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| I am trying to arrange a purchase of a guitar from a guy in Tx, but he requested a money order as payment. I haven't done one of THOSE in a long time. Is this still a normal thing, or should I walk away ? He gave me a c/o address of a church, which is where he works. I think it's a pretty good deal, but I don't like the idea of basically mailing him dead presidents with no recourse. Still, he doesn't know me from Adam either.
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Sadly, that's the risk we take. I have asked for MO's and sent them. So far I have not been burned, but you never know. I always try to have a good phone conversation with the other guy. It gives you a chance to make some sort of impression. But there is no denying the risk is there. Then again, there is certainly some truth behind the phrase "No guts, no glory." |
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Location: SoCal | Stranger, money order, another state... you have no protection, recourse would not be easy.
PayPal, funded by your credit card... you are covered.
Maybe someone here lives close to your seller in TX and can be your point man.
Edited by noah 2012-09-20 8:52 PM
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I'll agree with Noah.
This is what PayPal is for... Make him send you an invoice and pay the extra 3%
Have you talked to this person on the phone?
Not to be rude... But lots of Street People use Churches as their mailing address.
-edit for spelling- 
Edited by Old Man Arthur 2012-09-20 9:04 PM
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | And there was a certain preacher from Texas who ripped off several OFC members several years ago.
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| I was going to call the church and inquire about the guy. I thought about the possibility of some transient like connection too. They would have to have access to CraigsList, some how, though. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | JohnW63 - 2012-09-20 7:37 PM
They would have to have access to CraigsList, some how, though.
Public Library...
Or the computer at the Church "Drop-in Center".
Many Church programs will give access to computers for Job Searches.
The "Bud Clark Commons" here in Portland gives homeless a Mailing Address and access to computers to check their email, eBay, job search all that.
I see Many street-people with smart phones...
Just sit outside of Starbucks' for wi-fi.
The guy might be legit! Just saying "Use Caution"...
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Location: Sydney, Australia | My gut feeling would be careful and look for an OFC member of good standing (Low member number, high post count) and send your money to them. I had my brand new Adamas sent to a member from here and I picked it up from him. |
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Location: NW Washington State | If you're emailing a Craigslist seller and asking him to ship, it's reasonable for him to ask for a postal money order. It's one way he can be sure you're not scamming him. Craigslist ads can generate lots of bogus responses. |
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Location: Texas | John...
I PMed you. |
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | I'm in Ft. Worth, Texas and willing to drive an hour one way to do this for you. PM me for phone number if I can help, |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I'm with Noah on this. PayPal funded through a credit card can't be beat as it provides double protection. I've sent money to members here before gear was shipped and never been burnt, but a few others I know haven't been so fortunate. I would have no issue with any member who has been around awhile and is a regular contributor. Sometimes, you just have to step forward and be the first to trust. |
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Location: Tennessee | I'd go to the church's website, and if the guy appears there then you've got something to hang your hat on. I have a character flaw ... I tend to think almost everyone out there is honest and trustworthy. It's the very few bad apples you need to watch out for. A money order is totally normal ... I just sold a couple of guitars to someone across the country and that's how we did the deal. But remember to be careful when you accept one ... it's not that hard to set up a bogus one.
Trust but verify.
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Location: Utah | I've purchased sight unseen off of this and other guitar forums and never been burned. I even bought a late 70's Ovation Preacher Deluxe electric guitar for my daughter off of Craigslist in another state. I like the suggestions of paypal and pay the 3% or have an OFC member be your intermediary. Another option is for him to eBay it with a Buy It Now at your agreed upon price. Be on the phone with him as he posts it on eBay and then you snag it immediately. Though I don't know what extra protection this might be over just doing PayPal.
If the guy is legit he is due some kudos for sticking his neck out and for bothering with the shipping. |
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Location: Flahdaw | I have a hard time wrapping my arms around "sight unseen/ neck un-played". Every guitar is a little different, and I play every guitar I own a LOT (except my G&L electric), so it has to feel right. There's more to a guitar being "perfect" or "like new"....it has to feel good under my fingers, and I can only tell that by ME playing it, not a surrogate. It needs to stand the test of time, 'cos I don't want to have to turn around and try to sell it if I'm not happy with it. I am an oddity on this forum, I'm sure.
