New H-555 Problems

[Nolla]

Could you tell us who the dealer is? And what letter does the serial # start with.

 

I could, may I ask why?

[brentrocks]

I could, may I ask why?

Because it will tell us when the gutar was made, what part of the country it was in and how long it may have been sitting in a window, on a wall, in a shop.

 

That could shed some light on why this is happening.

[Nolla]

This one is sort of sticky.

 

This would be warranty work; however, since you are the second buyer, the warranty is void. BUT... if your friend is indeed a friend and this issue really gnaws at you (and it may), then I would see about having your friend call it in as warranty work. Heritage is very good about making good on warranty work gone through proper channels and even sometimes not through proper channels.

 

Ultimately, whatever this issue is, the previous owner didn't notice it or didn't think much of it if he did. The sale is between you and the friend. That is where the real issue needs to be worked out. Either return it to him, get some of your money back or see if the previous owner will act as a go between in getting this issue dealt with. If a refinish is in order, you may be waiting a couple months for a new guitar to be sprayed and cured.

 

In the end, as nice as it is to hope you get a flawless guitar when new, I have never known a manufacturer to live up to such a standard. Understand I worked for a couple of the big box guitar retailers and saw literally hundreds and hundreds of examples of every major brand.

 

The only place I believe you can get anything approaching FLAWLESS quality is from the one-at-a-time-by-one-builder shop and, believe me, what you spent on that Heritage... or even three times that amount wouldn't even get the build started. These tend to cost 10's of thousands of dollars and will take a VERY long time to build as the wood may not react to a part of the process as it normally would, or the finish doesn't cure properly... or a bit of the binding got knicked in the binding process.... and some or all of the whole thing has to be started over.

 

My H575 has some flaws. Minor. Chances are, I will be the only one to ever notice them. The fact that these flaws happen are hardly a mark on the company. If they were unwilling to tend to the issue, then that would be on Heritage. If you don't give them the opportunity to tend to the issue, then that is hardly on Heritage.

 

The character of a company, to me, is not as much in how high their ceiling is, but how high the floor is and how well they work with issues. Heritage comes through big time in these. They have pretty high ceiling and their floor isn't much below that and will take care of issues that fall below that floor.

 

Give them the opportunity through proper channels and you will not be dissappointed. Don't... and well, you probably just need to keep looking for that guitar that is, to you, flawless.

 

I do appreciate the response but I have to assume you didnt read all of the replies yet. I am, in essence the original owner. The guitar was purchased, with cash, while I was standing there and was with me before I went back to my own home within 24 hours of original purchase. I have the warranty card and all that. I do not forsee any issues with the warranty covering it or me having to go back to the friend to have him go to the dealer wih me. The only issue is the distance and the time consumed by a problem that no one has ever heard of happening before and why its happening to begin with. Even if they did end up making repairs and making it whole and better than it is now, I would still feel like it isnt the kind of thing that should have happened to begin with. I do appreciate everyone saying that Heritage will rectify the situation, ending up with a "repaired" or "refurbished" guitar is not the solution anyone buying anything better than a squire or epi would be happy with as an end result. I do hope it is something they can take care of but Im reading horror stories all over the place about people sending in their instruments for warranty repairs and it taking months and months with unreturned emails and phone calls and finally arriving in worse shape then it was sent out in. Everyone will just have to forgive me if this scenario doesnt thrill me as a first time heritage owner. Being that neither the dealer nor heritage appear to be open over the weekend it is going to require me to make a 5 hour round trip driving event as well as taking time off of work just to even have the dealer look at it. Not a great first impression.

[Nolla]

Because it will tell us when the gutar was made, what part of the country it was in and how long it may have been sitting in a window, on a wall, in a shop.

 

That could shed some light on why this is happening.

 

Custom shop, Custom order by the dealer, in the shop for a few days at best , 2011 model, southern united states.

[brentrocks]

So it's a 2011.....hummmm....so the serial is ABxxxxx?

