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Hey Guys,
I totally struck out at the Guernsey's auction. I bid on all of the Buscarinos, one Benedetto and the Super 400 with a CC pickup. In the beginning I just froze becasue it went so fast, chickened out towards the middle and an Ebay glitch prevented me from winning the last Buscarino. I really wanted a Buscarino (any of them) and I was totally bummed that I blew it. When is the last time anyone here has seen an auction like that? We may never see another of that scope in our lifetimes. And the prices on some of those archtops, Mama Mia!
I had been watching an Artisan that was on consignment at Soundpure. After the auction I called Robinson and pulled the trigger.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the guitar case and held the guitar is that there were cracks in the binding at most of the dots. There was also a crack in the finish on the neck that spans the distance of about two frets. Out of disgust I put the guitar back in the case and stuck it back in the box to return. I took it back out, took some pics and then called Sounpure to inform them that I was returning the guitar. I also wanted to confirm that the guitar did not already have those issues when it shipped. After I sent Robinson the pics, he assured me that the guitar did not have those issues when it left the shop and asked me to look at the box. Whelp, the box was rocked! The guitar had been held up in Memphis on a rain delay and judging from the holes, scuff marks and indents on the box it is clear that the guitar was thrown and otherwise abused. Certainly not "handled with care" as the stickers on the box requested. I sent the pics of the box to Robinson and team and it was instantly clear that Fedex screwed it up. Its sickening that they would do that to any guitar, but especially this guitar that had been unscathed for almost 18 years. Regardless of my decision to keep it or not, Soundpure filed an insurance claim against Fedex. It should be mentioned that Soundpure normally uses UPS. After Vinny's debacle I quit using UPS and Sounpure was happy to go out of their way to accommodate my request to use Fedex. Little ironic, I know.
The good, the really really good:
After a while I decided to play the guitar. Wow, what a great sounding instrument! Its really the archtop tone that I had been searching for. It was built in 1999 and it has this mature, "opened up" tone that can only be had with a guitar that has been played "right" for many years. It has a beautiful low end response, mid punch and highs that respond beautifully to different attacks, depending on how much flesh of my fingers I use.
I told Robinson and team that I want to try to keep the guitar. The damages are mostly cosmetic and I will either live with the devalue or send it to John to re-bind, re-fret and re-finish, pending the claim settlement. John advised me that if he went the rout of a re-finish, it might sound like a newer guitar. The more I play it, the more I am ok with a "player's grade guitar" and just don't want to lose that tone. The guitar could have arrived in way worse condition given the way it was handled, so I am thankful that the damages are only cosmetic. There are way worse things in life than some shipping damage and in no way do I want to over dramatize the situation. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to own such a wonderful instrument.
I also don't want to turn this into a "Fedex sucks" thread (at-least for now), but it is a part of my NGD experience and I would be remiss if I didn't mention it. I had never played a Buscarino before and am in awe of this guitar. He is also a super nice guy to boot! The other takeaway is that the guys at Sounpure are running a first class operation. This situation would likely have caused me stress if I purchased it elswhere. I have never had a doubt that they would not remedy the situation to my reasonable satisfaction. They have been completely engaged and on top of the situation from the word go.
I will post more pics later on and will eventually upload a clip if I build up the courage.
Thanks,
David
Last edited by kid335; 03-21-2016 at 02:15 PM.
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03-21-2016 02:11 PM
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WOW kid what a beauty !!! Guitar shipping just plain stinks regardless who you use. Just a big dice roll every time.
A big Congrats with your new friend.
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Gorgeous archtop! Congrats!!!
Hey folks...with a $6k archtop isn't it worth it to pay the extra $125 to ship it 3 day AIR? Not that that's a guarantee against bad handling. But air freight lessens the odds that a ground shipment experiences. FedEx air is about $250 coast to coast
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Actually, that's exactly how it shipped. Sounpure decided to "upgrade" it because they didn't want it sitting in a warehouse over the weekend.
Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
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Congrats it is beautiful
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The frigid temps in a unpressurized cargo plane can drop far below zero also. Like I said a big dice roll.
Shipping damage has just become far more common these days. We have become a online buying world.
kid how does the sound compare with your Wesmo ? I assume the B has a more acoustic voice ?
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What a beautiful instrument. I think your response to the regrettable aspects of the acquisition shows a good deal of maturity - weighing the positives and the negatives and deciding in favor of the musical over the visual speaks well of you in my book (not that that should matter). Congratulations, and play it in good health!
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Was the guitar properly acclimated to the temperature of your environment before the box was opened? I don't touch new arrivals for 24 hours minimum, and still I add small doses of air to the case spread out over hours before removing the guitar from its case. Not to say checking can't happen in transit. Nice archtop! Originally Posted by kid335
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Thanks Vinny. I would have been very disappointed if I decided to sell the Wesmo. As you and many here have said, there is nothing like an L5, nothing. Certainly nothing plays like an L5. The Buscarino is a real acoustic instrument and probably has more in common with my 16" Comins than the Wesmo. I was a little worried for a couple of days that I would have a hard going back to the tone of a 16" archtop vs the 17". Alas the Comins has its own thing going on and is also safe from elimination. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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Citizen, Originally Posted by citizenk74
What a beautiful instrument. I think your response to the regrettable aspects of the acquisition shows a good deal of maturity - weighing the positives and the negatives and deciding in favor of the musical over the visual speaks well of you in my book (not that that should matter). Congratulations, and play it in good health!
Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate the sentiment.