Edited by BobG 2012-09-21 4:14 PM
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Location: Texas | Unless you can find a trusted party to make the transaction, sending a money order to an unknown party is just too risky. |
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Location: Texas | I concur with the oddity on this forum. I love my 67 K1111's...the necks are strat like...My K1111 RI is drop dead gorgeous, and sounds every bit as good as the 67's, but the neck...I just do not enjoy playing it as much because the neck is a little chubbier...therefore it spends 99% of its time cased. And there you go...a guitar that I really wanted and now I have it...bob is right...feel is where it's at. |
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Location: Flahdaw | amosmoses - 2012-09-21 5:54 PM bob is right
Holy Moly!!! I'm gonna get a t-shirt made with that printed across the front of it! |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I'm at the other end of the continuum. For every guitar I bought after playing it, I've bought 15 sight unseen. Neck differences and variation no longer bother me. I go between skinny and thin (my 1187 custom and the ES-335) to skinny and chunky (other Gibsons, a typical Tele, the VXT), V-necks (my Hamer custom, the EA Vipers), to the widenecks (Tak EF75 and 760 custom, 12 strings). There was a time when neck size mattered more to me. Not so much any more. I'm way more interested in the rest of the configuration like, for instance, where the pick-ups are in conjunction to where my pick typically strikes the strings. If the pups are installed in a precies location that I end up striking them with the pick, that really bugs me. Since I am not likely to change how I hold the guitar and where my pick strikes the strings, a guitar with poor pickup location (for me) will end up spending its life in the hanger rather than in my hands. So far, I haven't found a neck profile that bothers me one way or another. Maybe its just that my technique is so lousy (like where my pick hits pickups) that it just doesn't make any difference. |
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Location: NW Montucky | Well, I don't have either the low member # OR the high post count, but I'm in Texas and will help you out if I can. I'm south, just outside Corpus Christi. I drive a lot, so traveling a little if needed isn't a problem. PM me if you need me. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Funny you say that. I am thinking about getting an archtop with a single neck mounted pick up 'cos I HATE when I nail the pickup on my G&L Tele. It's bad technique on my part, but I'm too old to change... |
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| Last question.... Really...maybe.
Patch found one at GC I had not yet seen. A Legend Elite, black. 12 string in nice shape $499 and the one in Texas, who will go PayPal, now, is a 1758 Elite 12 string in black for $400 +shipping with a small crack that goes from the top most sound hole up to the edge of the guitar. He sent a close-up. Would the damage be worth the $100 difference to you ? My wife thinks I might always be annoyed with the guitar, if I get the damaged one.
Elite Close-up
I know only I can tell if it is worth it, but opinions would help cement it. |
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Location: NW Washington State | I dunno nothin' about these guitars, but even that odd guy has had some good input on this thread.
Looks like that crack is way up where the string tension shouldn't affect it. Maybe the binding is pulling away a little bit. If you want one in perfect cosmetic condition, it will probably cost more. The seller did go to the trouble to provide you the picture and agree to PayPal payment. Seems like he's making an honest effort.
If the GC guitar is nice shape and Patch found it for you, $499 is a good deal with a return option that you shouldn't expect from a Craigslist seller.
Is there a case with either one?
Everything else being equal, buy the one your wife approves of. 
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Location: Flahdaw | I would never be annoyed by how a guitar LOOKS. If it plays like butter, sounds great, and people like what they hear, then I'm a happy camper. When you close you eyes and play it, you can't hear a surface crack. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Buy it...a 1758 -5 for $400 is a no brainer...see if he'll give you a phone# where you can call him and do the deal...you'll never regret it...
Edited by MusicMishka 2012-09-21 9:19 PM
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | numbfingers - 2012-09-21 6:58 PM Everything else being equal, buy the one your wife approves of. That may be the single wisest statement ever made on any guitar forum..... |
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| Cases with both.
CraigsList:
You can just see the crack near the top, by the sound holes.
Guitar Center:
Edited by JohnW63 2012-09-21 10:22 PM
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Buy Both! 
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| Spoken like a true collector !
You know, if I hadn't just had to help out a family member with a loan, I might just have done that, and sold the one I didn't like as much. Hmmm. If I could resell either one at these prices without much trouble .....
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | I gotta say, that looks like a tough choice between those two.
Edited by Patch 2012-09-21 11:21 PM
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| This is going to sound really weird, after all my going on about my budget, but I am really thinking about buying both and just keeping the one I like best. If I do that, I'll have my local guitar repair guy give the 1758 a checkup and see if the crack needs anything done.
