Strange place to find a JF30-12

[dayuhan]

Well, I'm down in Manila, doing city stuff, which I avoid when possible. One of the things on my list was to head over to a music shop and check out a rumour - that this shop has had a Guild 12 string hanging on the wall for years.

So I walked in and there it was, JF30-12, looking kind of lost in a shop that's 99% electric. "New old stock", they say, but it's a Westerly, which makes it "new seriously old stock". New seems credible, there are a few scuffs but that's consistent with years of shop wear.

Hard to get a sense of how she sounds, I think the poor girl's been wearing the same set of strings since birth, and they are as dead as a Congressman's morals. Heavy, definitely neck-heavy, but sits well in the lap and even with the dead strings I got the sense that there's quality there and with a bit of love she might open up nicely.

Unfortunately they are asking, at today's exchange rate, almost $2000, which seems ridiculous. It's normal for high end US-made stuff to carry a premium here, but that's way over the top, guess they're just waiting for some fool to come along. I do hope it's a nice and deserving fool. I left my e-mail and suggested that they employ a bit of google for comparison and get back to me with a realistic price, but I'm not expecting much!

 

[dreadnut]

day, how long have you been living in the P.I.?

 

[dayuhan]

day, how long have you been living in the P.I.?

On and off since doing a Peace Corps term from '79-'81, continuously since '90. It's a little deranged, but i like it, especially up in our little corner of the mountains.

 

[chazmo]

Well, I'm down in Manila, doing city stuff, which I avoid when possible. One of the things on my list was to head over to a music shop and check out a rumour - that this shop has had a Guild 12 string hanging on the wall for years.

So I walked in and there it was, JF30-12, looking kind of lost in a shop that's 99% electric. "New old stock", they say, but it's a Westerly, which makes it "new seriously old stock". New seems credible, there are a few scuffs but that's consistent with years of shop wear.

Hard to get a sense of how she sounds, I think the poor girl's been wearing the same set of strings since birth, and they are as dead as a Congressman's morals. Heavy, definitely neck-heavy, but sits well in the lap and even with the dead strings I got the sense that there's quality there and with a bit of love she might open up nicely.

Unfortunately they are asking, at today's exchange rate, almost $2000, which seems ridiculous. It's normal for high end US-made stuff to carry a premium here, but that's way over the top, guess they're just waiting for some fool to come along. I do hope it's a nice and deserving fool. I left my e-mail and suggested that they employ a bit of google for comparison and get back to me with a realistic price, but I'm not expecting much!

Dayuhan,

Hmm.... It's hard to gauge if that price is really high for NOS Westerly... Believe it or not, there are some places even in the lower 48 that have some of these. One shop in MA has a NOS D55 (I think) and believe you me its price is significantly higher than the remaining Tacoma one (not that I agree with that).

Given the extra premium these guys have to pay to get a guitar out into the Phillippines and the fact that they've (hopefully) provided a climate-controlled piece of wall space for this thing for > 5 years, I could see where this price could come from. Not to mention the exchange rate either...

Anyway, whether this is outrageous is for you to judge. Surely, you can get a used one much cheaper just by shopping eBay, but if you buy it at the store you have the advantage of helping their business. Plus, I'll bet you can bargain this a bit.

Best wishes!

 

[dayuhan]

I could get a used one cheaper on eBay, but then I'd have to get it over here. If they make me a deal I'll deal... if not, well, I'll probably be over in the US next year and for that money or less I figure I can probably pick up an F412 or F512 in good condition...

I'll keep an eye on it, probably not going anywhere soon. I admit to a bit of lust...

 

[Scratch]

Day,
Do you have any pictures you could share of the countryside? Its been many, many years since i last passed through there and as I recall it is quite scenic...

 

[dayuhan]

Some Philippine scenery...

Palawan:

Little spot just outside Manila that not too many people know about:

These are taken up where I live, which looks a little different from the tropical lowlands, we're up around 4500 ft altitude and it's got a different feel to it:

It's way out in a back corner and I only landed here by a strange series of accidents, but I guess that's the way it goes for a lot of us. I can thing of a lot of worse places to pick a Guild, though it would be nice to have a well stocked guitar shop a little closer at hand... though there might be some advantages to that as well!