[Boozehound]

Some of you may recall my posting about a week ago about a used Santa Cruz OMS that was being sold in excellent condition by a well know instrument dealer. The guitar was disclosed as having a recent neck reset performed by the shop (again, a reputable repair shop). It was a 13 year old guitar, so the neck reset was somewhat premature (not expected in a guitar that age).

Well the guitar arrived on Friday and was not is what I would call excellent condition. Multiple dings in the clear coat were visible on the top of the guitar, and that was just the beginning. There were two thin cracks in the back on either side of the end block. The cracks appeared to be finish cracks only (not through the wood) but the location was still concerning. Also not what I would call excellent condition.

I took the strings off to inspect the inside of the guitar for any cracking and was surprised to find 3 cleats along the center seam. In my opinion that is a relatively major repair that should be disclosed. I also find it hard to believe that the shop would purchase an instrument and perform a neck reset without checking out the inside of the guitar, particularly when they tout their thorough set-ups as a bonus of doing business with them.

The guitar sounds alright so I'm considering seeing if they are amenable to a significant condition adjustment. Any thoughts on how much I should ask for? I'm thinking somewhere around $1K off since the resale value would be materially impacted should I sell the instrument some day. I can also just return it and move on to something else.