SE 24 Custom, 35 Year Anniversary Edition arrives.

[CandidPicker]

The point is that I DON'T KNOW so I ask for other's ideas and thoughts, because I've been through all the obvious, plain logic explanations and solutions myself trying to figure this sh*t out!
It's not like I'm wasted or have 3 brain cells working. (must be at least 5).
Starting to feel like a ******ng suspect or something here.

Well, probably just need some sleep.
Later.

Chris,

I'm sorry you've have such a bad time with your new guitar. I think the consensus on this forum is that we welcome newcomers and try to comprehend what issues each of us might have with our gear.

First, you're not a suspect, yet what we're doing is much like what students do when they don't know all of the details regards what's presented, so we ask questions. It may seem like we're grilling you from a variety of angles (several people asking and commenting combined). That can feel overwhelming, and yes, I think we've all experienced that at some point in time regards our lives.

I think we may have just got off on the wrong foot, but wish to reassure you that this forum is not like many other guitar forums who might pounce on a guy for airing his concerns. Your maintenance work on the guitar reflects your attention to detail, and shows that you know what you're doing regards guitar maintenance. (Others might have reasoned that it would be easier to return the guitar. You reasoned that the repair work was not that difficult and did not pose a problem to you.)

Because this is a guitar forum, we enjoy sharing photos of our recent purchases so we can congratulate you on your choice. Not because we suspect any wrongdoing. It's important that you kind of have to trust that this forum is a collaboration of guitarists from all walks of life. If perhaps you find something you'd like to comment about, that's why this forum exists. To encourage an exchange of ideas, learn something new, make use of practical applications, and air our grievances, if we feel we need to.

That being said, pull up a chair, grab a cool drink, and enjoy.

 

[Bob Hundemer]

I wish two things. Firstly that you didn't receive a guitar in that kind of condition and secondly that you would tell us where you purchased the guitar. That might be helpful to others to avoid buying from that source.
Also its possible with the Covid 19 thing communications are not so stellar as they might be in a better time.

 

[CandidPicker]

I wish two things. Firstly that you didn't receive a guitar in that kind of condition and secondly that you would tell us where you purchased the guitar. That might be helpful to others to avoid buying from that source.
Also its possible with the Covid 19 thing communications are not so stellar as they might be in a better time.

Bob,

I think the OP was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the questions. Chris did mention that Gear4Music was the original source, but didn't mention the smaller retailer's name, for his own reasons. I just think we got off on the wrong foot with Chris, and he likely needs time to work out his situation with the retailer if he hasn't done so already.

And I agree with you about why no one would likely be happy about that guitar's condition if they received it. This is one instance where working towards a good solution helps rather than requiring more information Chris may not feel like sharing. Ya gotta credit the guy for doing a decent job of maintenance, or that's what I see Chris has presented thus far.

 

[Bob Hundemer]

I certainly agree that he did an excellent job in getting the guitar back to excellent condition. Hopefully now he can enjoy the guitar.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

As for contacting PRS, why did you not use the support email address listed on the PRS web page?

Say what?
Have I really been that blind?
That was the first thing I looked for, but found only the "Contact us on social media" links...

Ahh, now I see it
Not the most intuitive placement of a contact e-mail though, it should be in the footer along with the other "About" stuff, and grey against dark grey isn't a very good choice of colors!

Must have been a bit stressed when not seeing it, and I'm pretty sure a Google search for prsguitars support contact e-mail would have done the job as well.
But I figured if they ask you to contact them through social media, that's where most companies respond quickest. I don't use Facebook though, so maybe that's where the action is at.

But, then I'll fire off an e-mail to them and try to figure out this mystery.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

Because I said so. That's why.

Man, what's with the attitude?
Let's take it outside, should we?

 

[Aahzz]

Say what?
Have I really been that blind?
That was the first thing I looked for, but found only the "Contact us on social media" links...

Ahh, now I see it
Not the most intuitive placement of a contact e-mail though, it should be in the footer along with the other "About" stuff, and grey against dark grey isn't a very good choice of colors!

Must have been a bit stressed when not seeing it, and I'm pretty sure a Google search for prsguitars support contact e-mail would have done the job as well.
But I figured if they ask you to contact them through social media, that's where most companies respond quickest. I don't use Facebook though, so maybe that's where the action is at.

But, then I'll fire off an e-mail to them and try to figure out this mystery.

