Members johnkline Posted April 25, 2010 Members Share Posted April 25, 2010 I was considering getting one as a backup so I've been looking on ebay. It seems like most of them have been stamped used or 2nd.. I don't usually see this many with other brand guitars models. What's going on with the masterbilt quality? What's the difference in the stamp, used or 2nd? Anyone here pick a stamped one up with no problems? I'll admit the lower price is tempting versus buying a regular one from a private seller who bought it new... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MePeel Posted April 25, 2010 Members Share Posted April 25, 2010 Most of the time these are minor cosmetic flaws, some so minor that you really have to search for them. I think that it speaks highly of Masterbuilt quality that these are deemed seconds. Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted April 25, 2010 Members Share Posted April 25, 2010 Maybe the ones that have come out in the last year or two but prior to that I saw some real duds with lifting bridges and cracks running down the length of the tops. To be fair that was at a GC with a busted humidifier. The GC has recently gotten better about their guitar care, so why not Epiphone too? My point is "try before you buy." While I agree that their tone can be great they were not consistent and were largely underbuilt (which is why they sound good) but they require a lot of care and humidification. One thing that I really don't like about them for example is that they don't come with a hardshell case included. When considering a Masterbilt add the cost of a case into the street price. They may still be competitive but not as much as you'd think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted April 25, 2010 Members Share Posted April 25, 2010 A lot of them have no flaws at all and are just stamped that way to get around exclusivity contracts with retailers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hudman Posted April 25, 2010 Members Share Posted April 25, 2010 Rumor has it that they misplaced a huge shipment a few years ago. It caused the Masterbilt line to become seriously back ordered. The shipment showed up on a dock somewhere after several months. The climate / humidity exposure caused issues with many of the guitars. I don't have any idea if that is a true story. I read it on one of the forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimmy Chaos Posted April 25, 2010 Members Share Posted April 25, 2010 Rumor has it that they misplaced a huge shipment a few years ago. It caused the Masterbilt line to become seriously back ordered. The shipment showed up on a dock somewhere after several months. The climate / humidity exposure caused issues with many of the guitars. I don't have any idea if that is a true story. I read it on one of the forums. Sounds so crazy that it probably is true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RockStringBendr Posted April 25, 2010 Members Share Posted April 25, 2010 watch the neck set and angle on these.... many folks have looked and looked for the tiny cosmetic flaws and think they found it only to back the focus off to 10 thousand feet and notice the high E string riding the edge rail and the low E running close to where the A string should be... .... the bridge is set tright when you measure it out, it has to do with the joint Word up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted April 26, 2010 Members Share Posted April 26, 2010 Rumor has it that they misplaced a huge shipment a few years ago. It caused the Masterbilt line to become seriously back ordered. The shipment showed up on a dock somewhere after several months. The climate / humidity exposure caused issues with many of the guitars. I don't have any idea if that is a true story. I read it on one of the forums. That'd make for an interesting conversation . . . GC Receiving Office: Yeah, umm . . . we got an invoice for a shipment of guitars, but . . . yeah. They're not here yet. Epiphone Shipping Office: You didn't get them yet?! Umm . . . yeah. That's not good. Any idea when you'll get them? GC Receiving Office: Well, the invoice said the ETA was a few days ago. I was hoping that maybe you guys had shipped 'em late or something. Epiphone Shipping Office: No . . . looks like they shipped on time. You're positive that they're not there? GC Receiving Office: Look mack---this is what I get paid for. They're not here. I'm sure. The only thing we've gotten in that would remotely resemble a shipment of guitars was a load of lumber. And we didn't order any lumber! Meanwhile . . . Home Depot Receiving Office: That load of two-by-fours we were supposed to get today? Yeah. We didn't get 'em. There was just this load of guitars . . . did something get mixed up? Lumberyard Shipping Office: Huh? You got a load of guitars? Are you sure about that? Home Depot Receiving Office: They've got strings and they're certainly not two-by-fours, that's for sure! Maybe a truck got mis-routed or something? Lumberyard Shipping Office: Maybe . . . I can check on that, but it's gonna take some time. I'll have to call my supervisor and see . . . Home Depot Receiving Office: Eh, don't bother. We can chop 'em up and make shims or something. Our profit margin for shims is much bigger than our profit margin on lumber anyway. That would explain why so many of those lost guitars were in such bad shape . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members poppytater Posted April 26, 2010 Members Share Posted April 26, 2010 That'd make for an interesting conversation . . . GC Receiving Office: Yeah, umm . . . we got an invoice for a shipment of guitars, but . . . yeah. They're not here yet. Epiphone Shipping Office: You didn't get them yet?! Umm . . . yeah. That's not good. Any idea when you'll get them? GC Receiving Office: Well, the invoice said the ETA was a few days ago. I was hoping that maybe you guys had shipped 'em late or something. Epiphone Shipping Office: No . . . looks like they shipped on time. You're positive that they're not there? GC Receiving Office: Look mack---this is what I get paid for. They're not here. I'm sure. The only thing we've gotten in that would remotely resemble a shipment of guitars was a load of lumber. And we didn't order any lumber! Meanwhile . . . Home Depot Receiving Office: That load of two-by-fours we were supposed to get today? Yeah. We didn't get 'em. There was just this load of guitars . . . did something get mixed up? Lumberyard Shipping Office: Huh? You got a load of guitars? Are you sure about that? Home Depot Receiving Office: They've got strings and they're certainly not two-by-fours, that's for sure! Maybe a truck got mis-routed or something? Lumberyard Shipping Office: Maybe . . . I can check on that, but it's gonna take some time. I'll have to call my supervisor and see . . . Home Depot Receiving Office: Eh, don't bother. We can chop 'em up and make shims or something. Our profit margin for shims is much bigger than our profit margin on lumber anyway. That would explain why so many of those lost guitars were in such bad shape . Sounds like the business world to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted April 26, 2010 Members Share Posted April 26, 2010 Rumor has it that they misplaced a huge shipment a few years ago. It caused the Masterbilt line to become seriously back ordered. The shipment showed up on a dock somewhere after several months. The climate / humidity exposure caused issues with many of the guitars. I don't have any idea if that is a true story. I read it on one of the forums. Just sit right and we'll tell the taleThe tale of a fateful trip... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seagullplayer77 Posted April 26, 2010 Members Share Posted April 26, 2010 Sounds like the business world to me. Naw . . . you see, the business world is run by experts with college degrees. Experts don't make mistakes. People with college degrees don't make mistakes. Therefore, businesspeople are doubly immune to mistakes. Or something like that . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Christhee68 Posted April 26, 2010 Members Share Posted April 26, 2010 Naw . . . you see, the business world is run by experts with college degrees. Experts don't make mistakes. People with college degrees don't make mistakes. Therefore, businesspeople are doubly immune to mistakes. Or something like that . That's why we should turn over everything to the goverment--people with college degrees who have never run a business, and who never have and never will make any mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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