Gibson ES-175 with a glued-on bridge and neck joint separation

**jzucker** · 10-10-2015, 03:40 PM

No, not on a '60s guitar. Part of what you're paying for is the collectability and things like tops that are collapsing, inlays that are suspect, bridge that is glued down cannot be fixed. $500 might make me feel better about it but then I need to get $2500 out of it to break even and that's going to be difficult. IMO, it should have been sold for $2k, not $3k. At $2k, you'd expect major work to be needed but even then, structural problems like the top collapsing and having to deal with major finish issues make breaking even a non sequitur.

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

Jack, Good luck on this one. It sounds like $1,000 will make it right. IMO, if you can get the seller to split that with you, you will be OK.

Cheers,

Marc

**Greentone** · 10-10-2015, 04:37 PM

JZ,

Try to return the instrument. In the seller's defense--he has had the guitar for a long time. If you are 79, you likely bought the guitar back when it was a $300 item. Gluing a bridge down (we'd never do it) is not as big a deal as it is on a $3,000 instrument. This guy still sees it as, in terms of intrinsic value, a $300 axe. I would bet he is ignorant of the top, tail rise, etc. The main thing is for you to try to extricate yourself from the exchange.

If you buy enough on eBay, Reverb, etc., you are going to get a few guitars like these. You can either learn to amortize them across the large number of guitars you are going to buy, or start developing a thick skin for dealing with returns.

The flip side is that if you sell lots on eBay you will get things returned by guys who say "the flyspeck on the binding was not noted in your ad, or shown in your photos. I want my money back...or $500 off--and I am entering a dispute."

In any event, may you have the very best of fortune in the transaction ahead.

**jzucker** · 10-10-2015, 09:11 PM

one thing that's puzzling on this is the glued on bridge. It's glued in the wrong position. It's so close to the mounting ring on the bass side that you can barely adjust the bridge height. Why go to the trouble of gluing the bridge if you're not going to put it in the right position?

**Max405** · 10-10-2015, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

one thing that's puzzling on this is the glued on bridge. It's glued in the wrong position. It's so close to the mounting ring on the bass side that you can barely adjust the bridge height. Why go to the trouble of gluing the bridge if you're not going to put it in the right position?

Jack, that is bizarre. Could it be given the top sinking and the amount of work needed on the neck maybe it was in the right spot at one time? My HJS had the bridge in what seemed to be the right spot relative to the points of the f holes, but the correct spot is 3/8" closer to the neck. Go figure..

**jzucker** · 10-10-2015, 11:03 PM

Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco

Jack, that is bizarre. Could it be given the top sinking and the amount of work needed on the neck maybe it was in the right spot at one time? My HJS had the bridge in what seemed to be the right spot relative to the points of the f holes, but the correct spot is 3/8" closer to the neck. Go figure..

i don't think so. I think it was just glued in the wrong place and he probably didn't play high enough on the neck to notice the difference.

**Max405** · 10-10-2015, 11:15 PM

That sucks bro. Sorry it happened to you Jack.
JD

**Jabberwocky** · 10-11-2015, 12:38 AM

Hope you get your money back, Jack. All of it plus shipping.

**LtKojak** · 10-11-2015, 04:35 AM

Originally Posted by ArchtopHeaven

I got a Lee Ritenour Ibanez coming in, fingers crossed.

I really hope it's nothing like the one I bought brand-new in the early '80s.

The fretwork was non-existent, the neck behaved like it was made of rubber, and the p'ups sounded like mud.

Many wishes of good luck coming your way, ArchtopHeaven.

HTH,

**Jabberwocky** · 10-11-2015, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by LtKojak

I really hope it's nothing like the one I bought brand-new in the early '80s.

The fretwork was non-existent, the neck behaved like it was made of rubber, and the p'ups sounded like mud.

Many wishes of good luck coming your way, ArchtopHeaven.

HTH,

Well, that's comforting. ArchtopHeaven's excitement is palpable.

**Archie** · 10-11-2015, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by jzucker

one thing that's puzzling on this is the glued on bridge. It's glued in the wrong position. It's so close to the mounting ring on the bass side that you can barely adjust the bridge height. Why go to the trouble of gluing the bridge if you're not going to put it in the right position?

I usually meet players/collectors of a certain age where pinning a bridge is almost mandatory to them. They have this idea that to make a guitar proper, the bridge HAS to be pinned. I'm sure that could encourage some to believe it a simple job they could do themselves?

**Archie** · 10-11-2015, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by LtKojak

I really hope it's nothing like the one I bought brand-new in the early '80s.

The fretwork was non-existent, the neck behaved like it was made of rubber, and the p'ups sounded like mud.

Many wishes of good luck coming your way, ArchtopHeaven.

HTH,

Haha well on the surface of it, the guitar looks like it should be quite the beast. I have heard mixed reviews dont worry. In the end having had the Ar305, Am205 and finding them excellent, the Lee is simply exact the same guitar but in full 335 shape. It should be if those previous points line up, one hell of a guitar.

What pickups did yours have? If they are super 58's, I would be more than happy. (Sorry Jack)

**jzucker** · 10-11-2015, 08:50 AM

friend of mine had a Ibanez Lee Ritenour and it was a fantastic guitar. Blew away my 335 at the time...

**LtKojak** · 10-11-2015, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by ArchtopHeaven

What pickups did yours have?

I didn't keep it long enough to know it.

I flip it within a month.

You just can't imagine how disappointed I was, being quite the Lee Ritenour fanboi I was at the time.

**Eddie Charles** · 10-11-2015, 08:33 PM

In many years of acquiring and selling many things, guitars included, I have learned to avoid the internet...in fact I now avoid anything that requires shipping. I've been upset with the stated condition of the article being sold and more recently by the damage during shipping. Lately both UPS and Fedex have provided less than adequate results. The last being a package that was returned to the seller by UPS without my ever seeing it. It must have been really bad!

I much prefer to view the article I'm considering purchasing in person...the so called "Excellent Condition" or "98%" claimed by the seller must stand up to my direct inspection prior to cash changing hands. In addition I don't have to bother dealing with damage during shipment.

It's taken me a long time to come around to the fact that the "convenience" of internet transactions may not result in acceptable results. My experience back in the days prior to the internet was much more predictable.