Gibson Custom Shop deal like what we did with Memphis!!

[ingeneri]

Anyone who buys a guitar from me gets a guitar that has been set up very well and gets full disclosure of any issues or alterations. I also always include all original parts in any sale, something many dealers fail to do. And I sell for less than a dealer would. I am certain that anyone who has bought a guitar from me would not have anything bad to say about me except for a few guys who might say I was a fool to give up such a great guitar.

Just wanted to vouch for this 100%. Not only was Marco scrupulously honest, he offered me a great deal on a Guild Artist Award. He also showed great patience and flexibility in dealing with the fact ai'm currently in Congo and needed the guitar shipped to a third address ("MOM Storage Co."). Set up was better than most stores, and the guitar was in perfect playing condition when I visited home six months later and got to try it out.

[lawson-stone]

Well, speaking from my own and other people’s experiences, if you get something you don’t want then you will still want what you originally wanted. The only thing that will sound like an acoustic L5 is an acoustic L5, and the only thing that will sound like a Super 400 is a Super 400. So when you go from wanting a S400 to an acoustic L5 to a routed electric L5 that is a couple steps away from what you really want.

I do think that some guitars you can get what you want with something else - I think that a good PM100, for example is just as good if not better than any non-vintage es-175 and some of the lawsuits will sound almost the same amplified. But when you get to the Super 400 and L5 these are very hard to copy. The Aria and some other lawsuit models get close but if you are looking for that acoustic sound then you will probably only be getting it from the real deal unless you are looking for an approximation.

If you are looking for an electric L5 sound then the Wes or a good CES is amazing. I have bought guitars since getting my L5 but really that has been for fun and my guitar search ended when I got the L5 - that is the sound I wanted and that is what I got. And I bought a lot of guitars before that chasing that sound, ending up with good instruments but not the sound I really wanted. And once you put the limitation of under 5k you cannot be that picky - yeah you’ll find them out there but you have to be vigilant. At least in terms of an L5...I have never seen a Super 400 under 5k but they might have been out there somewhere.

All that said, if you can get a good Wes for under 5k then you will have an amazing guitar that would end many people’s grail searches. But you have to decide if that is what you really want.


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This resonates with me. I love the buying, selling, trying, flipping thing, though I don't do it much. But when I recently picked up my L5ces, whose only flaw was some finish bleed at two places in the binding, the monster inside that keeps wanting more guitars was dealt a very severe blow. Sure, I availed myself of a CME ES175 too, and wow, it's amazing. But with the L5ces sitting on the stand... something inside of me just keeps saying "Really, it doesn't get better than this." I'll never be the equal in my playing of that guitar. I will always be "living up" to that instrument. I currently am deciding which guitars in my little flock need to be sold, but I feel deep down like the quest has either come to an end, or has reached a decisive milestone that will be very hard to surpass.

Maybe an L4ces (mahogany) is out there, maybe a Tal. But I also know I can live without them. Which is likely fortunate, since I will probably have to! Totally tapped out on guitar buying!

[Stringswinger]

Just wanted to vouch for this 100%. Not only was Marco scrupulously honest, he offered me a great deal on a Guild Artist Award. He also showed great patience and flexibility in dealing with the fact ai'm currently in Congo and needed the guitar shipped to a third address ("MOM Storage Co."). Set up was better than most stores, and the guitar was in perfect playing condition when I visited home six months later and got to try it out.

Thanks Matt! You are one of the fellows who might say I was a fool to give up such a great guitar. And you would be right!

[Chi Musi Exchange David]

Hi all,

Thank you for those that have emailed! I received news that we are in a holding pattern on the L5 CES Natural. My sincere apologies for posting it was coming. These are all handmade, and it appears the allotment had already been spoken for. Like I said, I am working on this and hope you all can forgive me.......I was so psyched to get these to the forum. I will keep you all posted as info becomes available!

David [email protected]

[BeBob]

I got the list, too. The prices certainly are discounted better than anywhere else you'll find out there. They just aren't discounted to the level of the Memphis floor models.

