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duhvoodooman
June 14th, 2007, 08:09 PM
The '56 Goldtop I snagged on eBay was delivered today, and I've got much good news & a bit of bad news.

The Good News:

The guitar looks brand new, and I'm pretty sure that it's never been played. There isn't a scratch or gouge on it anywhere, and all the protective plastic is still on the guitar. The strings were all slack, and by a LOT, so I suspect this is just how it came from the factory. The setup is excellent, with a nice low action, but no buzzing. The strings are cheap 9's, but I'll put a set of D'Addario 10's on. The electronics work perfectly, and the P90's have that nice bright, snappy ring to them. Nice neck, a little bit thicker than the one on my Elitist LP Std., but not as beefy as my Dot. And it sure is pretty! See pix below.

The case it came in (Guardian; sells new on Amazon.com for $75) is quite decent, but is one of those square ones that is really better suited to a Fender guitar. The angle on the neck of the LP causes the neck to sit up off the support cross-piece, so it doesn't sit in the neck cutout and can slide back and forth. But I can always use my LP Std. case to transport it, if need be. And this case will be nice for my Nashville Tele or the Fullerton ST4, neither of which I have a case for.

The Bad News:

The guitar is clearly stamped as a factory second on the back of the headstock, and the last two numbers of the serial number have been intentionally scratched out, which is apparently what they do at the factory with seconds. This condition was NOT mentioned in the item description, and to make it worse, there were stickers intentionally placed over the "2ND" stamp and the serial number to conceal them. The "Inspected & Set-up in the USA" sticker had obviously been moved from down near the bottom of the headstock (there was adhesive residue still there) and placed over the "2ND" stamp near the top, and a paper label was placed over the scratched out serial number. Pretty disreputable, if you ask me. I've sent a message to the seller pointing these things out and asking for an explanation. We'll see what this guy has to say! Certainly shows why you need to be careful buying stuff on eBay....

Fortunately, as far as the reason for the guitar being a second, the only thing I can find is a kind of faint, wiggly crack mark in the binding in about a 3" section along the very bottom edge of the guitar. It's on the side edge, not on the top, so it's really not visible at all. I can't even get it to show in a photo. But at this point, I have to assume that's why it's a second. I'd heard that very often guitars get "seconded" for next to nothing, and this would seem to bear that out. Very minor aesthetic defect.

I've got a couple of pix below showing the back of the headstock with and without the concealing stickers, and a shot of the back of my Elitist showing where that sticker should be.

Here are the pix:

http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/goldtop_full.jpghttp://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/goldtop_body.jpg
http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/goldtop_headstock.jpg
http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/goldtop_stickers.jpg
http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/goldtop_nostickers.jpg
http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/lp_std_hs_back.jpg

Spudman
June 14th, 2007, 08:17 PM
I love the 6 pictures of you taking a picture.:D

To bad about the deception. Still if it looks good, plays good and you like it then it is still a pretty good deal. However, if the guy is aware that you busted his deceptiveness maybe he'll comp you back some $ in exchange for not leaving him negative feedback, or in case you used Paypal, you can get all your money back and still keep the guitar.

Best of luck. It sure looks nice.

tot_Ou_tard
June 14th, 2007, 08:49 PM
Wow, izzat sleazy.

Still a nice looking ax.

Robert
June 14th, 2007, 09:38 PM
I wouldn't be excited to find that out either. It could still be cool though, and it looks really nice. Do you like it?

sunvalleylaw
June 14th, 2007, 10:55 PM
I love the 6 pictures of you taking a picture.:D

To bad about the deception. Still if it looks good, plays good and you like it then it is still a pretty good deal. However, if the guy is aware that you busted his deceptiveness maybe he'll comp you back some $ in exchange for not leaving him negative feedback, or in case you used Paypal, you can get all your money back and still keep the guitar.

Best of luck. It sure looks nice.

ditto that. Have you had a chance to see how it sounds and if you like it? It still is a purty lookin thing.

duhvoodooman
June 15th, 2007, 12:44 PM
Thusfar, I like the guitar very much. The setup on it is wonderful and it plays like a dream. I really haven't fully checked it out sonically yet, because I couldn't crank the volume up at all last night, with both my kids studying for final exams. But that won't be a problem tonight, so I should be able to "open her up" a bit. As I mentioned previously, the guitar is in beautiful shape, and has just that one flaw in the binding that nobody but me will ever know is there.

The guitar has just one significant problem at the moment, but it's a very annoying one--it won't hold a tune. I'm pretty sure this is just a matter of the strings binding in the nut, because:

The strings don't change pitch smoothly but rather move in "steps" as the tuners are turned (both directions).
The strings go sharp when I let the guitar sit for several minutes after tuning. This seems to indicate that unequal tension continues to slowly release through the nut slot. I always tune by lowering the pitch below the target note and then tuning up to it, so I would expect residual tension imbalance to release in this way, i.e. causing the string's pitch to increase.
After tuning a given string, if I bend a note sharply on it, the string goes flat. If I bend that same string behind the nut, the string goes sharp.
This behavior is more pronounced with the wound strings, where the friction through the nut is greater.
So tonight, I'll loosen & work the old strings side-to-side through the nut slots to open them up a bit, put on a new set of 10's, and lubricate the nut. Hopefully, that should clear things up....