I agree that it should be placed much more prominently.

 

[jxe]

i just want to say chris looks serious! and that board looks way better after the treatment.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

Chris,

I'm sorry you've have such a bad time with your new guitar. I think the consensus on this forum is that we welcome newcomers and try to comprehend what issues each of us might have with our gear.

First, you're not a suspect, yet what we're doing is much like what students do when they don't know all of the details regards what's presented, so we ask questions. It may seem like we're grilling you from a variety of angles (several people asking and commenting combined). That can feel overwhelming, and yes, I think we've all experienced that at some point in time regards our lives.

I think we may have just got off on the wrong foot, but wish to reassure you that this forum is not like many other guitar forums who might pounce on a guy for airing his concerns. Your maintenance work on the guitar reflects your attention to detail, and shows that you know what you're doing regards guitar maintenance. (Others might have reasoned that it would be easier to return the guitar. You reasoned that the repair work was not that difficult and did not pose a problem to you.)

Because this is a guitar forum, we enjoy sharing photos of our recent purchases so we can congratulate you on your choice. Not because we suspect any wrongdoing. It's important that you kind of have to trust that this forum is a collaboration of guitarists from all walks of life. If perhaps you find something you'd like to comment about, that's why this forum exists. To encourage an exchange of ideas, learn something new, make use of practical applications, and air our grievances, if we feel we need to.

That being said, pull up a chair, grab a cool drink, and enjoy.

Thanks man. The cool drinks are in place, speakers are playing some blues and life is not half-bad! Not to mention that I have a great looking AND working guitar, so what more to ask for, right?
I did start to wonder what hell-hole I'd dragged myself into, joining this forum But, as with the guitar I believe that the dust will settle once the bar-fighting is over.

I get your response here, and also most of the questions being asked are totally valid for a case like this. I'm not a stranger to forums, being a software engineer, and I can tell you that those dudes are not always cozy and snuggly either. No problem, I can take a hit or three.

And to all the people that recognizes my "neck-job" as thorough : I really appreciate that. It means a lot to me to hear / read.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

I wish two things. Firstly that you didn't receive a guitar in that kind of condition and secondly that you would tell us where you purchased the guitar. That might be helpful to others to avoid buying from that source.
Also its possible with the Covid 19 thing communications are not so stellar as they might be in a better time.

I thought I did tell where I bought it, but in my main post I see that I didn't.
As I said in one of the other answers, it's purchased online from Gear4Music, and that is the "dealer" in this scenario.
There is NO RETAILER IN BETWEEN.
It's the largest UK based online retailer of musical instruments and music equipment and I've purchased stuff from them for many years and never ever had any complaints.

They don't have physical stores, so they can't be blamed for mistreating anything as they have no contact with the actual products they sell.
But, they probably use 3rd party storage for some locations, I don't know the details of their business.

They order directly from the brands they sell and uses specialized storage facilities for keeping stock, distributed at different locations around the world.
These are monitored storage facilities for storing valuable gear such as different instruments, electronics and other sensitive equipment.

 

[CandidPicker]

Thanks man. The cool drinks are in place, speakers are playing some blues and life is not half-bad! Not to mention that I have a great looking AND working guitar, so what more to ask for, right?
I did start to wonder what hell-hole I'd dragged myself into, joining this forum But, as with the guitar I believe that the dust will settle once the bar-fighting is over.

I get your response here, and also most of the questions being asked are totally valid for a case like this. I'm not a stranger to forums, being a software engineer, and I can tell you that those dudes are not always cozy and snuggly either. No problem, I can take a hit or three.

And to all the people that recognizes my "neck-job" as thorough : I really appreciate that. It means a lot to me to hear / read.

No worries, Chris,

I think we all have a ton of personal things going on ourselves and bearing our souls only to feel pounced on doesn't make one feel better.

Just to be clear, only a few of us are battle-worn bar veterans. Some of us have seen our days where we would drink ourselves silly. Many of us stepped away from that scene, or better yet, joined bands where we could charm the crowds with our music, not so much sitting at home waiting for a cardboard box with cheesy crusts and debating who gets the last beer or slice.

If I've learned anything on this forum, it's that is a far more peaceful place than the rest of the world, and TBH, we kind of like it that way.

One small thing we do enjoy is hearing about when something is on the truck, and then shows up at your door. This is the entire scope of most of our welcoming ways. You take picture of cardboard box. You open box, You show us contents. We congratulate on your choice and its like virtual beers all around.

