I got my Strictly 7 Boden and....

[HighGain510]

The more I read through older S7 threads, the greater feeling of mine, and others', vindication.

Remember, if you see the following on here from a company, fucking run:

- Too good to be true pricing.
- Rampant endorsing.
- Guitars being sold in a very short span of time.
- Guitars being sold over and over.
- Builders going "production".
- Majority of NGDs and support posted by super new users/blatant shills.

If you see at least two of those circumstances, run. Really. There's not a single builder that has used those tactics that didn't turn out to be a fucking loser.

Yep, I posted my feelings about several S7G guitars that hit the board based solely on what I could EASILY tell from pics as well as the specific issues noted by the folks who had the guitars in their hands and received blowback from several guys on here (many of which still had their S7's in their possession, and strangely enough had ended up listed said guitars within the next few weeks/months... rather bizarre, and completely unrelated, turn of events, eh?! )... I feel much better about saying what I had said back when I said it. Often times pricing that is too good to be true usually is, and when you're paying $2500-3K to a builder who at the time has less than 1-2 dozen builds under their belts, you're likely making a huge mistake. Live and learn I guess, but sometimes folks are pointing this stuff out to help YOU out so you don't get burned months down the road.

Also keep in mind what I posted above is not directed at you Leonardo, I sincerely hope either you get a refund or they send you a non-flawed body if you're okay keeping the neck they sent you. Hopefully the other guys waiting on S7-build Boden's don't get the "SURPRISE, ARTSY WORMHOLES!!!" attempt from Curran on their guitars when they first open the box!

 

[Fred the Shred]

I'm hardly as dramatic, but I'm not one to find that my own positive experience is a rule or has me ignoring the obvious inconsistencies in their stuff. Some of the duds I've seen coming from them always make me wonder what sort of rather weird phenomenon could be the source of the monster discrepancies found there, as I can't for the life of me conceive a company that implies you getting lucky with which employee handles the guitar or something!

If I had received the "artsy wormhole guitar" or something like Keith's disastrous guitar, I'd have gone mental and addressed the thing mercilessly. I would be so infuriated that I'd even bum HighGain510 dry. Again.

 

[welsh_7stinger]

This whole thing seems really shitty. I personally like abnormalities in the wood, but if i was paying for a CUSTOM guitar and I did NOT want any abnormalities then I SHOULD have no surprises. I hope you get all this sorted.

 

[TheWarAgainstTime]

When I first heard about S7 guitars, I was turned off of them simply because I didn't like the way their neck joints looked Having a random outburst of internet-famous endorsees seemed a little fishy as well. I'm sorry to hear about the OP's wormhole'd guitar, and hope everything gets cleared up with it, as the problems you've faced are completely inexcusable from a shop when you've already payed in full.

 

[Gilbertsgotbrootz]

Damn I guess I just got really lucky on the solar I had ... I have had quite a few high end guitars from private stock prs to mayones , fender masterbuilt etc . The solar I had was a solid guitar and the only reason I sold it was the 27.5 scale factor . I owned it like 7 months no problems with anything on it at all . However ..... I was one of the first people to actually get a solar if not the first in the us . So I could see how they started pumping them out and stuff started becoming flawed .
I have defended them in the past because everyone makes mistakes but alain's guitar is straight ....ed ..... Thats not a mistake like wood shrinking or a mess up in binding . The body had to have been through numerous peoples hands before shipping . Its just pure laziness of them not wanting to remake it .

 

[Exit Existence]

Am I the only person who seemed skeptical of S7G from the get go?
Like I seriously expected this kind of shit as soon as the brand got semi popular.

When I FIRST saw their guitars a few years ago and saw this shit, I just had a hunch that they would not be capable of producing first class custom shop guitars.

From the company name, the logo, the headstock shape, the horrific square neck joint, boring solid finish guitars with no artistic details that would make a guitar unique and custom like inlays binding ect.

They just never screamed "quality" to me.

 

[Curt]

i thought that was one of the lighting(something else?) techs for chimp spanner?

That was a joke. He is the other guitarist.

Bingo. There's no excuse to be acting like an immature asshat because a customer is unsatisfied with a blatantly careless product. Pathetic attitude

This.

Also, reading that story on page 5 only made me want to give my money to AES for one of those Washbergs even more.

 

[ShadowFactoryX]

Idk, but following the downhill mess from the top, it seems like every time something stupid comes up and Jim gets on FB, he comes across very arrogant and ignorant of his problems.
Overall the guy just seems to be a huge douche.

And ill compare this to my same sentiments regarding custom drum companies, and the craft beer world.
The custom drum world has kinda died down, but for the longest time, everyone was getting into it, making their own companies, and being "innovative", but in reality everyone was using keller shells, and when they werent, they had someone else do their stave or segmented stuff, of if they did do their own, it was sloppy work. But regardless these people would charge upwards of 4k for a 4 piece kit, but you'd figure out who was robbing who after a while.
In the craft beer world there's been an explosion of breweries in the past few years, and it seems like about once a week im finding out of a new brewery in just PA alone. But there's an overwhelming amount of stuff out there and most of it is bad.

How does this all tie in?

I like all these things, custom guitars, custom drums, custom craft beers. But just because you like it, and you know how to do a few things regarding creating those things DOES NOT make you an expert, NOR does it automatically qualify you to start your own company.
Companies like S7G, Invictus, BRJ have such misguided ambitions, while under the preface of a great idea or "innovation", have done nothing but pissed customers off, and ensured a failure for their investment.

