[A Baerg (iahawk36)]

I could not say enough good things about Dave's Guitar Shop in LaCrosse, WI (www.davesguitar.com)

He and his staff are top notch guys!!

[b khandekar (bharat.k)]

A Baerg (Andy), on 19 July 2010 - 08:41 PM, said:

I could not say enough good things about Dave's Guitar Shop in LaCrosse, WI (www.davesguitar.com)

He and his staff are top notch guys!!

I have to respectfully disagree with you there. I think it's more of a case where they have favorite customers who get great treatment. Once I've been treated in the shabby fashion they treated me, I'll never shop there again. Even though Dave offered to make things right after several years by offering me a refund or store credit (because one of this favorite customers reported back about me posting my experiences there on a forum), I'd rather lose the money that give them any more business. The Historic Tailpiece referred to in my previous post was bought from Dave's Guitar Shop in LaCrosse and they straight out refused to swap a faulty part. So I wass faced with having paid good money for a faulty part that neither Gibson nor their distributor (Dave's) would do anything about. I went to a great deal of effort to try to get a resolution but all in vain. This means that both Dave's and Gibson have lost any future business from me or my customers. I have run a busy repair shop for a number of years and in the past sourced quite a few vintage guitars for my customers from Dave's. I'm glad that both these companies feel that in the current ecconomic climate they can afford to lose longstanding repeat business. They must be doing much better than it appears.

[A Baerg (iahawk36)]

b khandekar (bharat.k), on 20 July 2010 - 03:25 AM, said:

I have to respectfully disagree with you there. I think it's more of a case where they have favorite customers who get great treatment. Once I've been treated in the shabby fashion they treated me, I'll never shop there again. Even though Dave offered to make things right after several years by offering me a refund or store credit (because one of this favorite customers reported back about me posting my experiences there on a forum), I'd rather lose the money that give them any more business. The Historic Tailpiece referred to in my previous post was bought from Dave's Guitar Shop in LaCrosse and they straight out refused to swap a faulty part. So I wass faced with having paid good money for a faulty part that neither Gibson nor their distributor (Dave's) would do anything about. I went to a great deal of effort to try to get a resolution but all in vain. This means that both Dave's and Gibson have lost any future business from me or my customers. I have run a busy repair shop for a number of years and in the past sourced quite a few vintage guitars for my customers from Dave's. I'm glad that both these companies feel that in the current ecconomic climate they can afford to lose longstanding repeat business. They must be doing much better than it appears.

I'm very sorry to hear this...I don't think I am one of his favorite customers, and I too have had an issue with a guitar there, but Dave himself took care of it for me after I explained the situation, and showed him the issue on the guitar.

I hope you'll give him a second chance, because in my experience, they have been great!!

[C Robbins (Blackwidow 21)]

I love the Gibson Retail stores I have bought several guitars from them and have had great buying experience from those guys.

[A Jordan (vortexx)]

A Baerg (iahawk36), on 19 July 2010 - 09:41 PM, said:

I could not say enough good things about Dave's Guitar Shop in LaCrosse, WI (www.davesguitar.com)

He and his staff are top notch guys!!

Dave hand picked a very nice thin skin Jaguar for me and went to the trouble of weighing each of them so I think Dave is great to deal with.

[r wood (ron)]

Dave's Moderne is on the cover of my book.

Though I had never talked to them or shopped there before, Dave went out of his way to get a staff member to photograph the guitar from many different angles just for me.


They were simply the best.


If I were to get a vintage or new Gibson, Dave would be the first person I would talk to.

He also has a pretty awesome guitar collection(which can be seen on his webiste).

[j johnson (JohnQ)]

Here's an account of my less than satisfactory experience when I bought my first new Gibson last year-

After deciding which Gibson model I could afford and studying the Gibson website as well as Guitar Center's catalog and website I narrowed my decision down to either the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" or the SG Special Faded. In the end I based my decision on the fact that both the Gibson website and Guitar Center advertised the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" as including a hard case. I really liked both models but knew that I would need a hard case and for the $100 difference I would buy the Les Paul.

