Used Guitars & Dealer Honesty

[PeeWee]

How many here have ever bought what you'd perceived to be a great used instrument only to discover that there were issues that weren't disclosed by the dealer after you'd had some time to bond with it?

It seems that this is happening with more frenquency these days and I can't really recall that this was such an issue "back in the day". Personally, it's happened to me twice in the last 5 weeks. With the first guitar, I was able to return it for a full refund of my money, so no harm no foul. After taking my newest geet to my tech this Saturday for a proper set up, we've discovered that it has a serious neck issue, due to it's previous owner's neglect and misuse ( ie: heavier than recommended string gauge and improper truss rod adjustments over a very long period), and that's going to require a few bucks to get back into great shape.

Normally, I would just send it back along with an earful of hateful commentary, but I've really come to love this instrument and it's tone. Plus it's also a rather hard to find guitar. Some may say to just do the minimum required to get it to where it wasn't an issue and unload it - like the dealer I bought it from - but I couldn't sell an instrument to someone knowing full well that there'd be some disappointment, as well as heartbreak involved for the buyer; call it Karma or what have you.

As a result, I'm giving the guitar to my crack luthier/repaiman to remedy to problem at out of pocket expense to me. I'm also on the look for a new version of the same guitar to use for rehearsals, recording and home use and will use the repaired model as my stage guitar exclusively.

If anyone else has ever experienced this type of dishonesty, let's hear it! It'd be nice to see just how often this practice has been popping up since the advent of Ebay, Gbase, craigslist.org and a number of other internet based formats. Not telling a sob story here, just interested.

[sliding-tom]

Sorry to hear that, PeeWee! Was that one of your Rickies? I never had that bad kind of experience, but I just might've been lucky. Bought one guitar and one amp used on ebay and both turned out to be perfectly O.K., more "pre-owned" than used, and good bargains, too. I also bought a new resonator mandolin from a dealer on ebay only to find out that the bridge on the cookie leaned forward so much that the strings buzzed heavily - contacted the dealer and got a new one (with nicer figured wood on the neck,too). I have almost always bought new but that's mostly due to the fact that there wasn't much of a used market for instruments here.

[PeeWee]

Yeah, it's my early Harrison reissue; an '88 360/12V64. I've always had pretty good luck buying over the phone or 'Net, but this one is a real pisser for me. If I didn't love this thing so much, I'd part it out, but the early one's are getting extremely hard to come by. It still sounds fantastic and looks like a million bucks, so after we correct the neck angle, it should play almost as good as new. It plays fine now, but the neck is at pitch instead of being perpendicular with the body - much more time like this and it'll become firewood.

However, I cancelled my order for a new 660 and will instead buy a new 360/12C63, which is a dead accurate vintage reproduction of George's '63; the second Rick 12 string electric ever made and the same one heard on A Hard Day's Night and Help!. This way, I'll have one for nothing but gigs and then one for rehearsals, studio and home use.

I bought a '97 NOS Historic ES-5 from Fretware's Dave Hussong over the phone after seeing it listed in VG and I bought my '04 R9/Murphy from Jet Engine Sound in Tokyo after seeing it on his webpage; both with absolutely no problems what-so-ever and just monsterous guitars to boot. Just goes to show that not all dealers are made equal.


* Edit - I just talked with my repairman and the work will completely restore the guitar to it's former self! Phil apprenticed at JK Luthiery and was a grad of the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in AZ after completing his studies at ASU. He was also an employee at PRS for a number of years specializing in neck and fret work. If anyone can get it right, it's Phil!

[JofZ]

The only bad deal I ever got my self into was totally due to my emotions getting involved. Note to self: Never buy a high end axe from a large chain store ever, ever, ever, ever again :D

It is amazing what can happen to that axe between purchase in person and shipping to avoid having to carry the beast home ;)

I truly believe they had every intent on screwing me, but in the long run I got out for more then I paid and they lost future business and have since gone out of business.

I am sure many do not believe in full disclosure, but that is my rule and I always live by it.

The axe I bought, was some how dropped on its head stock and the end result was a nice cover up job. Had they told me I would have bought it for a discount I loved it so much. But, since they didn't it bothered me from the day it showed up.

[Plugger]

I've bought one guitar on eBay and four from online dealers (three of which I've received, the fourth on it's way as I write).

These are all used instruments, and interestingly, all were pretty accurate with respect to their descriptions -- except the Strat (the one I got on eBay) didn't come with a trem arm.

I get the feeling that established dealers are generally more concerned with maintaining their reputations than the occassional eBay seller. So when I consider an eBay seller, I like to see lots of feedback on lots of guitars, rather than it looks like a "one-off" deal. Of course, there are some well-known serial villains on eBay, anyway...

In any case, if I can't physically hold an instrument before purchase, I always feel a bit more confident getting a guitar from a dealer with a bricks-and-mortar business... I think they have more to lose trying to pass anything off that it isn't what it purports to be.

-Mark

[Guitarnivore]

No problems with eBay for me but had a Gbase deal I wasn"t completely happy with. Bought a guitar that looked great in the photos but when I got it the maple board was a disaster, super filthy. I chalked it up to my lack of questioning the dealer beforehand and learned my lesson.

The worst for me was a face to face deal that didn't go too well. I bought 3 vintage guitars from a dealer and found out each one had undisclosed, hidden issues. I was able to return 2 and sold the other one with complete disclosure to the buyer. Pretty annoying to have to deal with but with the money guitars pull these days the rush to make a buck overrides honesty in some cases. Question everything.

[gururyan]

Yeah, it's my early Harrison reissue; an '88 360/12V64.

Where is the drooling smilie? Please post some pics of this beauty!

[1959burst]

i deal will several online dealers since the 80's , but not too much anymore...............i got what i want...................except a real 57 gibson moderne:mad:

[PeeWee]

Where is the drooling smilie? Please post some pics of this beauty!

Ryan,

Go to either the "Shamless Glamour Shot" (post #106) or the "Ricko Enthusiasts" thread (post #14). I've a few in each.

PW

[gururyan]

Ryan,

Go to either the "Shamless Glamour Shot" (post #106) or the "Ricko Enthusiasts" thread (post #14). I've a few in each.

PW

Thanks, found it. Better than I had imagined. :cool: