SE DGT Appalling Fretwork

[shimmilou]

The minute I saw that, I thought Guitar Center, or your equivalent over there. But looks like a dealer with a new "tech" that really wasn't. I have seen GC employees do some damage, drill through headstock when putting on a string tree, hammering the frets of a new guitar, etc, and it is difficult for me to believe it came that way from the factory.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

The minute I saw that, I thought Guitar Center, or your equivalent over there. But looks like a dealer with a new "tech" that really wasn't. I have seen GC employees do some damage, drill through headstock when putting on a string tree, hammering the frets of a new guitar, etc, and it is difficult for me to believe it came that way from the factory.

I think it did leave the factory with some fret issues. Having seen the guitar in person, some of the issues could only have been done at the factory.

However, i’m starting to agree with some of you and believe it was made a lot worse once it arrived over here in a poor attempt to address the issue. Never get to the bottom of who to blame. It’s immaterial at this point.

Deathworlder asked if I was confident it was new to me. I thought it was but clearly that’s in doubt.

That guitar shouldn’t be back on sale.

 

[Roving_Drummer]

It seems when the first batch of a new SE model arrives, they’re spot-on. After that, it’s all down hill.

I have one SE. A Hollowbody 2 piezo that I bought right when they came out. The fretwork is better than all of my buddies high end LPs, Fenders, Suhrs etc. It's just as good as good as my 21 vela.

My buddy got a SE Silver sky about a month ago and he literally slit his finger open sliding down the frets. He loves the guitar but needs to get those frets filled down. So I do believe you may be correct on early SEs get more attention. If you want core quality you need to pay for it. Or jump on the new SEs early.

 

[SinSir]

If you want core quality you need to pay for it. Or jump on the new SEs early.

S2 is an excellent option especially now with core electronics. I was and still sorta am on a 594 hunt. I play them every time I'm in a music store. I can see from across the store the difference between the lines and as soon as I pick one up there's more separation, and plugging in my initial thoughts are always confirmed. I'm not 100% sure as to why but the s2 594 with core pickups is steadily becoming my favorite. There's probably a s2 594DC in my future.

My seHb2 is excellent too. Indo should go to the China facility for training.

 

[QuiltTop319]

That looks horrible!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

That’s a real shame. I believe that Peach Guitars have a good reputation. I know @bodia made a successful transaction for a core guitar.

But that’s not right. Someone is going to be very disappointed.

 

[bodia]

That’s a real shame. I believe that Peach Guitars have a good reputation. I know @bodia made a successful transaction for a core guitar.

But that’s not right. Someone is going to be very disappointed.

I did. They were great to work with. Shipped it to the US and was here in 3 days. This does not make me happy, though.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

That’s a real shame. I believe that Peach Guitars have a good reputation. I know @bodia made a successful transaction for a core guitar.

But that’s not right. Someone is going to be very disappointed.

They do, and to be fair I’ve had above and beyond service with them with prior purchases. That’s why I was reluctant to name the store as I wanted to give them a chance to put it right after making an ‘honest’ mistake sending it out to me.

I don’t understand their logic. This guitar is going to keep coming right back to them like a boomerang!

 

[d^rren]

I don’t understand their logic. This guitar is going to keep coming right back to them like a boomerang!

They should absolutely be returning it to PRS, unless it didn't actually come that way from the factory.

 

[Bogner]

Well folks, it sickens me to say this…

This guitar is back on sale online.

This is despite PEACH GUITARS explicitly telling me it would be returned to PRS Guitars Europe! It’s not listed as a return or B Stock.

Now wondering if the guitar I have was also a return for some reason and they’re just some dodgy ones at a discount. Can’t see anything obviously seriously wrong with my exchange guitar but what a disgrace a company would do this.

Damn, this has left a bad taste in my mouth!

So You Are Saying PEACH GUITARS May Not Be As "Fresh" As We Had Hoped And May Indeed Be Rotten? (Or At Least They Are In This Instance)

What A Shame. I Saw A Guitar From Them I Was Interested In.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

So You Are Saying PEACH GUITARS May Not Be As "Fresh" As We Had Hoped And May Indeed Be Rotten? (Or At Least They Are In This Instance)

What A Shame. I Saw A Guitar From Them I Was Interested In.

I would say ‘in this instance’.

Had excellent service from them in the past with guitars and other gear I’ve bought. Answered any of my queries, sent additional photos when requested…. Couldn’t have been more helpful. They have mostly excellent reviews online and people I know who’ve purchased from them have been happy.

I think if you’re buying a higher end guitar from them then you’ll receive great service. I don’t think this is reflective of Peach Guitars as a whole.