No one sizes you up, goes home drunk, or even to the hospital or jail. This is why this forum is awesome. It encourages hobbies and build projects, maintenance, and repair, positive habits, instead of what we commonly view for so-called entertainment elsewhere. THAT, my friend, is a darn good reason for being a forum member.

The only caveat is that buying a PRS is like why you like bars. You enjoy the socialization, the camaraderie, and are fiercely concerned when others take an opposing stance. This forum is similar in that we love to discuss all things PRS, but kind of exclude discussions about builders other than PRS. As you get your feet wet, you'll find a niche for yourself. We only encourage you to ask questions if perhaps you don't know something. There are plenty of folks here who can not only answer your questions but also instruct you if you might need some assistance.

Please forgive me if I seem like I'm speaking like an old fart to a young upstart. (Not my style). Just hoping you'll feel more welcomed once you get the first several uncomfortable feelings under your belt. Welcome, we hope you'll share more of your guitar journey with us, be it just practice, or purchase. Enjoy your time here.

 

[AP515]

Glad you are happy with it now that you have cleaned it up. A couple things to think about. PRS did not ship it directly from Indonesia. Every SE goes through Maryland and gets a quick inspection there. Then it goes to the Gear4 Music warehouse. PRS does not ship to the end user. Gear4music would have shipped it to Sweden. So though they only have an online presence, there are many opportunities to get the guitar in the condition you experienced. Shipping to Sweden is probably the one that did it. Salty air is the most likely reason that the strings and frets show tarnish/rusting.

 

[Black-Viper75]

Hello Chris and welcome to the forum. I'm really sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience with your guitar. I can't imagine how disappointing and frustrating that was for you. I must say that I was really impressed with the before and after pictures of your guitar. Unfortunately I utterly lack those kind of skills. I, too, am interested in finding out why you received your guitar in that condition because I also purchased the same guitar a few months ago and I also live in Europe. Mine (besides a nut issue) was in perfect condition. Even the strings felt and sounded fresh. This really stirs my curiosity as to what sadly happened to your guitar. I purchased mine from the official distributor here in Greece. You mentioned you live near Sweden so your local distributor should be EM Nordic https://www.emnordic.dk/maerker/prs/prs-se (in case you may ever want to look for another PRS). I really hope you continue to enjoy your guitar now that you've set her up and find her just as inspiring as I find mine.

On a closing note, feel no ill will by the questions other members were asking you. I'm also new around here but I'm sure they just wanted info to help you the best each of them could. I've been around a lot of guitar forums but this is the first one that feels like home. It's toxic free, friendly and welcoming....even to new SE folk like us who elsewhere are looked down upon.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

Glad you are happy with it now that you have cleaned it up. A couple things to think about. PRS did not ship it directly from Indonesia. Every SE goes through Maryland and gets a quick inspection there. Then it goes to the Gear4 Music warehouse. PRS does not ship to the end user. Gear4music would have shipped it to Sweden. So though they only have an online presence, there are many opportunities to get the guitar in the condition you experienced. Shipping to Sweden is probably the one that did it. Salty air is the most likely reason that the strings and frets show tarnish/rusting.

You see, I've done that part of the research. This guitar was produced in Indonesia, shipped to the European Tech Centre (York in the UK) for checkup, then sent to Sweden for storage.
That's the reason behind this being such a "mystery" to me. I trust PRS, I trust Gear4Music's storage facilities (they do sell instruments worth several thousand dollars and stored in the same place) and from Sweden to Norway where I live is like a stone-throw away.

But I think I'll let this case rest until I get more information about the routines from the official PRS support team, now that I've finally found the correct address, thanks to @Aahzz

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

No worries, Chris,

I think we all have a ton of personal things going on ourselves and bearing our souls only to feel pounced on doesn't make one feel better.

Just to be clear, only a few of us are battle-worn bar veterans. Some of us have seen our days where we would drink ourselves silly. Many of us stepped away from that scene, or better yet, joined bands where we could charm the crowds with our music, not so much sitting at home waiting for a cardboard box with cheesy crusts and debating who gets the last beer or slice.

If I've learned anything on this forum, it's that is a far more peaceful place than the rest of the world, and TBH, we kind of like it that way.

