T1B

Headhunter, I believe it was you who said you'd never buy anything right now on e-bay, mainly because you're an Ibanez fan and people are selling fake Ibanez guitars on e-bay right now.

You'd mentioned this in response to my post describing my good luck with e-bay.

Well, that good luck came to an end.

Remember this?



Pretty bitchin' Gibson Les Paul Standard, wouldn't you say?

Regardless, that's the one I bought last week on e-bay, from a dealer in Pennsylvania. That picture there was the picture he used for his e-bay ad. It ended up being a pretty easy deal, nothing too complicated. It's a brand new '06, and I asked the guy before I bought the guitar to make sure all the "case candy" was included inside the little storage department inside the case.

You know, like the truss rod wrench, the warranty card, the pickguard and the hardware for installing the pickguard. (With Les Paul Standards rather than drilling the holes and installing the pickguard at the factory Gibson simply includes the pickguard and its hardware inside the case, knowing quite a few people won't want the pickguard on their guitar, especially if it has a nicely figured top that they won't want to hide with a pickguard. Since it only involves the drilling of two holes Gibson leaves it up to the customer to install the pickguard if they want it on there.)

Anyway, the guy assures me everything is brand new and exactly as it ships from Gibson.

So, I buy it. What could go wrong, right?

Now, remember, again, this is the picture in his e-bay ad...



So, when the UPS shipment arrives I open up the box and unwrap the case and then I take the case out of the box. I open up the case, and this is what I see...



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It was about the same feeling as when I threw my cheeseburger at the tv after Jeff Fischer bobbled that easy interception and instead of intercepting it and icing the game for USC he tipped it to UCLA's Freeman McNeil who caught it and ran for the winning td...

This fucking blockhead went ahead and drilled holes into the damn guitar and he installed the pickguard...without telling me...even though his pictures show no pickguard...even though I specifically asked him to make sure the pickguard and hardware were inside the storage compartment, not on the guitar.

~ring ring~

"YOU STUPID FUCKING CUNT!! YOU SENT ME THE WRONG GUITAR!! THIS ONE HAS A PICKGUARD ON IT AND WE SPECIFICALLY TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE THE PICKGUARD WASN'T INSTALLED ON THE GUITAR! I'VE GOT THE E-MAILS RIGHT HERE TO PROVE IT!! HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH A FUCKING DOUCHEBAG AS TO DRILL HOLES INTO A BRAND NEW LES PAUL, WITHOUT TELLING THE BUYER??"

"Sir, at our store we always install the pickguards. You got the right guitar, the same one in the ad."

" http://www.break.com/index/angry_german ... itles.html "

In the end, I received a full refund, with which I bought this...



...which, thankfully, arrived in same-as-described condition. No pickguard. The stuff's in the case, like it's supposed to be. It's fine.

Kinda Santana looking, this one, more classy than flashy. It's now tuned up, intonated, set up and playing perfectly. Actually, it's in my living room just doing nothing but sitting in my guitar rack right now, but whatever...

Just cannot believe that dude...

Btw, while searching for a pic of Albert King for another thread I ran into a combined Albert King/SRV website and on that website they had pictures of all of SRV's album covers.

This one in particular caught my eye...



...since I just knew when I bought this a week or so ago...



..that I'd seen that exact Gibson ES335 in Antique Burst with the more vintage looking deeper black burst edging somewhere before.

Finding out that in fact the place I'd seen it before was on an SRV album cover, well, that sure didn't suck. SRV, with an ES335?

Pure coincidence and all that, sure, but after being so pissed over the LP fuckhead I choose to chalk this ES335 up as now having extra mojo and stuff and oh well, I guess all's well that ends well...

What's with the fucking pick guard?

ES335s always have a pickguard. Always have, always will. It's rare to see a standard ES335 DOT without the pickguard.

Once upon a time Les Pauls always had 'em too but more and more now (ever since the arrival on the scene back in the 80s of Slash, I'd say, and then even moreso with the arrival of Zakk Wylde and the Custom Shop Joe Perry model) pickguards are falling out of favor with the Les Paul crowd.

No shit. I got my Les Paul 6 years ago and it has a pick guard. I hate it. I plan on getting a PRS custom without the pick guard..... :x

The Monte Mongomery show was quite excellent last night. Eric Johnson on Wednesday!

Now, Monte Montgomery, there ya' go...


See, if you gotta have a pickguard on your guitar it oughtta look like Monty's...



..meaning, absolutely beat to shit!

At least they gave you a refund and you got hooked up in the end. I'm guessing some asshole selling a fake Ibanez isn't going to do that for you.

I've been lusting after a JS1200 for a while now, but have also been considering dropping a DiMarzio PAF Joe, and Fred into my Ibanez RG570. Same as the JS1200 and dropping a DiMarzio Chopper or Super Distortion S in the mid position. I love the playability of the RG, but I want a little more kick out of the pickups.

I'm guessing I won't buy those off of eBay either.