[brentrocks]

Definitely needs to be resolved by the dealer....thanks for sharing

[Kuz]

I do appreciate the response but I have to assume you didnt read all of the replies yet. I am, in essence the original owner. The guitar was purchased, with cash, while I was standing there and was with me before I went back to my own home within 24 hours of original purchase. I have the warranty card and all that. I do not forsee any issues with the warranty covering it or me having to go back to the friend to have him go to the dealer wih me. The only issue is the distance and the time consumed by a problem that no one has ever heard of happening before and why its happening to begin with. Even if they did end up making repairs and making it whole and better than it is now, I would still feel like it isnt the kind of thing that should have happened to begin with. I do appreciate everyone saying that Heritage will rectify the situation, ending up with a "repaired" or "refurbished" guitar is not the solution anyone buying anything better than a squire or epi would be happy with as an end result. I do hope it is something they can take care of but Im reading horror stories all over the place about people sending in their instruments for warranty repairs and it taking months and months with unreturned emails and phone calls and finally arriving in worse shape then it was sent out in. Everyone will just have to forgive me if this scenario doesnt thrill me as a first time heritage owner. Being that neither the dealer nor heritage appear to be open over the weekend it is going to require me to make a 5 hour round trip driving event as well as taking time off of work just to even have the dealer look at it. Not a great first impression.

 

Man, I just don't understand.

 

First, your friend bought it, no wait, now you bought the guitar.

 

Second, Heritage &/or the dealer will make it right, but no, this might inconvenience you.

 

Many people here are trying to help you. Something seems fishy to me (sorry to judge, but this is the internet).

 

What exactly is the intent of your post and what do you want to happen next???

[Nolla]

Man, I just don't understand.

 

First, your friend bought it, no wait, now you bought the guitar.

 

Second, Heritage &/or the dealer will make it right, but no, this might inconvenience you.

 

Many people here are trying to help you. Something seems fishy to me (sorry to judge, but this is the internet).

 

What exactly is the intent of your post and what do you want to happen next???

 

Ok, for anyone who cant quite wrap themselves around this Ill repeat myself, again.

My friend and I went to a guitar shop.

My friend handed the proprietor of said guitar shop some cash money.

The proprietor of said guitar shop handed the guitar over to me and I carried the guitar out to the car because he was given the cash money.

My friend decided he did not, after all, care for the color of the guitar that was purchased with cash money earlier in the same day from a proprietor of the previously mentioned guitar shop.

Later in the same day I left my friend to return to my own home very far away.

I had, when I left, with me, to return to my own home very far away, the aforementioned guitar of unsatisfying color, that was purchased alongside my friend, with cash money, from the proprietor of a guitar shop.

Shortly after my return to my own home very far away, problems with the aforementioned guitar were noticed.

If something in that story seems "fishy" to you or in any way complicated, I would recommend doing something with your time that requires very little thinking, as it does not appear to be your strong suit.

My post was about whether or not this same situation has ever been one in which any other owners of Heritage Guitar model H-555 have ever been in.

Apparently, they havent.

I appreciate everyones time but at this point I feel as though I am a Heritage lobbyists convention and I will simply just thank everyone who responded and move along before anyone else besides "Kuz" decides to do any more shit talking in response to me asking a few questions.

[Halowords]

Hey Nolla, I think we all get it about how you were there, cash took place, and you were "practically" the first owner. Legally, you were not. Following the letter of the law, you are the second owner and bought a used guitar; your friend bought the guitar, you just carried it out for him. Granted, I doubt that would prevent some work around the issue (i.e. if you have the receipt and present yourself as the original owner they will probably fix it). Legally, if you tell them the story as-written, they may have no real legally binding obligation to help you. Still, it was a cash purchase, if you have the receipt there is no reason anybody looking at that would believe it wasn't your guitar (unless they read this thread).

 

Still, nothing seems fishy about this as far as the story goes.

 

This is just an unfortunate, and probably solitary incident. Most of those "horror stories" seem to be from several years ago when their QC was not as good as it is now. Plus, when people are disappointed in a new product, they also tend to be pretty vocal about it and not necessarily inclined to give a balanced or forgiving account of things. It is fairly accepted as fact that some problematic guitars occasionally slip out of the Heritage factory. Again, this happens with Gibson, Fender, PRS, virtually everybody else, etc., etc.

 

Finally, it sucks, but the thing probably has to go to the shop and then Heritage. The OP does have a case for being upset, if things are as-written. However, most people are here because they had good experiences so yeah, we are probably a bit biased toward Heritage. So there is the balance. Plus, the direct line of responsibility does in fact reside first in your friend, then the dealer, and then Heritage, but also a bit with yourself to take the proper avenues to get this fixed. Regardless, this stinks for the OP, it will be a disappointing thing to send a brand new guitar back, however I do not think this should turn people off of Heritage as a whole. It is unfortunate, however if given the chance to make it right most accounts seem to indicate they WILL do their best to make you happy and have a pretty good track record as a company. Other than that, I hope this all resolves itself and think that if given the chance Heritage will resolve it and you will have a really, really, really nice guitar.