Its hard to keep criticism from the internet these days, and when it comes to stuff like this, I cant help but feel pissed, because if I were in a situation like this, I'd be so livid.
This is the age of the customer being always right, and in no way is it acceptable to take a defect and project it as "artistic" and force that view to a paying customer.

 

[nothingleft09]

Leo, that sucks. I hope they fix it for you. I was also hoping they would get their shit together but it just isn't going to happen. I love the S7 I own and have no intention of selling it, but they need to just give up if these are the kinds of things they are just sloppily and just plain not giving a .... about putting out to the customer. I'll either go with AES or Blackwater for a custom build next year.

 

[Hankey]

From the company name, the logo, the headstock shape, the horrific square neck joint, boring solid finish guitars with no artistic details that would make a guitar unique and custom like inlays binding ect.

They just never screamed "quality" to me.

Don't forget the gigantic control cavities. Looks like they couldn't be bothered to load up more than one CNC program, even when all the guitar has is a single volume knob...

 

[SavM]

Crikey, $3k is a lot of money for a dud and that bad customer service/ interaction will always leave a bad taste in your mouth. I've always admired your guitars from a far, hopefully you'll have plenty of other great beasts to come in. These guys have destroyed their own business, I can't imagine anyone will feel inclined to give these guys any business...

Don't forget the gigantic control cavities. Looks like they couldn't be bothered to load up more than one CNC program, even when all the guitar has is a single volume knob...

That control cavity is huge!! What the hell are they hiding in there???

 

[Nahkaparoni]

Awwww man, I'm sorry for you. Those flaws are unacceptable for a $3000 guitar. Hell, they would be for a $200 guitar. I love those Bodens but it sucks hearing so many people complaining about the build quality. Or the lack of it. I'd try to get a refund but that's just me. Hope you get things sorted out!

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Am I the only person who seemed skeptical of S7G from the get go?
Like I seriously expected this kind of shit as soon as the brand got semi popular.

When I FIRST saw their guitars a few years ago and saw this shit, I just had a hunch that they would not be capable of producing first class custom shop guitars.


From the company name, the logo, the headstock shape, the horrific square neck joint, boring solid finish guitars with no artistic details that would make a guitar unique and custom like inlays binding ect.

They just never screamed "quality" to me.

To be fair, they [S7 guitars] were very cheap/affordable back then. I don't take much issue with guitars that are a good value, if everyone understands why they are cheaper, which was because they were basic instruments that lacked polish.

I remember getting a couple quotes from S7 back when they first popped up. Around then you could get a totally decked out bolt-on, RG-clone with a cool finish, OFR7, DiMarzios, etc. for under $1500, and have a pretty speedy turnaround on it.

In about a year and a half that pricing nearly doubled, and the quality just didn't seem to double with it.

 

[Erockomania]

To be fair, they [S7 guitars] were very cheap/affordable back then. I don't take much issue with guitars that are a good value, if everyone understands why they are cheaper, which was because they were basic instruments that lacked polish.

I remember getting a couple quotes from S7 back when they first popped up. Around then you could get a totally decked out bolt-on, RG-clone with a cool finish, OFR7, DiMarzios, etc. for under $1500, and have a pretty speedy turnaround on it.

In about a year and a half that pricing nearly doubled, and the quality just didn't seem to double with it.

Yup, as I stated earlier, they should have stuck with that business model.

I am curious as to what Ola saw in them, considering his rep. This debacle most definitely effects the way people view him. He must have been given the full BS treatment.

 

[nothingleft09]

Yup, as I stated earlier, they should have stuck with that business model.

I am curious as to what Ola saw in them, considering his rep. This debacle most definitely effects the way people view him. He must have been given the full BS treatment.

As Someone who owns an S7, I can say when they get shit right they are amazing guitars. Ola has some great ones built by them as well. Unfortunately they are self destructing now and doing everything BUT getting it right. On to better things. Recently Ola has gotten some spectacular Siggi Braun's and Blackat's. You only stay on a sinking ship if you don't mind getting wet in the process.

 

[spaghettipomodoro]

Ola.... Strandberg?

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Ola.... Strandberg?

It's extremely confusing when you have two Ola's that worked with S7G.

 

[Erockomania]

Ola.... Strandberg?

yes, Strandberg

oops

 

[nothingleft09]

It's extremely confusing when you have two Ola's that worked with S7G.

I meant Englund. Haha. It is confusing. But I don't blame either one of them for bailing honestly. Which is bad cuz I love my guitar... but the company is run by jackasses.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I am curious as to what Ola saw in them

Around the time Ola Strandberg and S7 started doing business S7 still had a HUGE endorsee/signature roster full of popular modern guitarists. Given the information he had, S7 seemed like a great choice, and it's not like other builders were stepping up to the plate, at the time.

Perhaps if the artists at the time who were having issues had the cock and balls to be honest about the treatment and instruments they were given folks would have been privy to S7s decline much earlier. Instead, they all (with the exception of Keith Merrow, after the fact of course) kinda faded away silently and switched to other builders/brands.

I understand being professional, but there's a difference between publicly airing grievances in the hope that A) the company at hand will get a push to be more transparent and start improving, and/or B) that folks can make a more informed choice before plunking down a nice chunk or cash, and just giving a public "fuck you" with no aimed resolution.

If you guys ever wonder why I'm so hard on endorsees who come here to shill the brand-of-the-week they happen to be using, that's why. They usually could give two shits about you, me, and our hard earned cash, it's all about the publicity and cash, and the next endorsement to jump to. I'm not falling for that, jack. Neither should you.