I’ve got no story...but quite a story!

[ctvolfan]

In 1980 my dad was a television repairman. He was fixing a TV at a widowed woman's home and she had a 1919 Gibson L3 that was her husband's. The story i remember is that it was in her attic. But i would think that the heat down here in the South would have ruined it. Anyway my dad bought it for $100. I've told the story on here before but i got it after my dad died and i ended up selling it for about $1200.

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by Beakybird

Ditto. If you would be more generous, be proud of yourself, but don't accuse the buyer in the OP's story of impropriety.

Even 20 years ago you could not get much of a vacuum for $50.00

[whvick]

Originally Posted by M19

Mine (latest) not nearly so compelling but here goes:

I had been negotiating with an AGF seller for a Rosewood CEO-7, as I wanted a smaller body guitar to "imitate" my McIlroy A30c. We were $100 apart and neither moving towards a compromise.

Late one evening, with my wife already asleep, I came across a Gibson Parlor AG in Rosewood in the classifieds. Now, I had never SEEN or even HEARD of a Gibson Parlor. I wasn't a Gibson guy, since I sold my ES-175. But this looked SO right. Said I'd take it at his asking, without so much as a cursory check on the interwebs as to what these things went for, new or used.

Have to say I couldn't be more pleased. First, that I didn't grossly overpay! Secondly, how much I like the tone and play-ability of the guitar. It's not a mni-Mac, but it does do DADGAD very well, and is a fine guitar in standard too.

My late night impetuous purchase was a good one!

PS. My wife like it too. Doesn't hurt that it was $800 less than the Martin!

Good story!
Glad you found your best guitar!
Thanks for sharing

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by whvick

How I got my guitar....

Master Guild man TX at letstalkguild occasionally tips off the members about great Guilds for sale on ebay and elsewhere. I've now got THREE fabulous guitars thanks to TX's tips!

The latest was a 2018 Oxnard-built burst F-512. I am big into 12-strings, and the F-512 is really a holy grail guitar for me. This one was super discounted though because it had a big gash on the edge of the lower bout top (2.75 inches long, 3/8 inch wide). I mean, it was about 1/3 the price of a new one, new ones being up close to 4 grand.

Problem was, the ad description left out most of the stuff you want to know when buying off the internet. The ad did disclose the gash, but didn't say if there was any structural damage or if it was even playable. And when I contacted the (high-volume) seller, he couldn't tell me anything since the guitar had already been packed up. PLUS, the ad listed it as "for parts or not working." That's never good! But the seller said he'd actually pay for return shipping if I didn't like it. Gee, you can't beat that. So I decided to put in a bid. Nobody had put in a bid on the thing yet. I figured they were waiting till the last seconds to bid, like I usually do. With 10 seconds left, I bid about $30 more than the starting bid.....

Nobody else bid! It's mine! When it arrived, I was ecstatic that it was basically like new except for the disclosed gash on the edge of the top, which actually looked worse in the ad's photos. It's through the finish but not into the spruce. It'll need to be worked on, but it's really not that bad. And it plays like a dream. Spectacular guitar!

[Mr. Jelly]

My first guitar was a Christmas present. But …… I was 12 or so when I got the guitar bug so I asked for a guitar for Christmas. When Christmas came I was told my present hadn't arrived from Sears yet. Bummer. This was 1964 or five. Both my parents worked I did what I wanted during Christmas vacation. My buddies and I saw the delivery truck arrive to deliver the guitar. They delivered boxes and boxes and boxes. Not thinking to far as young excited kids will do or not do we started tearing apart the boxes. There was about four different guitars and amps. Obviously something was wrong but that didn't sink in as we all started messing with the guitars and amps. What a day!

[Mr. Jelly]

I know allot old ladies and many of them aren't very nice.

I'm just saying ………….

[whvick]

Originally Posted by DCCougar

Master Guild man TX at letstalkguild occasionally tips off the members about great Guilds for sale on ebay and elsewhere. I've now got THREE fabulous guitars thanks to TX's tips!



The latest was a 2018 Oxnard-built burst F-512. I am big into 12-strings, and the F-512 is really a holy grail guitar for me. This one was super discounted though because it had a big gash on the edge of the lower bout top (2.75 inches long, 3/8 inch wide). I mean, it was about 1/3 the price of a new one, new ones being up close to 4 grand.



Problem was, the ad description left out most of the stuff you want to know when buying off the internet. The ad did disclose the gash, but didn't say if there was any structural damage or if it was even playable. And when I contacted the (high-volume) seller, he couldn't tell me anything since the guitar had already been packed up. PLUS, the ad listed it as "for parts or not working." That's never good! But the seller said he'd actually pay for return shipping if I didn't like it. Gee, you can't beat that. So I decided to put in a bid. Nobody had put in a bid on the thing yet. I figured they were waiting till the last seconds to bid, like I usually do. With 10 seconds left, I bid about $30 more than the starting bid.....



