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Guitar Center Used Guitar SCORE!

epi56ebony

By epi56ebony
in Electric Guitars

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epi56ebony Mentor

epi56ebony

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Long winded story to follow but...

 

1954 Master Built Custom Shop 50th Anniversary Stratocaster:

 

$2,070.00 + Cali 9.75% F'n sales tax $202.00 = $2,272.00

 

Missing some items but I got:

1. 50th Anniversary Brown reproduction of 1954 case (did not get the crappy molded case)

 

2. COA

 

3. Tremelo Bar

 

4. 1954 Fender Reproduced Catalog

 

Now here's the story.

 

Been chasing after this guitar for a while looking at ebay and craigslist.

 

Did a search on Tuesday for all 1954 Guitars on the GC used area on their website.

 

TWO came up at Fountain Valley. Both said 1954 Mst Blt Cst Shop. Nothing about 50th anniversary models. But I knew they had to be them. 2300 cost for both.

 

Went to GC on Wednesday. Looked at the guitars. The Dennis Galushuzka Built guitar was in nice clean condition.

 

The John Cruz strat looked like a kid had banged on the front and back with a screwdriver. Pockmarks all over. Also a piece of paint chipped off on the front. Really bad shape.

 

I asked the saleguy are these the 50th and do they come with the case and COA. Answer: "Uh I don't know but we can get you a case" But DUDE! the 50th Anniv case is special!!

 

In front of the guy, I go to their price match computer, find the Fender Website (Jesus, I'm doing this guy's job for him!!) get the customer relations number and call them on my dime/cell.

 

I had a 99.99% feeling that these were both 50s especially when I saw the serial numbers were on the trem plate. Fender confirms that both are 50th Anniversary CS Strats.

 

I tell the guy, they're both 50ths and I should get a better price cause you don't even have the case or COA. His answer "uh it's already at a low price, can't do anything for you".

 

I walk out of the store. I WANT that Dennis Galushuzka it's in great shape but that price HAS to come down.

 

I go back in the store and say "can I please speak to the manager"

 

They get the manager. I say "look you don't have the collectable case, the COA or any of the case candy. We have to get a better price here"

 

Manager says "I think we have the case" I start jumping up and down on the inside but stay cool on the outside.

 

The manager doesn't even ask any of the salesguys to get it cause they are clueless. HE goes to find the case.

 

Manager brings out the case, it's the collectable reissue case, we open it up the COA is inside for the Dennis Galushuzka and the reissued 54 catalog.

 

I stop the negotiating at this point and say I'll buy it. For 2300 +230 tax it's a great deal. I had just dropped out of the bidding for one that went for 2800.

 

BUT NOW HEAR THE REST OF THE STORY...

 

Later that night I go to the GC website to print the page where the 54 strat was advertised.

 

My eyes pop as I see PRICE DROP and the guitar was now $2070.00!!

 

It must take 24 hours for the guitar to be taken down once sold, cause today it's no longer there.

 

I print the page (and on the page it says "as of June 30 we have xxxx number of used gear) for myself and for evidence. Just in case...

 

I call the manager and say "hey the price went down, can you give me a refund on the overpayment?" After investigating (or maybe he already knew, don't have any evidence on that) he said he would give me a refund.

 

I give him my credit card over the phone to credit my card.

 

Today I still did not see the credit when I called the bank. So to be on the safe side, I trucked it on back (on July 4th getaway traffic) to Fountain Valley and just casually asked for a revised reciept.

 

It had not been done yet. So now with me standing there and credit card in hand, I got my refund. I wasn't even mad that they had dropped the ball and I had to check up on them because:

 

1. I was so happy to be getting 250.00 back. I just paid an incredibly low price for a Master Built strat/case/COA.

 

2. I got the guitar I've been lusting after ever since it came out. Waiting for the used market.

 

The manager told me price drops generally come from the corporate office. Both 54s had been in the store for a year. I think people did not know these were 50th anniversaries cause that was not put in the description.

 

Also the recession might be a reason. I think in So Cal only Hollywood has more used guitars than Fountain Valley. They have a lot!

 

If anyone is on here from the Fender Forum, I would love for you to relate my story into the custom shop thread. Send me a private message and I'll give you my serial number for the list they are keeping in the "54 Chopped Liver" thread. My number is consecutive with a number already listed and both built by Dennis who set up my Master Built 70s strat at the CS Road Show in 2009.

 

I turned 54 on Tuesday and bought a 54 on Wednesday.

 

In the words of Joe Walsh, "Life Is Good"

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epi56ebony Mentor

epi56ebony

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^ has to be a wangcaster.....
:mad:


pics mans, pics!



Good story though, and excuse my ignorance, but what is a COA?




HNGD!! and happy Birthday!



COA = Certificate of Authenticity and has Serial Number either printed or hand written if it is a Master Built

for Fender:
Custom Shops signed by Mike Eldred (CS Manager)

Master Built Custom Shops signed by builder

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Emory Contributor

Emory

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What's with demanding pics? Like they have never seen a strat? If it were made up, which it wasn't, why would anyone be so weak in self esteem as to give a damn about impressing a bunch of faceless wankers on some obscure web site with a bit of fictional writing?

You're happy, got a great guitar at a great price, wtf, who cares what anyone else thinks? I admit a bit of crowing in the blurb, but so what?

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GreatDane Newbie

GreatDane

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What's with demanding pics? Like they have never seen a strat? If it were made up, which it wasn't, why would anyone be so weak in self esteem as to give a damn about impressing a bunch of faceless wankers on some obscure web site with a bit of fictional writing?

You're happy, got a great guitar at a great price, wtf, who cares what anyone else thinks? I admit a bit of crowing in the blurb, but so what?

 

 

Emory- good karma to you for attempting to come to the OP's rescue, but relax. it's all in good fun. assuming you don't know:

it's part of the common practice of starting a "new guitar day" thread to show pictures of the new acquisition. since the OP was so jazzed about finding a dream guitar, it seemed completely appropriate to razz him/her a little about not including some visuals. yes, yes, we've all seen strats. but the OP didn't just get ANY strat, now did he?

 

regarding your question about people posting ficticious NGD threads due to weak self-esteem, I'm sure it's happened more than once. the internet seems to have more than it's fair share of people having weak self-esteem.

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