Not so fast...we have a problem with my M-20...unbelievable!

[walrus]

Fair resolution, I think. Play and enjoy the guitar!

walrus

 

[merlin6666]

I was saddened to read about this ordeal and the stress it caused, but am very glad that the matter was settled and you can move on and enjoy the guitar, hopefully not ever having to sell it.

 

[Stuball48]

Kit:
That geetar needs to stay with you. Stories like this one come along once in a lifetime and it happened to you--and it is resolved. So happy for you!

 

[mavuser]

congrats on getting it resolved, and a great guitar. you are still doing pretty good on that thing, cheers.

 

[adorshki]

I changed my mind.
Now that it's worthless y'oughta do one o' them P90 conversions on it.

 

[Kitarkus]

I changed my mind.
Now that it's worthless y'oughta do one o' them P90 conversions on it.

Thanks for the kind words all. I'm feeling a bit silly for allowing a guitar to cause so much stress. My very long search for a good M-20 certainly was a factor in this case. I am indeed going to play and enjoy the guitar....and I would have bought this guitar in its current condition for what I have invested...if not more...so all good.

Adhorski....the P-90 conversion sounds pretty cool....but methinks I'd just get a Les Paul Jr. for that I'm not letting anyone else molest this little M-20 again.

 

[adorshki]

Thanks for the kind words all. I'm feeling a bit silly for allowing a guitar to cause so much stress.

Nonono...I'm actually a whole lot like JCWu described when it comes to stuff like this.
I go apedoody when carefully laid plans go awry, as well as dealing poorly with uncertainty and unresolved problems, so my sympathy was with ya right along.

 

[davismanLV]

Hey Kit.... please don't think that EYE, or anyone else that expressed opinions that were contrary to your belief, felt that wrong had not been done. EVERYONE agrees this was a $hitty situation, amigo!!! No butts about it! But they only expressed the opinion that sometimes..... $hit happens and it will NEVER be what you dreamed it would be, and we're now somewhat happy that you got your money back. None of us is happy with the destruction of a guitar BUT, as I said, into each life a little rain must fall. Do you understand the difference? We're all with you and I"m SO SORRY this happened. But I think you made the best of a bad situation. I really do. Still friends?? :sorrow:

As RayK would say... where's a sound clip, okay? :stupid:

 

[Kitarkus]

Hey Kit.... please don't think that EYE, or anyone else that expressed opinions that were contrary to your belief, felt that wrong had not been done. EVERYONE agrees this was a $hitty situation, amigo!!! No butts about it! But they only expressed the opinion that sometimes..... $hit happens and it will NEVER be what you dreamed it would be, and we're now somewhat happy that you got your money back. None of us is happy with the destruction of a guitar BUT, as I said, into each life a little rain must fall. Do you understand the difference? We're all with you and I"m SO SORRY this happened. But I think you made the best of a bad situation. I really do. Still friends?? :sorrow:

As RayK would say... where's a sound clip, okay? :stupid:

Absolutely. Thanks. But unnecessary. My post was sincere. Yup..****ty situation. Rain falls. I'm as pleased with the outcome of this ****ty situation as one could be in a ****ty situation. All good. Friends for life

PS: Tom...don't give up your dreams man. Without Bigfoot, The Easter Bunny, and Santa....you might as well stop breathing. You must keep your dreams alive.

 

[txbumper57]

Congrats on reaching a resolution Kit! I too am sorry that you had to go through this ordeal and that the guitar will forever wear the scars from it but on the bright side of things it plays well and you got your money for the repairs back. Granted that doesn't make up for the damage but it is more justice than most people see in a situation like this. Glad you reached a resolution.

TX

 

[davismanLV]

And if you can't come HERE and vent about something like this..... where can you? Doubt your wife/husband/children can understand like we will. And so now......

 

[bobouz]

Excellent! - So glad it worked out in the end.

Now you can sit back & just enjoy!

 

[chazmo]

And if you can't come HERE and vent about something like this..... where can you? Doubt your wife/husband/children can understand like we will. And so now......

