Thank You for Your Purchase!
General Store & Merch Purchase Terms
Apparel, tumblers, custom engraved, printed or designed products including but not exclusive of T-shirts, mugs, signs, gifts, gift packages, awards/plaques, key chains, ID tags and products sold on this website or in-person can be traded-in for defect of manufacture within 30 days of purchase date. No other warranty is granted nor implied. To report a defect and request exchange, customer must email info@gaylordguitars.com with details, photos or video of the issue and seek approval with return instructions within the 30 day window.
Please keep in mind that all sales are final; no cash or credit refunds will be issued for any reason.
guitar and instrument purchase terms
Thank you for purchasing a Gaylord Guitar or Custom Shop Build from the Hot Rod Garage. We are honored to be part of your musical journey.
GG Trade-Up / Exchange Program
We want every player to have the instrument that best matches their performance goals. Therefore, we have developed our Trade-Up/Exchange Program to help ensure players have the best chance of bonding with the right instrument.
- Eligibility: For instruments purchased in 2026, the original buyer may be eligible for the program within the first six (6) months from the original purchase date.
- Process: At the sole discretion of Gaylord Guitars and following a formal review of the instrument, we may authorize a trade-in of your guitar for another available Gaylord Guitar.
- Terms: Some fees and conditions may apply and are subject to change. To initiate an exchange review and receive current terms, please email info@gaylordguitars.com prior to placing a new order.
- Availability: This program is available to customers residing within the Continental United States only.
GG Warranty Policy
For instruments purchased in 2026, Gaylord Guitars offers the following limited warranty coverage. Warranty service is available within the Continental United States only.
1. Covered Hardware Conditions (First 30 Days)
Within the first 30 days from the purchase date, we will replace like-for-like the following components if a material or manufacturing defect occurs:
- A tuning key failing to turn or hold tune under expected tolerances.
- A bridge saddle adjustment screw or saddle failing to turn or move within expected tolerances.
- A mechanical electronic component (such as a potentiometer or switch) failing to operate or turn within expected tolerances.
- An electronic pickup failing to operate within expected tolerances (specifically a break in the internal winding).
- Remedy & Terms: Replacement of the specific part is the sole remedy. Gaylord Guitars will mail the replacement part to the customer’s physical address within the Continental United States. We may require the customer to return the failed component before shipping a replacement. To exercise the wood warranty, email info@gaylordguitars.com to initiate a request.
- Installation: Except as noted in the Local Service Option below, the customer is responsible for self-managing the installation and swapping of parts at their own time and expense.
2. Covered Wood & Structural Conditions (First 365 Days)
Wood is an organic, hygroscopic material that naturally moves, breathes, and reacts to its environment. Within the first 365 days from the purchase date, upon review and at the sole discretion of Gaylord Guitars, we may replace, adjust, or modify the instrument for a specific material structural defect of moderate to severe natural wood warping of the neck.
Note: We have never had a request for service for this issue on one of our hand-built guitars, but we know nature can be unpredictable and we want to confidently support our customers if it does occur.
- Process: To exercise the wood warranty, email info@gaylordguitars.com to initiate a request. The customer may be directed to ship the bolt-on neck, or the complete set-neck guitar, to Gaylord Guitars with an issued Return Authorization (RA) number.
- Communication: The customer must be available via phone and email to complete the warranty process. Corrected or replaced parts will be shipped back to the customer’s physical address within the Continental United States.
Any condition, part, or issue not explicitly described above is excluded from this warranty.
Local Service Option
At the sole discretion of Gaylord Guitars, customers capable of meeting in-person at a location specified by us within 40 miles of Vero Beach, Florida, may be eligible for additional, case-by-case bench support within the initial 183 days of purchase:
- Bench Assistance: In-person help with part replacement, soldering, nut adjustment and filing, truss rod tweaks, string height adjustments, and general playability setups.
- Personalization: Assistance with pre-qualified, elective component modifications to help tailor the instrument’s tone or playability to your personal style.
- Gig Support: Refreshment with a frosty beverage at a local establishment where the customer is performing, delivered during a set break.
- The “Freebird” Clause: Gaylord Guitars reserves the right to refuse local service for any reason, at any time, including but not limited to a poor performance of “Freebird” or a refusal to perform “Back in Black” or “Crazy Train”
Gaylord Guitars reserves the right to modify these terms at any time. We highly value our player community and encourage suggestions for future updates to our warranty and exchange programs.
Customer Self-Managed Maintenance
To help players keep their instruments playing at their peak, please familiarize yourself with these common, naturally occurring characteristics of fretted wood instruments. These are regular maintenance items and are not covered under warranty:
- Fret Sprout: Due to regional climate and humidity differences, the wood of the fretboard may shrink, leaving the metal fret ends protruding slightly from the sides of the neck. It is common and expected to occasionally file these fret ends down. Fret sprout can be delayed or avoided by maintaining relative humidity around 50% in your storage space and conditioning the fretboard with an industry-approved oil (such as D’Addario, Music Nomad, or Lizard Spit) at least once per year.
- Truss Rod Adjustments: Due to climate changes and seasonal shifts, all necks undergo natural compression and expansion. Touring players often face changing conditions at every venue, requiring truss rod adjustments almost daily. Even at home, occasional tweaks are necessary to retain your desired neck straightness and string action.
- Body Seam Shifts, Sinking, & Finish Changes: All wood instruments expand and contract at different rates depending on their environment. The sun will naturally fade or amber colors, glue joints may telegraph slightly through the finish, and temperature fluctuations will cause wood movement. Our finishes are typically premium nitrocellulose lacquers (from StewMac, Oxford, or Mohawk) applied over or instead of specialized wood sealers (ranging from epoxy resins and vinyl sprays to natural oils). We deliberately apply these thin to create a resonant, vintage-style, pre-aged instrument. The finish will naturally sink, check, and change over time.
Want to learn more about setting up and maintaining your build? Email us at info@gaylordguitars.com and we’ll gladly point you toward the best setup media and guides our own team uses. At our discretion, we may provide additional setup assistance not explicitly detailed here.
All Sales Final & Component Specifications Statement
Please keep in mind that all sales are final; no cash or credit refunds will be issued for any reason. We believe our GG Trade-Up/Exchange Program is the absolute best way to address evolving stylistic considerations or preference changes.
Our component features and design choices vary widely from model to model—with numerous vintage-style and hot-rodded layouts—giving each hand-crafted instrument its one-of-a-kind uniqueness. Hardware specifications vary extensively across the industry, and there can be major differences in the daily operation and maintenance of the various components. This includes but is not limited to:
- Tuners: (Gear ratios, locking vs. standard, sealed vs. vintage open-gear, etc.)
- Bridges: (Hardtail, tremolo, traditional T-style, string-through, barrel saddles vs individual saddles)
- Electronics: (Varying potentiometer tapers, values, and pickup winds)
The hardware configurations we choose are intentional design elements. This warranty covers actual failures of materials, and does not cover user preferences that may shift after the sale.
Any vintage-style instrument may require a learning curve to operate, set-up and maintain.
Please reach out to us at info@gaylordguitars.com and we will gladly direct you to instructional media and other resources that support the proper use and maintenance of these unique components and if you are local to Treasure Coast, Florida please consider making a request for the Local Service Option above.
THANK YOU.