Issues with custom guitar - advise please!

Alex2678

The paint run is worse that the other thing. I do like being able to see that something was handmade in the sense that it doesn’t look it was made by a perfectly calculating machine, and was made by a person with care, but if the person made a cock up and didn’t tidy it up, that’s different

boogieman

I can understand wanting to see that something is handmade, but that’s just sloppy workmanship, not “the hand of the master” at play. Or if it is, I don’t think much of their master.  I’d be pissed off with the faults, but even more pissed off with their reply to the OP’s complaint. As someone else said, I can’t imagine Feline would send a guitar that out like that. They need to step up and sort it out. 

skunkwerx

To be Frank I’d try one of the other brothers.

AlexO

Can we see the actual guitar, love there designs… 

Andy79

UnclePsychosis

Now THAT is a nice guitar. Love it. 

Jtaylor

So a quick update... 

Frank Brothers got back to me very promptly last night with an apology and have explained they are happy to arrange shipping it back to them so that they can fix it or they are happy to pay a luthier in the UK to sort it out. I have emailed Feline Guitars and another luthier I trust to see if they can fix the finish flaws, so hopefully one way or another this can all be rectified! 

Thanks for all the advice and kind words everyone, I am quite relieved that this should be fixed and sorted so that I can fully enjoy the new guitar. I will post a NGD thread once it is all done. 

bertie

Jtaylor said:

So a quick update... 

Frank Brothers got back to me very promptly last night with an apology and have explained they are happy to arrange shipping it back to them so that they can fix it or they are happy to pay a luthier in the UK to sort it out. I have emailed Feline Guitars and another luthier I trust to see if they can fix the finish flaws, so hopefully one way or another this can all be rectified! 

Thanks for all the advice and kind words everyone, I am quite relieved that this should be fixed and sorted so that I can fully enjoy the new guitar. I will post a NGD thread once it is all done. 

one  word of "warning" (and apologies if you've already done this)

get them to agree to the amount they will pay  and/or get a quote and get them to agree to it. 

Jtaylor

Thanks for the warning @bertie . If Feline is able to fix the finish flaws, then I will absolutely be asking for a quote and request payment in full from Frank Bros prior to any work being done as I don't want to be out of pocket

Whitecat

If it were me I'd ask whoever was refinishing to invoice FB directly and have them pay (they can agree their own terms). Taking you out of the money transfer equation completely will save everyone time & possibly cash too where exchange rates are concerned, and it also gives FB confidence that you're not a chancer and are taking this seriously.

Jtaylor

That is a great idea @Whitecat , thanks. Will definitely do that if someone over here is able to fix it

Offset

Hopefully a happy ending.  Those two issues aside, that looks like a stunning guitar.

Lewy

Whitecat said:

If it were me I'd ask whoever was refinishing to invoice FB directly and have them pay (they can agree their own terms). Taking you out of the money transfer equation completely will save everyone time & possibly cash too where exchange rates are concerned, and it also gives FB confidence that you're not a chancer and are taking this seriously.

I probably wouldn't be keen on that if I was doing the work...why get in the middle of an "issue" if you can just get paid for your work without having to deal with a third party, especially an overseas one?

Either way, very glad this is looking like it's going to be sorted, especially as a more meaningful response from the builder means you won't be left with a niggle/resentment over it all. It's a cracking looking guitar.

Whitecat

Lewy said:

Whitecat said:

If it were me I'd ask whoever was refinishing to invoice FB directly and have them pay (they can agree their own terms). Taking you out of the money transfer equation completely will save everyone time & possibly cash too where exchange rates are concerned, and it also gives FB confidence that you're not a chancer and are taking this seriously.

I probably wouldn't be keen on that if I was doing the work...why get in the middle of an "issue" if you can just get paid for your work without having to deal with a third party, especially an overseas one?

Either way, very glad this is looking like it's going to be sorted, especially as a more meaningful response from the builder means you won't be left with a niggle/resentment over it all. It's a cracking looking guitar.

I would prefer it that way. Why not put the building blocks of a relationship with an overseas builder who isn't distributed in this country, thereby potentially being a warranty service go-to in the future? Besides that, it is the normal way things are done with warranty claims. If your TV develops a serviceable fault, Panasonic or whomever doesn't reimburse you or pay you cash upfront for having the work done. Someone does it and invoices them. It's good practice for fraud prevention and it means that there is a direct line of communication too between the repairer and the manufacturer just in case.

john_r

That looks like a killer guitar! happy to read that things look like they are going to be resolved!

JodyJames

Jtaylor said:

Thanks for all the help and advice everyone. I too was disappointed with the rather dismissive email from Frank Brothers and have replied following your suggestions asking to either return the guitar for a full refund, to return the guitar for them to fix it and send back to me, or for them to cover the cost of a UK guitar finisher fixing the issues. I will update this thread when I hear back. 

For those that asked, I paid with paypal so I can always raise a dispute with them should Frank Brothers not want to fix this. 

Thanks for the kind words @Philly_Q , if I am honest it has taken away from the experience of getting to order a custom guitar but hopefully it will get sorted and I can then enjoy it

@Boromedic I absolutely love the frets, thanks again for letting me play yours, it really helped make my decision! 

Can I ask what kind of frets they are? They look a nice shape, and good and chunky in the photo. Glad the situation is headed in the right direction for you.

Jtaylor

@JodyJames of course! They are Jescar Stainless steel frets (51108), I really like the feel of them

elstoof

Glad to hear they’re doing right by you in the end

JodyJames

Jtaylor said:

@JodyJames of course! They are Jescar Stainless steel frets (51108), I really like the feel of them

Thanks! Those look really interesting - I've come to love chunkier frets, but feel as though I'd like something with less of a flat crown - this could be just the ticket!

musicman100

Very sloppy