Van wrote:~ring ring~

"YOU STUPID FUCKING CUNT!! YOU SENT ME THE WRONG GUITAR!! THIS ONE HAS A PICKGUARD ON IT AND WE SPECIFICALLY TALKED ABOUT MAKING SURE THE PICKGUARD WASN'T INSTALLED ON THE GUITAR! I'VE GOT THE E-MAILS RIGHT HERE TO PROVE IT!! HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH A FUCKING DOUCHEBAG AS TO DRILL HOLES INTO A BRAND NEW LES PAUL, WITHOUT TELLING THE BUYER??"

"Sir, don't you remember? When you had amnesia, you gave me Power of Attorney."
...

That cunt is no good.

The Joe/Fred combo is great if you like that specific nasal sounding vowel tone of Satch's, where he always sounds like he has his wah half depressed.

Satch obviously makes it work, though I know a lot of people hate his tone.

Having gone through some of DiMarzio's catalogue I'd highly recommend that you try the Breeds, which are Alnico V p/ups that sound like hot rodded PAFs. They're what Vai uses in his "Bad Horsie" JEM (all the rest of the JEMs use hotter but less warm sounding EVOs, which use ceramic magnets) and they even make the Burstbucker Pros and Classic 57s in my LP Standard and ES335 sound a bit thin, trebly and "small".

Whether it's warmth, fullness or even harmonics the Breeds are the best 'buckers I've ever heard, especially that awesome fuggen neck Breed...

^^^
I sure wish Scritti was still around to make some sense of all that.

Hmmm, reading that back Cuda, yep, practically all of it read as code if you don't speak "guitar".

Sorry 'bout that, but HH will get it.

Cuda wrote:^^^
I sure wish Scritti was still around to make some sense of all that.

So trying to decipher Van’s posts might be what killed Scritti. Sounds like attempted verboscular manslaughter to me.

Goober McTuber wrote:Sounds like attempted verboscular manslaughter to me.

Excellent.

Goober McTuber wrote:So trying to decipher Van’s posts might be what killed Scritti. Sounds like attempted verboscular manslaughter to me.

HAHAHAHA.

Rip City

nice scores van. Much more in my wheelhouse than the carvin stuff.

I have a bunch of nicely figured les pauls, but my 2003 gold top standard has by far the most epic LP tones and fasted neck.



all I have are live shots of it, sorry bout the blur.

my other most often used gibby is MY Custom shop cherry 335. fastest guitar in my collection, and crackles with Cartonesque goodness and infinite sustain.

I gotta say, thats ballsy, ponying up for high end gibbys on line. I have never bought a guitar or amp I didn't hand pick.

looks like I'm missing the boat a little on this one

all you really need is

a stratocaster with a whammy bar

and a cheesey little amp

you just bend the string like...

deet-deet-deet-deet-deet-deet-deeteedeeteedeeee...

&fuck anybody who doesn't get that reset

timmay, well, like you already mentioned, if one is already used to dealing with Carvin like I am then one is used to buying somewhat sight unseen.

I'm not of the opinion held by so many that a guitar MUST be played first and sussed out before it's purchased.

Why? It's just wood and metal, confingured in whatever manner. We know the formula for achieving OUR idea of great playability and it's very rare indeed to find a top level guitar that simply cannot be worked into proper playability by a good luthier.

My thing here is pretty simple. Within reason I can set my guitars up to how I like them to play. What I can't do, my luthier can. We've only encounted one "hopeless" guitar neck, a one piece rosewood Warmoth. No matter what anybody tried on that thing it just wouldn't quit shifting and getting fret buzz, and it was absolutely lifeless sounding to boot.

Beyond that, yeah, I have pretty good confidence that if I'm buying a mint condition real deal Gibby we can get it working and playing correctly. So, that being the case, have you checked out the prices lately for a new ES335??

I'm just not willing to burp up $2600 for one that may or may not be put together any better than the $1600 one that's every bit as "new" and every bit as mint, online.

I'm also loathe to pay $2300 for a "new" LP Standard. Any of 'em hanging on a wall and being abused daily at your local guitar emporium are really no newer than a mint condition one online, and those wall hanger units in the stores generally play worse than any other anyway...

So, where are you going to get the opportunity to truly pick and choose from a large assortment of truly new Gibbys that aren't generic guitar store wall hangers?

I'm not aware of such a place. So, it's either just take the best of what you can lay your hands on locally, or it's do your homework and make sure to protect yourself before purchasing and then find the best deal on the best guitar online.

I took my new Transparent Amber LP Standard down to Guitar Center the other day, to compare it to all of their wall hangers...

There's no way you could say their LPs were any better. Same damn thing, same damn condition...$800 more.

$800 will buy a lot of professional luthier's set up/fret leveling/refretting/shielding time, assuming your e-bay guitar even needs it. Neither of these two Gibbys needed anything beyond the set up I'd do myself to any new guitar. Hell, even the one with the pickguard that I returned was an absolutely perfect specimin otherwise...

