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New Paul on the way!


Onafets

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Hey all,

So I'm new to the boards and have been playing guitar for about 4 years (I'm 14)

And have really taken a liking to these forums.

I just recently purchased a new Studio in Fireburst off eBay (because they run for like 2800 in Aus)

and managed to get it down to 1350 which was an amazing price in my opinion!

 

As it is my first Gibson guitar and have never bought a guitar from over seas I was wondering of peoples experiences with air mail, because I'm sorta skeptical with these things like how long it will take and the damage possibly done.

 

Do you guys have any bad experiences with guitars from overseas?

 

Thanks

Ona

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I can give you some common-sense tips that might help the experience be less stressful.

The first would be to keep in mind that your guitar will likely go through several air pressure and air temperature changes while winging it's way to you. Hopefully the sender will know to slacken the strings before shipping, most do. But that's out of your control. What is in your control is what you do when it arrives at your home, which for the first 24 hours should be precisely ZERO! Lay the box down somewhere safe, at room temperature, and leave it alone. This gives it time to stabilize from the trip and all the ups and downs it went thru. After a day you can remove the case from the box and open it up. Carefully inspect the guitar and case. On the case, look for gouges, dents, and sprung hinges/locks. These would tell you that it had some rough handling, and tip you off to possible damage to the guitar itself. On the guitar itself, look for the obvious dents, scratches, neck breaks or finish cracks. Make sure the knobs all turn freely and haven't been pushed down into the top. Check the pickup switch for similar problems. Once you are sure there isn't any damage from shipping, you can tune it up and check the setup and intonation. I always like to check the tuners to make sure they haven't loosened from the peghead, but don't over-tighten them. Of course you should now plug it in and check the electronics. Make sure all pots and switches are functional. Now comes the fun part, making it yours! Know a tech? Have him put a good setup on it for you, and go rock the world!

Welcome to a life-long obsession!

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I can give you some common-sense tips that might help the experience be less stressful.

The first would be to keep in mind that your guitar will likely go through several air pressure and air temperature changes while winging it's way to you. Hopefully the sender will know to slacken the strings before shipping, most do. But that's out of your control. What is in your control is what you do when it arrives at your home, which for the first 24 hours should be precisely ZERO! Lay the box down somewhere safe, at room temperature, and leave it alone. This gives it time to stabilize from the trip and all the ups and downs it went thru. After a day you can remove the case from the box and open it up. Carefully inspect the guitar and case. On the case, look for gouges, dents, and sprung hinges/locks. These would tell you that it had some rough handling, and tip you off to possible damage to the guitar itself. On the guitar itself, look for the obvious dents, scratches, neck breaks or finish cracks. Make sure the knobs all turn freely and haven't been pushed down into the top. Check the pickup switch for similar problems. Once you are sure there isn't any damage from shipping, you can tune it up and check the setup and intonation. I always like to check the tuners to make sure they haven't loosened from the peghead, but don't over-tighten them. Of course you should now plug it in and check the electronics. Make sure all pots and switches are functional. Now comes the fun part, making it yours! Know a tech? Have him put a good setup on it for you, and go rock the world!

Welcome to a life-long obsession!

 

Awesome advice. Wouldn't change one word of it. Enjoy your new LP. Hope she arrives in good condition. Must have pictures when she arrives.

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