 

[Jaw3000]

I know this is an old post now, but very interesting regarding the quality control and that the retailer would turn around and re-sell something as bad as this and list is as new. Its very disappointing how bad the quality control is on guitars (at all price ranges) today, and I suspect a lot of dealers re-sell used, returned, or bad stock as new. I personally have received quite a few horrible guitars that I suspect had to be b-stock or used items that were sold as “new” and had to be returned, including one I ordered direct from Fender.

OP, The damaged guitar had bad nicks and scraps on the fret metal, and I assume they were rough. How were the frets on the replacement DGT? Any rough spots, flat tops, or nicks and scraps?

I just purchased a McCarty SE that has frets that look very similar to your fret photo, with scratches and little nicks all over them. It looks like the frets have been heavily used, although I don’t think that’s the case. A few of the tops look flatter in spots too, I assume from leveling, and are rough in these places. I don’t expect perfect frets on a cheaper instrument, but I’m never sure what I should consider “normal” on these anymore. Perhaps I’m spoiled from more expensive guitars, although I have Chinese-made guitars with better fretwork and smoother frets. The Chinese-made guitars came with paper over the fretboard to protect the frets from the strings while shipping while the PRS SE did not. Some say their SEs are perfect, which makes me wonder whether I should accept this one or try for another, which knowing the QC, could very likely be even worse.

 

[Bogner]

I know this is an old post now, but very interesting regarding the quality control and that the retailer would turn around and re-sell something as bad as this and list is as new. Its very disappointing how bad the quality control is on guitars (at all price ranges) today, and I suspect a lot of dealers re-sell used, returned, or bad stock as new. I personally have received quite a few horrible guitars that I suspect had to be b-stock or used items that were sold as “new” and had to be returned, including one I ordered direct from Fender.

OP, The damaged guitar had bad nicks and scraps on the fret metal, and I assume they were rough. How were the frets on the replacement DGT? Any rough spots, flat tops, or nicks and scraps?

I just purchased a McCarty SE that has frets that look very similar to your fret photo, with scratches and little nicks all over them. It looks like the frets have been heavily used, although I don’t think that’s the case. A few of the tops look flatter in spots too, I assume from leveling, and are rough in these places. I don’t expect perfect frets on a cheaper instrument, but I’m never sure what I should consider “normal” on these anymore. Perhaps I’m spoiled from more expensive guitars, although I have Chinese-made guitars with better fretwork and smoother frets. The Chinese-made guitars came with paper over the fretboard to protect the frets from the strings while shipping while the PRS SE did not. Some say their SEs are perfect, which makes me wonder whether I should accept this one or try for another, which knowing the QC, could very likely be even worse.

Never Accept A Bad Guitar From Anybody No Matter Who Made It.

 

[deathworlder]

I know this is an old post now, but very interesting regarding the quality control and that the retailer would turn around and re-sell something as bad as this and list is as new. Its very disappointing how bad the quality control is on guitars (at all price ranges) today, and I suspect a lot of dealers re-sell used, returned, or bad stock as new. I personally have received quite a few horrible guitars that I suspect had to be b-stock or used items that were sold as “new” and had to be returned, including one I ordered direct from Fender.

OP, The damaged guitar had bad nicks and scraps on the fret metal, and I assume they were rough. How were the frets on the replacement DGT? Any rough spots, flat tops, or nicks and scraps?

I just purchased a McCarty SE that has frets that look very similar to your fret photo, with scratches and little nicks all over them. It looks like the frets have been heavily used, although I don’t think that’s the case. A few of the tops look flatter in spots too, I assume from leveling, and are rough in these places. I don’t expect perfect frets on a cheaper instrument, but I’m never sure what I should consider “normal” on these anymore. Perhaps I’m spoiled from more expensive guitars, although I have Chinese-made guitars with better fretwork and smoother frets. The Chinese-made guitars came with paper over the fretboard to protect the frets from the strings while shipping while the PRS SE did not. Some say their SEs are perfect, which makes me wonder whether I should accept this one or try for another, which knowing the QC, could very likely be even worse.

I suspect in this particular case, the guitar's providence is suspect; or, at least I hope.

All 4 of my SEs have exceeded my expectations.
Truth be told, my SE CE 24 satin(the cheapest) is the best playing and sounding stock guitar I've ever owned.

Caveat; all my PRS SEs have been purchased from Sweetwater.

 

[SinSir]

I know this is an old post now, but very interesting regarding the quality control and that the retailer would turn around and re-sell something as bad as this and list is as new. Its very disappointing how bad the quality control is on guitars (at all price ranges) today, and I suspect a lot of dealers re-sell used, returned, or bad stock as new. I personally have received quite a few horrible guitars that I suspect had to be b-stock or used items that were sold as “new” and had to be returned, including one I ordered direct from Fender.

OP, The damaged guitar had bad nicks and scraps on the fret metal, and I assume they were rough. How were the frets on the replacement DGT? Any rough spots, flat tops, or nicks and scraps?

