retrosurfer1959 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Against pawn shops and others selling garbage guitars to the stupid and unaware, I know buyer beware and everything but come on these people are sales pro's and should know better. now that's off my chest I hope everyone is having a good Sunday I just spent the last three hours working on a really abused Arbor Brand Strat lnock off copy that should have been burned. I need to rant a little and the wife told me to tell somebody who cares. Well I can't find anybody but other guitar players and fanatics who would care or understand so sorry but here my rant. My Niece who we almost have raised with our own girl is going to school a junior in college now to be a physical therapist or ??? for kids. She is working at a daycare or preschool or kid kennel or whatever they call them now and she brought this guitar to me for a 8 year old little girl she had been working with for about a year in the big sister program. My niece plays guitar and has a Traveling Songwriter she pretty much has over her shoulder for most of her life but she's a player and singer and won't even change her own strings she uses me as her tech. Anyway this little girl loves guitar and I mean loves guitars their all she can talk about so she's been over here a half a dozen times or so with Leyla to play guitars and sing in the microphones and make a few cd's for her family. Her parents who could not afford it and don't know any better spent part of the goverments Tax refund at a pawn shop and paid 190 dollars for this turd, and it wouldn't even play. The treble strings both of them since it only had five STRINGS anyway were two high E acoustic strings that were so rusty they were cutting the little girls fingers to the point she had bandaids all over her fingers. I know some people like low action but the nut was so cracked and damaged the strings actually rested on the frets full length of the neck (neck was dead straight at least) oh well the guitar took three hours to polish and clean, removing four death metal stickers, install a new set of tuners (two were toasted) make and install a new nut and do a fret polish-level and set-up. the guitar plays well now and looks fairly good but still I just put 100 bucks setting up this POS just so the kid could play and the parents wouldn't feel so stupid but the pawn shop owner should be shot or at least tarred and feathered if we could still do that. Everyboady's happy now but me cause I still know the adorable little kid still has a lemon but her birthday is next month and a see a new guitar in her future SOON. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 RS, What a horror story that is. All I can say is thank goodness there are folks like yourself in the world who can help make bad situations a little better. As long as there are people who are trusting, there will be people will will take advantage, and that is an unfortunate reality. Good on you for fixing it up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Thats a great thing you did. Youll make that little girls day with your love & kindness Well done. =D> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemoon Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 You are a good man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaresz Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Your act of kindness is likely something she will remember all her life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibis Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 ARK - Act Of Retrosurfer Kindness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Very cool. I've helped salvage a few turd guitars for kids of my coworkers. Even put a little money in them here and there for parts and what not. You made a GREAT effort, the world is a better place for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 +100 for you man People like you makes the world a little better. Lets meet at that pawnshop and set it on fire! hehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 And Retro, if we ever meet up at Jam or event, the first round is on me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esch Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 RS' date=' What a horror story that is. All I can say is thank goodness there are folks like yourself in the world who can help make bad situations a little better. As long as there are people who are trusting, there will be people will will take advantage, and that is an unfortunate reality. Good on you for fixing it up! [/quote'] I agree but it doesn't sound like they were trusting, necessarily, as much as the parents didn't bother doing their homework...not even to ask you who obviously knows, or to look on a few web pages to find out a few things to be aware of when buying a guita...before they went out and dropped a couple hundred on a used (misused) axe. I feel bad for the little girl but yea, thank goodness you were able to at least improve the situation so she can get something out of that P.O.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaicho8888 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Will you be my uncle, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I applaud you sir. Very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I agree but it doesn't sound like they were trusting' date=' necessarily, as much as the parents didn't bother doing their homework...not even to ask you who obviously knows, or to look on a few web pages to find out a few things to be aware of when buying a guita...before they went out and dropped a couple hundred on a used (misused) axe. I feel bad for the little girl but yea, thank goodness you were able to at least improve the situation so she can get something out of that P.O.S. [/quote'] I suppose it would had made sense for someone to buy from a dealer, but possibly their situation didn't allow them to buy an Epiphone, for example from, an Epiphone dealer. I blame the seller more than the buyer. I can use some examples, but don't want to go too far off topic considering the latest trends here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 Thanks everyone for your thoughts and well wishes and a couple of really nice PM with offers to help It's all good now but don't go spreading the rumor I'm nice that would kill me. The parents should have known better but they got caught up with a little girl and a bright red guitar. I can see how it could happen and the clown at the shop talked up the classic lines and light weight and so on. Like they say all's well that ends well and she's set now she got her red strat copy fixed and playing as well as it ever will and since she's taking lessons I set her up with a PRS se in cherry the original series that is light enough for her to handle so she's set. Like I said I'm not usually that nice but anyone who's ever had one, knows a little girls eye's that really want's something can mess you up fast that's how people end up with ponies in the backyard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesaboogiemonster Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 You are right, pawn shops are becoming increasingly impossible to deal with. I used to hunt,well, i hunted for at least a year at these pawn shops in winnipeg, and 9 times out of 10 the guitars are overpriced, uncared for, and even unplayable. You can easily go to a larger scale music store and buy a squire strat for 98 dollars! this one guitar i saw, a westone pantera, was going for 350 dollars. all of the hardware was rusted out, the bridge couldnt be adjusted for fear of a screw breakin in half. it's scary man, i feel for that little girl. youre a good man to have gone the distance in repair, as opposed to slagging them for buying it. *hats off to the experienced* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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