Lev
June 16th, 2007, 03:19 AM
That's a sweeet guitar, I played one about a year ago in my local store and fell in love with it. My Strat GAS took over after that but the '56 is still on my list of 'must buy' guitars. I really hope it works out for you and there's no major flaws because it's a very unique sounding and looking axe.

Plank_Spanker
June 16th, 2007, 06:27 AM
If that guitar sounds just half as good as it looks, you still have a winner. I love it. I suspect that new strings and nut lubrication will solve your tuning issues.

That's one of the sharpest looking Lesters I've seen in quite a while! :D

mikew
June 16th, 2007, 01:50 PM
Some people man! I can't believe they thought they could pass that by you. Yeah, the sticker doesn't looked peeled away, and the fuzz stuck to it is normal......yeaaahhhh right. Sleazy! Sorry about that man! :mad:

On the other side, I think it sure it a beautiful guitar, it looks flawless to me, almost kinda sad that you put it down to take a picture instead of spending time rockin' out on it. :DR

Enjoy!

duhvoodooman
June 16th, 2007, 06:15 PM
A few more pix, now with the protective plastic removed and the guitar in "playing form". Yeah, Spuds, more photos of me taking photos! ;)

Fooled around with the nut and changed the strings last night--tuning stability MUCH improved; only the D and G stick a little now, I presume because they're angled the most at the top of the nut. I'm sure I can work the rest out with a little more playing time. This puppy sounds SWEET! :DR Will try to post a clip soon....

http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/56goldtop_full.jpghttp://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/56goldtop_body.jpg

duhvoodooman
June 16th, 2007, 06:18 PM
Pix cont'd. Nice reflection of the oak tree in the middle of my back yard in that last shot. Nope, it's not a through-body oak neck! ;) :D


http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/56goldtop_body_angled.jpghttp://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/56goldtop_headstock.jpg
http://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/56goldtop_full_rear.jpghttp://duhvoodooman.com/miscimages/musical/56goldtop_body_rear.jpg

ted s
June 16th, 2007, 06:53 PM
She's a beauti DVM !

duhvoodooman
June 16th, 2007, 08:00 PM
OK, here's a couple of quick clips I dashed off. The first demos the clean sound of the guitar. Starts with a little Smokestack Lightning riff on the bridge P90, followed by a familiar Dicky Betts riff on the neck p'up. Recorded using the clean channel of my Delta Blues, no pedals.

The second clip shows the "dirty" sound of the bridge pickup on an SRVish passage. Still on the DB clean channel, but here I added my Radial Tonebone Classic OD pedal, which was set up to darken the tone a little. I'm no Stevie Ray by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it gives some idea of the nice grind you can get out of the bridge P90.


Goldtop Clean (http://www.box.net/shared/j5m1bjcr7g)

Goldtop Dirty (http://www.box.net/shared/g7gjxocl0z)

Iago
June 16th, 2007, 09:56 PM
wow, great growl from those P-90s!! Keep them sound samples coming! :D

Leonidas
June 16th, 2007, 11:51 PM
Wow, DVM that is a SWEET looking axe! Sorry to hear about the factory second thing.. anymore eBay is filled with too many of those people looking to make a quick buck.

Anyway, it looks awesome, and from the sound clips sounds just as nice! Those P90s have an awesome sound.

Tone2TheBone
June 18th, 2007, 09:23 AM
That's a neat lookin' Gold Top Voo. That neck looks sweet. Heck the whole guitar looks sweet. I'll have to listen to the clips at home tonight.

warren0728
June 18th, 2007, 09:32 AM
very nice dvm....too bad you were mislead but it seems like you still got a great guitar! congrats!! :DR

ww

Justaguyin_nc
June 18th, 2007, 11:06 AM
Sorry to hear about the stamped second.. but from the looks and your sound..its a 1st class all the way.

If to have one LesPaul type.. wow... 56 gold top with p90s..A+++

really liked the dirty
but...
Loved the clean!!

duhvoodooman
June 18th, 2007, 11:41 AM
Thanks, guys! Yeah, it really is a stunning looking guitar and it plays and sounds great. I'm very pleased with it overall, but nobody likes to feel that they were "hoodwinked" on a purchase. I'm negotiating with the seller on a partial refund, since its "second" status definitely impacts the guitar's value, particularly if I ever decide to sell it at some point in the future.

The tough part now is that I have to keep up my end of the agreement and turn the guitar over to my wife until Christmas. But, hey--that was deal, and I'd do it again in a minute for a '56 Goldtop! But I got to play it pretty much all of Father's Day! :DR Now, hurry up, Santa!

