PrairieDog

Bummer about the tires, but sounds like some great times.

Thank you, 62! That is what I was looking for! Whew. I think I can relax now. Now I only need to lose the fingernails waiting for it to get here. Problem with buying over a holiday weekend 😁

Lol, but I don’t think GC takes kindly to be scammed back in return! I have absolutely no doubt they will take it back if it matched what was on the order. This one will not. I’m only asking if they track serial numbers, because that is my only proof I am returning the same guitar that is in the order.

You probably need to read my question again, grin…. The crux is if something is wrong I’d be bringing back a guitar that looks nothing like what is written on the order. How will I be able to prove it really is the one that was listed and not just a crappy old beater I had laying around I was trying to scam a return on?

Smirk, yes, I know you have “opinions” chuckle… that is why I was asking about how they TRACK sales. I’ve never had trouble returning things to the store I bought it at, so I was thinking it would be no big deal here. If I do end up getting screwed, I’ll pay you to drive up and hit a golf ball through their window over there in “Hickory Corners.”

This is for folks who have ordered used guitars through Guitar Center (Yes, I know some aren’t fond, but this is the game I played). This is the first time I’ve had something shipped from them. I’m looking for a bit of reassurance. It’s not here yet, but I just noticed some weirdness with the Hummingbird I ordered on Saturday. Does anyone know if GC includes the serial number in tracking used stuff in and out? I bit on a 2020 from a GC in North Carolina. The pics made it appear to be an Original, with what looked like the antiqued binding and gold Gotohs, and pearly buttons. While the front pic was dim, you could tell there was definitely no dark burst. Maybe a natural, there was a hint of light shading around the bout so fingers crossed, the Heritage Cherry poorly lit. It had an orange label, so even though the pics weren’t great it had the hallmarks of an Original. So I pushed the button relying on the GC “no questions” return promise if turns out to be a sunken, fretless, twisted neck dog. So, here’s the concern: I just noticed my order confirmation says “Hummingbird Standard, Vintage Burst” and the thumbnail pic is just the blank, “coming soon. “ I KNOW what I ordered was not a vintage burst. So then I noticed there was no product SKU on my order conf, or on the original posting (I had taken a screen shot of the label just before I put it in my cart). So there is no way to confirm that the guitar coming is the one I ordered, if it’s the wrong one. Now, if it plays great and the condition is good, I’ll be bummed it’s a dark burst, and not the original, given they are the listed at the same price. So it might not be a deal breaker and it could roost here. My fear is what if it IS an Original but I need to return it because it’s a dud? The order says, Standard Vintage Burst, which would be nothing like what I brought in. Would GC be able to confirm through the serial number it’s the same guitar that was shipped? Looking to save some fingernails over the next five days. Thanks for any reassurance.

Good goal! 😄 Of course, most folks here like Gibsons in some form, and have owned one or more, and other folks may be able to point you in specific areas, but really the best is go to the store and play every one you can. And preferably out of the same model as your own amp. (Unless you are getting a whole new rig). It’s really the best way to do it. The weights, pickups, necks, everything are so different on each one. Even if you don’t buy that exact one, you’ll get a feel for what it should be like. The pro side is they are gonna be different, in a really good way, than your current line up. And I’m guessing the only con about buying one will be choosing. For me, I wouldn’t get hung up on “signature” models. Buy the one that’s a gas to play and make it your own signature through your style. After all, Slash didn’t get where he is playing Slash model guitars. Any guitar will play anybody’s music, as long as you can. Heck, for screwing around I’ll play Smoke on the Water on an acoustic 😀

Okay, a Long way around, but a great story

Are you on imgur? I got that message once so I deleted a bunch of photos that are now broken links, including my bear video 😞 But I only had like 20 pics in my file left and was still getting the flag. On a whim I tried making a new guitar folder to put pics in, and that worked. Haven’t had the problem since, although I haven’t posted too many pics since.

Did I miss the NDG? Pics! Pics!

Great job!! Really nailed that one and the video! thanks for sharing. Wish I could experience it again. Only once, decades ago when I was a kid on a road trip out east. Freaked me out, chuckle.

Well, technically, Canada is above us all… 😆 duck, grin… seriously, They are some great people. And just saying a lot of Minnesotans yearn to be redrawn in the map as South Manitoba 😁

What a tremendous gesture to trust you with. She knew it would be in the right hands… May that guitar continue to be warm blanket to your friendship.

Chuckle, nod, and “squirrels” as I now understand… 😆

Nod, I seriously get it. That’s why I’m here for the guitars 😎

Don’t mean to stir the embers but back in March when the bridge got knocked down by the container ship, I understand there was a kerfuffle on one of the threads talking about it, and the thread got taken down. Temps were rising and some benching or threats of hand slaps meted out in the aftermath. I had already checked out of the thread, seeing the storms ahead. But it was around this time Murph went silent. I know he was pretty upset over how something was handled. I figured he’d be back either after he did his stint, or had time to reboot. Still, it has been a while. I sincerely hope that is all there is to it.

Yeah, I have gathered there is a lot of that around here 😏 but I figure guitars are a good neutral ground. I still gotta admit I sure ate some popcorn watching you two dust up.

I think Murph got put in time out during the big bridge fall down/blow up. I for one miss his contributions. I think Murph maybe got timed out during the “big bridge knock down/blow up.” He could be gnarly but I kinda miss his contributions around here. They were always colorful. Hope he makes it back.