I just purchased a McCarty SE that has frets that look very similar to your fret photo, with scratches and little nicks all over them. It looks like the frets have been heavily used, although I don’t think that’s the case. A few of the tops look flatter in spots too, I assume from leveling, and are rough in these places. I don’t expect perfect frets on a cheaper instrument, but I’m never sure what I should consider “normal” on these anymore. Perhaps I’m spoiled from more expensive guitars, although I have Chinese-made guitars with better fretwork and smoother frets. The Chinese-made guitars came with paper over the fretboard to protect the frets from the strings while shipping while the PRS SE did not. Some say their SEs are perfect, which makes me wonder whether I should accept this one or try for another, which knowing the QC, could very likely be even worse.

Se are a crap shoot these days. Its so unPRS. In my travels the small shops are consistently better than big guys. Agree with above never accept a bad guitar. The more we accept them and make excuses or justifications the higher probability of becoming normalized. It's sad when my old cheap ass pawn shop special Lyon by Washburn has better fretwork than some of the se from Indo I've played.

 

[Jaw3000]

Se are a crap shoot these days. Its so unPRS. In my travels the small shops are consistently better than big guys. Agree with above never accept a bad guitar. The more we accept them and make excuses or justifications the higher probability of becoming normalized. It's sad when my old cheap ass pawn shop special Lyon by Washburn has better fretwork than some of the se from Indo I've played.

I completely agree. It's better to buy local so you can see before you buy, but that's not always easy anymore as the large retailers have eaten up the smaller shops. When you order from someone like Sweetwater, you get what you get. You can't see the fretwork, for example, on their photos and their "check" is worthless. I've received expensive guitars from them with finish cracks and other finish issues that pass their "check." I'm not keeping a $3000+ guitar with a finish crack or peeling finish.

I've purchased a number of cheaper guitars recently of different makes, and all have had bad fretwork. A Fender with completely squared off frets was the worse. An Epiphone the best, although it had rough spots. The PRS McCarty SE is in-between. Almost every fret has either scratches in it or a flat area from leveling. It seems like none of these manufactures bother to properly crown and polish the frets anymore. Which is why I asked what amount flat tops or rough scratches and dings are acceptable or normal now - if any? I would say very little to none, but it might be impossible to find such a guitar.

This particular SE also has a slit in the rosewood at the top fret, a crooked tone knob that is hitting the finish, and a bubble on the polyurethane on the back - in addition to the fretwork. Sometimes I feel like I'm being overly picky though.

Here are some photos of this guitar. Brand new. Hard to see some of the fret issues and the flat leveling area, but you can see the scratches and dings in the frets. It's like this on most, if not all, of the frets.

https://imgur.com/a/BNDM5WH

 

[SinSir]

I completely agree. It's better to buy local so you can see before you buy, but that's not always easy anymore as the large retailers have eaten up the smaller shops. When you order from someone like Sweetwater, you get what you get. You can't see the fretwork, for example, on their photos and their "check" is worthless. I've received expensive guitars from them with finish cracks and other finish issues that pass their "check." I'm not keeping a $3000+ guitar with a finish crack or peeling finish.

I've purchased a number of cheaper guitars recently of different makes, and all have had bad fretwork. A Fender with completely squared off frets was the worse. An Epiphone the best, although it had rough spots. The PRS McCarty SE is in-between. Almost every fret has either scratches in it or a flat area from leveling. It seems like none of these manufactures bother to properly crown and polish the frets anymore. Which is why I asked what amount flat tops or rough scratches and dings are acceptable or normal now - if any? I would say very little to none, but it might be impossible to find such a guitar.

This particular SE also has a slit in the rosewood at the top fret, a crooked tone knob that is hitting the finish, and a bubble on the polyurethane on the back - in addition to the fretwork. Sometimes I feel like I'm being overly picky though.

Here are some photos of this guitar. Brand new. Hard to see some of the fret issues and the flat leveling area, but you can see the scratches and dings in the frets. It's like this on most, if not all, of the frets.

https://imgur.com/a/BNDM5WH

Some areas are more fortunate than others for sure, but I find plenty of shops. Even if it's a small road trip to check out some guitars, sites, and grab a bite. Perfect day spent to me, and what I learn can't be replicated online. There's listings out there on the usual suspects as well. I like buying from individuals too. Keeps the GAS going round and round. I think these days many of us have Amazon and door dash mentality more than there are no shops.

But I get it. I buy from the boxes and mail order too. Almost everytime, I wonder why did I do that? Learning my lesson once again right now for making that mistake twice in about a month. Deals and sales suck me in! Once again the independent shop is coming to my rescue. They're not even local, but I know em and trust them.

Honestly, overly picky is only for you to decide and you have the guitar in hand. It's your money and your purchase. It only matters if you're happy not what someone on the internet thinks. If SW is gonna push that 55 pt sales pitch they should be held accountable instead of lip service.