savethematches

One of my kids comes in this morning and says that he found a guitar when they were cleaning out the garage. His grandpa forgot that he even had it. So, I'm thinking it's some old cheapy, but then the kid says it's a Gibson. He brought it in after school, and it's completely covered with grime. Tuning keys are shot, and pickguard is disintegrated. One big crack in the back, and a brace that runs across the bottom directly under the bridge is loose and rattling around. Under the grime, the Gibson logo is quite clear. I look inside the top f hole and see L-48 imprinted. Through the other f hole I saw a 982 followed by a space or two and then a 4. I brought it home, cleaned it with Pledge, removed what was left of the strings and pickguard. After a quick Google session, I found that the L-48 was produced between 1946 and 1971, but I'm not sure how old this one is. Anybody have any info? Pics to follow shortly.

Who's in line after me?

Count me in when Bubs is done.

Ooh! I get to say it this time! $350!! 😜 It's a running joke around here. Surely some knowledgeable person will contribute a good answer. GLWTS

I use it as a weapon. Play the highest note on the guitar in a very staccato, robotic fashion. It's a good way to get revenge on obnoxious audiences, especially if you do it for 20-30 minutes.

Not that I was ever in, but I'm officially out as of 15 minutes ago. I snagged another XT series Studio.

I'm out. I've gotta repair one before I can sell it and replace it. I thought I might get it all done before the 11th, but it didn't happen. Darn the bad luck.

I've got one to sell and replace, or to possibly trade, and I might do it tomorrow. So . . . I guess I'm out.

Time to relive my high school years . . . 1984-1988. Lotsa memories attached to a lot of those songs.

If I'm reading this correctly, you guys are considering raising money for me to replace the Epi Paul. If that's correct, (please correct me if it's not correct), I greatly appreciate the offer, but I'd much rather see the money go to a worthy cause, Special Olympics for example, or use the funds to buy a decent guitar for a kid who can't afford one. I took a risk on a trade, got burned, and will have the guitar fixed. After the repair is done, I'll be perfectly satisfied with the Epi, and I really wouldn't feel comfortable accepting any money. I must admit that Kiz's idea about torching it Jimi-style was tempting at first, but I just can't destroy a guitar, knowing that there are kids all over this country who would greatly appreciate having a decent instrument.

Exactly......... As far as I'm concerned, I'm done with it. Too much time, hassle, and drama. I just hope that everyone who posts on different guitar forums spreads the word about this guy. I'd hate for him to find another sucker and cost them a lot more money than he's costing me.

No, I appreciate the kindness, but I don't want you to do that. I've got the repair covered . . . it's not like it was hundreds of dollars. There are better things to do with your money. Let's just get rid of him.

And, for the record, I apologize to my Fender Bullet for sending it to such an unworthy home and being subjected to such abuse. Why would anyone relic a 30 year old guitar that's in such clean condition? And the black pick guard?

You're right. I was just waiting for it. He's starting down that path as we speak. Let's review, shall we? The report on the Epi from the repair shop . . . "The tone/volume cavity needs rewired. It needs new capacitors." His response that just showed up in my PMs. "pretty vague on their diagnosis and it doesn't need new caps, I know that for a fact, I have 3 guitars running them.. I'd like to talk to their tech, sounds like he just wants to rip it apart and redo the whole thing than troubleshoot it and find where theirs a bad connection somewhere" And my latest PM to him. "It doesn't matter if you agree with their diagnosis. They're the best repair shop in the area; that's the report I got from them, and that's what I'm going with. I'm not going to haggle with them over this. The guitar you sent me doesn't work, and they're charging me $50 to fix it. Send the $30 and let's get this over with. I've wasted way more than $30 in my time and labor trying to get this resolved. While you have clearly been enjoying the Fender, and bragging about it, and showing it off on multiple forums, I've been sitting here empty handed, fighting with you. You've had fun with my Fender over the past week while I've had only a major pain in the ass. Don't start back pedaling now. Send the money you promised on the day you promised to do so. BTW, I didn't find the set of strap locks that you said you'd send with guitar. Are you going to send those when you send the money order? Are you going to send via next day mail?" I will be standing next to the mail box for the next several days, rain or shine, forgoing work, sleep, food, and quality time with my lonesome beagle, (who is in dire need of emergency lipo suction surgery), waiting in eager expectation to see that envelope arrive from North Dakota. It'll be just like Christmas in May! As far as I'm concerned, it's time to ban this guy. I'm done talking to him, and he knows where to send the money. In addition to the crap he's pulling with me, the Special Olympics post was by far the most disgusting thing I've ever seen on this forum. Oh . . . I almost forgot. Any remedies for cleaning up a smelly guitar and case? When I unboxed the Epi and opened the case, the stench of cigarette (???) smoke and cat piss nearly knocked me over.

Yes. I prefer to conduct any communications with him in writing either via PM or on this thread. He did contact me today via voice mail and PM requesting information about the nature of the wiring problem on the Epi. Even though I'd already posted that exact information earlier in this thread, I did reply via PM in order to have a written record of what was said.

I just heard from IndianScout and wanted to post our latest exchange. He appears to be contrite and willing to stand behind our original settlement agreement. If he maintains his end of the agreement by sending the $30 money order on Thursday, May 3, I'll post that message here. His message: "as I am a man of my word, and no matter how bad I get trashed in a forum, when I give my word I stick to it, would you like paypal on the 3rd or a money order.. you didn't get my attempt at humor the other day and it's led to a bunch of unnecessary bickering but when I give my word I stick to it.. have a great weekend.. btw I did put brand new caps in it, I know I run them in my other guitars.. have fun Steve" My response: "I would prefer a money order. Someone hacked my ebay account a few years ago, so I deleted that account and my associated paypal account. As I am also a man of my word, I will gladly post on the thread that you have kept your word when I have received the money order. I hope you have a good weekend as well." So, since he seems willing to make this right, I'll refrain from making any inflammatory remarks until I see how this pans out.

