Personally, I think I was being respectful. I made it clear that the guitars looked great and that the 'mismatched' back plate on the rear of the Dragon's Breath guitar was a pet peeve of mine. I also tried to make it clear that this is my and only my opinion and that my opinion on this is irrelevant because the guitar isn't built for me. I thought I was being honest and fair to explain why I (and only me) couldn't like the build as much as it deserves through my own pet peeve. Its like you saying a stunning guitar isn't as stunning to you because they used Black PU rings instead of cream because that's a pet peeve of yours. All I was saying is that the Dragon's Breath looked stunning but, because of my own issues (not the dealer or the builder), I cannot like it as much as it truly deserves. I still love that Dragon's Breath guitar from the front - as I said - but my, and only my issue prevents me from being as stunned at the back with that gorgeous flamed back, the fantastic looking neck with the bird on the heel.
I tried to say that this was just my opinion and trying to be honest and respectful by saying its just 'my' issue and not the dealer or builder but also wanting to let them know that, apart from MY issue, that this is one seriously stunning guitar build. I hope that the dealer didn't take offence, didn't think I was being disrespectful and understand that I wanted to praise this build, wanting to let them know how stunning I find this guitar to be and, apart from my own pet peeve, I would have been even more enamoured with it.
The dealer did respond to me and didn't seem to be offended or appear to think I was being disrespectful. I wouldn't be offended or feel someone was being disrespectful to my Guitars if someone said my HBii was stunning but would have preferred it in Blue because they don't like Red Guitars for example. I would understand that they are still praising my guitar but their own preference would be a 'blue' one - I would feel even more complimented if that person said that their pet peeve was 'red' guitars.
I appreciate that the written word is devoid of any emotion and as such can be taken the wrong way. If I have offended or been disrespectful, I do apologise and all I was trying to do was explain, through no fault of the builders or the person commissioning this build, why I could not give this guitar more praise than it deserves through my own issue, my own pet peeve. Its no different, I think, from those people that say the Silver Sky looks great but they prefer a 6 in a line headstock for strats and so don't like it as much as it deserves or saying they like a PRS but can't like it more because of the 'birds'. Again though, I apologise if anyone has been offended or feel that I was being disrespectful, that was not my intention...