For another month or so after deciding I saved and continued to study the guitars- kind of the way a kid years ago might study the Sears catalog every night until Christmas. I finally ordered the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" and couldn't wait for it to arrive. It would be my first Gibson after years of "making do" with Les Paul copies and Fenders.

When the guitar arrived it came boxed and in a gig bag! I figured it was just a mistake and that I'd call customer service and they'd ship out the hard case. After all, the Guitar Center website and Gibson's website indicated the hard case was included. This was before Guitar Center added in parenthesis the gig bag disclaimer for faded finish models. I called customer service and they denied the case was to come with the guitar even though I pointed out to them Gibson's website and their own website and catalog. They finally agreed to send me a generic tweed case that has never properly fit my guitar.

I contacted Gibson customer service to ask about the situation and pointed out the information on Gibson's site that indicated the hard case was included. After 2 emails and a weeks time I finally received a response from customer service. They too said a hard case was not included which was in direct contradiction to the Gibson website. I recommended to customer service (both Gibson and Guitar Center) that they should have a more accurate website if they expected people to spend their hard earned money.

So after months of study and saving to buy a guitar from a brand I though was the end all, be all of guitars I had a brand new guitar without a case. I couldn't afford the top of line Les Paul but I certainly expected Gibson to include a case with this guitar (in keeping with their own advertising). In my opinion the inclusion of a hard case signifies that the company is proud of the product and wants the customer to be able to protect their investment. In other words, if I buy a cheap Korean car I might not expect floormats but I would certainly expect them in my new Corvette.

That's my experience buying my first new guitar and unfortunately it really left a bad taste for both the Gibson brand and guitar center.

Mr. Henry, if you're interested I've saved all of my correspondence with customer service regarding this.

[R Reed (HRC)]

About a year ago maybe a little longer Gibson lowered the price on the faded Les Paul Studio. I bought 2 one before the price decrease and one after. The first one came with a Gibson case but cost $200 dollars more than the second one that came with a gig-bag. Both Gibson and Guitar Centers websites stated the guitar came with a gig-bag after the price decrease. It sounds like you bought your right at the time they were making the price change.

[j johnson (JohnQ)]

R Reed (HRC), on 04 August 2010 - 02:52 PM, said:

About a year ago maybe a little longer Gibson lowered the price on the faded Les Paul Studio. I bought 2 one before the price decrease and one after. The first one came with a Gibson case but cost $200 dollars more than the second one that came with a gig-bag. Both Gibson and Guitar Centers websites stated the guitar came with a gig-bag after the price decrease. It sounds like you bought your right at the time they were making the price change.

Yea, I'm pretty sure I got caught up in the change but I'm disappointed that when I purchased the guitar all product information still indicated the hard case was included.

[J Ulch (DetroitBlues)]

I've had a terrible experience when purchasing Gibson guitars. I went to try a couple different Les Pauls and found Guitar Center was trying to sell damaged guitars as new. Broken Pots, bent tuners, dents, scratches, you name it. In fact, I purchased the newer LP Studio Faded Black and returned it three weeks later, only to see them put new tags on it to sell it as new. I've also looked into purchasing a Gibson J-45 with the same results. The guitar had a crack on the side, but they wouldn't change the price because it was new. That guitar went on clearance almost a year later without mentioning the guitar being damaged. I don't blame Gibson, but I do blame the music stores such as Guitar Center attempting to pass on instruments as new when they've been road worn by a bunch of kids raiding the stores. I've changed to Motor City guitar because they control their instruments and mark them down or remove them from the floor if they become damaged....

[J Ulch (DetroitBlues)]

D Thompson (rockstar232007), on 18 July 2010 - 01:18 AM, said:

I bought (and will continue to buy) all of my guitars used, especially the Gibsons, for two reasons:

1.) I don't like dealing with salsepeople, who in MOST cases, could care less whether or not you're happy, but are ONLY out to make a sale!

2.) I haven't played a decent "new" Gibson guitar in years, and when I say "decent" I mean one without various finish, setup, and construction problems!

