# What's involved in this fix?



## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Hi, I received a guitar recently that has checking on several fret dot markers. This indicates changes in humidity. The plastic doesn't change size, but the wood around the marker has. Makes me concerned what else is wrong with the guitar. I may return it to the company that I purchased from as this information was not disclosed. For some it seems minor, but this was a very expensive guitar. The guitar was sold to me as a 9.9/10...I think not.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Honestly, if I liked the guitar that wouldn't concern me in the least.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

gtrguy said:


> Honestly, if I liked the guitar that wouldn't concern me in the least.


Yes, I undestand. Normally I would be okay with some checking, but the price I paid for this and that fact that the company stating it is a 9.9/10 really bothers me. Its the kind of thing ...it is like a magnet for your eyes when playing LOL. Its a Martin Custom Shop model.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

If it really bothers you, the best option is to get a refund and move on.


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## Shaqrad (May 6, 2020)

What is the age on this guitar?


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Shaqrad said:


> What is the age on this guitar?


2014


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## Shaqrad (May 6, 2020)

I can't speak to a fix but I would say that it would also bother me as it's in a spot that I would often look. The fact that they said it's 9.9/10 seems high for it's age considering there is likely even superficial scratches would make it less that mint. If the rest of the guitar looks good and sounds good, no fret stuff or bad notches maybe it would just grown on you over time? if not, I'd just return it and cut your loses


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Shaqrad said:


> I can't speak to a fix but I would say that it would also bother me as it's in a spot that I would often look. The fact that they said it's 9.9/10 seems high for it's age considering there is likely even superficial scratches would make it less that mint. If the rest of the guitar looks good and sounds good, no fret stuff or bad notches maybe it would just grown on you over time? if not, I'd just return it and cut your loses


Yup, tough call to keep it. It was sold as mint at a 9.9/10... I expected a bit of wear but not this. Its also satin guitar and has some polish spots/ wear...which is normal for this age, but yup not a museum piece, but when I break my bank account to buy a Martin custom shop model I would like to know what I'm actually getting.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Did they have pics of the fret markers before you bought it? As in did that happen in transit?


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Budda said:


> Did they have pics of the fret markers before you bought it? As in did that happen in transit?


No they didn't have any pictures of the markers in the listing. Almost every angle but... I don't think it happened in shipping as three of the markers show damage. What would be the odds in 5 days delivery time? The company has said not disclosing it "Is on them"...so I think they knew, but thought a buyer may not care. Who knows. Just waiting on them to confirm I will get a full refund and they will pay the return shipping. I needed to pay $155CAD to UPS...which I will eat unfortunately. 

Simply put. If I knew the issue I wouldn't have purchased the guitar.


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## Shaqrad (May 6, 2020)

From what I gather it has basically dried out at some point. Likely somewhere where the humidity dropped for a extended period of time. It does seem fixable though but from the sounds of it your likely to just cut your losses on this one


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Shaqrad said:


> From what I gather it has basically dried out at some point. Likely somewhere where the humidity dropped for a extended period of time. It does seem fixable though but from the sounds of it your likely to just cut your losses on this one


Yes, cutting my losses I guess. I'm not out to try to get them to give me money or anything...or make this a bigger deal than it needs to be...the whole thing is unfortunate and could have been avoided with proper disclosure of the condition.

My local builder/ luthier (Riversong guitars) said he could fix it/ level it out but it would likely reduce the value of the guitar and mentioned I should look into sending it to Martin...I don't want to go down that path. I guess you win some and lose some hey? I thought maybe some lacquer would melt things and I could polish it out, but I don't want to make it worse. Sometimes things are best left untouched...


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## teleboli (Aug 19, 2009)

Not sure where you're located but there are a number of trusted luthiers who can make that proper.

I would get an estimate for repair and ask the seller to cover it.

That makes sense 'to me', but I'm a bit Covid crazy.

