely new and patent-applied-for neckblock and upper-bout support system. Made of lightweight carbon-fiber material, the system replaces the traditional wooden neckblock and lateral braces in the upper bout of the top. A section that attaches to the fretboard extension stiffens this crucial area, preventing the dreaded “ski jump” at the neck/body joint. The entire assembly is held together with metal bolts, making future adjustments a simple matter of some handy Allen-wrench work." (emphasis supplied) .... "Piece of Cake!" Marie Antoinette, famous luthier

Hey Jeff; still got that set of Alllen wrenches you borrowed from your neighbor?

Here I see FOUR botls to be loosen, how many did they try?I recall that a user unfastened some but the neck was still in position....

 

[capnjuan]

Here I see FOUR botls to be loosen, how many did they try?I recall that a user unfastened some but the neck was still in position....

Hi cuthbert; some time ago, there was an axonometric drawing of the joint on the web ... maybe on Guild's own site. If it was there, it isn't now. There may be a mating piece at the end of the neck; that is, the whole assembly may be two pieces; what's seen in the pic above and another piece. It's a little hard to believe that the neck is held on by the one bolt that appears to be heading for the headstock. I really don't know how it's supposed to work. J

Edit: if there isn't a mating piece, then that isn't a bolt going 'north', it has to be a screw. Were it a bolt, it'd need something to thread into. Don't really know which it is. j

 

[chazmo]

"Marie Antoinette, famous luthier" Very good, CJ!

 

[capnjuan]

"Marie Antoinette, famous luthier" Very good, CJ!

Hi Charlie; back in the day, US merchant mariners were always a little contemptuous of sailors in the US Navy (sorry Dread :wink: ). Anyway, they'd call that Guild neck block system a 'Navy knot' ... a knot that didn't hold anything and you couldn't get untied ....

 

[chazmo]

Absolutely. Oh, and in our line of work (I'm sure you've heard this before), that's called a "Rube Goldberg" machine -- completely over-engineered and not necessarily good at its primary job.