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Why shipping guitars is risky business


brianh

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Busted Casino

 

Also another reason NOT to use UPS. I think what I find most laughable is that 29 fools have bid this up to over $300. for another couple hundred, you could have a new (non-Elitist) Casino with an unbroken neck. The labor to fix this one including a neck/headstock refinish job is at least $300. Plus, when you're done you have a guitar with a repaired and questionable neck.

 

I hope he insured the s**t out of it, it's really just a parts guitar now.

 

Anyone disagree?

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Yeah I agree with you although if you're the acual luthier doing it yourself and think you can make it sound then it's worth a go. Personally I can't see it safely restored but I'm not luthier and a pessemist when it comes to broken necks, headstocks and refits etc. TAINTED!!!:P

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I can't see it, I'm sure it can be fixed but that's a nasty break not clean at all. It must have been one helluva shot to break like that in the case. I guess I have been extremely luck as many guitars as I have shipped and recieved over the years not to have gone through this.

 

mgm

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I might have a bid! My Elitist Sheri arrived with a horrible narrow break, I got some money back and sent it straight to a good luthier. Dont forget Elitists are very hard to come by in the UK and they cost around £1000. You cant even tell mine was broken and after all the work it only cost me £500. Bargain.

 

This pic worries me though...

 

epi04.jpg

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I've had two broken guitars in my life and there's one lesson I've learned: No matter how cheap you can get it, it's not worth the effort! In the end you'll invest more than you would have paid for a used one...

 

It's like buying a 50 year old Bentley with parts missing... you'll have a hell of a time looking for these parts which could tale years!

That's also the reason I wouldn't buy a guitar carcase (John Lennon Sig...) cause it's too much of an effort and it's really time consuming and you could screw things up if you scratch the body with your screw-driver...

 

 

Buy a nice used one, it'll last longer and it won't lose it's value as much as a broken guit...

 

 

JM

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I might have a bid! My Elitist Sheri arrived with a horrible narrow break' date=' I got some money back and sent it straight to a good luthier. Dont forget Elitists are very hard to come by in the UK and they cost around £1000. You cant even tell mine was broken and after all the work it only cost me £500. Bargain.

[/quote']

 

The weak area is the scooped out truss rod cavity and the reliance on the mahogany

that has to support the headstock under string tension (200lbs +)

 

Any guitar that needs to be shipped should always have the strings relaxed, barely

any tension and bubble packed around the headstock and areas where the guitar

could slip around inside the case. Shippers can't be trusted not to drop the

guitar carton on it's headstock, so proper precautions need to be done.

 

I once shipped a two piece curio cabinet with 6 stain glass panels in place and

with 1/4 inch glass shelves in wooden crates that I made myself. Everything was

bubble packed. UPS would not give me any insurance because of the glass inside.

Both cabinets arrived intact with all the glass undamaged, but I made sure that

everything was bubble packed including the cabinets.

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Here's a photo of a U.S.A. assembled Sheraton that I received from MF a couple years ago when they were on blowout. I've often thought that maybe I should have kept the guitar and looked into having it repaired but as has already been stated, it would probably have been more trouble than it was worth. The guitar was still almost $1000 on blowout and then a few hundred more for repairs and it wouldn't have been such a good deal. That was my last dealings with MF.

 

100_0950.jpg

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Here's a photo of a U.S.A. assembled Sheraton that I received from MF a couple years ago when they were on blowout. I've often thought that maybe I should have kept the guitar and looked into having it repaired

 

 

Too bad, that looks like a very "do-able" repair...

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Busted Casino

 

Also another reason NOT to use UPS. I think what I find most laughable is that 29 fools have bid this up to over $300. for another couple hundred' date=' you could have a new (non-Elitist) Casino with an unbroken neck. The labor to fix this one including a neck/headstock refinish job is at least $300. Plus, when you're done you have a guitar with a repaired and questionable neck.

 

I hope he insured the s**t out of it, it's really just a parts guitar now.

 

Anyone disagree?[/quote']

 

Yeeeccchh! "IN THEORY", the glue joint will be stronger than the surrounding wood, but

the strings will exert 1200PSI (?) pull on the joint. Bad spot. I think I could repair a CRACKED

neck, no problem, but one like this.... Would only try it if guitar was DIRT CHEAP! Maybe the

bidders are looking at it as a "Parts" guitar? But for $300.00+? no Way...

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