I bought my '01 Classic used almost a year ago, and haven't had any problems with the setup (the wife of the previous owner (who bought it new in '01) said that it haden't been setup in over a year), the finish is almost completely perfect, save for a couple of dings, dents, and scratches here and there, but overall, I couldn't be happier! Now, if I could get all of that from a NEW Gibson (for A LOT less) then I'd be burried in LPs right now!

I agree with you on always buying the guitars used. Purchasing a new Gibson doesn't mean much since proving a warrenty issue is near impossible.

[M Acton (BluesDisciple)]

Best Gibson buying experience: 1) Sweetwater, when I ordered my SG Standard. Really great to deal with. 2) Since then, I found Bizarre Guitar in Phx. Anytime I walk in there, I can spend a couple of hours hassle-free trying to find the LP that feels the best. Haven't found it yet (and it isn't because of a lack of selection from them!), but they always make me feel welcome and are patient with my questions and test drives.

Worst Gibson buying experience: 3) Milanos in Mesa, Az. When I went to buy said SG, they were so thoroughly frustrated with Gibson that they refused to order what I wanted from Gibson, insisting I buy a model that I didn't want off the shelf. In fact, they tried to talk me out of buying Gibson all!

Milanos is close, and I would love to see them as a Gibson dealer, but it was a bit ridiculous. If I am serious about shopping for a new LP, I now realize the worth of driving an hour into Phx. or two hours to Tucson to deal with a better Gibson dealer than either Milanos or Guitar Center.

[D Schulteis (Deej)]

Best: Walked in, saw it, played it, took it home.

Worst: Guitar sales guy was too busy noodling on a guitar to answer my questions. I asked about the possibility of getting a specific Gibson. He looked up, said, 'I don't know, you'll have to just wait and see if one comes in', and continued playing.

That same store had an SG Supreme come in for consignment in the same timeframe. After the person selling walked out, I gave it a test, saw a repaired headstock (which they didn't even notice until I pointed it out), and told them I wanted it, to call me as soon as the manager re-priced it with the person that brought it in due to the repair. They didn't call back. It was a Friday. I went in on the next monday morning, and they had just sold it, for far less than I was willing to pay for it. Claimed that they didn't know I wanted it (the manager I gave my number to sat there and told me he didn't remember me, or me writing my name and number down on the back of his business card), and tried to console me telling me that I didn't want it anyways, since it had been repaired - I noticed it first and still gave my number. Haven't gone back to that store since... I'd rather deal with GC crap.

[b khandekar (bharat.k)]

j johnson (JohnQ), on 04 August 2010 - 12:42 PM, said:

Here's an account of my less than satisfactory experience when I bought my first new Gibson last year-

After deciding which Gibson model I could afford and studying the Gibson website as well as Guitar Center's catalog and website I narrowed my decision down to either the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" or the SG Special Faded. In the end I based my decision on the fact that both the Gibson website and Guitar Center advertised the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" as including a hard case. I really liked both models but knew that I would need a hard case and for the $100 difference I would buy the Les Paul.

For another month or so after deciding I saved and continued to study the guitars- kind of the way a kid years ago might study the Sears catalog every night until Christmas. I finally ordered the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" and couldn't wait for it to arrive. It would be my first Gibson after years of "making do" with Les Paul copies and Fenders.

When the guitar arrived it came boxed and in a gig bag! I figured it was just a mistake and that I'd call customer service and they'd ship out the hard case. After all, the Guitar Center website and Gibson's website indicated the hard case was included. This was before Guitar Center added in parenthesis the gig bag disclaimer for faded finish models. I called customer service and they denied the case was to come with the guitar even though I pointed out to them Gibson's website and their own website and catalog. They finally agreed to send me a generic tweed case that has never properly fit my guitar.

I contacted Gibson customer service to ask about the situation and pointed out the information on Gibson's site that indicated the hard case was included. After 2 emails and a weeks time I finally received a response from customer service. They too said a hard case was not included which was in direct contradiction to the Gibson website. I recommended to customer service (both Gibson and Guitar Center) that they should have a more accurate website if they expected people to spend their hard earned money.

