ksdaddy Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I've had several made in India. Givsons, Hobners, there are even Gibtones and Yemahas. I do have one Givson blue solid body right now, actually a good guitar but worthless because nobody will give it a second glance. Oh well. This one was on ebay, brand new, for $59. I bought it. $90 shipping of course, but what the heck... I order stuff directly from China all the time, cell phone batteries, laptop keyboards, iPhone covers, but ordering a guitar directly from Delhi is kinda cool. They were very accomodating when I asked for a little reassurance as to shipping to the US, and they were prompt in providing me with a tracking number. It's gone through customs in NY as of now, so I may get it in a few days. This is a stock photo, as the ebay photos of "mine" were awful. Mine is solid black. Not an L-5. Not even an L-48. From past experience it will have the cheesiest hardware you can dream up and the workmanship will be awful, wood putty everywhere, but the fret installation and dressing is unreal good. I think it's cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 Strange but true...they are becoming increasingly cool, at least over here in UK - dirt cheap, and they actually do mostly play in tune - the one I played was not unlike a Hofner from the 60s. Far more street cred than a shiny and comparatively expensive U.S.A - branded guitar...so you could buy one specially for slide or whatever. Someone is going to make a bundle importing these - it'll be interesting to see how far they go, if they take off to the extent where regular music shops in Europe start stocking them and what that might do to the market and the Indian instrument industry in the long term. The packaging looks to be worth framing - no 'sister concern'...'see hologram before buying' - that's gotta be the way to do it! Love to see more pics...perhaps this is the first of another collection? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 6, 2013 Author Share Posted March 6, 2013 I had two Hobners, both ultra light 16" archtops. One was natural topped with rosewood(!) back and sides. The second Hobner was black. Both had cheesy hardware, comically cheesy. But they WORKED. The blonde one went away when I went eenie meenie miney mo and sold it to keep a Hoyer archtop. The black one went away in the great purge of 2009 to buy my brother's Dobro. I've owned a couple Flat tops and they were horrid. Could have been luck of the draw. I think I owned another Givson like the one I have en route. It wasn't great and I had bought about 3 or 4 guitars that week and didn't give it a chance. I don't know... I've lost track. Since Saturday I've bought 2 US Strats, a Mexican Tele, and 5 Mexican Strats, all to flip. Next month I won't even recall owning them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Great googly-moogly...I've never seen/heard of these before. Maybe with some hardware substitution it could be a decent guitar. Lord knows the price is right....even with shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 Looks pretty junkie but what ever turns you on is cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I can definitely see the appeal. The only thing I don't quite 'get' is there appears to be no appreciable widening of the 'board from nut to last fret. Is that just a trick of the eye? Looking forward to the update when it finally arrives! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 If you have a problem with it I wonder if you have to call a call center in the USA and speak to some guy from the south trying to talk in a cheesy fake Indian accent? It would be poetic justice really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 7, 2013 Author Share Posted March 7, 2013 Last week someone called from India and it was a scam. I assume India, he spoke like it. He was claiming my daughter had taken out a $1500 payday loan and screamed at me from the start, claiming she would go to jail, etc. I hung up, he called back. I hung up, he called back. Then I answered in character. I became Apu from the Simpsons. We had a loud verbal exchange, both using ESL (English as a Second Language). It was hilarious. I then hung up. He called back. This time I was myself and suggested he was a person engaged in oral gratification and if given the chance I would remove the parts of his anatomy that would allow him to speak. I was more succinct than that. I hung up. He called back. Calls 7, 8, 9, and 10 I simply lifted and dropped the receiver. Yes, it was an old rotary wall phone, the kind you can slam. The tactile feedback was satisfying. He hasn't called back. I kinda miss him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Bill Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Thats too funny...good for you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 It came in yesterday. I didn't spend much time with it or take pics because I also brought home 8 other guitars from the local pawn shop. That makes 16 I've bought from them in less than a week. All ebay flip stuff. Let me tell ya. I bought it on 2/28 I think and