Reverb - Gibson ES295 issue

Jimihendrix1987 · July 2020

Hi Guys,

I rarely post here but I thought I should give you a heads up about the following. I wanted to buy an ES295 from 1954 and I asked several times if it was all original...

The seller (London Vintage Guitars of Denmark Street) told me it was. I asked for more pictures and I could then see that at least the guitar was refretted as the frets were on top of the original binding and no nibs were present.

I of course then start thinking if there was anything else that is not original there... I am going to post the conversation here, just so you tell me what you think. I don't think is right to be a shop and don't know what they are selling.

Why do I post this here? Because a shop from Sweden lied to me in the past when I purchased my 68 Byrdland. I trusted them and many parts were not original.

Cheers

Nat

DrCornelius · July 2020

Can't see what you've said there to prompt that sort of response. I haven't bought vintage for quite a while but thanks to you that's somewhere I won't be looking if I do.

You'd expect a refret on a well played 50s guitar but to have the seller turn round and say they are original and then change his mind when you pull him up on it shows a lack of knowledge at best. As you say it makes you wonder what else on there isn't original which can bite you on the ass when you try and sell it down the line.

Strat_a_tat_tat · July 2020

I can see two things that would put me off buying...

1. Inaccuracy in the description regarding originality of frets.
2. Attitude shown in replies.

octatonic · July 2020

In my opinion it looks like they tried it on with you and when it didn't work they wanted to bail on you as a customer, waiting for another less canny fish to hook.

Hattigol · July 2020

Hang on a second.....does that say 'Justin'?

DB1 · July 2020

That's one company I've never been tempted to buy from.

badlydrawnbanjo · July 2020

Hattigol said:

Hang on a second.....does that say 'Justin'?

The very same. If he told me the sky was blue I’d go out and check.

ourmaninthenorth · July 2020

Due diligence, when dealing with such acrobats, on a scale of 1 to 10, should be dialled up to 8347.

ICBM · July 2020

Justin and Rick Harrison are convicted criminals. Do not, ever, accept anything they say about originality, or have any dealings with them whatsoever, no matter how much you want something they have. They're pathologically incapable of doing an honest deal - even in the unlikely event that something they're selling is as described it will be wildly overpriced.

Just Google 'Music Ground' if you have any doubts about this - that's their company.

RiftAmps · July 2020

ICBM said:

Justin and Rick Harrison are convicted criminals. Do not, ever, accept anything they say about originality, or have any dealings with them whatsoever, no matter how much you want something they have. They're pathologically incapable of doing an honest deal - even in the unlikely event that something they're selling is as described it will be wildly overpriced.

Just Google 'Music Ground' if you have any doubts about this - that's their company.

+1000

Stay well away.

Even if the guitar is genuine, you're funding a criminal enterprise that allows the Harrisons to rip other people off.

ThePrettyDamned · July 2020

RiftAmps said:

ICBM said:

Justin and Rick Harrison are convicted criminals. Do not, ever, accept anything they say about originality, or have any dealings with them whatsoever, no matter how much you want something they have. They're pathologically incapable of doing an honest deal - even in the unlikely event that something they're selling is as described it will be wildly overpriced.

Just Google 'Music Ground' if you have any doubts about this - that's their company.

+1000

Stay well away.

Even if the guitar is genuine, you're funding a criminal enterprise that allows the Harrisons to rip other people off.

Just one more +1. I almost feel like this should be a sticky!

Jackobean · July 2020

I always assume most vintage dealers are crooked to one degree or another.

That being said, ATB had a couple of nice vintage 295's in stock last time I checked.

DB1 · July 2020

Jackobean said:

I always assume most vintage dealers are crooked to one degree or another.

That being said, ATB had a couple of nice vintage 295's in stock last time I checked.

The gold one (1953) there was mine. It's very nice - the sunburst one has sold within the last week, but that was also nice, albeit with a slimmer neck. I was tempted with that one as well.

Philly_Q · July 2020

Jackobean said:

I always assume most vintage dealers are crooked to one degree or another.

To me it seems a bit of a minefield anyway. With the best will in the world, it would be very hard to be 100% sure of any 40 or 50 year old guitar's originality. People change pickups or other bits and bits and pieces, or get refinishes, for all sorts of random reasons, there isn't necessarily a logical "story" that someone can work out decades later.

I'm not really interested in (owning) vintage guitars, but I think I'd only buy one which I knew was NOT 100% original.

finest1 · July 2020

i hate it when someone puts an advert but does not want to answer any questions about it. i've sold gear and guitars in the past and any little question, no matter how trivial, i answer.

i remember contacting a seller on ebay claiming to have a 1974 strat. all i asked him was how does he know its 1974 and not 73 or 75? i was hoping to get some background on it, he accused me of asking too many questions and to stop contacting him!

if you are going to advertise vintage items, whether its a guitar, car, or whatever, expect questions!

Brize · July 2020

This dealer was interested in a guitar that I was selling a while back. We quickly agreed a price but he then suggested that we proceed in such a way that I send him the guitar and, once it was received and he was happy with it, he would send me the money.

When I responded that it was customary for guitar sales to work the other way round, he said something like, 'Look mate, I don't know you from Adam - you could be anyone.' Fortunately, I did know who I was dealing with, having seen the BBC documentary.

brooom · July 2020

Yep, they're well known crooks... best avoided.

Jimihendrix1987 · July 2020

Thanks all... I didn’t know them. I am a Spanish guy who lives in the Uk and was not aware of these people...

The price was too good to believe and I suspect there will be other issues with it

artiebear · July 2020

Oh no, the Harrisons. They got me once, I got them three times after ( I am a vindictive sod

. Tbh Justin is only half the turd that Rick is, funny but they still smell the same. .

Howdy, Stranger!

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Reverb - Gibson ES295 issue

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