Cosmetic Inlay Issues?

[matthew_co]

Hi everyone; first time poster here. So I recently purchased a gorgeous Wood Library McCarty 594.

Overall the guitar looks and plays great. My one issue is with the inlay work, which of course doesn’t affect the playability in any way. I hate to say it, but it looks…sloppy, and for a $5k guitar I expect even the cosmetic details to be absolutely perfect. One of the inlays actually looks like it has burn spots on it, and almost all of the bird inlays are out of line with their outlines. Granted, you do have to be looking pretty closely to notice these things but still.

To be completely transparent, this is the first guitar of this quality/price that I’ve ever owned, so I’m not sure if this is to be expected from outlined inlays like this. For those of you who own PRS models with similar outlined inlays, did you notice the same thing or was every inlay absolutely perfect? Am I overreacting? My gut tells me that for 5k these inlays should all be perfectly lined up but I’d like to know if this is a common thing. Thanks!

What looks like a burned inlay on fret 5:
https://ibb.co/HzBLjnb

the guitar:
https://ibb.co/mqnNNJm

example of perfect inlay on 3rd fret:
https://ibb.co/NLp9qBH

remaining inlays with small gaps between the birds and the outlines:
https://ibb.co/JyHJMgh
https://ibb.co/41TPcfx

 

[shimmilou]

Are you insane, or just trolling?

 

[matthew_co]

Are you insane, or just trolling?

Im confused? So small burn marks and gaps between the birds and the outlines are to be expected? Why be disrespectful about this?

 

[shimmilou]

You kick the door in with the title of your thread, and ask about being disrespectful?

 

[jak3af3r]

Those aren't burns. The Shell material has natural brown spots in it. My custom 24 does in several places. If there's no gap, they won't fit together. Appearance wise, it may not look great but nobody would even notice that if you're playing it.

I'd also be concerned if they were so tight you couldn't find gaps and the wood expanded more than the inlay material and cracked it.

Those outline inlays are difficult to produce because each one has 2-3 pieces. While you're cutting them the tools will dull and start cutting less effectively which you can see on some older guitars where the inlays weren't as intricate because they'll have black or similar colored filler around the wood rout.

 

[matthew_co]

You kick the door in with the title of your thread, and ask about being disrespectful?

I’m simply asking if this would be considered sloppy inlay work. This was an incredibly expensive guitar and I’m just curious if this may have slipped past QC or if I’m overreacting. I simply wanted to know if others who own guitars with outlined inlays noticed the same thing. As you can see from the photos, one inlay literally has brown spots on it. I’m not sure how asking “would others consider this sloppy inlay work” is disrespectful? If you do not have any insight into this please refrain from commenting any further. No company, guitar or otherwise, perfect. Simply questioning the quality of an expensive product is not disrespectful.

 

[ElrytNamrogo]

On my 2012 Custom 24 (somewhere in the $3200 range, IIRC) seems to have perfect outlines. On my Wood Library 24/08 (similarly priced to your WL) the inlays are not as perfect. The way I've always seen it is, the organic materials that make up inlay material placed in the organic woods that make up the fret board...well, "perfection" is just a very difficult (if not impossible) thing to achieve.

Your guitar is absolutely beautiful, but if the inlays bother you, you may see about returning or exchanging it with the dealer. Keep in mind, though....as I mentioned, a "perfect" guitar is VERY rare, even in the Private Stock realm. Exchanging the guitar because of the inlay work, you may find yourself with a guitar with a different imperfection.

Can't remember who said it, but it was something along the lines of "you stare at a guitar long enough, and you will eventually find imperfection somewhere in it."

 

[matthew_co]

Those aren't burns. The Shell material has natural brown spots in it. My custom 24 does in several places. If there's no gap, they won't fit together. Appearance wise, it may not look great but nobody would even notice that if you're playing it.

I'd also be concerned if they were so tight you couldn't find gaps and the wood expanded more than the inlay material and cracked it.

Those outline inlays are difficult to produce because each one has 2-3 pieces. While you're cutting them the tools will dull and start cutting less effectively which you can see on some older guitars where the inlays weren't as intricate because they'll have black or similar colored filler around the wood rout.

Thanks for the insight, Jake! Good to know

 

[matthew_co]

On my 2012 Custom 24 (somewhere in the $32K range, IIRC) seems to have perfect outlines. On my Wood Library 24/08 (similarly priced to your WL) the inlays are not as perfect. The way I've always seen it is, the organic materials that make up inlay material placed in the organic woods that make up the fret board...well, "perfection" is just a very difficult (if not impossible) thing to achieve.

Your guitar is absolutely beautiful, but if the inlays bother you, you may see about returning or exchanging it with the dealer. Keep in mind, though....as I mentioned, a "perfect" guitar is VERY rare, even in the Private Stock realm. Exchanging the guitar because of the inlay work, you may find yourself with a guitar with a different imperfection.

Can't remember who said it, but it was something along the lines of "you stare at a guitar long enough, and you will eventually find imperfection somewhere in it."

Thanks for your response; all makes sense. I’m with you, it’s one of those things that the average person watching me play or even looking over the guitar probably wouldn’t notice. Of course I’m a bit fixated on it now haha

 

[jak3af3r]

Thanks for the insight, Jake! Good to know

Anytime!