So after months of study and saving to buy a guitar from a brand I though was the end all, be all of guitars I had a brand new guitar without a case. I couldn't afford the top of line Les Paul but I certainly expected Gibson to include a case with this guitar (in keeping with their own advertising). In my opinion the inclusion of a hard case signifies that the company is proud of the product and wants the customer to be able to protect their investment. In other words, if I buy a cheap Korean car I might not expect floormats but I would certainly expect them in my new Corvette.

That's my experience buying my first new guitar and unfortunately it really left a bad taste for both the Gibson brand and guitar center.

Mr. Henry, if you're interested I've saved all of my correspondence with customer service regarding this.

Nah ! Henry won't be interested. You paid already didn't you? There are more Gibson customers born every minute! Has he even looked in on this thread since starting it?

[J Alexander (1963 guitar maker)]

[quote name='j johnson (JohnQ)' date='04 August 2010 - 12:42 PM' timestamp='1280947327' post='4065']
Here's an account of my less than satisfactory experience when I bought my first new Gibson last year-

After deciding which Gibson model I could afford and studying the Gibson website as well as Guitar Center's catalog and website I narrowed my decision down to either the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" or the SG Special Faded. In the end I based my decision on the fact that both the Gibson website and Guitar Center advertised the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" as including a hard case. I really liked both models but knew that I would need a hard case and for the $100 difference I would buy the Les Paul.

For another month or so after deciding I saved and continued to study the guitars- kind of the way a kid years ago might study the Sears catalog every night until Christmas. I finally ordered the Les Paul Studio "worn brown" and couldn't wait for it to arrive. It would be my first Gibson after years of "making do" with Les Paul copies and Fenders.

When the guitar arrived it came boxed and in a gig bag! I figured it was just a mistake and that I'd call customer service and they'd ship out the hard case. After all, the Guitar Center website and Gibson's website indicated the hard case was included. This was before Guitar Center added in parenthesis the gig bag disclaimer for faded finish models. I called customer service and they denied the case was to come with the guitar even though I pointed out to them Gibson's website and their own website and catalog. They finally agreed to send me a generic tweed case that has never properly fit my guitar.

I contacted Gibson customer service to ask about the situation and pointed out the information on Gibson's site that indicated the hard case was included. After 2 emails and a weeks time I finally received a response from customer service. They too said a hard case was not included which was in direct contradiction to the Gibson website. I recommended to customer service (both Gibson and Guitar Center) that they should have a more accurate website if they expected people to spend their hard earned money.

So after months of study and saving to buy a guitar from a brand I though was the end all, be all of guitars I had a brand new guitar without a case. I couldn't afford the top of line Les Paul but I certainly expected Gibson to include a case with this guitar (in keeping with their own advertising). In my opinion the inclusion of a hard case signifies that the company is proud of the product and wants the customer to be able to protect their investment. In other words, if I buy a cheap Korean car I might not expect floormats but I would certainly expect them in my new Corvette.

That's my experience buying my first new guitar and unfortunately it really left a bad taste for both the Gibson brand and guitar center.

Mr. Henry, if you're interested I've saved all of my correspondence with customer service regarding this.
[/quote



I am very sorry that you had a bad buying experiance pertaining to not getting a new case for new your axe.
Have you resolved this yet?
If not I believe I may be able to help you out.


Thanks,
Johnny Alexander

[S Tari (Steven Tari)]

My latest experience with Guitar Center online was Excellent. The three months waiting for my new ES-339, Guitar Center kept me in the know. When it was a couple of months of waiting they gave the option to stop my order.When they received the guitar they got it right off to me. I was very happy with the way they kept me informed and treated me during my time of waiting.

[I Stoddard (Low-B 5-String)]

S Tari (Steven Tari), on 01 October 2010 - 10:31 PM, said:

My latest experience with Guitar Center online was Excellent. ...

+1, twice. (Latest two experiences, accessories-level purchase)

[S Carey (ScareySG)]

I'm waiting on my SG that was ordered 4 weeks ago....when it arrives I'll let you know what I think of the dealer!

Has the plant made inroads in catching up after the flood?