Would you buy a guitar with a damaged serial number?

rico

I’m looking at a Gibson that’s on eBay and gumtree however the first few digits of the serial number appear to be damaged. These are the ones that are crucial to dating the guitar. The seller reckons it’s late 90’s and confirms it’s authenticity because New Kings Road Guitars have but their stamp on it. 

Here is the guitar: https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/gibson-les-paul-studio-electric-guitar-90s/1326545227?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ios_social - last photo 

Thoughts?

Winny_Pooh

Buying it effectively encourages theft if the resale value isn't destroyed. 
So on reflection it's for everyone's best if no one does. 

joeyowen

Depends how 'scratched' it was. cough cough

rico

https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/gibson-les-paul-studio-electric-guitar-90s/1326545227?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ios_social

ICBM

Intentionally damaged implies very strongly that someone has tried to disguise its identity for some reason, and I can't think of any good ones. Badly finished in a way that partially obscures it can sometimes happen on Gibsons.

You can date the guitar reasonably accurately from the pot codes if they're original. There wouldn't be much point in trying to fake the date on a modern guitar anyway, it's not like trying to make a modern one into something 'old'.

rico

@Roland please move to guitars!

rico

@joeyowen @Winny_Pooh have a look at the link up there^

Sassafras

Depends on how it sounds and if I was sure it wasn't stolen.

Roland

rico said:

@Roland please move to guitars!

You should be able to do that yourself. Edit the first post, and change the Category to Guitar

HAL9000

As regards the original question...

No way.

rico

Roland said:

rico said:

@Roland please move to guitars!

You should be able to do that yourself. Edit the first post, and change the Category to Guitar

I did not know that, thank you. 

stimpsonslostson

I wouldn’t buy it. 
Nearly £600 for a guitar with a (potential) authenticity/legitimacy issue. No thanks, even if the shop who stamped it verified it. 
You could do better for that amount of money. 

ICBM

He also says one pickup has been changed, but looking at the pics, clearly *both* have been. If he’s willing to be less than truthful about something so obvious...

CeeJay

Would you buy a car with the VIN scratched away? . I've had a close up look at the pics and it seems improbable, if not impossible that it is accidental damage to the serial number. The tuning pegs look unscathed, so either very lucky, or the number has been willfully scratched away. I'd move swiftly on from that one. 

guitars4you

ICBM said:

Intentionally damaged implies very strongly that someone has tried to disguise its identity for some reason, and I can't think of any good ones. Badly finished in a way that partially obscures it can sometimes happen on Gibsons.

You can date the guitar reasonably accurately from the pot codes if they're original. There wouldn't be much point in trying to fake the date on a modern guitar anyway, it's not like trying to make a modern one into something 'old'.

would agree

stickyfiddle

Honestly I might consider it for something extremely rare and if the owner could give me a plausible explanation (e.g. I've owned it from new, can provide receipts, but it got nicked once and I got it back a month later). 

But this is just a red LP Studio, and not even particularly cheap. Why would you?

Also, I don't like to buy from anyone who makes nonsense claims about a guitar being from a "good era" cos it's patently just nonsense

fftc

If it has been stolen remember the Police can confiscate the guitar and at best you lose what you paid for it, at worst, they charge you for handling stolen goods.

rico

All valid points, I briefly considered it (before looking at all the photos I must add) because it's from an era I prefer and it's less than 10 miles away.

The sub £500 LP Studios* are becoming harder to find!

*in a spec I want

Simon_M

Doesn't look like accidental damage. Looks like the serial number has been defaced which, on a fairly modern guitar, screams to me 'stolen'. Wouldn't be considering buying anything that is potentially hot.

In summary, forget it.