[MartyGrass]

The goal of the HOC is to make the world a little better place via discussion about Heritage guitars and related stuff.

 

I have had literally dozens each of Heritages and Gibsons. I don't know what your finish problem is. Right now I'm trying to replicate your problem on a translucent blue Heritage but can't.

 

I've had other problems occasionally, and many others in HOC also have discovered flaws. In the end it is worth working through the process. Definitely.

 

Here are links to my recent adventures. http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/index.php?/topic/14053-the-trouble-with-p90s/ http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/index.php?/topic/14015-super-eagle-electronic-makeover-saga/

 

The best thing you can do is send it back to the dealer. Don't drive for five hours. Ship it.

 

Before doing that, you may want to play it enough so that you know whether you want any other mods done- different pickups or whatever.

 

If the finish is flawed, they probably will refinish it for you. You may want a different finish. Or maybe your friend, who doesn't like this blue, might want the guitar back with a different finish.

 

BTW, there is no such thing as a refurb here. That guitar will come back new.

 

The dealer may give you a refund or a store credit.

 

This story is not over yet.

[Thundersteel]

I'm just trying to understand why the original owner sold it to the OP so quickly. He had it for less than a day, and wanted to get rid of it already? If he didn't like the color, then why did he buy it in the first place?

[brentrocks]

I'm just trying to understand why the original owner sold it to the OP so quickly. He had it for less than a day, and wanted to get rid of it already? If he didn't like the color, then why did he buy it in the first place?

 

+1

[MartyGrass]

I'm just trying to understand why the original owner sold it to the OP so quickly. He had it for less than a day, and wanted to get rid of it already? If he didn't like the color, then why did he buy it in the first place?

 

 

I know a couple of impulse buyers on this site, including myself.

[Nolla]

Hey Nolla, I think we all get it about how you were there, cash took place, and you were "practically" the first owner. Legally, you were not. Following the letter of the law, you are the second owner and bought a used guitar; your friend bought the guitar, you just carried it out for him. Granted, I doubt that would prevent some work around the issue (i.e. if you have the receipt and present yourself as the original owner they will probably fix it). Legally, if you tell them the story as-written, they may have no real legally binding obligation to help you. Still, it was a cash purchase, if you have the receipt there is no reason anybody looking at that would believe it wasn't your guitar (unless they read this thread).

 

Still, nothing seems fishy about this as far as the story goes.

 

This is just an unfortunate, and probably solitary incident. Most of those "horror stories" seem to be from several years ago when their QC was not as good as it is now. Plus, when people are disappointed in a new product, they also tend to be pretty vocal about it and not necessarily inclined to give a balanced or forgiving account of things. It is fairly accepted as fact that some problematic guitars occasionally slip out of the Heritage factory. Again, this happens with Gibson, Fender, PRS, virtually everybody else, etc., etc.

 

Finally, it sucks, but the thing probably has to go to the shop and then Heritage. The OP does have a case for being upset, if things are as-written. However, most people are here because they had good experiences so yeah, we are probably a bit biased toward Heritage. So there is the balance. Plus, the direct line of responsibility does in fact reside first in your friend, then the dealer, and then Heritage, but also a bit with yourself to take the proper avenues to get this fixed. Regardless, this stinks for the OP, it will be a disappointing thing to send a brand new guitar back, however I do not think this should turn people off of Heritage as a whole. It is unfortunate, however if given the chance to make it right most accounts seem to indicate they WILL do their best to make you happy and have a pretty good track record as a company. Other than that, I hope this all resolves itself and think that if given the chance Heritage will resolve it and you will have a really, really, really nice guitar.

 

Are you an attorney? I would hope not, as, following the "letter of the law" you arent even partially correct.

If you are an attorney, you may want to have your clerk do some research before posting your inaccurate responses, so as to not misrepresent, what you believe to be correct with proper, responsible legal information.

Regardless, you can all make excuses for this company all youd like and bump up your post count, which is obviously why a lot of the people responded, but in the end Im just a dissatisfied customer who had a couple questions to ask.

I believe Ive heard everyones answers and once again i appreciate everyones time. I dont have anything else to contribute, so this will be my last reply. Thanks again.

[brentrocks]

Let us know what the dealer says and how they handle the warrantee....because it might be good to know if this dealer is willing to make their customers happy....you know what I mean?

