that homemade strat you made sounds awsome dude nice work. regarding the shills yeah I think you hit the hammer on the nail!

thats really interesting what you said about the demand for US guitars overseas I have seen that alot. I think if Fender would just drop all the fancy lines of guitars i.e. road worn and highway 1 and just focus on making a super high quality stratocaster and telecaster that any customer can then just buy and build onto with substantial quality through and through that would be more in tune with the initial greatness of the brand and would be a lot less corny as their ads are becoming really lame IMO but then again look at the itunes top ten list its pretty bubblegum type stuff I think music is at its lowest common denominator nowadays thats why they can rip everyone off on 2 pieces of solid wood bolted together? Fender please just stick to the basics! good quality less hype variety blacktops?! WTF lol. all in all Fender rocks

Ebay has become a total joke and a mere shadow of its former self. I can honestly say that I remember when there was only about a hundred items listed on eBay for AUCTION. Now it has basically become a store front for many vendors without dedicated websites to sell their products. As far as any recourse when something goes wrong when making a purchase on eBay....that's another story in itself that I could type pages on. Just try and use their "live help" feature sometime. Basically glorified idiots reading off of a rolodex and being paid to direct you to eBay's "help & member services". Yes, it's sad that eBay has been reduced to this. You used to be able to find some deals there but, those days are long gone, I'm afraid. Also, I have to add that I am looking at this from more of a "buyers" perspective. I CAN say this, if you are a seller, good luck getting help from eBay regarding any deadbeat buyer you might encounter. Of course, this is all just my $.02 and I'm certain someone will have some heartburn with my eBay feelings.

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"I like the way he puts Yngwie J. Malmsteen on his album covers. You know,....so you don't confuse him with all the other Yngwie Malmsteens in the business"


2008 Fender MIM Stratocaster
2010 Epiphone Masterbilt
2009 Fender Super Champ XD

i have sold many items on ebay. always honest ads, and always happy transactions.

as for as buying used, i keep an eye on the guitar center website's used page. got some effects for a decent price, and a clean used fender stage 100 amp for less than 100.00!

as a plus, if you don't like the product, you can return it to your local g.c. store

Very true....in addition too.... it provides a means for many to exercise their options to sell their merchandice in a forum with basically No overhead, physical building site, employee headaches, paying into social security, yada yada yada, and give buyers a very non-commital means to window shop and compare through the "completed auctions"... what the fair market value of any given product. The biggest problem with buying anything online is the simple fact of not being able to physically handle the product prior to purchase. As a seller,having a stellar reputation, and better yet, offering a return policy is the answer. Find what your looking for online, go to G.Center and play one....then decide. Check "Crack-list", "Amazon", message boards....these are all great tools and really about the fun process of buying and connecting togethor. And LAST but certainly not LEAST....Check the Fender Forums....where amazing individuals with a common bond can indulge in our passion!

This has been an interesting read. I look at the comments and wonder a little bit. I have sold between 300 to 400 guitars on eBay and have bought a big share of them there too. There are a few comments that i agree with. 1) If I did not know how to work on guitars and was going to spend my hard earned, saved up dollars to by my dream Strat, I WOULD want to play it first, to make sure it has the feel I like. 2) eBay is a rip as far as them owning PayPal so they get you with listing fees, sales fees, and then the outrageous PayPal fees. 3) Then dealing with the dumb scammers (some guy in Nigeria who is bored, sitting in a internet cafe who hacks someone eBay account and then bids on your item and ruins the auction). It is a pain in the behind. 4) And finding "great" deals is getting harder and harder (but still there from time to time).

I wonder how many people would call me greedy because I sold something for more than I would ever pay for it myself? (That is one thing I do like about eBay, I can list something and the buyer determines the final sale price. I get emails all the time asking me if I have a guitar for sale and how much I would want for it. I have a real hard time giving an answer because i do not want to give it away, yet I do not want to be greedy either. Then on top of it, I never sell because I have too, so I do not care if I sell a guitar or not). For me, eBay takes away that kind of head trip. And there has been times where I look and think, Man they way overpaid for that! I sold a rather beat up Black MIJ Fender Jerry Donahue Telecaster for $1010 one time. I always disclose ever defect and an honest about every detail. Crazy. The guy could have almost picked up a use USA Custom Shop JD Tele for a few $100 more than that.

Few years ago I had a old guy give me a Porter Brace Beam saw. This is like a 1960s huge skill saw, scary thing when you plugged it in. I thought, I will list it on eBay and if I get $50 for it plus shipping I would be happy (and surprised!) It sold for $675! Now someone might see that and say the seller was greedy…. but I did not decide how much it sold for! The guy who won it called me and was SO excited. He said, this is a real collectors item and I was missing this one from my collection! I thought, what???? So yes there is a big pool out there. And now people/stores here are competing with a stronger international market. The Euro, the Canadian and the Auzzie dollar has gone up in value. More people are buying from these countries, as USA guitars are very high priced in these locations. I know some guys on eBay are ridiculous. Like the Eddy Vegas (seller name on eBay) who is asking $2500 for a Razz Berry Strat Plus. At the most it is worth $1200 being in like new condition. I have bought mint flame top Strat Ultras for less than $1000. But then, I guess he has the right to ask whatever he wants and if some one is dumb enough to buy it, it is there problem.

Good deals are to be had. I saw a Version II Tele Plus sell last week for $670 in great shape. They are worth an easy $1200. I bought a E4 CAR Strat Plus (87) for $650 a few months ago. It was a risk as it had poor pictures and poor description (but a few emails clarified a few things). Turned out to be a dead mint 87 Plus. BTW, about the Graffiti Yellow 87 Plus' selling for so much… people know that they will continue to go up in value due to the fluke on the serial number and the fact they were the first year issued. i have seen their value jump 75% in the last 10 years. Better investment that some stocks….

Here is what I do. I do not care if I win an item or if I sell an item. I snipe all my auctions because I hate bidding wars or doing the last minute thing that makes your heart pump and so when you win, so you feel like bells should ding as if your in Vegas. I set a snipe at what I am willing to pay. If I win, fine and it not, it was not meant to be. When I sell, I start my auctions out at $100 for a guitar and set the reserve for a price that is as low as I am willing to let it go. If it sells, that's great and if not, that's fine too.

I also take risks in buying guitars. But then if I get one, I can always tear it down, clean it up, set it up and then make it play wonderful. If it has damages or things I do not like, I save the good parts and sell the stuff I do not want on eBay. Then I build nice guitars from the best parts.

Sorry for rambling. Just a few thoughts.....

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

I respect your thoughts and honesty.....The only guitars I buy online are guitar Im passionate about to begin with. If eventually I move em, either way, I cant lose....fore its an amazing guitar that I either get to keep and play or pass on to someone else with the same passion. If you think about it....everything in life is borrowed anyway. Right down to our toe nails. So, apprecciate what you have, while you have it....and be thankful for forums like Ebay that afford our interest!