it was mailed right away. The seller provided me with a tracking number and it came in yesterday. The guitar box was mummified inside a white Tyvek bag and wrapped with 'Fragile'' tape. Once the bag was removed it was obvious they did not spare the tape on the guitar box itself. Once I cut through that, I found the guitar encased completely inside a huge block of styrofoam, also taped. After about 10 minutes I was able to get the syrofoam 'box' out of the carboard box, and cut the tape to open it coffin-style. The styrofoam had been carved so that the guitar fit perfectly inside. The gig bag was also included. As expected and predicted, the workmanship was crude. I mean picture crude in your mind, then sling mud at it. It is CRUDE. Don't get me wrong, the neck is shaped well, good angle, the thing is not coming apart, but imagine if a 12 year old got out the disc sander and decided to refinish his acoustic. Kinda like that. The frets were dressed well but the board is rough. I found a shaving of rosewood inside the guitar, exactly like you'd generate hand planing something. The tuners are like something from another planet. It's like they were made by presenting a fuzzy catalog photo of tuners to a local tinsmith. Too early to make any assessment as to tone/playability. I will definitely want to clean up the fretboard first. Quick tone thought though, it's a thin body so there is less volume of course. I guess if you've ever played a thin hollow body electric that had a really good amount of resonance unplugged, one that (given the parameters of the potential thin hollow body volume output) you said, "Holy cow this thing resonates!"... that's kinda where this is at. It's not going to compete with a regular acoustic because of the shallow body but at the same time the tone is PLEASING. I know I go on a cork-sniffer rant once in a while but a guitar like this give your paradigm a shift. It's cheap, it functions, and has lots of warts. It doesn't warrant a Calton case and it sure won't give you any bragging rights or testosterone boost, but it functions as a guitar very well. A cheap Chinese guitar is about 1000 times prettier and is finished a lot better, but if I said any more about my how I feel about Chinese guitars this would turn political and I won't go there. Pics tonight. Don't expect to be 'wowed' but don't be surprised if you say, "hey, that's kinda cool in a weird sorta way." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Last week someone called from India and it was a scam. I assume India, he spoke like it. He was claiming my daughter had taken out a $1500 payday loan and screamed at me from the start, claiming she would go to jail, etc. I hung up, he called back. I hung up, he called back. Then I answered in character. I became Apu from the Simpsons. We had a loud verbal exchange, both using ESL (English as a Second Language). It was hilarious. I then hung up. He called back. This time I was myself and suggested he was a person engaged in oral gratification and if given the chance I would remove the parts of his anatomy that would allow him to speak. I was more succinct than that. I hung up. He called back. Calls 7, 8, 9, and 10 I simply lifted and dropped the receiver. Yes, it was an old rotary wall phone, the kind you can slam. The tactile feedback was satisfying. He hasn't called back. I kinda miss him. I have had the unfortune of having to deal with bill collectors the past couple of years. And one thing I have noticed, is that they DO have such ethics that they come across that way. And they do scam, and I think more so than actual "scammers" because they feel they have licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 If you have a problem with it I wonder if you have to call a call center in the USA and speak to some guy from the south trying to talk in a cheesy fake Indian accent? It would be poetic justice really. THAT'S a recipee for comedy. Would you go all indignant because you got it from India and feel insulted you were getting CS from an American? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 ...I know I go on a cork-sniffer rant once in a while but a guitar like this give your paradigm a shift. It's cheap, it functions, and has lots of warts. It doesn't warrant a Calton case and it sure won't give you any bragging rights or testosterone boost, but it functions as a guitar very well. That sounds perfect for some Seasick Steve / George Thorogood / J.L.H. / Elmore James stuff. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with ny of that in my book. Looking forward to the next update, ksd! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 With a fine, custom fit, hardshell, and tape case with Tyvek case cover, who needs a gig bag? A couple draw hasps and a duct tape handle and you're ready for the road Scott! Just curious, what is that stuffed inside the guitar? An "Archie" comic book?, or should I say "Orchie" comic book You remember 'Orchie'? don't you? and his friends Bittsy, Waronica, Dughead and Rajech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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