[Halowords]

Are you an attorney? I would hope not, as, following the "letter of the law" you arent even partially correct.

 

Why? Are you looking for legal advice, or trying to get a guitar that does not have issues with the finish?

 

If you are an attorney

 

I'm not. I do know that warranties do not necessarily transfer when you exchange ownership of an item.

 

Regardless, you can all make excuses for this company all youd like and bump up your post count, which is obviously why a lot of the people responded, but in the end Im just a dissatisfied customer who had a couple questions to ask.

 

That's why we told you to return the thing so they can make it right. There is really no other option. It's a solitary incident. You are bringing this up on a Heritage forum. I think we have largely been pretty level headed in our responses. That is not making excuses for Heritage either. They have made mistakes, which I have fully acknowledged. I do not care about my post count, and do not feel that pointing out Heritage has upped their QC and largely has a pretty good reputation while fully acknowledging they & the shop should make this faulty guitar situation right is "making excuses for this company." You sound like you are not going to be happy with most of the likely scenarios for Heritage a/o unnamed guitar shop to try to make this right, and your "not to agree with Ed Roman" comment is a strange way to introduce yourself.

 

I believe Ive heard everyones answers and once again i appreciate everyones time. I dont have anything else to contribute, so this will be my last reply. Thanks again.

 

I hope it works out, and I would love to hear how this gets resolved. Partly because I think you have a legitimate gripe. Partly because, going back to your comment, I am NOT about making excuses for Heritage. These stories, from issue straight on through resolution are pretty important for getting the whole story about Heritage, including what problems they have (they obviously have some on occasion), how they make it right, and not just the "horror stories" or the great stories that seem oblivious to Heritage being run by humans. The people here ARE trying to help out, and the positive stories are not just us pumping Heritage up which should ensure a positive result if you give them the chance. However, that is kind of on you.

[blueox]

"I'm just trying to understand why the original owner sold it to the OP so quickly. He had it for less than a day, and wanted to get rid of it already? If he didn't like the color, then why did he buy it in the first place?"

[schundog]

I bought a custom guitar from my friend who sold it to me minutes after he picked it up, because he didn't like the color that HE ordered on this custom, several thousand dollar guitar. I really didn't look that closely at it, but now I'm pissed off because I notice flaws. I'm not interested in getting the situation rectified, I just want to piss and moan about it on a website full of people who are trying to help me get the situation solved. Unless I can hold the guitar up to the phone and have them send a refinish job through the fiber-optics, I'm not interested in letting them off the hook.... Troll Much?!

[Kuz]

Ok, for anyone who cant quite wrap themselves around this Ill repeat myself, again.

My friend and I went to a guitar shop.

My friend handed the proprietor of said guitar shop some cash money.

The proprietor of said guitar shop handed the guitar over to me and I carried the guitar out to the car because he was given the cash money.

My friend decided he did not, after all, care for the color of the guitar that was purchased with cash money earlier in the same day from a proprietor of the previously mentioned guitar shop.

Later in the same day I left my friend to return to my own home very far away.

I had, when I left, with me, to return to my own home very far away, the aforementioned guitar of unsatisfying color, that was purchased alongside my friend, with cash money, from the proprietor of a guitar shop.

Shortly after my return to my own home very far away, problems with the aforementioned guitar were noticed.

If something in that story seems "fishy" to you or in any way complicated, I would recommend doing something with your time that requires very little thinking, as it does not appear to be your strong suit.

My post was about whether or not this same situation has ever been one in which any other owners of Heritage Guitar model H-555 have ever been in.

Apparently, they havent.

I appreciate everyones time but at this point I feel as though I am a Heritage lobbyists convention and I will simply just thank everyone who responded and move along before anyone else besides "Kuz" decides to do any more shit talking in response to me asking a few questions.

 

Dude,

 

I am asking what you want to happen next, because you obviously don't want to send the guitar in to be repaired.

 

I was trying to help, like everyone else here, and you single me out.

 

-IF your name is on the receipt from the dealer, it is covered under warranty. If not your friend can send it in for you to be repaired.

 

-I think I asked a fair question of "What do you want to happen next, if the guitar is not returned for repairs?"

 

-If you are asking me if I have heard of or has this happened to me before.... well no it hasn't.

 

So I guess I am done trying to help you with my SHIT talking!!! And in my opinion, something is fishy if someone spent $2K on a guitar but doesn't want to get it fixed for FREE!!!

