GardMan
Enlightened Member
After sweating a week + 1 day of shipping (the extra day courtesy of mother nature's wrath on the east coast last week, and Abe's and George's BDs), and 6+ hours of temperature equilibration, I opened the box with some anticipation...
The case was basically trashed, but I expected that, from the seller's description.
Unfortunately, for my first view as I opened the case, the lighting was perfect to show the top covered with finish checking... about the severest I have seen in person. Far more than any of my '70s Guilds show. Even my '72 that has been camping in the mountains and roasted in the desert has much less. Certainly more than the few scratches pointed out in the seller's pics.
Here's a pic:
[img:0]http://www.pbase.com/gard/image/74669541.jpg[/img]
Here's the link to the sellers description:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... &rd=1&rd=1
None of the pics show any sign of checking (straight on lighting and few close-ups), and it certainly isn't mentioned in the text of the ad (which says all scratches/finish issues are visible in the pics).
Another unmentioned issue was the end pin. My guess is that at some point the guitar was fitted with a pickup and an end pin jack, which has been removed. The pin hole is now too large, and a pin has been stuck in too far, and then had a screw-on strap button mounted onto that... not very sightly. I think this issue can probably be remedied pretty easily, with an oversize pin (anyone know where I can locate one?)...
On the plus side, everything appears to be fine, structurally and playability-wise. The bridge is tight, neck straight, no splits or cracks. Action is a smidge over 3/32" (maybe 7/64") at the 12th fret, and there is at least 3/32" of saddle exposed at both Es. The neck relief looks good, the fret wear is pretty minimal... As suggested by the S/N, it actually is a '92 (not '93, as stated in the ad), the neck block is stamped with a date in May '92 ( I assume that even with factory delays, they would have gotten it completed before the end of the year).
I re-strung it with JP 80/20 lights, and put in some some Tusq pins I had waiting for my old D-35 (pins that came with it were plastic). While I ihad the strings off, I pulled the saddle, to make sure it wasn't shimmed after removal of a transducer...
All in all, it plays like a dream and sounds as nice as you would expect...very deep at the base end, with some sparkle in the treble. Someone recently described the sound of a D-55 as "majestic"... an apt description. I only fingerpicked, 'cause the kids were in bed. You could feel that there was some power to the sound, but I'll have to wait til Saturday and an empty house before I really let her unwind...
Now for the question... I know it's "shallow" of me to be swayed by looks... I bought a rosewood dread for its sound, not the way it looked (the D-55 was cheaper than any of the D-50s I have looked at). But I don't think I would have bid so high (or perhaps not at all) if I had an honest view of the finish checking... The sound is wonderful... but is the appearance going to bug me for the rest of my life?
My options are to
(1) accept it for what it is... a great sounding guitar in fine structural condition;
(2) ask to return it for a refund, eating ~$170 in shipping costs;
(3) ask for a partial refund, based on a mis-representation of the cosmetic condition of the guitar. At this point, I am leaning towards #3... but don't really have a clue what effect the extensive finish checking would have on the value of a guitar... none? 10%? more?
I thought I would contact my luthier this afternoon (doesn't come in until the afternoon), but thought I would run it be you all, as well... Anyone care to chime in? I want to contact the seller this evening, and see if we can reach some mutually satisying solution...
Thanks for your input, Dave
The case was basically trashed, but I expected that, from the seller's description.
Unfortunately, for my first view as I opened the case, the lighting was perfect to show the top covered with finish checking... about the severest I have seen in person. Far more than any of my '70s Guilds show. Even my '72 that has been camping in the mountains and roasted in the desert has much less. Certainly more than the few scratches pointed out in the seller's pics.
Here's a pic:
[img:0]http://www.pbase.com/gard/image/74669541.jpg[/img]
Here's the link to the sellers description:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... &rd=1&rd=1
None of the pics show any sign of checking (straight on lighting and few close-ups), and it certainly isn't mentioned in the text of the ad (which says all scratches/finish issues are visible in the pics).
Another unmentioned issue was the end pin. My guess is that at some point the guitar was fitted with a pickup and an end pin jack, which has been removed. The pin hole is now too large, and a pin has been stuck in too far, and then had a screw-on strap button mounted onto that... not very sightly. I think this issue can probably be remedied pretty easily, with an oversize pin (anyone know where I can locate one?)...
On the plus side, everything appears to be fine, structurally and playability-wise. The bridge is tight, neck straight, no splits or cracks. Action is a smidge over 3/32" (maybe 7/64") at the 12th fret, and there is at least 3/32" of saddle exposed at both Es. The neck relief looks good, the fret wear is pretty minimal... As suggested by the S/N, it actually is a '92 (not '93, as stated in the ad), the neck block is stamped with a date in May '92 ( I assume that even with factory delays, they would have gotten it completed before the end of the year).
I re-strung it with JP 80/20 lights, and put in some some Tusq pins I had waiting for my old D-35 (pins that came with it were plastic). While I ihad the strings off, I pulled the saddle, to make sure it wasn't shimmed after removal of a transducer...
All in all, it plays like a dream and sounds as nice as you would expect...very deep at the base end, with some sparkle in the treble. Someone recently described the sound of a D-55 as "majestic"... an apt description. I only fingerpicked, 'cause the kids were in bed. You could feel that there was some power to the sound, but I'll have to wait til Saturday and an empty house before I really let her unwind...
Now for the question... I know it's "shallow" of me to be swayed by looks... I bought a rosewood dread for its sound, not the way it looked (the D-55 was cheaper than any of the D-50s I have looked at). But I don't think I would have bid so high (or perhaps not at all) if I had an honest view of the finish checking... The sound is wonderful... but is the appearance going to bug me for the rest of my life?
My options are to
(1) accept it for what it is... a great sounding guitar in fine structural condition;
(2) ask to return it for a refund, eating ~$170 in shipping costs;
(3) ask for a partial refund, based on a mis-representation of the cosmetic condition of the guitar. At this point, I am leaning towards #3... but don't really have a clue what effect the extensive finish checking would have on the value of a guitar... none? 10%? more?
I thought I would contact my luthier this afternoon (doesn't come in until the afternoon), but thought I would run it be you all, as well... Anyone care to chime in? I want to contact the seller this evening, and see if we can reach some mutually satisying solution...
Thanks for your input, Dave
) so finish checking is pretty common. It doesn't bother me, my F-512 has about the same amount of finish checking but the wood is solid, that's what counts. If it plays and sounds sweet for you, I'd keep it for sure.