One small thing we do enjoy is hearing about when something is on the truck, and then shows up at your door. This is the entire scope of most of our welcoming ways. You take picture of cardboard box. You open box, You show us contents. We congratulate on your choice and its like virtual beers all around.

No one sizes you up, goes home drunk, or even to the hospital or jail. This is why this forum is awesome. It encourages hobbies and build projects, maintenance, and repair, positive habits, instead of what we commonly view for so-called entertainment elsewhere. THAT, my friend, is a darn good reason for being a forum member.

The only caveat is that buying a PRS is like why you like bars. You enjoy the socialization, the camaraderie, and are fiercely concerned when others take an opposing stance. This forum is similar in that we love to discuss all things PRS, but kind of exclude discussions about builders other than PRS. As you get your feet wet, you'll find a niche for yourself. We only encourage you to ask questions if perhaps you don't know something. There are plenty of folks here who can not only answer your questions but also instruct you if you might need some assistance.

Please forgive me if I seem like I'm speaking like an old fart to a young upstart. (Not my style). Just hoping you'll feel more welcomed once you get the first several uncomfortable feelings under your belt. Welcome, we hope you'll share more of your guitar journey with us, be it just practice, or purchase. Enjoy your time here.

As long as there is no religion involved, it sounds like my kind of place!
I've had my share of ups and downs in life myself, even if I'm not the one with the longest beard around here, I've been places both voluntarily and not so voluntary for periods of my life, done stuff I shouldn't, you know, life...
Life is not a stranger to me.

 

[Black-Viper75]

This guitar was produced in Indonesia, shipped to the European Tech Centre (York in the UK) for checkup

This is true. PRS SE model that are to be distributed to the EU market go to the UK for the 2nd inspection instead of Maryland. First inspection is done in Indonesia.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

Hello Chris and welcome to the forum. I'm really sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience with your guitar. I can't imagine how disappointing and frustrating that was for you. I must say that I was really impressed with the before and after pictures of your guitar. Unfortunately I utterly lack those kind of skills. I, too, am interested in finding out why you received your guitar in that condition because I also purchased the same guitar a few months ago and I also live in Europe. Mine (besides a nut issue) was in perfect condition. Even the strings felt and sounded fresh. This really stirs my curiosity as to what sadly happened to your guitar. I purchased mine from the official distributor here in Greece. You mentioned you live near Sweden so your local distributor should be EM Nordic https://www.emnordic.dk/maerker/prs/prs-se (in case you may ever want to look for another PRS). I really hope you continue to enjoy your guitar now that you've set her up and find her just as inspiring as I find mine.

On a closing note, feel no ill will by the questions other members were asking you. I'm also new around here but I'm sure they just wanted info to help you the best each of them could. I've been around a lot of guitar forums but this is the first one that feels like home. It's toxic free, friendly and welcoming....even to new SE folk like us who elsewhere are looked down upon.

I'll get back to you when I get some answers from the PRS support staff.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

I wish two things. Firstly that you didn't receive a guitar in that kind of condition and secondly that you would tell us where you purchased the guitar. That might be helpful to others to avoid buying from that source.

I don't do point-and-tell games, sorry. Besides I've been buying from Gear4Music for many years, never had any complaints.
Fast deliveries and affordable shipping costs using a choice of options and good prices.
I've even done two more orders since this one already.
Until I know for a fact what got screwed up in this process, I don't want to point any fingers at anyone.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

That seems to be the part that escapes you. The dealer is the one you bought the guitar from, not PRS, therefore your proper recourse is to complain to the dealer. Trying to bypass the dealer and complain to PRS is like back-dooring them, not the right thing to do.

Probably sorted this out by now, but just to be sure:
This is an online retailer, no stores involved. They order directly from PRS, they don't even see the instrument in question, they ship it directly to specialized storage facilities that's customized for storing both instruments worth thousands of dollars, various studio equipment, furniture and electronics for keeping stock distributed across different countries.
So it's not like I'm bypassing anyone, just following a trail.
If I can figure out where along the way this happened, I'd be doing the ones responsible a favor, letting them know that something is wrong, because nobody wants to destroy their business like that.

 

[Chris Sederqvist]

Marking this post as ON HOLD until more information is available, as I realize in hindsight that this has lead to a lot of speculation, misunderstandings and generally a bad vibe.
This was never my intention.

I will update the post when I receive credible information from either Gear4Music, PRS Support or both.

Thanks to all those replies that was in fact informative and uplifting, that should be the gold standard.