Yet another PRS SE ZM with finish issues...

mikenothing

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Yet another PRS SE Zach Myers with finish issues...

Well after waiting for about a month and a half I received my PRS SE Zach Myers from Sweetwater today. It looked gorgeous, but after a close inspection I noticed the finish on the mahogany was off and to top it off there is a group of small cracks on the guitars clear coat.

Here is a pic of the finish issues (multi-color sponged on stain and cracks) :(

This is my first PRS product... will be sending it back. Very bummed out after waiting so long for it and expecting a decent guitar. :(

UEWnysz.jpg
 
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Do we really need three threads to discuss this? Just sayin'

I understand that it is both heartbreaking and a problem, but won't it be easier to follow if it is all in one place?

The original, still active thread: PRS-SE-Zach-Myers-Trampas-Green-Subpar-finishing

Edit: check that, now I see that there are FOUR threads on the QC for the ZM SE.
 
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Do we really need three threads to discuss this? Just sayin'

I understand that it is both heartbreaking and a problem, but won't it be easier to follow if it is all in one place?

The original, still active thread: PRS-SE-Zach-Myers-Trampas-Green-Subpar-finishing

Edit: check that, now I see that there are FOUR threads on the QC for the ZM SE.

Is your enjoyment of the board that much reduced by having multiple threads on this? Wouldn't it be pretty easy to just not open the threads? If I was one of the guys that received a bum ZM, I'd like to get as much attention to my issue as possible, and not just have it swept into a single thread with all the others. Maybe having more and more threads on this will actually result in attention being paid to the issue and some change taking place. Being bothered by this kinda comes off like a "can't bear to see any criticism and negativity" type scenario. Just saying.
 
Well after waiting for about a month and a half I received my PRS SE Zach Myers from Sweetwater today. It looked gorgeous, but after a close inspection I noticed the finish on the mahogany was off and to top it off there is a group of small cracks on the guitars clear coat.

Here is a pic of the finish issues (multi-color sponged on stain and cracks) :(

This is my first PRS product... will be sending it back. Very bummed out after waiting so long for it and expecting a decent guitar. :(

UEWnysz.jpg

Those cracks look like an impact damage issue, not a QC problem.
 
Is your enjoyment of the board that much reduced by having multiple threads on this? Wouldn't it be pretty easy to just not open the threads? If I was one of the guys that received a bum ZM, I'd like to get as much attention to my issue as possible, and not just have it swept into a single thread with all the others. Maybe having more and more threads on this will actually result in attention being paid to the issue and some change taking place. Being bothered by this kinda comes off like a "can't bear to see any criticism and negativity" type scenario. Just saying.

Well said
 
Well after waiting for about a month and a half I received my PRS SE Zach Myers from Sweetwater today. It looked gorgeous, but after a close inspection I noticed the finish on the mahogany was off and to top it off there is a group of small cracks on the guitars clear coat.

Here is a pic of the finish issues (multi-color sponged on stain and cracks) :(

This is my first PRS product... will be sending it back. Very bummed out after waiting so long for it and expecting a decent guitar. :(

UEWnysz.jpg

is it just me.....or does the back plate over the pots look like its not on right?
 
Is your enjoyment of the board that much reduced by having multiple threads on this? Wouldn't it be pretty easy to just not open the threads? If I was one of the guys that received a bum ZM, I'd like to get as much attention to my issue as possible, and not just have it swept into a single thread with all the others. Maybe having more and more threads on this will actually result in attention being paid to the issue and some change taking place. Being bothered by this kinda comes off like a "can't bear to see any criticism and negativity" type scenario. Just saying.

And I believe the opposite.

First, I'd like to address your assumption that I want people to just shut up. It is actually the opposite. I want to follow this issue and am following it, but am hampered by having to chase the subject all over the boards. It has gotten to the point where it is hard to tell whether I have read a person's thoughts or not because there is a lot of duplication between the threads. So, although your assumption that I want it to just want the QC threads to go away is mistaken, your assumption that having multiple threads on the subject lessens my enjoyment of the Forum is ironically correct.

There is an obvious QC problem here. I believe that spreading the discussion over multiple threads makes it harder to follow. It makes it more difficult to quantify how many guitars are involved and what all of the QC issues are.

Make no mistake, threads on this forum are read by people at PRS who are in a position to either institute changes or bring issues to others who can. Why make it harder for them to get the whole picture by fragmenting the discussion over four separate threads?