Or return it yes.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Martin was nice enough to reply saying they are not accepting any more repair jobs...busy times. Yes, I trust my local luthier/ builder but when he says it will decrease value...that concerns me..oh well...best if i return it and start a fresh hunt haha


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

9.9/10 condition to me means that it’s been farted near once but quickly brushed away. I consider brand new amps and guitars in stores to be 8/10 condition.

99% of the time, I don’t care about a scratch or ding. I lied, I always do, but that’s not a realistic mindset for me to have and I don’t want to put musical equipment on that kind of pedestal. So I’ve adapted to 99% of the time not caring.

The 1% of the time I am concerned is when I am buying brand new. Or paying close to brand new prices. In this scenario, it’s a matter of principle.

In this case, I have no idea what you paid and I have no idea what your level of experience is in buying guitars. I know that some people expect a hell of a lot when buying something used. Example: If a person assumes that they will pay 40-50% of retail for something that is immaculate. Time changes that. But for the purposes of my response, I will assume that you are an informed buyer who has paid a fair price for an item on the pretence that it is in 9.9/10 condition. In that case, I think that you are right to be upset.

I don’t think that they will pay for the return shipping, if they are willing to accept a return at all.Furthermore, would caution anyone to believe that anything on Earth is in 9.9/10 condition. I’d assume moving forward that 1 being broken and 8 being near perfect that most things are 5-7/10 condition.

Given that it’s an acoustic guitar that is 8 years old, I would normally assume that it’s going to be in visibly used condition. The fact that it is a custom shop model would warrant your assumption that someone paid a lot of money and therefore valued it and took care of it more than a standard model.

They shouldn’t have said it was 9.9/10 condition and to be fair, you may have been a bit naive in believing that. My hope is that you get your money back and that they offer to pay for the return. You both lose money and that sucks. Mostly, I am sorry that you had your hopes up and likely worked and saved hard and we’re excited to receive this guitar. I hope that you find what you are looking for.

Love,
-Always Midnight


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Always12AM said:


> 9.9/10 condition to me means that it’s been farted near once but quickly brushed away. I consider brand new amps and guitars in stores to be 8/10 condition.
> 
> 99% of the time, I don’t care about a scratch or ding. I lied, I always do, but that’s not a realistic mindset for me to have and I don’t want to put musical equipment on that kind of pedestal. So I’ve adapted to 99% of the time not caring.
> 
> ...


I am a 37 year player and have likely owned well over 100 guitars. I hear what you are saying. The issue here really is with the not disclosing the issue and saying the guitar was mint. Mint does exists haha. I have sold mint guitars. This is a respected shop in California they deal with some very high quality guitars. I expected more I guess. Certain flaws I can ignore, while others talk to me relentlessly...the later, is the case already after 1 day.

The shop has gone quiet...we will see how this all plays out. LOL


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

pspguitar said:


> the company stating it is a 9.9/10





Always12AM said:


> They shouldn’t have said it was 9.9/10


The shop will just say that that's the 0.1/10 problem with it.


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

Take this for what it’s worth (which coming from me is almost nothing) but I had that on a Gibson Explorer once and a bunch of people said just let some Krazy Glue wick underneath. I did and it worked.

Would I try that on a custom shop Martin? Hell no!


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

I would return it if possible. If they offered a discount to pay a luthier to fix it, I would consider it. An estimate from a luthier for the repair would be a good idea. They should also be responsible for the $155 UPS charge. If everything falls through, I'm pretty sure we could all come up with a fix if we had close up pictures of the actual problem. I can't tell from the pics.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Update for anyone interested...mostly me I think  

I contacted Martin to ask who in my area is an authorized repair tech for Martin Custom Shop guitars. Apparently the tech at my local Long and McQuade is.

Based on photos, he believes the finish checking around the dot markers can be repaired. He feels it would be 2-3 hours at $78/hour for finish repairs.

So I have put that information forward to the shop in California were I purchased it. If they are willing to pay for it, I will keep the guitar. Beautiful tone...we will see

...if I do keep it I will post some before and after pics


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

pspguitar said:


> Update for anyone interested...mostly me I think
> 
> I contacted Martin to ask who in my area is an authorized repair tech for Martin Custom Shop guitars. Apparently the tech at my local Long and McQuade is.
> 
> ...


