View Full Version : Gibson F5 Fern, born 10/22/04
levin4now
Oct-26-2004, 7:58pm
mike.
very nice.
Just back from a road trip to Nashville to pick up my new baby. I wanted to share with y'all the phenomenal treatment and customer service I was given by Big Joe and Charlie. I bought a 99 Fern signed by Charlie that had wonderful tone, fit and finish, it was truly my dream instrument, I had traded around and scrimped and saved for a few years to buy a used Fern.I was dissappointed when it arrived that the neck needed what I thought was a simple trussrod adjustment. The same day it arrived I shipped it out to Gibson to have that done and be set-up. Charlie and Big Joe conferred with full knowledge that I was the owner for less than 3 days after it got to them and they felt the neck may have a serious trussrod issue. So Joe and Charlie offered to replace that instrument (that I bought used and had in my possession for about 6 hours) with a brand new 2004 Fern......if that was OK with me. 5 weeks later, here's my baby. My hat is off to Joe and Charlie for thier dedication to customer satisfaction and standing behind the product they sell, You won't find that level of service just anywhere and subsequently I am a Gibson player for life. The quality, fit and finish of this mando is not given justice by my ###### camera. The tone is unbeleivably sweet and deep right out of production. I look forward to it ripening even more with age.
ShaneJ
Oct-26-2004, 8:10pm
I've never met those guys, but I hope to one of these days.
pickinNgrinnin
Oct-26-2004, 9:04pm
What a great Charlie and Big Joe story. That's what I call customer service! I too would be a Gibson player for life if that had happend to me. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Nick Triesch
Oct-26-2004, 9:28pm
Man, can't get any better than that. What a nice mandolin, Nick
wallflower
Oct-26-2004, 10:37pm
That is an awesome story!! #And it's just another reminder of why Gibson is so great!!
KevinM
Oct-27-2004, 7:16am
You can't say they don't stand behind their product. Great testimony to their devotion to customer service. Takes some of the risk out of buying a used Gibson, I reckon.
That was really nice of them. I do not think anybody else would have done anything like that. As they always have said they will stand by their product and will help out even if you were not orifg owner -which they are not obligated to do. I'm impressed. It's good to know people in big places -or big people in places.
mandopete
Oct-27-2004, 7:58am
It's nice to hear the other side of the Gibson story. #Perhaps all of the discussions here on the Mandolin Cafe may have lead them to take customer service to a new level. #This is outstanding!
Scotti Adams
Oct-27-2004, 8:10am
..this is a great thing.....two thumbs up for Charlie and Joe....Mike..hope to see you at the Wakefield concert at Canal Street..
craigtoo
Oct-27-2004, 10:42am
Great news...! Great Service...!
I have *got* to get out there to meet those guys!
craig
mandoJeremy
Oct-27-2004, 10:59am
Pete, their customer service level has been that high way before the discussions here. I think it has been that high since Charlie has been there. There are several people on here, including me, that have had stories similar to this one with Gibson, Charlie, and BigJoe. They are great guys.
Mutant Dan,
I beleive in my heart the guy that sold it to me didn't know about it or purposefully sell a bad instrument. In fact, he said when I sent it to Gibson that if there was a repair charge he would pay for it, or give me my money back.....but I liked the first fern well enough, and as I said I thought it was merely in need of adjustment, I had no idea Charlie and Joe would think it a fatal flaw, niether did he, or he probably would have sent it them himself and got the new instrument. Incidentally, this one at my request is the old brown/tobacco sunburst versus the newer red tone, (the camera I have makes it appear Red but it is Brown)and according to Big Joe only two produced in this manner this year, and Roland White has the other.
Scotti Adams
Nov-01-2004, 5:30pm
..Mike...I will save you a seat at the Wakefield show..or you save me a couple if you get there before I do..
mandoman4807
Nov-01-2004, 5:50pm
[quote=Tom C,Oct. 27 2004, 08:44]That was really nice of them. I do not think anybody else would have done anything like that.
Not to take anything away from Gibson, but Weber is top notch as well. They hardly come any better!!
Darrell
Ken Waltham
Nov-01-2004, 6:47pm
I hope this serves to put an end to the senseless sniping of the Gibson folks. I don't know big Joe at all, but count Charlie as a personal friend, and this doesn't surprise me at all. It's really what I would expect from a fine fellow such as Charlie. That's serious customer service, congratulations!
Ken
John Ritchhart
Nov-02-2004, 11:44am
This has been going on for some time as I have said before. Lifelong fan and defender of the brand they have in me. Thanks again Charlie and Danny.
handpicked
Nov-03-2004, 9:28pm
I also am fortunate to have experienced Charlie's generosity first hand...Last year, in reponse to something I posted on a Gibson-bashing thread, Charlie sent me a new A-9, as he thought I should have a better instument. #Been playing it and loving it for 14 months now....It has a HUGE tone...I love it...one of these days I intend to thank him personally in Nashville.
All he asked in return is that I "let people know that the Gibson guys are for real and really believe in what we do"
The A-9 is my master model for this lifetime, I will not need an upgrade. #This one is "priceless".
Thanks again, Charlie, Danny and Big Joe. #Keep up the good work.
Mike Rickard
Forsyth, Georgia
I'm reading your story late, however, I'm not surprised. #Charlie and Joe are first class people. #They make Gibson a better company ......... by far!
That is so cool!
I was amazed a few years ago when I called Gibson... I got the automated phone thing "Press 1 for __" I was thinking, "Oh great, here we go"
Long story short, in about 30 seconds I was talking with Charlie! He dropped what he was doing to talk mandos with me and answer all my questions. They are an A #1 class act.
Dru Lee Parsec
Nov-22-2004, 6:30pm
Ya know, after all the bashing that Charlie and Joe take on this message board it's nice to read something that shows what kind of people these guys really are. They're good guys who love the instrument. I'm glad to have them around.
Charlie, Big Joe. Thanks for putting up with us. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
phiddlepicker
Nov-22-2004, 8:18pm
Not mando related but.....
'bout 6 years ago I had a Gibson Doubleneck that had one of the necks become unset. I took it to a dealer and he sent it in for repair. The Gibson folks sent me a brand new doubleneck back, no questions asked.
The spirit of customer service seems to be alive in many of the Gibson shops. Luckily I haven't had any problems with my mandos.
TeleMark
Nov-23-2004, 12:09am
I also am fortunate to have experienced Charlie's generosity first hand...Last year, in reponse to something I posted on a Gibson-bashing thread, Charlie sent me a new A-9, as he thought I should have a better instument. Been playing it and loving it for 14 months now....It has a HUGE tone...I love it...one of these days I intend to thank him personally in Nashville.
All he asked in return is that I "let people know that the Gibson guys are for real and really believe in what we do"
Wow, if I start badmouthing Gibson, will I get a mandolin in the mail, too?
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Great tales, and glad to hear that there are some good folks in business still!
TeleMark
duuuude
Nov-24-2004, 3:30pm
Yeah, it seems like there's alot of that Gibson commitment to quality goin' around. Earlier this year I bought a new F-9 off e-bay that had a truss rod issue that was discovered after a few months, sent Charlie a PM and within an hour I was speaking with Dan Mills, head of QC, who offered to just replace it at their cost rather than fool with it. Top notch group out there, now I just gotta get to Nashville and visit them fine folks.