Yes, they read the forum, but they probably have other duties as well. Having all the reports of QC problems in one thread makes it more likely that PRS can get a handle on what is going on -especially if the people with problems reference that thread in emails to customer service. Sending them off to read multiple threads with overlapping posts seems to me to be an inefficient way to do it.



Your mileage may vary

Not for the other use
 
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I'm with Ruger on this.

First, the best way to deal with a problem with a guitar is to contact PRS customer service and your dealer.

You'd be surprised at how responsive they are, and the communication that takes place between PRS and the dealers on QC issues. If there is ever an issue, PRS makes it right, period. This is the OP's first PRS, so he doesn't have experience with that, but he'll find out. There's no real need to make it a big issue on a message forum like this and have it in so many threads. It's not like it'll be ignored unless someone makes a stink!

If I was one of the guys that received a bum ZM, I'd like to get as much attention to my issue as possible, and not just have it swept into a single thread with all the others. Maybe having more and more threads on this will actually result in attention being paid to the issue and some change taking place. Being bothered by this kinda comes off like a "can't bear to see any criticism and negativity" type scenario. Just saying.

At the same time, how is posting these common complaints in one thread somehow going to prevent someone from bringing his problem to PRS' attention? And do you even need to do that -- you really don't, as stated above.

As a frequent reader who peruses all the threads, I'm with Ruger. I was thinking maybe this thread was going to present something new, but it's just more about the same thing. Keep them all in one thread, it's not like anyone's being somehow silenced!

That way, reading the board becomes more enjoyable than sorting through various bitching sessions about one issue that a few people are experiencing. It's just common courtesy to the rest of us.
 
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I'm sure any mod on this official forum will agree with you, so ultimately I'm just pissing into the wind. But my thoughts on this don't come from an island. I remember the same sort of "for the sake of all that is holy please STFU" and "LA LA LA LA LA I'M NOT LISTENING" type posts back when the V12 issues were being raised. While a few of the threads that brought up those problems remain if you do a search, most were herded into oblivion in much the same way that is being suggested now with these new issues. Oh well. Sorry for the inconvenience, fellas.
 
I'm sure any mod on this official forum will agree with you, so ultimately I'm just pissing into the wind. But my thoughts on this don't come from an island. I remember the same sort of "for the sake of all that is holy please STFU" and "LA LA LA LA LA I'M NOT LISTENING" type posts back when the V12 issues were being raised. While a few of the threads that brought up those problems remain if you do a search, most were herded into oblivion in much the same way that is being suggested now with these new issues. Oh well. Sorry for the inconvenience, fellas.

We don't agree with you so our attitude is "for the sake of all that is holy please STFU" and "LA LA LA LA LA I'M NOT LISTENING"??
And you intimate that because it is a company sponsored forum people are not allowed to point out problems with their guitars??
And by asking that people communicate effectively and not spam the boards we are censoring or burying them??

Dude, you have not read enough of this forum.

And your first post to me above wasn't telling me to STFU??

Making new friends is you specialty, isn't it?
 
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If guys want to be able to point out issues with their specific guitars and starting separate threads makes them feel better about the whole thing, then it shouldn't be any skin off your back. The reasoning behind it is not so hard to grasp, so let's dial down the indignation and butthurt.

Oh, and please spare me the passive-aggressive noob commentary. I've been lurking forever and my join date or post count have nothing to do with the validity of my viewpoint.

This is a silly spat and we should both be ashamed. Let the people vocalize their concerns however it suits them as long as the forum rules are followed. End of story.
 
... The reasoning behind it is not so hard to grasp...
...spare me the passive-aggressive noob commentary...

Glad to drop it just as soon as you stop saying crap like this to us. You can't chide us for something you are guilty of yourself just ONE sentence before in the same post.

More to the point, Les and my views on what constitutes spam are just as valid for us to express.

Done here as we are now going in circles.
 
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Sorry to hear about your finish issues, Mike! What a glaring flaw, too. Don't worry, PRS seems to be a responsive company and I'm sure the next one will be top notch! You know, this thread is the first one I saw on the matter, so it's obviously helped bring a little more attention to the problem.... :congrats:
It almost seems like the stain or some glue bled off the top of the guitar into the sides, then someone just went around the sides sanding only the top part, leaving half the mahogany side splotchily unstained. The cracks are totally crazy! Its hard to tell from the photos but it doesn't look like it was from an impact at the dealers - just seems cracked. I don't understand how it made it through QC unless it clouded up somehow after it went out.
-----

As far as the idea of not wanting a new buyer to post their own thread about their problems with their purchase, really?? Theres no problem with an individual expressing their singular frustration, no matter how many times it happened to someone else entirely. What makes the first person to spend money and be disappointed the only one allowed to start a thread? Its no inconvenience for us just not to click in the thread if we had enough.

