OWNERSHIP & SUPPORT

Warranty & Care

Carlson guitars are built to be played, cared for, and enjoyed for decades. This page outlines the limited warranty coverage, care expectations, and ongoing support provided with each instrument.

Two-Year Limited Warranty

Each new Carlson guitar is covered by a two-year limited warranty to the original retail purchaser against defects in materials or workmanship attributable to its construction.

Coverage begins on the date the original retail purchaser takes delivery of the instrument, as shown on the Carlson Guitars final invoice or the sales receipt from an authorized Carlson Guitars dealer.

This warranty applies whether the instrument was commissioned directly from Carlson Guitars or purchased new through an authorized dealer. It is limited to the original retail purchaser and is not transferable.

Proof of purchase and the instrument’s serial number may be required when requesting warranty service.

What the Warranty Covers

This limited warranty covers defects in materials or workmanship attributable to the construction of the instrument that become apparent during the two-year warranty period under normal use and proper care.

If Carlson Guitars determines that an instrument has a covered defect, Carlson Guitars will determine the appropriate repair and will either perform the work or authorize its completion by a qualified repair professional.

The remedy provided under this warranty is repair of the covered condition. Covered repair labor and materials will be provided at no charge to the owner, subject to the shipping terms outlined below.

Any repair performed by another repair professional must be approved in writing by Carlson Guitars before work begins for the cost to be considered for warranty coverage or reimbursement.

What the Warranty Does Not Cover

This limited warranty does not cover:

• Normal wear, aging, or routine maintenance

• Strings, fret wear, nut or saddle wear, or hardware wear

• Routine setups, seasonal adjustments, or normal changes in neck relief, string action, or playability

• Cosmetic wear resulting from ordinary use

• Finish checking, sinking, discoloration, or other cosmetic changes caused by age, use, temperature, humidity, or environmental exposure

• Damage caused by improper humidity, excessive dryness, excessive moisture, or rapid temperature changes

• Cracks, loose joints, fret sprout, distortion, or changes in playability caused by environmental conditions

• Accidental damage, impact, misuse, neglect, improper storage, or improper transportation

• Shipping damage occurring after the instrument has been delivered to its original purchaser

• Damage caused or worsened by improper setup, maintenance, adjustment, repair, or modification

• Third-party parts, pickups, electronics, accessories, installation work, or related labor

• Natural variation or gradual change in the appearance, color, texture, feel, or tonal character of wood and other natural materials

• Instruments purchased used or otherwise transferred from the original retail purchaser

The need for ordinary maintenance or adjustment does not, by itself, indicate a defect in materials or workmanship.

Routine Maintenance and Outside Repair Work

Routine maintenance may be performed without prior approval. This includes string replacement, cleaning, lubrication where appropriate, and ordinary setup adjustments performed by a qualified repair professional.

Having routine maintenance performed by an independent technician does not automatically void unrelated warranty coverage. However, Carlson Guitars is not responsible for damage caused by that work.

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Truss-rod damage caused by improper adjustment

• Stripped or damaged hardware

• Damage to the nut, saddle, frets, finish, bridge, or fretboard

• Excessive removal of material

• Damage caused by improper tools or repair procedures

• Conditions caused or worsened by an incorrect setup

Any repair beyond routine maintenance must receive prior written authorization from Carlson Guitars when the owner expects the work to be covered or reimbursed under this warranty. Unauthorized repair costs will not be reimbursed.

Modifications and Pickup Installation

Alterations or modifications exclude warranty coverage for the modified component, the affected areas of the instrument, and any condition caused or contributed to by the modification.

Examples include:

• Structural alterations

• Routing or drilling

• Refinishing or finish alteration

• Bridge, bracing, neck-joint, or fretboard modification

• Changes to the original hardware requiring alteration of the instrument

• Changes to original inlay, binding, or construction

Installation of a pickup or related electronics does not automatically exclude unrelated parts of the guitar from warranty consideration. However, the pickup, electronics, installation work, altered areas, and any damage or condition caused or contributed to by the installation are not covered.

When an alteration makes it impossible to determine whether a condition resulted from the original construction or the later work, Carlson Guitars may deny coverage for the affected area or system.

Care & Humidity

Proper humidity control is essential to the long-term health of an acoustic guitar. Wood naturally expands and contracts as environmental conditions change, and damage caused by those conditions is not considered a defect in materials or workmanship.

Owners should:

• Maintain the instrument within a stable range of approximately 40–50% relative humidity

• Monitor humidity where the guitar is stored

• Use an appropriate guitar-humidification or dehumidification system when necessary

• Store the guitar in its case when it is not being played

• Avoid exposure to extreme heat, cold, dryness, moisture, or rapid environmental changes

• Allow a cold or hot instrument to acclimate inside its closed case before opening it

Prolonged or severe environmental exposure can cause cracks, loose joints, finish checking, fret sprout, distortion, and changes in setup or playability.

Each Carlson guitar is delivered in a custom-fit, Carlson-branded molded flight case selected to protect the instrument during ordinary storage and transport. The case does not eliminate the need for proper humidity control, careful handling, or appropriate packing when the instrument is shipped.

Obtaining Warranty Service

Contact Carlson Guitars before shipping the instrument or authorizing any warranty-related repair.

Please be prepared to provide:

• The instrument’s serial number

• Reasonable proof of purchase

• A description of the condition

• Clear photographs or video when requested

• Information about the instrument’s care, storage, humidity, setup, and repair history

Carlson Guitars may need to inspect the instrument before making a final determination regarding coverage. Preliminary discussion or shipping authorization does not guarantee that a condition will be covered.

No instrument should be shipped without prior authorization and shipping instructions from Carlson Guitars.

The owner is responsible for securely packing, fully insuring, and paying the cost of shipping the instrument to Carlson Guitars or an approved repair location.

When a claim is determined to be covered, Carlson Guitars will pay the cost of the approved repair and standard insured return shipping within the contiguous United States.

When a condition is not covered, the owner is responsible for return shipping and any non-warranty repair work the owner approves. No non-warranty repair work will be performed without first discussing the work and associated cost with the owner.

Return shipping outside the contiguous United States will be addressed individually before service is authorized.

Support Beyond the Warranty

The conclusion of the two-year limited warranty does not end the relationship between Carlson Guitars and the instrument’s owner.

Carlson Guitars remains available to evaluate and service its instruments after the warranty period. Repairs outside warranty coverage are considered individually and quoted before work begins.

Carlson guitars are built to be played, not preserved behind glass. With proper care, humidity control, routine maintenance, and open communication, each instrument is intended to remain a reliable musical companion for many years.

Questions concerning warranty coverage, instrument care, or service may be directed to Carlson Guitars.