So, I might be completely ignorant in asking this, in fact I am but I am going to anyway. Is it simply the aspect that it was not disclosed and should reflect the final price that is the problem? I do not know much in the way of purchasing higher end guitars so I can only assume that someone always wants to maintain the value seeing as at the end of the day it would be important to retain most if not all of what one paid. Correct?? The simple matter of repairing it would alter it from its "original" condition and thus lower the value? Because other than that there is only one reason to own a guitar and that is how good it sounds and the how good it sounds is not a part of the finish imperfections. Please keep in mind I am curious, not condescending.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Brunz said:


> So, I might be completely ignorant in asking this, in fact I am but I am going to anyway. Is it simply the aspect that it was not disclosed and should reflect the final price that is the problem? I do not know much in the way of purchasing higher end guitars so I can only assume that someone always wants to maintain the value seeing as at the end of the day it would be important to retain most if not all of what one paid. Correct?? The simple matter of repairing it would alter it from its "original" condition and thus lower the value? Because other than that there is only one reason to own a guitar and that is how good it sounds and the how good it sounds is not a part of the finish imperfections. Please keep in mind I am curious, not condescending.


A thoughtful response actually -thanks. For me, playability and tone supersede everything. Overtime I have worked my self into a certain build quality and uniqueness of guitars. Having said that, you should see my #1 electric guitar...lol.. its thrashed. However, with that combination of P and T comes an inherent value which will always be subjective to the player. Different woods, different neck relief, neck thickness, body size, strings even, etc. That I can control based on what I purchase.

The finish checking around the fret markers is not only visible, but more importantly it can be felt...in my opinion this impacts playability and value for me. The store's not disclosing the finish checking on the neck is a big problem for me. I've ignored the shinny spots on the satin finish as 'to be expected for a guitar of that age' That wasn't disclosed either...Some may be bothered by that - not me - but the neck issue I can't let go.

Now, getting the guitar repaired...will it decrease the value? For some it may, but for me it would increase the value under the playability idea. 
The company has gone silent haha...always a good sign


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

What kind of money is this guitar?

If it is as much as I think it could be, they need to not only pay you for the repair and hassle, but also deduct and refund the value lost as it is not a 9.9 out of 10, it's about 7.8, or 7. They owe you. They can take the guitar back, but that will cost them all the shipping and other fees you paid. Squeeze the liars like a fucking lemon.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

player99 said:


> What kind of money is this guitar?
> 
> If it is as much as I think it could be, they need to not only pay you for the repair and hassle, but also deduct and refund the value lost as it is not a 9.9 out of 10, it's about 7.8, or 7. They owe you. They can take the guitar back, but that will cost them all the shipping and other fees you paid. Squeeze the liars like a fucking lemon.


You're hired!!! LoL


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

pspguitar said:


> I am a 37 year player and have likely owned well over 100 guitars. I hear what you are saying. The issue here really is with the not disclosing the issue and saying the guitar was mint. Mint does exists haha. I have sold mint guitars. This is a respected shop in California they deal with some very high quality guitars. I expected more I guess. Certain flaws I can ignore, while others talk to me relentlessly...the later, is the case already after 1 day.
> 
> The shop has gone quiet...we will see how this all plays out. LOL


I genuinely hope that this is resolved in a way where you aren’t getting burned. It’s a big disappointment after a long wait.

I think that I have an overly skeptical view on most situations that involve human honesty and money. One would hope that a business would conduct themselves in a way that lends itself to repeat business.