Excellent point.

 

[D30Man]

Glad to hear there is some level of closure on this one Kit!

 

[F30]

As you said Kit you would have preferred the entire ordeal to have come out where everyone was a winner and the repair was totally to your satisfaction.
But things happen and you somewhat have a resolve. The most important part is the guitar is a joy to play and really that's what it is all about aside from
the issue you encountered along the way.

I too have discovered the Guild M20 and really enjoy the size and tone of these guitars. Mine is one from Oxnard but I feel it still has the vibe of an original like yours.
I hope the guitar gives you years of enjoyment and inspiration.

 

[PittPastor]

Glad its settled. I think it played out about as well as it could. And I think you handled it well. It's not like you can go out and buy another one. One of these comes along once in a blue moon... But, now you have a guitar that you love playing, and that never sucks.

How does that saying go: "Scars are just tattoos with better stories?" Well the M-20 has a scar now, but it just gives it a back story and a whole lot of character.

And that sound clip is where...?

 

[GF60]

I read this thread through from the beginning and am glad that the party's involved were able to reach an acceptable agreement.

My only comment is this...Why was there concern about this fellow being a "Martin Authorized Repair" shop? I realize he may advertise that fact, but that really means nothing when working on Guilds, or any brand besides Martin. Martin does have certain standards in regard to their repairs. And to be authorized one would need to meet Martins' criteria, or lose their accreditation. Basically that would keep said repair shop from being reimbursed for any Martin warranty repair. Which wasn't the case in this situation, at all.

I'm not condoning what this fellow did. He really should have owned up to the accident/mistake. I have several friends who do lutherie and repair. They have had all sorts of things go awry during repair...but they always own up to it. Which is as it should be. But don't think for a minute that Martin or any guitar company can stop someone from working on guitars. That could happen by word of mouth from unhappy customers. The only thing a guitar company can do is not to authorize them for their own warranty work.

 

[Kitarkus]

I read this thread through from the beginning and am glad that the party's involved were able to reach an acceptable agreement.

My only comment is this...Why was there concern about this fellow being a "Martin Authorized Repair" shop? I realize he may advertise that fact, but that really means nothing when working on Guilds, or any brand besides Martin. Martin does have certain standards in regard to their repairs. And to be authorized one would need to meet Martins' criteria, or lose their accreditation. Basically that would keep said repair shop from being reimbursed for any Martin warranty repair. Which wasn't the case in this situation, at all.

I'm not condoning what this fellow did. He really should have owned up to the accident/mistake. I have several friends who do lutherie and repair. They have had all sorts of things go awry during repair...but they always own up to it. Which is as it should be. But don't think for a minute that Martin or any guitar company can stop someone from working on guitars. That could happen by word of mouth from unhappy customers. The only thing a guitar company can do is not to authorize them for their own warranty work.

Hi Margaret. There wasn't 'concern' about him being the sole Martin Authorized Repair Shop in the area. In fact, I had selected him based upon his credentials as the sole Martin Authorized Repair Shop in my Metroplex. I know it isn't pretty, but at the time of some of my prior posts...I was feeling like a desperate man. I'd picked up my guitar and found the neck heel broken after I'd brought it home....they'd not informed me of the break...and there was a period including the Christmas Holiday where I was unable to speak to the repair shop. It crossed my mind that he purposefully failed to inform me of the break and now was avoiding me altogether.

I am/was aware that Martin bears no responsibility for my situation with a Guild guitar. In a fit of ugly desperation, however, should the repair shop have continued to avoid my inquiries, I was contemplating letting Martin know about my experience with their "Authorized Warranty Repair Shop" including the condition of the shop, their cash/personal check only policy, their lack of renewing their corporate filing with the secretary of state, and their lack of disclosure of a broken neck during a reset. It wouldn't have been very 'nice' of me to do...but I wasn't feeling very congenial! I'm really glad that I wasn't forced to decide whether to inform those whom I felt this Repair Shop would least like to know about this situation....but it was a tactic that I'd considered. I'm not too proud about it Margaret...I was steaming mad. I realized that Martin could not/would not stop this gent from repairing guitars....but certainly his status as "authorized martin repair center" is a feather in his cap....a feather that I wasn't feeling was deserved.