Imagine you just spent up your hard earned money on your new guitar, waited in anticipation, and it came in with a problem that severely disapointed you - would you prefer to glom on to some other guys thread where you may be buried, or start your own thread for your own purchase, where its more likely to be seen by the manufacturer as a bigger issue?

Maybe PRS reads every thread here to completion.:laugh:....but its a lot more likely they'll notice a bunch of threads popping up with individual customers expressing frustration about finish issues. The PRS Forum is all one place, after all....

If its actually some sort of problem, maybe a Mod will come through and combine all the threads into a big "PRS SE Zach Meyers - Major ongoing finish issues!" Sticky?
Maybe while they're at it, they'll combine all the new guitar days that are the same model. We don't need the inconvenience of multiple threads on peoples new guitar day when we've seen the model before! Wouldn't it be easier if everyone posted their new guitar days in the thread someone already started called new guitar day? That way, you know, its all in one place, all you have to do is read one giant thread all the way through. :iamconfused::rolleyes:

Saying " I have had a lot of experience with PRS over the years and they're great, they'll fix the problem, you shouldn't have posted your frustrations with your problem here because you're messing things up and making it take longer" sound totally disingenuous, especially for the new purchaser you're addressing.
Fact is, their first experience with a company is negative to this point and you trounce them for saying so on the company discussion forum, that DOESN'T help the company you're trying to protect. If someones upset a new guitar comes in messed up - knowing the problem can be fixed with some work on their part and another 5-10 business days doesn't suddenly make everything roses. Yes, of course PRS or the dealer will fix the issue, its a defective new guitar in the return period so there's no question - still a bit of a pisser.
If you have to be so corporate-positivity-captain, keep all complaints in the proper area - try to look at it as each thread being an individual opportunity for PRS to demonstrate excellent customer service. Or, just try not to look at it, the heading is only one line. Its inconvenient to the rest of us that want to discuss the OP topic, we don't need to wade through some bitchfest about not wanting to read something you've heard of from someone else before.

Brand loyalty is great and all, but scolding someone for expressing their legitimate problems, in their own thread, for their own purchase, on a forum meant for discussion of that product, is a little embarrassing for our community, guys. :tsktsk: Lets use some common courtesy.
 
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Do we really need three threads to discuss this? Just sayin'

I understand that it is both heartbreaking and a problem, but won't it be easier to follow if it is all in one place?

The original, still active thread: PRS-SE-Zach-Myers-Trampas-Green-Subpar-finishing

Edit: check that, now I see that there are FOUR threads on the QC for the ZM SE.

Being new to this forum I didn't know that front page real estate was that important. I didn't post in anyone's threads because they were posting their own images and problems with their own guitars. Out of common courtesy to them I did not muck up their thread with my problems. If there was a thread posted which had a title of "Post you PRS SE ZM issues here" then I agree, I would have posted it there. I didn't want other people thinking it was an isolated incident. Now, let me make it clear- while I am bummed and will not be ordering a replacement for this guitar from PRS, I am not upset. I understand that it could have been a bad batch and I know they will probably fix it.

Bottom line is that this is an internet forum. If people had 5 threads open about a guitar model being awesome with detailed pics, I highly doubt you would have commented. Just like with anything in life, we must take the good with the bad. I have no ill feelings towards PRS and I hope that they make things right.
 
Mike I started my own post for the same reason. I had questions about returning stuff to Sweetwater and didn't want to step on someone else's post. :)
 
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1) People are allowed to post what ever they feel like, however many times they like as long as it falls within the forum rules.
2) If you don't like it, don't read it.
3) Unless you are the dealer of said guitar, nobody on this forum can help you with your problem, only empathize with you or give you advise as to what the proper channels are to rectify your problem. This includes Shawn and James.
4) Weekends are hella slow around here and anything problematic posted after 5 o'clock Friday will invariably turn into a sh!t storm only to be fixed by Tuesday afternoon.
5) All of the people who rush in to defend PRS and become labeled "fan-bois" are in fact "fan-bois" because they have had first hand experience of PRS going "above and beyond" with regards to their customer service.
6) There are no rules saying that everything must be neatly organized to make things easy to read or find.
7) There are no rules saying that everything posted must show PRS in a positive light, but it would be polite to at least give them a fair chance, because..
8) Who's House? Paul's House.
9) Be nice.
10) See nine.