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kid it seems you really have your tonal palate covered now. I feel bad about the checks but citizen really summed it up best though I would be a little less "mature" then you are being. We are all happy for you and you made such a wise decision to keep the L5. The L5 is in a special league that no other guitar can enter. You are up there in wine country so I think a nice toast with a glass of Cabernet is in order. Happy notes to you !
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2B, Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
You raise a fair question, so I am happy to engage. The short answer is yes, of course yes. The longer answer is that it was shipped from South Carolina to California via Memphis. It was sent 3 day service and conditions were unseasonably warm in SC, Memphis and CA due to an El Nino front. As stated, there was a rain related delay which caused all of the Fedex packages in that area to become stacked up in Memphis. Thats where I am sure it got stacked, thrown and re-stacked. (see pics). That was a brand new box when it left SC!
To put this to rest, here are a few pics of the box and a sample of the damage. Per the opinions of my luthier, Soundpure and myself, the guitar was thrown or otherwise impacted (likely repeatedly). The impact caused almost all of the weakest parts of the binding to crack, extending down into the finish from "dot to dot".
Vinny is right, you are at the mercy of the guys handling these packages. It doesn't matter how well it is packed and unpacked. If someone decides to chuck an archtop, it will cause damage. While we would all like to explain it away by saying that the sender or received messed up, its just a crap shoot at the end of the day.
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I live in Petaluma, home of butter and eggs and Mesa Boogie (which is useless to me). I actually sent John B a bottle of local wine (Flowers) to thank him for making such a wonderful instrument 18 years ago and taking the time to walk me through the issues. One day I hope to raise a glass with you and get to try out that Unity! Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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That is not checking. It is blunt force trauma. I would be pressing my navy blue suit and getting ready for small claims court. Shipping couriers just can't get away with this more than obvious blatant mishandling.
kid I am sorry. Yes it can be restored perfectly but not on your dime bro. Selling it down the road would also be a problem. Any guitar expert can see it is more than a check. Boy that just stokes my coals.
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John is a great guy and is passionate about his work. He still is in the shop 7-days a week.
Also, do yourself a favor and give Petaluma luthier Bruce Sexauer a call. He is one of the best acoustic guitar luthiers out there and he lives on H Street. He actually has two archtops in his shop now.
Enjoy your new Artisan!
Originally Posted by kid335
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Sorry to hear - sheesh some guys have bad luck with shipping. Sounds like you're covered either way.
The Artisan from the Guernsey auction was unsold when I went to pick up my guitar.
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Thanks Vinny, I thought those pics would clear it up. I like to give people the opportunity to make things right. However, I happen to have a handsome navy blue suit and I'm not afraid to use it if necessary. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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iim7V7IM7, Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7
Its funny because the first time I even heard of Bruce Sexauer is from your NGD post. After that I started finding that we have mutual friends in common. In my mind if I develop an acoustic bug, he is the guy that I will go to.
HeyNow, Originally Posted by HeyNow
You are killing me with that tid bit. I called Guernsey after the auction to see if anyone backed out of a Buscarino and they never returned my call. Someone here should hunt it down and bag it.
What did you end up buying at the auction?Last edited by kid335; 03-21-2016 at 11:35 PM.
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I had posted a list of unsold items in one of the auction threads. You might have missed it. Originally Posted by kid335
I got a Benedetto. I missed out on two Buscarino Virtuoso's by one bid.
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HeyNow,
Nice grab! I can't imagine how you rolled before retirement!
Still kicking myself for letting the first Benedetto go so cheap. I was a deer caught in the headlights. I would have had the last Buscarino if Ebay wasn't glitching. By that point I was all in out of frustration for missing everything else.
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That is a beautiful guitar . I'm happy for you that it didn't sustain any serious structural damage and that you decided to keep it.
I had a similar experience a few years ago. I bought a vintage 335 for $9000+ and as a result of very poor packing and rough treatment by UPS it arrived with the headstock cracked. I was heartbroken, as it was a guitar I'd always dreamed of owning.
The seller offered to take it back but I just couldn't let it go. We agreed on a partial refund and I got the neck fixed (took a month!) It's now my #1 gig guitar and the best electric I've ever owned.
I wish you luck in getting a damage settlement from the shipper. It rarely happens. But it's pretty obvious that your package was trashed, so maybe....
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I've listened to the clip of that 18" and stared at the images many times. I console myself by telling myself the clip doesn't sound that great and I don't like Florentine cutaways Originally Posted by kid335
HeyNow,
Nice grab! I can't imagine how you rolled before retirement!
Still kicking myself for letting the first Benedetto go so cheap. I was a deer caught in the headlights. I would have had the last Buscarino if Ebay wasn't glitching. By that point I was all in out of frustration for missing everything else.
I still remember the clean '64 Super Reverb I received damaged in '08 for $1450 shipped! I got my money back, seller got the damaged amp back and $1100 from UPS. I never looked to replace that amp - it was the one that got away. Originally Posted by Gilpy
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Gilpy, Originally Posted by Gilpy
Great story! Nothing better than a good dog and a tried and true instrument! I am very grateful that the neck on mine did not snap like I have seen so many times before. The benefit of having a little damage/repair is the abandonment of fear for actually playing the instrument the way it was intended to be played.
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kid.....IMO a guitar of that pedigree needs to be restored to it's full glory. It can be repaired perfectly.
At least it wasn't a headstock break.
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My Guild Benedetto AA suffered similar damage but it was a result of a fall from a guitar stand which caused the guitar to land on the tuners first and when my home house humidifier failed while I was away for two weeks. I lived in the UP of MI at the time. The fret sprout pushed against the binding causing similar finish problems.
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