[Mikenov]

I had warranty work done on one of my heritages. It required a copy of the original receipt that showed I was the original owner. There is such a huge second hand market for these guitars it makes sense to me that they would require oroginal proof of purchase. How else could they encourage people to buy the guitars they make?

That being said, I think the finish is the best part about heritage guitars. Doesn't mean a stinker never makes it out. But they really make some beautiful axes.

Too bad this one has issues. Maybe. Pics would be nice. I have never heard of an issue like this on any guitar.

[High Flying Bird]

Sumpin' don't sound right.....

[Jimbob]

I wonder if anyone else has had this problem or issues with the finish/lacquer on their H555's?

 

Just to answer this question, I don't have an H555, but I've owned a total of seven Heritage guitars over the years, and the finishes on all of them have been flawless. These were all production guitars as well, not custom shop.

 

BTW, I agree with what others have said here, too; have your friend take care of this since it's essentially his responsibility, or get your money back.

[barrymclark]

I do appreciate the response but I have to assume you didnt read all of the replies yet. I am, in essence the original owner. The guitar was purchased, with cash, while I was standing there and was with me before I went back to my own home within 24 hours of original purchase. I have the warranty card and all that. I do not forsee any issues with the warranty covering it or me having to go back to the friend to have him go to the dealer wih me. The only issue is the distance and the time consumed by a problem that no one has ever heard of happening before and why its happening to begin with. Even if they did end up making repairs and making it whole and better than it is now, I would still feel like it isnt the kind of thing that should have happened to begin with. I do appreciate everyone saying that Heritage will rectify the situation, ending up with a "repaired" or "refurbished" guitar is not the solution anyone buying anything better than a squire or epi would be happy with as an end result. I do hope it is something they can take care of but Im reading horror stories all over the place about people sending in their instruments for warranty repairs and it taking months and months with unreturned emails and phone calls and finally arriving in worse shape then it was sent out in. Everyone will just have to forgive me if this scenario doesnt thrill me as a first time heritage owner. Being that neither the dealer nor heritage appear to be open over the weekend it is going to require me to make a 5 hour round trip driving event as well as taking time off of work just to even have the dealer look at it. Not a great first impression.

I actually did read it. I also read the following posts. I'm out.

[Guest HRB853370]

Regardless of your situation with the guitar, the seller (your friend) is the one resonsable for making this right with you....and then it is nextly the dealers responsability to make it right with your friend.

 

PEROID

 

This guitar is under warentee. i suggest you/your friend uses it.

 

PEROID? WARANTEE?

[Guest HRB853370]

Hey Nolla, I think we all get it about how you were there, cash took place, and you were "practically" the first owner. Legally, you were not. Following the letter of the law, you are the second owner and bought a used guitar; your friend bought the guitar, you just carried it out for him. Granted, I doubt that would prevent some work around the issue (i.e. if you have the receipt and present yourself as the original owner they will probably fix it). Legally, if you tell them the story as-written, they may have no real legally binding obligation to help you. Still, it was a cash purchase, if you have the receipt there is no reason anybody looking at that would believe it wasn't your guitar (unless they read this thread).

 

Still, nothing seems fishy about this as far as the story goes.

 

This is just an unfortunate, and probably solitary incident. Most of those "horror stories" seem to be from several years ago when their QC was not as good as it is now. Plus, when people are disappointed in a new product, they also tend to be pretty vocal about it and not necessarily inclined to give a balanced or forgiving account of things. It is fairly accepted as fact that some problematic guitars occasionally slip out of the Heritage factory. Again, this happens with Gibson, Fender, PRS, virtually everybody else, etc., etc.

 

Finally, it sucks, but the thing probably has to go to the shop and then Heritage. The OP does have a case for being upset, if things are as-written. However, most people are here because they had good experiences so yeah, we are probably a bit biased toward Heritage. So there is the balance. Plus, the direct line of responsibility does in fact reside first in your friend, then the dealer, and then Heritage, but also a bit with yourself to take the proper avenues to get this fixed. Regardless, this stinks for the OP, it will be a disappointing thing to send a brand new guitar back, however I do not think this should turn people off of Heritage as a whole. It is unfortunate, however if given the chance to make it right most accounts seem to indicate they WILL do their best to make you happy and have a pretty good track record as a company. Other than that, I hope this all resolves itself and think that if given the chance Heritage will resolve it and you will have a really, really, really nice guitar.

 

Well wait a minute here. I didn't hear Nolla say he paid the guy back, so it sounds to me like it was a gift from his friend. In that case, Nolla would indeed be the first owner!