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Location: SoCal | JohnW63 - 2012-09-21 9:38 PM This is going to sound really weird, after all my going on about my budget, but I am really thinking about buying both and just keeping the one I like best... Yep... that's how it starts! Then ya have 10, then 20, then 30, 40... |
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| Say it isn't so !
All I want is ONE nice one and that's IT. |
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Location: Texas | If you don't buy one or the other soon, someone lurking here may snag it (or them) right out from under you.
Just sayin'.... |
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| I'm chating with GC as we speak. |
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| Is there any difference in preamps on these ? The Legend Elite is 1985, I think and the Elite is 1991. Other than the gold tuners, is there anything really different that would make the 1758 much more desirable ? |
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| Alright, everything is now a mute point.
Patch AGAIN saw a new guitar at the same GC. A 1758 without case for $399. It was a bit less clean with a few playing marks, but ... no crack, like the Craigslist one. I had the GC guy check it out. He had the in store setup guy check it out. He tried it plugged in to make sure the preamp worked. While the Craigslist one HAD a case, the little crack, about one inch below the neck had me a little concerned. I guess I traded a case for no crack in the finish. It's on it's way to my house. With a free pack of strings.
Maybe I'll get it all cleaned up and do a photo shoot, like Patch does, since he helped me out so much on this quest.
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Are you kidding? After all of this you better post pictures! 
Congrats, they are fine guitars! Honestly, you would have probably been pleased no matter which choice you made. |
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| Yep. The 1758 you PM'd me about. It's not as clean as the Legend Elite, and has the exact same preamp. If I could have been in the Tampa GC and played them both, I may have chosen the Legend with case for 100 bucks more, but ... I couldn't find much info on the 1736 and everyone said the 1758 played great. Other then simple chrome tuners vs gold ones, I'm not sure if there was any difference at all. Who knows. If the Elite turns out to be a beater, I may return it and get the other one. I did e-mail the craigslist guy to break the news.
I have pictures that the GC sales guy took. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | JohnW63 - 2012-09-23 3:31 AM I'm chating with GC as we speak. Oh, you're a WOMAN! That explains all the questions and multitasking ability. And you can pick up a case cheap and STILL be under the original 500 buckeroonies!
Edited by muzza 2012-09-22 5:54 PM
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| No, I am not testosterone challenged. But I can type here or e-mails and talk on the phone at the same time, if the need arises. Since I didn't want either of the guitars at the Tampa Guitar Center to walk out on a busy weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to call them up and ask lots of questions. You should know how I am about questions , by now. I think you need to cut back on the past dated Veg-a-mite.
I did learn one thing. Not everything that has a listing shows up on all the Guitar Center used pages. Patch told me about both of the guitars and I never saw them on the pages I visited. Ex: I would go to the GC web site and simply put in " 12 string " and then hit the "used" check box when the list appeared. I was beginning to think that Patch had some insider info or serious Google-Foo. What the story is, is that if you go to their web site and then click on the "Used Gear" link first and then put in search info on the right, you get a different list ! It's slower to find things because it displays in a single column view, but it finds ALL the used stuff.
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Location: Tuscany, Italy | The GC 12er looks like a 1736 Legend-Elite. Look at the epaulette.........nice one. |
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| It is a 1736 and it's very clean. I had to decide between that and the 1758. If the Elite arrives more beat up that I could tell in the shots, I will probably call them back to see if the 1736 is still there.
I wish I could find any info on the 1736. Other than some differences in the wood work around the sound holes, and better tuners, what IS the difference ? |
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Location: Tennessee | I believe the 1736 is the transitional model between the 1538 Elite 12 string (the first generation Elite 12s and very high end) and the creation and production of the 1758 series, which ran for almost 20 years. I think the 1736 was only produced for the one year, and was the more affordable model alongside the 1538 before both were replaced by the 1758 model. The Legend Elite is a rare bird; one rarely sees any guitars with this particular name.
Congrats on finally finding something that worked for you. By all means, make sure you stick around and stay engaged in the forum.
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| I saw the catalog listing it as " An affordable option to the Elite model " but I wonder what other differences there are ? I would have liked to have the real details before I whipped out my credit card, because the 1736 was a more well cared for guitar with case. If I couldn't hear a difference, I may have chosen the 1736 even though it was 6 years older. That's the risk when you buy long distance.
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Buying from long distance