I'd like to see pics of the SG Custom in white. I don't know if I could resist that.

The obvious questions that hasn't been asked yet -- are these guitars being sold with or without Gibson Lifetime Warranties?

If they come with no warranty then comparison to the prices you'll find anywhere else -- that have warranties -- is meaningless.

[Marty Grass]

I was told they have full Gibson warranties. Equally important to me, CME stands by their sales.

[BeBob]

Thanks, Marty.

I have two concerns about the warranty: First -- My personal preference is to rely upon someone who is actually capable of fixing manufacturing problems, if they should arise, to provide the warranty guarantee. To me, that means relying upon the manufacturer to correct defects in materials and workmanship, not a guitar store that isn't capable of doing all of the repairs. Second -- I've had experiences where even the most trusted merchants' verbal warranties tend to fade out of their memories with time, which leads me to believe that verbal warranties aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

I'd really prefer some clarity on this, in the form of a definitive answer about factory warranty. The idea that CME is having a with-warranty sale at below authorized dealers' cost is interesting -- it's hard to believe that Gibson could allow their entire dealership network to be screwed by allowing one merchant to blow-out custom shop guitars with warranties to retail customers at a price below that the rest of the dealership network has to pay wholesale. That would be the ultimate screw-job to the dealership network.

[2bornot2bop]

Zero action on both CME guitars that I advertised. The CME blowout has affected the Gibson ES market. I guess I will have to demo them a bit longer......I enjoy demoing cool guitars. It is one of my hobbies. But I do not like losing money on my toys. If guitar sales fall further, I may follow 2 B and quit buying guitars.

Anyone who buys a guitar from me gets a guitar that has been set up very well and gets full disclosure of any issues or alterations. I also always include all original parts in any sale, something many dealers fail to do. And I sell for less than a dealer would. I am certain that anyone who has bought a guitar from me would not have anything bad to say about me except for a few guys who might say I was a fool to give up such a great guitar.

SS, it was some 3 years ago that I began seeing the market shift radically. Where once it took me 30 days max to sell a guitar, that shifted to 3 months, then 6 months. That's when 2b was out. It was a fun 6 year ride. That ride began with a Japanese AE1200S found on eBay, and ended with an ES175 and L4CES both of which sold locally. Local sells aren't as easy, especially with so many Craigslist flakes, but it's less risky. Most of the guitars I sold were shipped to out of town buyers.

Prior to buying guitars I'd been buying/selling audio gear for some 20 years...then suddenly the great listing websites all disappeared. Ironically it was about that time I developed an interest in archtops, quite by accident really. But like audio gear it didn't take long to learn what a guitar should be selling for and what the good buys were. Now good buys are everywhere, but the boom selling market is gone...well, at least for this buyer.

[Frank67]

2b, just out of curiosity - after your extensive stretch of buying and selling guitars I am curious which ones you ended up with and whether you considers those to be the best or among the best that passed through your hands?

[Gitfiddler]

2b, just out of curiosity - after your extensive stretch of buying and selling guitars I am curious which ones you ended up with and whether you considers those to be the best or among the best that passed through your hands?

With so many NGD threads over the years, I've also wondered what savvy buyers/sellers have ended up with.
OK, 2B, fess up, brother!

[2bornot2bop]

2b, just out of curiosity - after your extensive stretch of buying and selling guitars I am curious which ones you ended up with and whether you considers those to be the best or among the best that passed through your hands?

I kept an L5CES, not because it was the best, but namely because I regretted selling the first L5CES. I've some 6 other archtops, all Asian made acoustics. I play acoustics more than anything. I raided my guitar budget and began street modding a car. Another money pit...it never ends

With so many NGD threads over the years, I've also wondered what savvy buyers/sellers have ended up with.
OK, 2B, fess up, brother!

I'll always be a big Heritage guitar fan. Still the best buy around. But Hey, there are so many great buys on L5's at or near $5k one can't imagine them going any lower right? As Danny Devito famously said it's easier to play 'with other peoples money'. But all good things come to an end.