Martin must do very little (if any) vetting of (at least some of) their Authorized Repair Shops. I would bet you a guitar that if Martin had ever laid eyes on this particular shop....they would not have been authorized to begin with. I had inquired if the shop carried insurance (after the fact) and received a dubious response. The vast majority of guitars are not dropped at this shop by guitar Owners but rather as a matter of normal business are picked up from the guitar dealers around the city and brought back to the shop by the Repair Person....later to be delivered to the shops where they receive a 'cut' of the repair costs. The guitar shops collect for the repairs...and it appears that they all pay the Authorized Martin Shop in cash. Aside from a couple of small space heaters in an old rural corrugated metal outbuilding (full of animal pelts and a 1 inch layer of dust) I don't think that they have any real climate control. In hindsight...I am the dolt who left my M-20 at this shop....and I should have known better. I had wrongfully assumed that since this is the sole Martin Authorized Repair Shop....this would be one of the most reputable, credible, professional, and competent places to have the work performed. I was wrong....at least concerning this shop's credibility.

Had I been informed of the break and at the appropriate time...I think I would've had an entirely different attitude about this whole mess.

 

[fronobulax]

The vast majority of guitars are not dropped at this shop by guitar Owners but rather as a matter of normal business are picked up from the guitar dealers around the city and brought back to the shop by the Repair Person....later to be delivered to the shops where they receive a 'cut' of the repair costs. The guitar shops collect for the repairs

FWIW, this is a fairly common business model in my area. Shops that don't have a repair person on staff will subcontract out repair work. In my area, as the customer, my legal obligations are with the guitar shop and not the repair person. Specifically, they collect my money, guarantee the work, have insurance, etc... If there is a problem I have to go to the guitar shop, not the person who actually repaired my guitar. In fact several of the shops will not identify who does their work because a customer with that information could try and cut out the middleman. As a consumer this presents a quandary. If I play the game by the accepted rules I either trust my instrument to a guitar shop that I trust, and hope that their subcontractor is worthy of that trust or I work with someone who is in the repair business and prepared to deal directly with the public. In the latter case things like corporate filings, insurance, climate control, etc. are direct concerns of the consumer, but in the former case they can be unknowns.

If I had no other basis for choosing a repair shop, I too, would use "Martin Authorized" as a selection criteria in the hopes that anyone so authorized with have their act together.

 

[Kitarkus]

If I had no other basis for choosing a repair shop, I too, would use "Martin Authorized" as a selection criteria in the hopes that anyone so authorized with have their act together.

Precisely.

I don't condemn the shop for using a network of retail stores to draw their business. I think it is smart. The stores have great credentials and can state "our repairs are completed by the Martin Authorized Service Center". The repair shop doesn't have to deal with any customers directly. It is a win/win. I'm highly doubtful that these shops have insurance policies which will cover repairs completed outside of their own brick/mortar.

I've dropped my guitar(s) at retailers before and had this particular shop complete minor work or set-ups. I know from past experiences that the drop point retailers are incapable of discussing any specifics or complexities about any repairs with me...because they are not involved with the work. In this particular case and with the extent of my requested repairs on the M-20....I wasn't going to have a middle-man and the expected mis-communications. I went straight to the horse. This was not a circumvention of any kind....I merely called the shop owner....told him when I'd be at his shop with my guitar....and I met and communicated my specific repair needs. This particular shop does not advertise....anywhere. His biz card which I've had for years has an old now defunct number. He has no/zero web presence. He doesn't take credit cards. I don't know whether he is insured. He isn't in the 'phone book' and you can't find his shop name and phone number ANYWHERE aside from on Martin's website as an authorized warranty/service center. Martin's authorization provides a lot of credibility and thus a lot of business.