Thanks! Yeah, I just put up an apology on my other long exchange questioning why I couldn’t find a decent 45 anywhere nearby 😄 Pics for sure, sounds are still coming in baby steps… I am still trying to figure out our recording set up.

Okay, so after all that, I got me a Hummingbird! AND I’m having it shipped 😆 PrairieDog apologizes for taking up the bandwidth with this goose chase. Pics to follow when it arrives intact and checks out, fingers crossed it lands okay.

😄 Ha! And well don’t hunts take us into wild places… I was at GC yesterday trying out yet again the mouldering 2023 J-45 that’s been hanging around there, resigned to just buying it. It wasn’t really “bad,” I just was hoping for something with a little more age on it. So there in the case next to it, was an Original Hummingbird. I figured why not try it just to compare and got my head completely turned around. I hadn’t even considered ‘Birds, they were just off my radar. I forgot they were Sitka/hog too. We spent an hour dueling the J-45 and the ‘bird back and forth. It just kept getting better. But I couldn’t justify popping a grand more. And now the long sought 45 was sounding kinda pinched and muddy in comparison. My J-45 lust kinda sputtered out right there. (Tbh, I was never in love with that particular one. I literally was just going to settle to sooth the itch because I kept missing the really good older ones. I just hoped it would eventually open up too.) Now with fresh GAS running the show, I started rummaging about for Hummingbirds to see if any were in reach, and 18 hours later, I’m waiting on a 2020 Original coming from NC. Between the used price, and 10% off used gear and double rewards this weekend, it netted out less than the J-45, or any bird comps out in wild. So, in this case I figured it was worth the shipping gamble. Fingers crossed it checks out when it gets here. At least I can return it here if it’s got issues.

You get the government you are educated for.

I never said you did, my shopping comment was responding to Larsongs. The question is, deciphering what are “wasted” tax dollars. Often times they actually go for good things that other people just resent or don’t understand why they are needed, but are important to the companies and jobs those dollars go to. Taxes don’t just vaporize when they are spent. They go back out into the economy and people’s pockets, mostly through construction jobs, highways, teacher salaries, social security, medicare (which you paid into) the military, police, fire, local governments… Those are all people doing jobs or receiving benefits paid by tax dollars. Sure you can think “that person doesn’t deserve my money” but seriously when you break down a trillion dollar budget it is a small fraction of a penny of your money going there. You couldn’t spend it if you wanted to. My business happens to be one of the ones often in the crosshairs. So I’m used to attacks. We do an obscure bit of required environmental testing for government and private companies. Our government contracts are funded with tax dollars. Because we are very aware those are tax dollars and we pay taxes too, so we make sure those dollars are not “wasted.” We work efficiently but precisely, often saving public projects millions of dollars with our recommendations. Our cost is a minute fraction of those savings. With those tax dollars we provide good 40 hour a week jobs with living wages and full benefits to attract folks who make sure we can keep doing good work. Those tax dollars go into our employees pockets who in turn spend them. The dollars flow back into the economy and other people’s pockets like the grocery store, used guitars, whatever they want to buy. We the owners take a salary, but we don’t take “profit.” We do real work for what we get paid. And then through our jobs and spending we all pay taxes back in and the cycle starts again. Taxes are really a closed loop system. They don’t get dumped off the pier to be eaten by fish. Sure there is waste in any inefficiency, but that is why oversight and prosecuting the bad guys is an important piece of the tax system. But those tax funded jobs got slashed first in the “reduce the size of government” move. Gee, I wonder why the nannies really got fired? Chuckle.

Okay, the analogy is not about eating, it’s about saying because he “paid for groceries before” he shouldn’t have to keep *paying* when he wants some more. That is the logic behind, “we’ve paid in plenty in taxes in the past” implying he shouldn’t be expected to keep paying, even while he still needs the groceries.

Schools have been seriously defunded since the 60s/70s. Voters routinely deny needed levy increases (yes you vote on your school taxes). Just here a major school district tried to pass a levy saying the shortfall funding from the slashed fed and state budgets is so great we will have to close schools if it fails. The levy didn’t pass, “oh the horrors, no taxes!” and now everyone is up in arms because schools are being closed. Hey, not like they weren’t were warned. School is nothing like back in the 20th century when most of us were being taught. Kids don’t get offered half the classes we were. A high school diploma used to prepare you to be an adult. If you weren’t going to college, you could learn skills that could get you a fair wage paying job and/or manage a home. Now those classes like shop, home-ec, music, art, typing, are history, most places. Slashed as too expensive. One of the most consequential scraps, Civics, was a requirement through the 1960s, it hasn’t even been a elective in most schools since the 1980s. Seriously, knowing how to be and what the responsibilities of being a citizen in our democracy was deemed “irrelevant.” This was the class that taught kids about the role and practice of government, how the different bodies are supposed to work together, and the importance of being involved and importantly voting. So, where do kids learn that now? Youtube? As a result, whole generations are now easily duped by politicians, and led by special interests to misunderstand and thus mistrust how it works and what our government is meant for. Exactly what the Founding Fathers feared. Less than half of voters now even bother to vote, and winners are decided by about 25% the people. The rest of the 75% who sat on their butts while their lives were being decided for them, complain about the consequences. Schools and education are one of the best examples of, “You get what you pay for.”