Official Luthiers Forum!

After some double talk to me. and to My attorney FedEx has so graciously agreed to pay the claim in full. They get the guitar with all the hardware less the case. and I get the sell value of the guitar. So now I get to change my signature line.

WTG, Michael!!!

I'd be interested to know what FedEx will do with the guitar. You might want to send them a letter and let them know that you'd be willing to repair it for them...at a price, of course!

Nice to see that justice prevailed!

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Good news Michael.

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I am going to remove my label. stating the serial number as this guitar will no longer be in warranty.

YaHOO!!!!!!!!!!

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Nice to hear! Good news

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

They actually called me this morning at 9 am to tell me that the claim was denied based on improper packing. I call my attorney to inform him of this and the fact that they had called me and not him, as I had turned this over to him last week. about 15 min later he called me back informing me that they had settled

Great news> I'm happy for you, but still very sad if you know what I mean.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

congrats!

Michael,
Glad to hear they settled!
Interesting that they get the guitar though.
How is that repacement comming?

WadeWade S.39063.4931828704

_________________
Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Sounds like you have a good lawyer....

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

That is great news.....
The best would have been if they didn't smash it!!!!

_________________
Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

[QUOTE=Wade S.] Michael,
Glad to hear they settled!
Interesting that they get the guitar though.
How is that repacement comming?

Wade[/QUOTE]

The client has agreed to go one back in the que and he is considering differnt specs. The same back and side wood but a differnt guitar size, top wood and trim options. So here we go.

Great news Michael. Still sad that the original was destroyed but I'm happy to hear you were compensated.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

[QUOTE=SteveS] Great news> I'm happy for you, but still very sad if you know what I mean.[/QUOTE]

Yep this was tonally and cosmetically a super guitar. Its tone was remarkable. One of those builds that you get so involved with that your effort goes a step or two higher than you have been before. Without a doubt this guitar was my current pinnacle.

Congrats..what a relief!

_________________
Brad
Avon, OH

I'm glad that worked out for you. Sorry you had to get the lawyer involved.

Hesh they will put it up for salvage auction. They will likely find a luthier that will buy the body at a very low rate and put time and a neck into it or salvage the back, top and tuners. I have been informed that I can not bid on it due to a possible conflict of interest according to my attorney.

So if any of you get the chance to bid on this guitar, I have no idea where or when. I would buy it back

I hate the thought of some one else getting credit for my work.

I cant see how bidding on something, even if it used to be yours, at a public auction, can be conceived of as conflict of interest. Unless of course you have an in with the auctioneer. What difference does it make where the winning bidder is from, or where he earns a living - the money is all the same - thats horse droppings, as Col Potter would say.

All that said, its very unfortunate is was ruined, but I am glad at least everyone was made whole in the end, and it wasnt a long costly drawn out affair to get there. One of my students had a similar prob, and it took months to resolve.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Michael, that's just great news.
Perhaps--long shot I know--this will cause some ripples for the rest of the guitar-shipping community? I mean, as in product awareness, and increased care on FedEx's part?

Who knows? But one can hope....

Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I have a neighbor that shoots liquid foam in to walls for a living. He has offered to spray my shipments for fee from now on. Wrap the case in shrink rap, spray 2" on the bottom of the box place the case in the box, spray the void areas and 2" on the top. It would be kind of a pain to unpack, but should eliminate the ability of a carrier to claim unfit packing.

That is great new Michael. I'm glad it will work out for your customer. You did get the case back which is worth something right? I mean you include the case in your quotes yes, so your getting the value of the case back which is higher than the sale price right (clear as mud) or did they take this into account?

Have you seen Brian Kimsey's website on guitar packaging?

Check it out

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

No the case was not part of the claim value. I only claimed the guitar. The price the client paid was the claim value plus the case but I only claimed damage on the guitar.

Michael,

That's very good news! And it didn't drag out for months on end. Any out of pocket losses, attorney's fees, etc.? if you don't mind my asking.

_________________
now known around here as Pat Foster
_________________
http://www.patfosterguitars.com