(Edit: timmay, where amps are concerned I'd be even less concerned about buying online. There's nowhere near the variables involved in an amp, even a high end tube amp, compared to a guitar. Worst comes to worst, big deal, maybe you swap tubes to your favorite NOS type/brand. Otherwise, the amp will carry the same warranty/return policy as the one you tried out in the store.

That's the main thing these days anyway with buying online, the all pervasive return policies. Whatever it is, you buy it and try it in your home for 45 days. If you don't like it, for whatever reason whatsoever, you just return it for a full refund. In the case of the biggest online retailers like Musician's Friend they even pick up the return shipping tab.

You don't pay tax. You usually get free shipping. You get to try it out for a fuckuva long time, with no risk. There are even scammers out there who order up gear for upcoming shows, fully intending to simply return the gear after the show and before the 45 Day Return Policy is up...

You really cannot lose. I'm just not prepared to pay retail pricing when I don't have to, not even the cheaper online retail pricing...)

I thought about the Breeds, but I'm not trying to recreate a Jem sound. remember, I've got one (With the PAF Pro's). I'm trying to transform my RG 570 into something more along the lines of the JS1200.

The RG has a wizard neck that is about the fastest neck I've ever found. The basswood body, rosewood/maple neck, and original Edge tremolo are damn straight near the JS. Difference is that the JS has that stupid edge pro, which is not close to the original (Satch changes his out for the edge) and the JS needs a trem post locking stud mod. The RG has that stock. So I'm thinking I can get very close to the same guitar with a few pick-up changes.

Another thought is to drop an EMG 81 and 85 in the thing. And let 'er rip.


As to buying online, yeah I'd buy online. I just won't buy from eBay. Go abuse that wall hanger at Guitar Center and find the axe you want... Then go pay less somewhere online with a reputable dealer.

I've found a Luthier who specializes in Ibanez that set's them up brand new who is cheaper than GC. I'll buy new Guitars from him in a heart beat. He also sells some refurbished Ibanez guitars.

Van wrote: have you checked out the prices lately for a new ES335??


So, where are you going to get the opportunity to truly pick and choose from a large assortment of truly new Gibbys that aren't generic guitar store wall hangers?

I'm not aware of such a place. So, it's either just take the best of what you can lay your hands on locally, or it's do your homework and make sure to protect yourself before purchasing and then find the best deal on the best guitar online.

I have seen the prices, and yes I got mine (very highly figured,cream binding,nickel, and grovers) for $2200 when a kid at a portland music store misquoted me confusing it with a less expensive model. I paid $1300 for that gold top....and that is the part of the story about WHERE you can go play 30-40 relatively untouched les pauls in one day.....

Portland

yeah yeah I know ,I know. But the folks in porltand (except the hacks at guitar center, more later on that) don't let ANYONE touch the high end gear unless they know who you are in resprect to buying gear, or they run your credit at the door. no shit. Apple music has been the scene of many comedic music store moments I've been witness too.

tard: "can I play that prs?"

big Frank: "can you please fill out this credit app, and wait while we run it?"

good stuff, now this

timmay: hi guys here to try and find a gold top with my buddy here, he has a herb ellis and a Lucille on the trade block if yer interested.

big Frank: go ahead and take blasting room 2, I'll start bringing em in 2 at a time.

In one day a buddy of mine and I played no less than 30 LP's in portland at 4 different stores, before I found THE ONE. My buddy traded both those axes and some cash for it. 3 yrs later sold it to me for $1300

Van wrote:I took my new Transparent Amber LP Standard down to Guitar Center the other day, to compare it to all of their wall hangers...

ohhhhhhh boy

:starwarscantina:

I'll guarantee you won't find a better LP at one of those shit holes than that fukken sweetheart you picked up. Only one worth a shit is on Sunset.

I have ordered a couple less expensive guitars throu MF. US fat tele, and a p90 sg, both were exceptional.

all in all , thanks for opening my eyes to new possiblilities Van. here's to more scores.

Cuda wrote:all you really need is

a stratocaster with a whammy bar

and a cheesey little amp

you just bend the string like...

deet-deet-deet-deet-deet-deet-deeteedeeteedeeee...

&fuck anybody who doesn't get that reset

Just popping in to rack Cuda with a couple of quarts of beer.

timmay wrote:Apple music

Hehe.

Don't know if it was before your time or not(hell, dude could still be there, for all I know...but I doubt it), but I'd party on an occasion with Tony the Wop, the head instructor dude there, way back in the day. Always used to crack up when we'd see him on the Apple commercials, sitting on an amp and wailing.



"Hi, I'm Tony.....deet-deet-deet-deet-deet-deet-deeteedeeteedeeee"

nope, no tony anymore. I got a buddy that worked there for yrs. He probably knows him. Kelly has the same 4 heavy hitters he's had on the floor for 10yrs plus, and a few 20-something portland alternative tards to push the cheap gear on the punks and emo goth trads.

most people think they are dick, but they have the best selection of stuff and deecest prices in the entire U&L

yup

deet, deeeeet, deet deet deet deeeeeeeeeeeeeet!