They may think you are overreacting, but it’s really hard to ignore a number of signs of use when a vendor is stating 9.9/10. Precision of language matters when it comes to a customers hard earned money. In reality, you may have been fine with the minor flaws had they been disclosed and the price was negotiated accordingly.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

Well alright, the pressure is on for the tech at L&M. 😆

Hopefully Martin didn't use some bizzare lacquer formula that is over rubberized or something. Some of the Gibson acoustics out of the Montana factory have a weird finish that is lacquer but not like I'm used to seeing. It's "soft" for some reason. I suppose this formula resists checking. Makes it really hard to do a repair on however.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

pspguitar said:


> Update for anyone interested...mostly me I think
> 
> I contacted Martin to ask who in my area is an authorized repair tech for Martin Custom Shop guitars. Apparently the tech at my local Long and McQuade is.
> 
> ...



If you really like the guitar I think that is the best option. I've had bad experiences returning guitars to the US.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

I'm returning the guitar.

Here's the shops response

"Thanks Anderew, being just a cosmetic issue I would not be able to spend that on this particular guitar. I will resell it and most will not mind long as I point it out. 

I will get you a return label"

Oh well, in eating the import costs...Yeah I don't want to put $300 into the guitar either


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

pspguitar said:


> I'm returning the guitar.
> 
> Here's the shops response
> 
> ...


What is the name of the shop you bought it from? I'd like to avoid them. 
Are they covering the shipping both ways? You can get any taxes you paid back from Canada Customs. You just have to be patient and fill out forms.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

I would ask them why, if most people wouldn’t mind if you pointed it out, why you didn’t bother to point it out to me?


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Once I get a refund I will name and shame ....


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

zztomato said:


> What is the name of the shop you bought it from? I'd like to avoid them.
> Are they covering the shipping both ways? You can get any taxes you paid back from Canada Customs. You just have to be patient and fill out forms.


Yes I went through that merry go round. I bought a 50's reissue strat from Wildwood guitars. It came with a broken truss rod so I returned it. I decided to upgrade to a Wildwood 10 custom shop strat and paid the difference. So Wildwood declares the whole value and I get dinged double for taxes I already paid. I filled out forms and was supposed to get some kind of documentation from Wildwood, which they were dicks about. I ended up just giving up and taking the loss. The whole thing wouldn't have happened if Wildwood had have been more diligent with their supposed in hand evaluations and a setup like they promised. If they had gone to set it up as they were supposed to they would have seen that you couldn't turn the truss rod. As well as the loud rattle they should have detected. So for this reason I will never ever order from Wildwood again and I'm more careful with anything ordered from the US.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

So what I have learned/ know from all of this even though I did most of the following:

1. Understand what may seem like a popular respected shop may be, but not in all cases.
2. Do your due diligence, even though, a guitar has pictures of almost every angle possible ask the company/ seller are there any known issues...even the minor stuff.... be willing to let your "dream guitar" go if they don't answer the questions. Some shops may try to intimidate you with their wording. Don't accept that!
3. Ask the seller if the guitar arrives in a condition that was not as described how will this be resolved with regards to shipping costs, import fees, etc.
4. If you are a seller, be honest about every little thing. Personally, I list my guitars as good or excellent even though I think they are mint It is better to over deliver and underpromise....only mint if plastic is still on the pickups etc...
5. As tempting as it is to deal privately with sellers and companies a few selling locations provide dispute resolution to help with problematic purchases.
6. Use a method of payment where you can get a refund CC/Paypal etc.
7. Document, take photos.
8. Use professional language in dealing with a dispute even though you want to use every 4 letter work in existence.
9. Do your research to show how much the potential fix would be and let the seller know the costs with screen shots or forwarding the luthier's response.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Excellent advice…after the fact. Seriously best of luck working it out.

I might add, be careful about cross border deals as warranties are often voided and returns can be unnecessarily complicated compared to a domestic deal.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

pspguitar said:


> So what I have learned/ know from all of this even though I did most of the following:
> 
> be willing to let your "dream guitar" go if they don't answer the questions.


