newbie scores F512, says hello

[randyman]

Can't resist letting you know - the F512 is bought and paid for in full, and will ship tomorrow for Saturday delivery. Pictures - and maybe some audio samples - on Sunday.

I am truly excited... it will take all the self-control I can muster to let her sit for the several hours I should allow for the temperature to settle down and equalize, to prevent finish checking or worse... Thank goodness the low temperatures haven't kicked in yet, and at least here in New England, things should stay mild through the weekend. With luck, the trip won't be too traumatic for the old girl.

Coming up? Best... Thanksgiving... Ever!!!

I also talked today with my friend Charlie, the luthier who used to work for Guild in Westerly. I'll be getting the guitar to him after Thanksgiving so he can run a full diagnostic, setup, and evaluation of her condition... I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

More news as it happens! All the best,

Randy

 

[Graham]

Welcome Randy.

Congrats on the 512, I had one a while ago. Can't say enough about the sound of it. The moment you give it a good strum, after it's in tune, you'll give yourself a mental pat on the back and say, "I'm good!" and you'll do another dance!

 

[bluesypicky]

I decided I wanted the best 12-string I could get for a reasonable amount of cash Randy

You could have stopped right there and we would have known you were bound for Westerly Guilds. :mrgreen:
Welcome, enjoy and share pics and reviews....

 

[twocorgis]

Missed this thread, and yes what many others have said; Guild 12ers rule!. Great story, and great guitar. The pink case can help you get in touch with your feminine side! :lol:

Welcome, Randy. You'll like it here. 8)

 

[frankieb]

Welcome aboard Randy. That is one nice guitar! The case has some personality, but I don't see anything wrong with it sweetcheeks.... :shock: :lol: Just kidding with ya, good score, I bet she sounds great

 

[Graham]

I don't see anything wrong with it sweetcheeks....

See Randy, this is a very close place. Unless of course the mods throw a lock on it. :shock: :lol:

 

[adorshki]

HI Randy, welcome aboard! Y'know, if the case is really a problem , you could always do what some of the folks do around here: Leave it out on the sidewalk with a "Free" sign. Now that I think about it, maybe a "$25.00" sign. That way somebody'd be pretty sure to snatch it thinkin' they were gettin somethin' for nothin'. Maybe. :lol:

 

[12stringer]

Just caught this thread and from one Randy to another...welcome aboard and congrats on your choice of 12 string guitar! Life will never be the same (I must say) :lol:

 

[randyman]

bay-bay gots boo-boo

Well...

This isn't exactly the post I was expecting to share today, but here are the facts...

My F512 arrived this morning, and after the few hours passed (that were all that I could manage - the weather was mild today) I unboxed and opened the case.

I had two reactions - first, "OMG - what a beautiful, beautiful guitar..." and then, "OMG! What happened?"

It looks like FedEx dropped the case on its tail... there are signs of impact damage, with finish cracks and a 4.5 inch soundboard crack about 1.5 inches left of center. Elderly confirmed that they weren't there when it shipped.

There's between a 1/64 and 1/32 vertical separation in the wood on the two sides of the crack... the cosmetic issues really aren't that big a deal to me; from many angles, they're all but invisible. (Pix tomorrow.) What really mattered was how it sounded.

I brought her up to D, and began strumming. What a sound - low action, everything I hoped she would be. Elderly says, of course, that she can go back for a full refund, but it's not going to happen. As long as I can get the crack glued and prevent further damage, we're mated.

It's like finding a puppy with a broken paw - are you going to abandon the poor thing, or show it the love and wind up with the best companion you could ever imagine?

So there was a glitch after all, but the issue was decided within minutes. An amazing, irreplaceable find, and a friend for life. I already had her checked out by a local luthier (not my Guild friend Charlie, but I needed a fast sink-or-swim evaluation) and she'll be dropped off the day after Thanksgiving to have the crack glued.

I can't stop picking her up to play, and my fingertips are letting me know they're there. I'm a little emotionally worn out, but there's no need to send flowers... this really is a wonderful day for me. The old girl had a rough trip, but she's home for good now. You all know what I'm talking about.

As I said, pix and audio tomorrow... and one more thing. When I first opened the case, I *didn't even see the pink* - and it really isn't pink after all, but a kind of magenta-purple I *know* I've seen somewhere before, but just can't quite pin down yet. Maybe on some kind of Mattel toy. And anyway, like GuildFS4612CE said - "So it's pink...your guitar's a girl."

Catch you tomorrow - R.

 

[Moriati]

Hi - welcome to the club

I love Guilds and in particular 12 strings. I wouldn't part with my F512 for love or money!

Good luck with the repair - as they say "it's history"

Moriati

 

[Christopher Cozad]

Re: bay-bay gots boo-boo

Well..."OMG! What happened?"