Nobody else bid! It's mine! When it arrived, I was ecstatic that it was basically like new except for the disclosed gash on the edge of the top, which actually looked worse in the ad's photos. It's through the finish but not into the spruce. It'll need to be worked on, but it's really not that bad. And it plays like a dream. Spectacular guitar!

Wow...
Nice

[whvick]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

My first guitar was a Christmas present. But …… I was 12 or so when I got the guitar bug so I asked for a guitar for Christmas. When Christmas came I was told my present hadn't arrived from Sears yet. Bummer. This was 1964 or five. Both my parents worked I did what I wanted during Christmas vacation. My buddies and I saw the delivery truck arrive to deliver the guitar. They delivered boxes and boxes and boxes. Not thinking to far as young excited kids will do or not do we started tearing apart the boxes. There was about four different guitars and amps. Obviously something was wrong but that didn't sink in as we all started messing with the guitars and amps. What a day!

You left us hanging....
Tell us “the rest of the story”!

[jnidoh]

Thank you WHvick....C'mon Mr. Jelly, what happened, why so many guitars and what did you do with them??!!

john

[David Eastwood]

Before I came to the US in 1984, one of my favourite bands was, and still is, Jethro Tull. I've been a fingerpicker most of my playing life, and I became enraptured with Ian Anderson's playing - and found out that, at the time, a Martin 0-16NY was his primary choice of instrument.

One of these was pretty much unobtanium in the UK in the early 1980s. But, I did stumble upon a close facsimile in my local guitar store in 1983 - a Takamine F312S. Pretty much an exact copy of my holy grail. So, I bought it, became besotted - it was a lovely little guitar - and brought it to the US with me when I came here in 1984.



So, I land in Massachusetts in the summer of 1984. Perusing the classifieds of my small town newspaper one night, I couldn't believe my eyes. Someone nearby was advertising a 1963 0-16NY, for a princely $340. 24 hours later, it was mine. It had been 'well-loved' at that stage, no closet queen here. But, it had that essential Martin magic, and was clearly a cut or two above my previously beloved Takamine.

It's been with me ever since - 35 years of its 56 year existence - and I will never part with it. It's had some work done to it over the years - new bridge, a top split cleated, new tuners - but it's still my #1.



Now, if you'll excuse me, I feel an urge to listen to "Thick As A Brick"

[vintage40s]

Originally Posted by whvick

... wife comes in and says... I’ll tell you how I got my D-35!”... I went into that store convinced that I wanted a Gibson Hummingbird. Then she got that far-away look and continued her story. “The more I played the more the D-35 just bonded to me. Daddy bought it for me. That was about 40 years ago and it is still the best guitar ever...

In 1969 I traded a Hummingbird with an easy action for a D-35 with a horrible action. Never heard about "luthiers". I missed the Hummingbird all these years, until recently I finally got the D-35 a perfect "setup".
So now the D-35 sings and plays like the old Hummingbird, but with a shaved bridge and sanded saddle, my pick is poking into the finish under the strings.

[vintage40s]

Originally Posted by whvick

... wife comes in and says... I’ll tell you how I got my D-35!”... I went into that store convinced that I wanted a Gibson Hummingbird. Then she got that far-away look and continued her story. “The more I played the more the D-35 just bonded to me. Daddy bought it for me. That was about 40 years ago and it is still the best guitar ever...

In 1969 I traded a Hummingbird with an easy action for a D-35 with a horrible action. Never heard about "luthiers". I missed the Hummingbird all these years, until recently I finally got the D-35 a perfect "setup".
So now the D-35 sings and plays like the old Hummingbird, but with a shaved bridge and sanded saddle, and the new cross picking, my pick is poking into the finish between the strings. This does not happen with my newer guitars whose strings are higher above the wood.

[whvick]

This biker dude comes in for an eye exam and I did not think of him playing guitars, but as we chatted I asked if he had a guitar, and he said, “oh yeah”
So I gave him a guitar pick and told him everyone I give a pick has to tell me his guitar story.
He said his grandfather had given him a Washburn when he was young and they used to play in church together. “But when I lost my finger I sort of gave up,” and he held up his left hand which was missing over half of the index finger. But you know I have been playing some again with my other three fingers. “
I thought for a minute and told him I did not know how but I had seen guys play with a bottle neck thing and maybe he could try that. He brightened up a bit and said he remembered his grandpa used to play that way some and maybe he would get up with him to learn how.
Thinking of him getting together with his grandpa to play again made my day!

[WordMan]

Some old Washburns are special. I just played a 40’s parlor that was excellent.

[drive-south]

Are you sure the biker dude wasnt Gerry Garcia?