If this truly was your dream guitar and you confirmed the tone and feel of this guitar as worthy of your "dream guitar" status then I never would have sent it back due to some minor, undisclosed blemishes. Sure I would have been pissed off but if the tone and feel and everything else is in the "dream guitar" category then its just not worth sending back. Would you like it better if aesthetically it was pure mint but sounded like a dog and the neck was uncomfortable in your hands?
But then I'm the guy who's guitars look like they've had 10 years of ageing after only having them 5 years. I just don't baby them so although it would suck if they came with blemishes it wouldn't matter to me as they'd have lots of marks on them after 6 months.
After a really bad experience I had with a buyer of one of my Martins, where he showed up and tried to get my price down by saying the guitar wasn't mint and tried to say there were marks that weren't there I always tell potential buyers that ask me if its mint, "sorry its sold". It was D-18 GE that I only had for about 2 months and decided the neck wasn't for me so it had no marks on it.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

JBFairthorne said:


> Excellent advice…after the fact. Seriously best of luck working it out.
> 
> *I might add, be careful about cross border deals as warranties are often voided* and returns can be unnecessarily complicated compared to a domestic deal.


Martin guitar warranties are good US\Canada regardless of which side of the border you got it from


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

I have used that term "dream guitar" loosely here. Like a surfer searching for the perfect wave...The guitar did had everything I have been in search of - wood combination, body size, nut width, Custom Shop build, etc.

It was a real debate for me to consider sending it back.
This is not buyer's remorse or anything like that. I can live with some wear that was not disclosed. Simply put, there's issues with the guitar that I will not accept...so back it goes.

I'm I a discerning buyer? Yes, I am. I know what I want and, but also realistic.

Simply put, If the instrument was properly described I would have passed on the purchase.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

pspguitar said:


> I am a 37 year player and have likely owned well over 100 guitars. I hear what you are saying. The issue here really is with the not disclosing the issue and saying the guitar was mint. Mint does exists haha. I have sold mint guitars. This is a respected shop in California they deal with some very high quality guitars. I expected more I guess. Certain flaws I can ignore, while others talk to me relentlessly...the later, is the case already after 1 day.
> 
> The shop has gone quiet...we will see how this all plays out. LOL


You have to wonder if whoever provided the rating and posted description also only saw the photos you did, and didn't really do a thorough inspection. Not trying to make excuses for them, but if they have the sort of clientele and reputation that warrants the high price you describe, then I'd think that someone, somewhere along the way, was working with less than complete information, and honestly didn't think they'd be risking their reputation or the nuisance of a potential refund.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

mhammer said:


> You have to wonder if whoever provided the rating and posted description also only saw the photos you did, and didn't really do a thorough inspection. Not trying to make excuses for them, but if they have the sort of clientele and reputation that warrants the high price you describe, then I'd think that someone, somewhere along the way, was working with less than complete information, and honestly didn't think they'd be risking their reputation or the nuisance of a potential refund.


Yeah, I think it was a very quick turn around for the shop. The guitar came in, they snapped some photos, they listed it, My alerts fired based on certain criteria, and I purchased it hours later. The description talked about a complete set up and new strings, etc...Definitely not new strings haha Residue all over the strings and a strong cigar smell to the guitar...maybe they should have put that in the listing too


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## 2manyGuitars (Jul 6, 2009)

pspguitar said:


> It was a real debate for me to consider sending it back.
> This is not buyer's remorse or anything like that. I can live with some wear that was not disclosed. Simply put, there's issues with the guitar that I will not accept...so back it goes.
> 
> I'm I a discerning buyer? Yes, I am. I know what I want and, but also realistic.
> ...


And that’s the bottom line. If you list a 9.9/10 guitar, charge me for a 9.9/10 guitar, and then ship me a 9.9/10 guitar, we’re all good.

But if an 8.5/10 guitar shows up, that’s not gonna fly with me either. Either adjust my price to reflect an 8.5/10 or it’s going back. As OP stated, the store wasn’t willing to budge.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

pspguitar said:


> strong cigar smell to the guitar.


That is the kind of thing that never gets disclosed and, in my mind, should always be disclosed. It takes a long time for tobacco smoke smell to dissipate. I would rather have a guitar with cosmetic issues than one the reeked of cigar.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

zztomato said:


> That is the kind of thing that never gets disclosed and, in my mind, should always be disclosed. It takes a long time for tobacco smoke smell to dissipate. I would rather have a guitar with cosmetic issues than one the reeked of cigar.


