SE Holcomb with a crooked bridge and no help

[TheRealSteveRose]

Hey,

New to the forum

Went to buy my first PRS recently.
A Mark Holcomb SE (2019 Indonesian)

After I put it on layaway, I inspected it the other day as I was going to pay it off.

I noticed that the bridge is crooked.
It is visually obvious, but also measures out to be just over 1/32" of an inch canted with the bridge tilted down.

The pickup rings are also a bit crooked , but no big deal.

The fretboard has a really nasty brown spot also. Again, no big de.

I don't know what to do. My dealer agrees with me on the bridge. I really like the specs on this guitar.

After chasing this issue for a week, the dealer (Guitars Plus in Beckley West Virginia) is saying that PRS is saying it's SUPPOSED to be crooked .

So I asked for another guitiar.

Now dealer is saying that PRS is saying that they won't replace it and may or may not be able to get another one in stock.

Somebody is passing the buck and/or lying to me.

Either way it's really disappointing as I was really hoping to be stepping into the PRS family.

The bridge isn't right.

I am not sure how to handle this and I'm about to just get a refund and go to another brand.

If someone can reach out to me and/or Shane at Guitars Plus, I would really appreciate it.

I strongly preferred the idea of getting a Korean made one, because of concerns of qaulity control from Indonesia.

But I assumed PRS has good qaulitu control and good customer service.

I'm hoping they prove this to be true, and get a different guitar or get this one repaired.

I'm running out of options and the dealer isn't of much help or any concrete answers at this point and so far my messages to PRS have been just to send an email that never gets answered.

Thanks,
Steve Rose

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Hi Steve and welcome. Do you have any photos of your guitar, so we can see it please?

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

Hi Steve and welcome. Do you have a photos of your guitar, so we can see it please?

Thank you for the interest.
I will go down and get pictures of it today.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

My reaction would be, that if you haven’t bought it yet and are dissatisfied, then ask for a refund.

Your dealer should take care of you.

PRS QC to s usually to a high level. A lot of guys on here buy online, that is the faith that the brand commands.

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

No doubt. But, I want that model and would like to do business locally.

There isn't another dealer anywhere within a few hours that I am aware of.

I would also need to lay it away for 2-3 weeks, as I have a lot of overhead this week and am waiting on some work order payments[/QUOTE]

 

[Shawn@PRS]

Please send some photos, I would like to look into this further

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

Please send some photos, I would like to look into this further

You bet. I will be posting pictures this afternoon of the crooked bridge, crooked pickup rings, and the spot on the fretboard. The finish around the neck joint , neck pickup and the binding have some saturation issues and uneven-ness. I wasn't even going to mention that, because I've had a custom shop guitar or three that have had that touch of human.

I appreciate your interest in the situation, seriously.

 

[toothace]

Please send some photos, I would like to look into this further

Something seems fishy and Shawn is on it!

 

[Mozzi]

First off, I agree that if you haven't taken receipt of it, then do NOT buy if you are not happy. Regardless if whether you want to buy locally or not, if the seller isn't trust worthy or looking out for the customer, then its better to do business elsewhere - why support a business like that? Local or not, if the retailer isn't treating their customer right, then you are supporting a retailer that seems untrustworthy just because of locality. Its better to shop from a retailer hat looks after the customer even if that means having to go a but further afield.

I cannot comment on this guitar specifically as 1) I can not see the guitar in question and compare to others in exactly the same model and 2) I don't own one myself to give you an answer about whether that is 'normal', within tolerances or not.

If it isn't right, then you really should consider whether its worth supporting a retailer that has only the sale of a guitar that isn't right, that they will lie to a customer or better to give your money to get a product that is as it should be and a retailer that is honest and understands what Customer Service actually means!!

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

Alright,
This is a very hard thing to capture with my camera. Yet so obvious to the eye.
So here is the crooked bridge, crooked neck pickup and the spot on the fret-board and the binding bleed. I was not concerned at all about the last two.

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

First off, I agree that if you haven't taken receipt of it, then do NOT buy if you are not happy. Regardless if whether you want to buy locally or not, if the seller isn't trust worthy or looking out for the customer, then its better to do business elsewhere - why support a business like that? Local or not, if the retailer isn't treating their customer right, then you are supporting a retailer that seems untrustworthy just because of locality. Its better to shop from a retailer hat looks after the customer even if that means having to go a but further afield.

I cannot comment on this guitar specifically as 1) I can not see the guitar in question and compare to others in exactly the same model and 2) I don't own one myself to give you an answer about whether that is 'normal', within tolerances or not.

If it isn't right, then you really should consider whether its worth supporting a retailer that has only the sale of a guitar that isn't right, that they will lie to a customer or better to give your money to get a product that is as it should be and a retailer that is honest and understands what Customer Service actually means!!

So I previously reported that the dealer sales rep Shane said that PRS wasn't willing to replace it, and wasn't sure if they even have another one anytime soon...
When I went in to take pictures, I sensed some real hostility. The owner said to Shane "Why don't we just get him another, will they?"
To which the story changed because he said "they said they MIGHT, and probably could"...he more or less was saying that PRS says "it happens, deal with it"... he mentioned some other models had crooked bridges in the store too. This is the third time they have shifted their story and position.

I'm definitely starting to feel lied to. I'm hoping somebody steps up and makes this right. I've been considering going through Moor Guitars online, they are based out of Indiana, and they have a Korean one in stock. I'm not sure if they would do lay away.

So I told my dealer (Guitars Plus, Beckley WV salesman Shane).. that I was submitting pictures and that I want it replaced or refunded and that I would follow up tomorrow.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

The best way to tell if the bridge is straight it to run a straight edge along the side of the bridge and up along the side of the neck. Take a measurement from the front edge of the bridge to the 24th fret. Take that measurement on both sides of the neck and see if the bass side and treble side of the bridge are the same distance away from the fret.

The neck pickups should be flush against the fretboard. I can't tell from your photo, is there a gap on one side?

The spot is the natural color of the wood, it's nature's goodness.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

The best way to tell if the bridge is straight it to run a straight edge along the side of the bridge and up along the side of the neck. Take a measurement from the front edge of the bridge to the 24th fret. Take that measurement on both sides of the neck and see if the bass side and treble side of the bridge are the same distance away from the fret.

The neck pickups should be flush against the fretboard. I can't tell from your photo, is there a gap on one side?

The spot is the natural color of the wood, it's nature's goodness.

Its slightly over 1/32" off as mentioned earlier. (bridge), measured as your instructions.
There is a slight unevenness and gap on the neck pickup to the fretboard. Something isn't straight there. Its hard to capture to begin with, and I am terrible with a camera to top it off.

Love the ebony, just figured I would document everything. I have had plenty of pickup rings and spots on fretboards.

The issue here is the bridge. Otherwise, a beautiful and wonderful guitar that I really want to take home!

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

Heres a few more, sorry for the redundancy.
Again, the bridge is the only issue.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I hope you manage to sort this to your satisfaction.

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

I do too. I haven't heard from PRS or the dealer since yesterday.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

If these issues make it so that you wouldn't bond with the guitar, I'd recommend moving on to a one that you'll love.

 

[TheRealSteveRose]

The bridge is crooked. Not just to the eye, but mathematically as well. Nothing else is an issue as I have mentioned

If you guys can't get my dealer another one,

If I'm reading this right Shawn you are saying that PRS says it's a non-issue to have a crooked bridge, and you would except me to bond with it?

If that's the case, and the dealer will not be provided a guitar that doesn't have a crooked bridge , then I will be moving onto a different brand and making it known.