I agree completely. Of all the deals I've done here, I've never had a problem. I've enjoyed being a member of this forum for many years, and I've met some wonderful people both on line and in person, and I've learned a lot of stuff and had a lot of fun. I've even had the opportunity to bring some of you into my classroom via Skype, and the experiences were awesome. My sincere thanks to all of you for being such a great community. Also, I got caught up in fighting with IndianScout and failed to take the time to thank everyone here for their support, including the free repair offers. I appreciate the offers, but I've got the guitar in the shop being rewired as we speak. Thanks again to you all.

I just received word from the repair shop. "Marty, Jordan has been working on your Epi. The tone/volume cavity needs rewired. It needs new capacitors. Assuming it doesn't also need new potentiometers, the cost will be around $50. Do you want him to proceed? Thanks, Mark Chesnut Family Music" IndianScout bragged about his wiring and pickup upgrades, including new capacitors. Broken pickup selector switch? No. Damaged in shipping? No. This guitar did not function properly when he made the deal.

I got several of those lines during this whole ordeal. Funerals, emergency surgeries, etc. He apparently has the worst luck of any human I've encountered.

Your logic is dizzying. You sent me a defective guitar, we agreed to an amicable settlement, you go back on your word and refuse to answer PMs. I had to go to ridiculous lengths to even get a response from you, and now I'm the one who is wrong? Stand up to the original settlement agreement, $30 towards the cost of the repair, which was quite generous on my behalf, and I'll post that fact here. You can paste links to this thread on whatever forum you want to salvage your reputation, but I will not apologize for the mess that you created with your dishonesty. I'm giving you the opportunity to make this right and show that you have some integrity. If you're any kind of a man, you'll do what's right and stand behind your word.

I'm done talking to you. You send the $30 USPS money order and I'll post that fact here, but that's all I'm doing. If there's any apologizing going to happen, it's not coming from me.

the admins have already read this whole thread, I gave them my login, your creditability there is gone, "I suggest you go issue an apology to me on the forums or I will past this whole thread over there, including the post where I offered to and had planned to pay your shipping.. so I strongly suggest you do that, and I will drop this over there, but you've opened a can of worms you will not win now.. and as previously offered on the 3rd when I get paid I will still pay your shipping as offered.. so the ball is in your court, " "btw when I made the "we're even" statement it was meant as "we both have guitars we're going to have to get rewired" as in I wanted the coil splitting I dunno where the hell you got your idea from..."

And now I finally get a reply from him. Here's his PM where he refuses to keep his word. Here's his response upon receiving my guitar. "Bullet just arrived and I was just jamming on it, man I think I like this better than my les paul.." Here are some of his responses to my complaint about his guitar. "I just put a brand new switch in it, I wonder if I messed it up the posts and such should be good, may just need some of my wiring fixed, but sure we'll get it worked out..." my apologies, I accidently broke the switch off and ordered a new one, I got it put in and tested it, but I didn't test the full sweep of the pots, so I could of missed something how embarrassing.. like you as you can see I take care of my stuff and to hand something off to someone and it not be 100% is just bahhh,, want to hang my head.." "I'm very sorry about the wiring, being knocked around during shipping probably didn't help it what was your shipping cost, on the 3rd when I get paid I will reimburse your costs, it's the least I could do.." I replied to him, "That sounds like a fair solution to me. I appreciate your integrity. My shipping cost was $37 and change. Let me see if I can get it fixed for free. If not, I'd think $30 should cover the repair cost. I'll get back to you when I hear from my electrician friend." He replied, "k bro, I'll get it out to you on the 3rd, I hope it's something simple like it got rattled loose in shipping.." So, I take the guitar in to the shop, get home and find this message. "I'm going to have to tear apart and completely rewire the Bullet, 1 the switch doesn't work for coil tapping and the wiring job with the tape is horrendous I think I'm going to call this even, I've already got my tech over here doing a complete rewire.. Steve" I fully disclosed the switch issue on Line 2 of my FS post. I don't know if the connections on my guitar are taped. I hired the work done, got the guitar back in working order and had no need to pull the wiring out and check it. I played the guitar for at least 3 years and had absolutely no issues. I even provided him a link to a recent youtube video of me performing on stage with the Bullet. Clearly, there was no problem with the wiring of my guitar. And, if there was tape, his argument is invalid since the Epi he sent me had taped wiring as well. Don't complain about something on the Fender when the Epi had the same issue. Bottom line, the Fender was functional, the Epi was not. I was honest with everything I knew, and he was not. After he stopped answering my PM's, I called him out on here, on Harmony Central, and on the Les Paul forum. Finally, I get this reply. "umm wtf are you doing, I said I would pay your shipping and yet you go to a forum where I'm well known and blast me and make me loose my creditilbily why the hell would you do that, and yes your guitar was wired terribly the switch wasn't even hooked up, yet you want to blast me on my home forum? wtf is wrong with you... you better go issue an apology on the mylespaul forums or I will not pay you as I had agreed.. wtf is wrong with you..." Cut the crap. You're not going to pay. You never intended to pay. You are responsible for the loss of your own credibility. Prove me wrong. If and when a USPS money order shows up in my mailbox, I'll post that information on this thread. I will not apologize.

His sig says he works here. http://www.pbbans.com/