ALMOST a New Guitar Day....

[AlanSam]

Steve - glad it is resolved to your satisfaction (pretty much). I look forward to your review when you finally get your hands on one!

[Rens]

Alan -- It wasn't really rage, just severe disappointment. I regret not waiting a bit until the emotions dissipated somewhat and I could think more clearly, but...

Oh I know exactly what you mean. Recently, I managed to find an Eastman AR904, one of my absolute dream guitars. It was for sale on https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk. First of all, the staff was unfriendly, bordering on the disinterested. The guitar was several hundred too expensive. I asked to discuss the price but they weren't interested. I didn't fall for that and made clear I was a serious buyer and that they're asking too much. Of course I got the nonsense story that it wasn't, but it really, REALLY was. Then when I got it here..... I had to bring it to a luthier and had to spend about 120 euros on it to get it in playable condition.

Yes, in playable condition. There was so much buzz during even the most careful of playing it wasn't properly playable. The luthier I brought it to was surprised they felt comfortable selling it like this. The neck also had to be straightened, the bridge was in the wrong position... etc. There really was a lot wrong with that guitar. Something which they had of course not mentioned in the ad. On top of that, it wasn't exactly in pristine condition, and the installing of a pickup was done by an absolute monstrous criminal with no regard fo aesthetics. So that price was absolutely bloody demented. I will never, ever, buy something from them again. Arrogant, disinterested, and quite clueless as to what they're selling.
I can tell you that I was boiling when I got it and played it, and that I was boiling when I paid my luthier. I ended up not even emailing them to complain about the abysmal experience because any contact I'd had with any of the employees was such a turn off I didn't see anything coming from it.

I'm never buying from them again, in my about 25 years of being online and buying things this is easily one of the worst and most unprofessional experiences I've ever had. Hard pass.

[Shishigashira]

Hi Steve, seems like Dave's has already repaired the headstock crack and put the guitar back up for sale.  Just flagging in case folks were wondering what would happen to the guitar.

https://www.davesguitar.com/collections/...22ce-gb-23

[AlanSam]

If it is the same guitar and people realized that it was the one pictured, with more serious damage than a headstock crack, how many would buy it? I wouldn't! Difficult to believe it's the same guitar.

[sleigh]

It is the same guitar. There's a note in the description: "Please note - a headstock crack has been repaired and touched up" and the price is now $995 instead of $1250. If you look at the photo of the back of the treble side of the neck, you can see the repaired crack. A repair on a crack like that should be stable if done by a competent luthier, and knocking $255 off the price makes it a very affordable price for an AC522CE, especially since someone could make an offer that Dave's might take. I'm glad Dave's has repaired it—the guitar was a beauty otherwise.

[noah]

fwiw:
dave's does have used AC 622 (European spruce, flamed maple) that looks pretty sweet:


https://www.davesguitar.com/products/ac6...786b&_ss=r

[nobodeuno]

I received a new J-45 guitar from Sweetwater overnight for a gig in an archtop hardshell case with a broken neck...we surmised it had been thrown off the plane by UPS unloading.  Sweetwater charged UPS and I had to borrow a guitar for the gig!

[sleigh]

"I received a new J-45 guitar from Sweetwater overnight for a gig in an archtop hardshell case with a broken neck...we surmised it had been thrown off the plane by UPS unloading."

Ouch!

[AlanSam]

Some of the UPS horror stories I've heard almost defy belief! Absolutely no evidence to back this up, but must surely be disgruntled staff.

[StrayMan]

I've ordered 1 guitar from Dave's based on positive reviews from members here.  No issues at all!