back again...

[300win]

Since September of 2011 not playing any, I am back picking again. Too slow for Bluegrass, due to nerve and bone damage, but playing old tyme and some jazz and soft rock and some old country music with a old friend. She and I played a gig at a coffe house after practicing for 1 day. Not too shabby, had lots of fun. Fingers were sore for about a week, but now have gotten them toughened up. Strung my A-9 up with the flatwound D'Addarios, liked 'em pretty good. Lots easier to note and easy on my old hands. Still have my F-5 Jamaster that needs repairing, the neck is pulling away from the body, guess they didn't get enough glue in it when built, just can't get Gibson to do anything, and I can't afford and local luthier to do the work, it's a shame too, because that F was as good a mandolin as I've ever played, at least in the top 10. Well maybe someday I can scape up enough money to have it repaired, it and my dad's old '67 D-35, if I had the cash I'd get it started today. Just good to be back playing again. Kinda got low because of my inability to play like I've always been able to, but playing is a hard thing to stop doing after doing it for 47 years. Look forward to reading and gaining info from ya'll on here. Won't have much input anymore, just sit back and learn. Thought I'd say hello. Ya'll have a good'en.

[F-2 Dave]

Hey! Good to see that you're back. You have a good'en too.

[fredy]

Read your bog and even thou I'm a lot older than you I have followed the same trail. In about 2009 I stoped playing blue grass and went to Ukulele, Started a group called fred's fretters and played mostly hawiian music learned to play slack key ( very similar to banjo) and spent two years trying to learn consol steel guitar and lap guitar, Now I'm back playing some dixeland on madolin, 6string banjo an irish tenor banjo the mandolin seem to grab my sole

[Willie Poole]

Good to see you back in the fold, I am nearing the point where I might be joining you doing slower songs such as the old country songs that were "country", I plan on doing a CD of those songs that were big back in the 50-60`s, they will come in real handy when we play a gig where people want to dance...

Willie

[Caleb]

I read your blog too. What a great way to honor your dad.

[Laird]

Welcome back! I remember admiring that jam master when you first bought it. Sorry to hear about the neck!

[shortymack]

Just wondering.....How can a separated neck not be covered by Gibson and why wont they fix it?

[300win]

Just wondering.....How can a separated neck not be covered by Gibson and why wont they fix it?

I'm guessing that the big flood out at thier shop ruined machinery, stock of wood, etc. and they got way behind on repairs trying to get new instruments to thier dealers. I have talked to a few people that say that Gibson is not doing any repair work now at all. Among those folk were Hershel Sizemore and a couple others. My plan is to take the mandolin back to where I purchased it and see if they have any more luck with Gibson than I have had. The place I got it is still a authorized Gibson dealer so that might be my only best chance. I can't even get Gibson to answer me back on several inquiries. My mandolin is under warrenty and I have done nothing to cause the neck to pull away from the body. I noticed it begining to get to feeling weird about 1 year after getting it. The neck relief kept bowing and then I noticed that the seam where the neck meets the neck and back opened up. Mr. Sizemore took one look at it and told me exactly what was going on. So we'll see. I really don't have much hope of anything being done soon if at all from Gibson. Just the way things go sometimes. Hindsight is the best sight and if I had known this was going to happen I would never have gotten the mandolin in the first place, but when I did try it out in the store it was awesome and I could not resist buying it. I have had no trouble with my A-9 at all. It is as stable and plays just like the day I puchased it, a very good mandolin, and I got it about 1 1/2 years before buying the F-5.

[Ron McMillan]

I can't even get Gibson to answer me back on several inquiries. My mandolin is under warrenty and I have done nothing to cause the neck to pull away from the body. I noticed it begining to get to feeling weird about 1 year after getting it. The neck relief kept bowing and then I noticed that the seam where the neck meets the neck and back opened up. Mr. Sizemore took one look at it and told me exactly what was going on. So we'll see. I really don't have much hope of anything being done soon if at all from Gibson. J.

If everything is as you say (and I don't doubt you for a moment), then Gibson is being very short-sighted, and quite possibly negligent in this case. Shame on them. Maybe someone from Gibson will read your thread and things might get sorted. I hope so.

ron

[shortymack]

Thats a shame, theres no excuse, flood or no flood. Gibson should man up and fix this along with any other issues that others may have with their instruments, period. What good is a warranty if its not honored? Makes me wonder as well if they would give the same answer, or lack of, to someone who forked out 20K on a DMM. Customer service goes a long way and it seems some of these bigger companies (ie:Gibson,Martin) approach it the wrong way. I hope they do whats right and take care of you.

I had a couple of different issues with two Eastman guitars I purchased and they gave me a brand new replacement both times no questions asked. Thats how it should be, take care of your customers. If they can do it why cant Gibson?

[John Kinn]

I've never had anything to complain about with Martin's customer service.

[shortymack]

Ive heard many a bad story about Martin, as well as good ones to be fair.

[300win]

I'm planning on taking it to the dealer store I got it from sometime within the next couple of weeks. I'll see what they say. I'm imagining that if they do send it off and Gibson agrees to repair it, it might be years before I ever get it back. Who knows ? There have been a couple of folks who offered to buy it from me, guys that can afford the repair bill from a local luthier, but if I had sold it , it would have been way less than half of what I gave for it, and I really would like to get it fixed. I would not want to sell a instrument that was not right in everyway. When and if I ever find out anything on this, I'll post the results.

[MikeEdgerton]

You have a PM.

[300win]

I talked to the folks at the store where I got the Jam-master. I am taking it to them tomorrow. I was told they have a local luthier who is authorized to do some repair work for Gibson. Hopefully he can do it and I won't have to send it to Nashville and have the long wait. Might be that Gibson has made deals with local luthiers across the country that are near their authorized dealers to do repair work ? At any rate looks like I'm finally going to get something began on it . Thanks to Mike for the pm, I have another avenue of information I can put into the works.

[MikeEdgerton]

Every one of the major instrument manufacturers that I know of have authorized repair stations across the country.

[300win]

Sent a e-mail to three differant folks at Gibson this morning. I'll let ya'll know how things progress. Thanks to Mike for his help on this. Hope none of the rest of you have bad luck like I have with your Gibson JM if you got one.

[P.D. Kirby]

Sent a e-mail to three differant folks at Gibson this morning. I'll let ya'll know how things progress. Thanks to Mike for his help on this. Hope none of the rest of you have bad luck like I have with your Gibson JM if you got one.

Good to see you back and sorry for your troubles. My personal experience with a 2007 F5G that had the same failure at the neck in joint in 2010 on a Mandolin that never left the house. The Mandolin belonged to one of my good friends and mentor. Gibson eventually made good on the warranty after 2 months of complaining but not having an authorized Gibson repair shop locally, thanks to them cutting our local dealer after 4 generations of faithful service to Gibson. Anyway I hope you are the patient sort if you do have to send it to Nashville (Black Hole) The Mandolin was returned in great working order with a repair you would be hard pressed to see but then 4 1/2 months would allow for time to do a good job not to mention the 2 months of arguing with customer service just to get them to honor their warranty, not so much help with my opinion with OAI which as you know is no longer there...Good Luck

[300win]

Dave Harvey from Gibson sent me a e-mail yesterday. I just read it this morning. He instructed me on what I need to do to get ready to send it back to him for evaluation. Pretty fast reply, which leads me to believe that finally something will began to be done. Things are looking up now. I'll keep ya'll posted.