A sad day...
I have waited and watched for an opportunity to snag a NOS Westerly SF5. I knew if I had patience one would cross my path. About two weeks ago a new early morning listing on eBay announce what I had been waiting for...a blond SF5 NOS in perfect conditon had been announce. It was a straignt listing having a starting bid and BIN value of $1600. Not a bargain but not outrageous-this was a fair price for a debutant instrument. BIN! Come to Papa.
On Monday it arrived. My Wife brought it in from the rare artic cold Pennsylvania weather. She knew the routine...put it in the garage. I arrived home around 9PM and did the next level of transfer to the cool basement. I had to be patient. No thermal shocking of this instrument would occur on my watch. Be patient. Go to bed. The morning sunrise will shine on a NOS SF5.
Up early for work. SSS and dressed early. Time to hatch the NOS SF5. The Box looks good. Box lid open - packing material very good, Case perfectly centered in the box - good. Slide the case out, unsnap the latches, flip open the case lid-I am looking at a blond beauty, the thin clear plastic covers still sticking to the humbuckers tells me this guitar has and will only be mine.
The body looks great! I pull it from the case and examine all forms and curves. Looks perfect. I need to play this baby. I slide my left hand to the open position for a simple strum of a chord and OUCH! A sharp edge near cuts the inner cup of my finger. Something doesn't look or feel right all of a sudden. The blond is turned about quickly. I pull my glasses below my eyes - I can't rely on lens correction - I must see this for myself.
A CRACK! Running from the nut along the high-E side of the neck and extending past two frets! Is this a finish crack? No! It is lifted. I can see into the wood. Now What?! Go to work. What to do will become obvious without having to dwell on it now.
I am trying to work out the financial reinbursment details from the shipper and the carrier. I am not optimistic this will happen quickly but know the money part will work out.
As I contacted the carrier for details on the return process I am told not to worry. The carrier will stop by and pick up the package for return to the shipper (i.e., seller). I am politely told by by the claim agent that once the shipper receives the return and new one will be sent. I corrected her and said this is a one of a kind. There are no more to be sent. It is truely irreplaceable. No SF5's will be comming out of Westerly and from the looks of it anywhere else. She seems to understand this is not a normal transaction. She does reassure me that I will eventually be reinbursed by the Seller.
The money part matters but I am not worrying about it. Credit will be given sometime in the next two months. However I can't get over the reality that this instrument, now very rare instrument, has been cut down short in its history of being a part of the Guild Westerly hisory. It was there at the end and may well have been a testament to the craftmanship of the later Guild era. This NOS SF5 was not going to leave my home in my lifetime. Now its future is uncertain. It will be returned and find its way for a repair. Can Fender do it? Make it whole? I need to look into this.
Anyway, in the grand scheme of things this is pretty small but it was a another glaring reminder that our Guilds are not to be taken lightly. They can never be replaced.
I am not sure how this will all work. However as the money issue is resolved I would like to make a deal keep possession of this instrument and find The One to make it whole again.
A true story by matsickma.