...I brought her up to D, and began strumming...

...As long as I can get the crack glued and prevent further damage, we're mated. It's like finding a puppy with a broken paw - are you going to abandon the poor thing, or show it the love and wind up with the best companion you could ever imagine?

So there was a glitch after all, but the issue was decided within minutes...

Awesome, Randy! Having passed throught the worst possible initiation rites imaginable with flying colors, it can be stated unequivocally, 'You are indeed worthy of owning a Guild!'



Christopher

 

[Treem]

I love your story my friend and you got it my friend! :mrgreen: 8) Welcome home to LTG Bromigo! :mrgreen: :shock: :lol: 8)

 

[chazmo]

Fix her up and never look back.

Sorry to hear about the shipping damage, but I'm sure all will be well.

 

[naolslager]

Randy,
Excellent intro and story. I was smiling as I read it as I could guess the ending. Happy New Guitar (Guild) Day!
David

 

[randyman]

baby pictures

As promised, I stopped playing long enough to take a few pictures. First, the pretty ones...

As you can see, from the way the light is striking the body, there's nothing really noticeable even when you're looking right at the soundboard.

...and now, the sad ones. Oh, my heart...

Only the long, straight line on the left is a crack in the wood; the rest are just in the finish.

Here's a close-up of the wood crack...

...and here's the soundboard sitting in the sun, at an angle that makes everything show up as dreadfully as possible.

Ouch. I would love to have a little talk with the FedEx guy who dropped her on her tail. Still, the way she sounds makes up for all this trauma; I'll plan on posting some samples later today, after doing some Sunday errands (like showering and eating!

I really do want to thank everyone for the fantastic welcome I've received in my short time here at LTG. Your kind comments have meant a lot to me. My people! I've found my people!

 

[bluesypicky]

Ouch is right....
No matter how much I'd love it, in your shoes, I would get the refund and look for another one..... but it's just me, you're a trooper!.....

 

[12stringer]

This strengthens the argument for removing the end pin when shipping....how well padded was the guitar inside it's case?

 

[randyman]

This strengthens the argument for removing the end pin when shipping....how well padded was the guitar inside it's case?

There was newspaper stuffed around the head and where the neck meets the body, but nothing extra underneath the tail. The case's own padding in the tail area is not very thick, and not very dense... it's about 1/2" when uncompressed, and flattens to about 1/8" when I press firmly with my finger.

I believe 12stringer has a solid point... if the end pin hadn't been there, the force of impact would have been distributed over the entire tail of the guitar, instead of the central area that clearly took the blow.

No matter how much I'd love it, in your shoes, I would get the refund and look for another one...

I'm going to ask for input from the folks here at LTG. What do you think? Is this a deal-breaker? There's no arguing that I'm trying to put the best mental face on a disappointing turn of events... but I don't know how difficult it would be to find another Westerly F512 in what otherwise seems to be pretty good condition.

I have a very short window of time in which to address this issue... if you have an opinion, please share it. Your experience and opinions mean a lot to me - thanks!

Randy

 

[frankieb]

Ouch :shock: If it were me and I paid the price for a guitar that was in excellent condition I would want it to be in excellent condition, otherwise I would have paid a lower price for one with a crack and finish damage. If the seller would give me a refund due to the shipping damage I would gladly send it back for the refund. Too bad the damage probably could have been avoided just by the end pin being removed for shipping and some newspaper stuffed in the bottom of the box

It sounds like Elderly is doing the right thing by their customer, you might even talk with them and see if they could locate you another one in the condition this one was before the damage occured.

Sorry about the bad luck man, I can only imagine the heartache when you saw the damage

 

[GardMan]

Ouch! What a shame! I am a bit surprised that a shock to the tailpin that split the soundboard didn't also split the side at the pin, and the tailblock inside... and it's curious that the damage to the top is nearly symmetrical around the center of the guitar. I wouldn't be surprised of the crack on one side and finish damage on the other don't line up with the edges of the tailblock inside, so that is where the top stressed from the tail impact.

If you can accept the cosmetics, it will probably cost <$100 to glue and cleat that crack so that it is structurally sound, and it should have no (lasting) effect on the tone [I say lasting, because when I first got my 44 back from having it's crack cleated, I noticed it DID sound different... but it opened back up (the sound, not the crack) with a couple weeks of playing].

But that damage DOES devalue the guitar... For some, even a well-repaired crack is a deal breaker, for others, no big deal (my 44 has a repaired soundboard crack and tail split). So, it's hard to say. I'd guess maybe 20-30% reduction compared to its undamaged value. I'd send the pics to Elderly... and see what they offer you, or make them an offer. Remember, they may/may not expect you to cover return shipping, so figure that into your negotiations.

Sorry for your disappointment... good luck with your decision and/or negotiations.
Dave