What's happened here then?

bloomer

I was very close to pulling the trigger on a guitar yesterday but thought I'd ask for a couple more pics first. When I opened the pics he sent there was something quite unexpected lurking. The guitar was advertised as being all original in excellent condition and in the photos I'd seen up until then it looked remarkably clean with no visible marks on the top at all. But one of the pics he sent tells a different story:

https://i.imgur.com/9Eldf6U.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uxC3UxE.jpg

soma1975

different scratchplate size?

english_bob

Can't be the same guitar. If that mark was on the guitar in the first picture it would be visible even with the scratchplate on. Part of it follows the line of the body binding.

danowens

That kinda looks like a reflection to me; anyone else?

bloomer

have a look at that last fretboard inlay. Definitely same guitar.

WeZ84

It's the same guitar - the patterning on the inlays is the same in both pictures. 
It does look like a reflection to me too - what does the seller say? 

chrisj1602

Ask the guy, could be a simple mistake of sending the wrong pic.

steer

You are right to be confused. The seller has some explaining to do. 

Strat_a_tat_tat

Is that just reflection / glare?  

However, to my untrained eye... I'm wondering if that's been refretted.

chrisj1602

As stated above, it can’t be the same guitar.

Philly_Q

It's the same guitar, you can tell by the 21st fret marker.  And I think that is just a reflection.

Adam_MD

That's a refection its the same guitar 

bloomer

What are the chances of a reflection perfectly following the curve of the binding? 

p90fool

What's going on with all the scribbled out background? Can he not just send a couple of normal pics of the guitar on a stand in a room, or is there dead hooker blood everywhere or something? 

bloomer

ha, I scribbled out the background or it might be obvious who the seller is. 

Philly_Q

bloomer said:

What are the chances of a reflection perfectly following the curve of the binding? 

Plenty, because the top isn't flat, it's arched/contoured and slopes down toward the bound edges.

ICBM

It's the reflection of (probably) a large rectangular ceiling light in the curved top of the guitar.

mrkb

It’s a guitar, are you going to play it or just sit and look at it with the scratchplate removed?!?

bloomer

Larger pic

https://imgur.com/Jojj9w4

Bridgehouse

I’d say that dress is blue not gold...

viz

Ask the seller to take a pic of the guitar with a piece of paper next to it with the word wolf written on it. That generally sorts them. I did that for my chouble-neck, and he did it. Although he wrote wols.