Where I come from... that was the smell of a guitar. It wasn't until much later in my life did I realize that they were not supposed to smell like that.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Here's a view of the wear on the 9.9/10 mint guitar. That didn't bother me as much as the checking on the neck 😉


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Their 1.0 or hell even a 5.0 must be very very low. I get why the finish is like that, I would even expect it, but you cannot tell me that is a 99% perfect condition guitar.

I got this one i can sell you, its a strong 9.5 out of 10, professional headstock repair 🤣


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Well, I received a full refund. Including return shipping costs so I give credit to the seller for that. I noticed the guitar was for sale again before I got a refund and needed to prompt the refund. However, I am out the import duties/ brokerage fees. I see the seller has placed the guitar for sale for a few hundred less than I paid. I paid directly to the store's shop, not on Reverb. It would have been much less money to pay for a repair for me...I guess he "had to be right" idea....anyways.... the description added, "Just a couple of minor scuffs" 9.9/10...

I'm not trying to discredit someone's business or anything, I'm just warning people what's out there and maybe people can learn from my experience.

End of thread!


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

I am glad that it worked out for you, I can assume you could get your import fees and taxes back if you wanted. I still find it hard to believe from what I saw that it is a 9.9, that is a little misleading.

I also really love that "there's nothing to dislike about this small bodied Martin" because you disliked something about it so much that you went to the hassle of returning it. 

Thanks for the update and I am glad you got it mostly all sorted.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Brunz said:


> I am glad that it worked out for you, I can assume you could get your import fees and taxes back if you wanted. I still find it hard to believe from what I saw that it is a 9.9, that is a little misleading.
> 
> I also really love that "there's nothing to dislike about this small bodied Martin" because you disliked something about it so much that you went to the hassle of returning it.
> 
> Thanks for the update and I am glad you got it mostly all sorted.


I will look into the import taxes, but the brokerage fees alone with UPS were $86.95


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

pspguitar said:


> I will look into the import taxes, but the brokerage fees alone with UPS were $86.95


That is a little gross, but I do suppose 86.95 is better than a guitar that makes you upset. The really crummy thing in all of this is that you wanted that guitar and you still don't have it.


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## pspguitar (Jan 21, 2021)

Brunz said:


> That is a little gross, but I do suppose 86.95 is better than a guitar that makes you upset. The really crummy thing in all of this is that you wanted that guitar and you still don't have it.


Yeah, I don't expect to get the brokerage fees back but the additional taxes...well over $100... maybe. I need to read up one that one... I guess he contact Canada customs...

I believe this form will allow for an import tax refund: tax refund


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## Eric Reesor (Jan 26, 2020)

The lesson here is that ebony moves and if finish is applied to the edge it must be a of a type that moves with the wood. A friend of my has a what would now cost 20,000 euro Guitarras Manuel Contreras – Luthier 2004 limited production design award winning classical guitar.
Of course it does not have dots or other distractions on the neck at all and is built in traditional fashion but to a very high standard of materials and finish. 

During dry weather in the cold dry air of Alberta the fingerboard started to have the frets become exposed along the sides of a top quality ebony fingerboard. My friend Jim was worried that the ebony might just start to damage the structure of the neck. But because it is built well when the guitar was carefully kept in a warmer slightly more humid environment the ebony expanded enough to go back to original condition and the fret edges went back to a more playable condition like magic.
A custom shop Martin with a finish on the side of the fingerboard is just a faster way to finish a production guitar that no luthier of a instrument that is going to be played continuously for years should do. Sure it makes the ebony shine but it is a royal PITA if you re-fret the instrument or if like the OP's. Having to bling up guitars for the sake of resale value like a used car is the curse one pays if you modify a paint job. Which is all a guitar finish really is.

Just my opinion on the topic but I want my guitar to look played and loved even if it looks aged and withered all I care about is the sound and playability of an instrument.


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