ShortBuSX
June 18th, 2007, 12:13 PM
The tough part now is that I have to keep up my end of the agreement and turn the guitar over to my wife until Christmas. But, hey--that was deal, and I'd do it again in a minute for a '56 Goldtop! But I got to play it pretty much all of Father's Day! :DR Now, hurry up, Santa!

OH the humanity! Thats just a terribly cruel joke...and whats worse is you were willing.

duhvoodooman
June 18th, 2007, 01:04 PM
C'mon! It's not so bad. I have 5 other guitars to play in the meantime! Just takes a bit of patience. Keep in mind, I hadn't planned to make a move on a P90 axe until near the end of the year anyway....

I thought it was a pretty creative deal on my part--I get the guitar I wanted (albeit after a bit of a wait) and managed to maintain domestic tranquility at the same time. Or if it was a MasterCard commercial....


'56 Epi Goldtop and HSC on eBay.........$305
USPS Priority Mail shipping...........$50
Getting major tone-age while avoiding spousal cold-shoulder......PRICELESS!! :DR

Plank_Spanker
June 18th, 2007, 03:27 PM
Second or not, the clips sound great and the guitar is just stunning.

My two cents:

Christmas is a long ways away......................................some precisely timed groveling might be in order. Your wife just might cave in....:D

Justaguyin_nc
June 18th, 2007, 05:47 PM
C'mon! It's not so bad.
Or if it was a MasterCard commercial....



'56 Epi Goldtop and HSC on eBay.........$305
USPS Priority Mail shipping...........$50
Getting caught sitting on the floor playing the xmas gift in the bedroom closet thru a mini-pod......PRICELESS!! :DR

duhvoodooman
June 18th, 2007, 07:47 PM
Getting caught sitting on the floor playing the xmas gift in the bedroom closet thru a mini-pod......PRICELESS!!
Gee, I don't own a mini-POD. Does this mean I'm getting one for Christmas?? :eek: :D

GOOD NEWS: The seller has agreed to a $60 refund (20%). I think that's quite fair.

tot_Ou_tard
June 19th, 2007, 05:18 AM
Did he cop to trying to pull a fast one, or did he sing the "I never knew' song?

Those clips are sweet. Love the cleans the best.

Tone2TheBone
June 19th, 2007, 09:16 AM
I have to agree with the beautiful clean sounds on the clips. How's the neck on that puppy? Is it nice and thick like a '56 should be? :)

duhvoodooman
June 19th, 2007, 09:22 AM
How's the neck on that puppy? Is it nice and thick like a '56 should be?
Thicker than my Elitist LP Std. but a bit thinner than my Dot. Very comfy to play, at least for my hand size.

BTW, I tightened up the screws in those Grovers last night, and it seemed to further improve the tuning stability. Thanks for that tip, Tone....

Tone2TheBone
June 19th, 2007, 09:37 AM
You betcha buddy. I just love those bound necks. I think the Gold Top color matches perfectly with the red mahogany and then you get the contrast of the inlays and the frets. Beautiful.

Brian Krashpad
June 19th, 2007, 11:39 AM
Congrats! The second status just ended up getting you a better deal, despite the headache in the meantime.

Have fun.

ShortBuSX
June 19th, 2007, 12:52 PM
My two cents:

Christmas is a long ways away......................................some precisely timed groveling might be in order. Your wife just might cave in....:D

Bite the bullet, just make a purchase of $355 or more for her...you can be shreading by the weekend!

Spudman
June 22nd, 2007, 05:49 PM
One of your cousins just dropped by to sit in for a set.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/Guitars/matschoolandhike3-17-07003.jpg

SuperSwede
June 24th, 2007, 02:31 AM
Ohhh, thats a nice Epi Spudman! What model is that?

Spudman
June 24th, 2007, 10:12 AM
Ohhh, thats a nice Epi Spudman! What model is that?

Agile AL2500.
The binding goes all the way around the headstock. The Epi's don't. It looks pretty classy with that extra touch.

SuperSwede
June 24th, 2007, 11:08 AM
It looks really classy! The finish looks fab too. Hows the stock pups? A little soundclip perhaps?

duhvoodooman
June 24th, 2007, 11:49 AM
Purty, even if she ain't a goldtop! ;) :D

Seriously, those Agiles are absolutely amazing guitars for the money. I was looking at the various models at Rondo, and they have some really interesting stuff, like THIS ONE (http://www.rondomusic.net/product1057.html)....

SuperSwede
June 24th, 2007, 01:55 PM
Purty, even if she ain't a goldtop! ;) :D

Seriously, those Agiles are absolutely amazing guitars for the money. I was looking at the various models at Rondo, and they have some really interesting stuff, like THIS ONE (http://www.rondomusic.net/product1057.html)....

:eek: Mini bucker AND a P90! And a tremolo on a LP style guitar? That guitar would suit me perfectly.