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Hi,
I bought a 2010 Gibson ES-175 that I love but need to sell for financial reasons. I got a bid on it on Reverb but mentioned I bought it at a steal because the neck had been worked on/filling had been put in. I bought it at the Hollywood, California Guitar Center at a steal- $2400 marked down 20 percent for a 2 or 3 day 20 percent off all used gear sale. The salesman was very, very knowledgeable and mentioned the reason and said it only really mattered for collectors and didn't really affect the guitar at all.
My question to those who may know. Why would someone fill in a neck? The buyer on Reverb has asked why the neck was filled and what it was filled with.
I love the guitar, I don't believe this minor repair work changes the sound or feel at all, but want to have an answer for the potential buyer. I appreciate any and all responses!
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07-01-2024 07:45 PM
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Filled or filed? One fills in dents, dings, etc. One might "file" frets, also known as fret dressing, to improve playing feel and tone.
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Filling, as in, something (maybe paste?) was put in the back of the neck!
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Photos, please.
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Presumably there was a dent or hole or crack of some kind that a repair person thought should be filled. That could be a good thing, or a bad thing depending on exactly what the situation was. Pictures would help.
Originally Posted by ES175please!
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The phrase "filling the neck" is new to me and I don't know what it means. Perhaps the OP could ask that of the person who told them that "the neck had been worked on/filling had been put in".
I can think of a couple of things it might mean - that the grain was filled (open-grained woods like ash are often "filled" with a paste to present a smooth surface for finishing), but doing that as a field repair seems a little unusual; or that there was a dent of some kind in the wood of the neck that was patched by the introduction of some material. But, given the reaction the OP has gotten to his phrase, it would be well to track down what it means.
Maybe the phrase "filling the neck" is clear to everybody else, but it's not clear to me. If I were a potential buyer and the seller said this to me and then couldn't tell me what it meant, or offered multiple unsupported suppositions for what it meant, I would walk away from that potential purchase.
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This reminded me of an ad for a Hofner Congress I've seen recently. Originally Posted by dconeill
It goes,
"1960 Hofner Congress, I have dated it by identifying it's serial number 9236. It needs some restoration, definitely a new fretboard. Machine heads work fine, neck and body seem solid, just cosmetic wear. Willing to listen to sensible offers. "
So I asked,
"Hi. So what's happened to the fretboard such that it needs replacing? Thanks."
HHi.Whaas happened to the fretboard such that it needs replacing?Thanks "
Here's the reply I got,
"It just looks like it does, kinda feels like it does. I mean it does play, I just feel it needs a new fret board."
So that's cleared that up then!
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So you know why it was done and by extension also where in the neck that filling sits. Originally Posted by ES175please!
Could it be that someone had put a strap button in an awkward position from which is was subsequently removed? Did it get a visit from a wood-boring critter (not impossible if it's a maple neck)?
You could propose to give the name of the shop and the salesperson you dealt with so your prospective buyer can ask his own questions directly. And point him to this thread in case actual answers come in.
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Is it a fruit filling, or custard filling?
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Maybe filled fingerboard divots but who knows.
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A rare instance of the proper use of "This thread is useless without pics"....
Saying "worked on/filling had been put in" could mean anything from filling in a small dent to repairing a headstock break.
As others said, if a seller said that to me and couldn't back it up with proper documentation/explanation, I'd walk away.
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And hopefully the "filling" doesn't contain mercury. Originally Posted by customxke
But seriously, the OP needs to not only provide us with pictures of this "filling" but also the text of the original Guitar Center ad (if one existed).. How can advice be given about something that is impossible to even comprehend without more evidence?
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In response to no pictures- I had to loan it to a pawn shop and don't have access to it atm. Like I said, I didn't notice it and don't notice it when looking at it either. It was something the sales person said as sort of a- by the way type thing- I played and was hooked on the guitar- especially for the price. If I remember correctly, don't know what the filling is but it must have been to fill out some sort of dent or uneveness. I appreciate the replies- I am a gear newbie and dummy!
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No, it doesn't "must have been ...". It appears to me that you have no idea what was done and you're trying to speculate your way to an answer. No one in their right mind would buy such a guitar from you. Find out what was done and why - your speculation is not just contentless and reality-free, it hurts your chances of selling the guitar. Originally Posted by ES175please!
I tried to be gentler with my previous answer, but that approach didn't seem to work.
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In addition: is it normal/acceptable to try to sell something that is currently in a pawn shop? Doesn't that mean the instrument is already for sale by the pawn shop?
If not I suppose they must be aware that you're trying to sell the guitar and going there to take some additional pictures shouldn't be an issue beyond being an annoyance for you. Try to find the filled place and take a detailed photo of it and any other "trace of having been played intensively".
If it was indeed a dent in the neck the salesperson could well be right that it's inconsequential for the playability. In that case it must be possible to rephrase the Reverb ad to avoid questions you cannot answer but still make it clear that this is not a mint instrument. I suppose others here must be able to make suggestions.
Either way you should of course not try to sell the instrument for what it would be worth without the rebate you got (though you can forget about the 20% off). If I understand correctly that means you start from the $2400 figure, add whatever value increase (%) this particular model would have had, and take off any depreciation from your own playing.
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Yes, am not selling until I get down to guitar center with it to find out. Selling without doing so doesn't seem right and told buyer I'd find out before accepting his bid. Thanks to those who responded!
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Is this it?
Just a moment...
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I sure hope not! This is a "ding": Originally Posted by wintermoon
This is not:
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A ding may be "drop filled" with cyanocrylate glue or nitrocellulose lacquer, etc. This to me would be an inconsequential repair that would have little to no impact on value, unless it was really aesthetically prominent. Or if the buyer was incredibly picky.
On the other hand, if what was filled in was a crack, that would be a different story because it has a structural impact on the instrument. A properly repaired crack is going to be difficult to see and should be stable for the life of the guitar, but it would still have an effect on value.
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My first thought was ricotta cannoli cream. But we’re just being silly. It probably had a cavity, so the owner took it to a dent-ist to have it it filled. Originally Posted by customxke
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Worse, it guarantees you a hassle with an unhappy buyer who will want to return it unless you luck out and it was only a small ding filled with a drop of CA. Sadly, it’s probably not that or the GC guy wouldn’t even have noticed it. Originally Posted by dconeill
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I honestly thought he meant someone had filled the truss rod cavity; like all the way down.
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