And they way those inlays are glued in, I doubt there's any physical gap. You're probably looking at clear CA glue. I'm pretty sure they would've fallen out by now if that weren't the case.

Great looking guitar BTW!

 

[ElrytNamrogo]

Thanks for your response; all makes sense. I’m with you, it’s one of those things that the average person watching me play or even looking over the guitar probably wouldn’t notice. Of course I’m a bit fixated on it now haha

No problem at all! I hear you on the fixated part, especially when it's your first "big" purchase and regardless of how you look at it, PRS guitars are expensive guitars. I was hoping for "perfection" on my first couple brand new purchases, but as I mentioned, it's just almost impossible when working with all the organic materials involved.

All in all, you have a beautiful guitar that, from the sounds of it, plays great and sounds great. Sometimes (if not always) we just have to weigh the pros and cons when deciding on whether or not a guitar is for us or not.

 

[RJK Tech]

I’m simply asking if this would be considered sloppy inlay work. This was an incredibly expensive guitar and I’m just curious if this may have slipped past QC or if I’m overreacting. I simply wanted to know if others who own guitars with outlined inlays noticed the same thing. As you can see from the photos, one inlay literally has brown spots on it. I’m not sure how asking “would others consider this sloppy inlay work” is disrespectful? If you do not have any insight into this please refrain from commenting any further. No company, guitar or otherwise, perfect. Simply questioning the quality of an expensive product is not disrespectful.

Your guitar looks great. I think the dark marks are natural and not man made.

The birds don’t look bad either.

If those things will bug you, swap it out with one that won’t.

Otherwise, how does it play and sound?

 

[matthew_co]

Your guitar looks great. I think the dark marks are natural and not man made.

The birds don’t look bad either.

If those things will bug you, swap it out with one that won’t.

Otherwise, how does it play and sound?

Thanks for the reply! It plays and sounds fantastic, which of course is the most important thing. Just trying to gauge if what I’m seeing with the inlay misalignment and spots is common, which, based on some of the other comments regarding the difficulty of working with organic materials, seems to be the case.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Im confused? So small burn marks and gaps between the birds and the outlines are to be expected? Why be disrespectful about this?

You come to expect it on this site. You can’t say anything remotely negative about the brand on here without a handful of people getting bent out of shape, as if you’d slapped one of their kids! It’s weird.

Anyway, to me it doesn’t look like a defect as such, it’s just an ‘inconsistency’. These are (mostly) natural materials so you would expect a certain amount of difference. As for the fit, yes it does look like it could be better. I actually don’t mind the look of the gap/line, it makes them a bit more interesting. Either way you’ve got two choices: keep it or send it back.

 

[Ovibos]

You come to expect it on this site. You can’t say anything remotely negative about the brand on here without a handful of people getting bent out of shape, as if you’d slapped one of their kids! It’s weird.

Respectfully disagree. It's almost never about content, it's about tone.

Anyway, to me it doesn’t look like a defect as such, it’s just an ‘inconsistency’. These are (mostly) natural materials so you would expect a certain amount of difference. As for the fit, yes it does look like it could be better. I actually don’t mind the look of the gap/line, it makes them a bit more interesting. Either way you’ve got two choices: keep it or send it back.

Completely agree. Looking as closely as the OP, my 2017 Wood Library has some of the same 'character' - I chalk it up to variances of organic material.

 

[QuiltTop319]

brown spots-natural variation of color on the bird. Not an issue

 

[Uncle Bob]

Respectfully disagree. It's almost never about content, it's about tone.

So, what was wrong with the OP’s ‘tone’ then?

In my experience it’s exactly how I said it. There’s a distinctly cliquey feel on this site and if you dare say anything they don’t like they close ranks and post their displeasure, typically with some kind of withering passive aggressive BS in the hope of getting ‘likes’ from the forum regulars. It’s textbook behaviour.

Personally I think this site does actually contain a lot of really useful info. But I could do without having to wade through all the insecurity that appears when somebody posts anything remotely challenging.

 

[matthew_co]

brown spots-natural variation of color on the bird. Not an issue

Thanks for the insight!

 

[cjlloyd]

So, what was wrong with the OP’s ‘tone’ then?

In my experience it’s exactly how I said it. There’s a distinctly cliquey feel on this site and if you dare say anything they don’t like they close ranks and post their displeasure, typically with some kind of withering passive aggressive BS in the hope of getting ‘likes’ from the forum regulars. It’s textbook behaviour.

Personally I think this site does actually contain a lot of really useful info. But I could do without having to wade through all the insecurity that appears when somebody posts anything remotely challenging.

I would have to agree and say that there was nothing wrong with the tone of the original post. There’s a big difference between this sort of post, and the sort that usually attract derision, so I think there was an overreaction in this case.

Ultimately, a forum is a place where people come and express their opinions, more or less anonymously, on very subjective topics about which everyone on the forum is very passionate. I think it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll get some friction from time to time.

 

[Ovibos]

I would have to agree and say that there was nothing wrong with the tone of the original post. There’s a big difference between this sort of post, and the sort that usually attract derision, so I think there was an overreaction in this case.

Ultimately, a forum is a place where people come and express their opinions, more or less anonymously, on very subjective topics about which everyone on the forum is very passionate. I think it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll get some friction from time to time.

You beat me to it!

I didn't have a problem with the OP's tone. It's unfortunate when it's used as a way to go to generalized ad hominems.