I do agree it might be a good idea to have a single thread for these issues for the rest of us who are unaffected by any of this to offer condolences, show shock, share wisdom, and most of all learn from, but multiple threads don't hurt anyone. The case for a single thread in addition to this one and the others would be improved if people like Matthew ( I think, 'cause there are four threads, and all of them seem to be in General Discussions which won't show up under new posts), who hasn't heard back from CS regarding his jacked-up bridge posts yet, continue to have problems.
 
I get it, truly I do.

My ONLY motive was to try to make the problem and it's examples easier to follow. Though the problems of threads getting lost after they are dormant for even short periods was also on my mind. The idea was PRS could see all the problems in one thread and thereby quantify it better, the subject would be easier to follow since it was all in one thread, and since one thread would get the activity of people posting in multiple threads, maybe it wouldn't get lost. Please notice that I never told anyone to shut up or not to post, though that's what I got back.

I am very interested in these problems getting solved. I'm also interested in reading about the scope of the problem and how it is or isn't getting resolved. My apologies to anyone who might have gotten offended along the way.

On to the O.P. ...

Every SE guitar shipped to retailers anywhere, even back to Korea or to Japan, must first go through QC in Stevensville. No exceptions. So what is truly troubling is the thought that these guitars are leaving the factory with these flaws. For us Sergio-defined fanboys, it is hard to believe it is happening.

I want to know if they are leaving the factory in these conditions or is something happening to them in transit or at the dealer or some or all of the above.
 
I get it, truly I do.

My ONLY motive was to try to make the problem and it's examples easier to follow. .

I have a different issue, actually, Ruger, but it's one you pointed out in passing.

I've been buying PRS guitars since 1991. Every so often (which is to say very rarely) something has come up during that 23 year period that needs fixin'. My dealer for the last 14 years has been Jack Gretz. So if something comes up I call Jack and tell him what it is.

Jack invariably says, "Don't worry Schef, PRS will make it right." Next thing I know, usually on the very same day, there is a call or email from Jack telling me how it will be taken care of by PRS, and then it is. No worries. Between Jack and PRS, I know they have my back.

Now, you may not get that same-day service from a GC, or even a Sweetwater, because they're big and they're busy. But that isn't PRS' fault. And as soon as PRS gets wind of it, it gets taken care of.

There's no doubt that it's frustrating when something happens that you didn't expect when you buy a guitar. People can and should do whatever they want to about it. To my mind, it's more effective to simply get the problem solved directly than posting about it on the internet, but everyone has their thing and handles it in their own way.

My thing is to allow PRS to take care of an issue that might come up privately, simply because they do such a great job at it, and to me, it's nobody's business but mine and PRS'.

7) There are no rules saying that everything posted must show PRS in a positive light, but it would be polite to at least give them a fair chance, because..
8) Who's House? Paul's House.

I totally agree, Serg, which is why I think it's the nicer and in my experience more effective route.

If someone wants to make it the world's business, I'm fine with that. But I do think it's a bit discourteous (unless a company refuses to deal with a problem), and I'm likely to point that out because you know that thing most people have in them that tells them to refrain from getting into this kind of BS peeing match?

Yeah. Surprise! Mine's missing.
 
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The idea was PRS could see all the problems in one thread and thereby quantify it better, the subject would be easier to follow since it was all in one thread, and since one thread would get the activity of people posting in multiple threads,

I know where your motivations were Bill, I have interacted with you online and in person enough to know you were not doing it to be a d!ck.

This forum is a place to go and talk about PRS guitars, share information (good and bad), learn, and possibly make a few friends along the way. It is not a replacement for customer service or an effective outlet for people who have an agenda. To think that PRS uses this place for market research rather than a marketing tool would be a mistake. I'm sure that when people make a big enough noise on here about something, Shawn or James may relay that to somebody at work even though that is not their only reason to grace us with their presence and make themselves available to us, and we should all respect that. Yes, James is the administrator of this site, and yes, Shawn works at PRS too, but them interacting with us is not exclusively about work.

Anybody who remembers the Forum Guitar thread started by Hans or the 7 string thread by Mike should realize that this is not the place to expect we can effectively "change" things that the company decides is in their best interest.

To all of you with problems with your SE Zack Meyers: Call your dealer and customer service first! Then come here and start as many threads as you want and keep the rest of us informed.

It is awesome to see new members and lurkers come out and hang with us, thanks for sharing guys.
 
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