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Thinking of buying this from Guitar Center? Don't -- unless you enjoy fixing things up.
I bought it and discovered that not only are all the screws and the tuner shafts rusted, but I couldn't get any signal out of the pickups.
When I returned it, the nice chap who processed my return said there was no way it should have been sold in the condition it's in.
And yet it's back up for sale.
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Fe...n-118081871.gc
Actually, nope. Maybe that was their first instinct - relist - but someone nixed it; it's gone. Or re-relisted elsewhere. But that link is kaput.
Or, you know, it sold again.Quote:
Originally Posted by journeybear
It was most definitely up again; they tend not to last long. Some poor sucker who doesn't read the Cafe is gonna get an education.
I might give up on GC if I hadn't had several transactions that yielded excellent value. This just wasn't one of them.
I feel the same way. Let the buyer beware.Quote:
Originally Posted by mrmando
I should add this is true regardless of where an instrument is found. Bargains are found not only in music stores online, but also in pawn shops, flea markets, church sales, newspaper ads, etc. Buying from a music store doesn't guarantee quality -- but it should, IMHO.
Alarming.
It is a roll of the dice, that's for sure.
I just so happens I got my Fender FM60E from a Guitar Center used listing. I caught it just after it was put up without a picture. The price was so stupid low I phoned the store to verify if they had it listed properly. Fellow on the other end grabbed it off the display and held it while answering my questions. Once convinced it was in fact a Fender FM60E I gave him my credit card and waited to see what I bought.
It turned out to be in very good condition but had been played and showed signs someone did some upgrades. The tuning machines were replaced, buttons break off the stock ones, and a bone nut was added. Even with that it took quite a bit of effort to turn it into something I could actually play. QC wasn't great on these and the early runs didn't have a truss rod. Electronics were nothing to write home about stock so I replaced pickups, pots and wiring.
The story of a matching Fender hard-shell case was equally a roll of the dice, but it all worked out in the end.
http://www.verneandru.com/WebApp/Dow...-in-case-1.jpg
http://www.verneandru.com/WebApp/Dow...der-eMando.jpg
Thinline or is it electric acoustic? Iis it that there are good ones and not so good ones?
Verne’s post illustrates that one man’s disappointing blind purchase can be another’s acceptable or expected good deal. My last thrift store online arrival doubtless became a donation because one string broke, hence ‘for parts or repair’. Point of view.
Exactly, you have to know what you are looking at and if you are prepared to put money into to make it into what you want. When I worked at a vintage guitar store we often sold to Nashville studio pros and without fail, we would sell them what we thought was a pretty nice vintage guitar -- then few months later we would see them and they would be happy to tell us how much they loved the guitar and went ahead and did a neckset, new frets, new bracing, etc. -- so it goes to tell you that some people have certain standards and will accept nothing less than perfection and are perfectly willing to spend the money to do it.
For the "rest of us" I remember something Mike Edgerton said, something to the effect that if you can't hear the difference consider yourself lucky cause you will save a lot of money!
This instrument sold shortly after I posted it, but now I see it's back up for sale at the same store where I returned it...