Craigslist PSA.

[Mark V Guitars]

Be careful when responding to frickin ads on CL by phone. I called out a dude for trying to pass off a guitar as a real Epi when it had binding on the back. So he shows up at the shop. People sure get all bent when you call them on their fake bullsh!t. Turns out he looked me up by my number and found my shop.

So I asked him if he brought me a guitar or computer to repair...he said no. I told him to get the fvkc out. Seriously? Don't pull that crap on me. Guess I'll be sticking to the ol anonymous CL relay system from now on. People is crazy.

All over a fake Epi? He didn't even bring it so I could check it out....

Good thing I didn't need to use that line..."say hello to my little friend." I don't sit around here dealing with the public without my plinking toy.

 

[chasenblues]

I called out a dude for trying to pass off a guitar as a real Epi when it had binding on the back.

Which model..Some have binding.

 

[Mark V Guitars]

Which model..Some have binding.

I'll throw up a pic from the guy's ad.

 

[Pete M]

Over here we have Gumtree. It's very similar. I have had a few times when I've had phone calls or messages from some crazy sounding mofos. I reckon if you did enough wheeling and dealing on there it's just a matter of time until something bad happens. I never let my guard down with the whole "Come and pick it up, bring cash" scenario.

 

[sk8rat]

always have a separate account if you are going to bother calling people out or flagging ad on cl, ebay ect... you kinda brought it upon yourself though. everyone knows how clist is.

 

[foxtrot]

That sucks, but I'd think twice about getting into **** with anyone on CL or elsewhere from my real phone number or any other form of contact, even if they are in the wrong. Just not worth the hassle. If they're willing to sell fake guitars they're probably willing to **** around with you quite a bit too.

 

[Mark V Guitars]

That sucks, but I'd think twice about getting into **** with anyone on CL or elsewhere from my real phone number or any other form of contact, even if they are in the wrong. Just not worth the hassle. If they're willing to sell fake guitars they're probably willing to **** around with you quite a bit too.

Yeah...I'll be smarter about that now. Way to close to home this time.

Here's a pic of the back. Hopefully I won't have to eat my words on this one.

 

[Maynar]

My yahoo email addy. That's all I give out when selling on CL. No, you don't get any of my phone numbers, or anything else.

Email. That's it.

 

[LtDave32]

Be careful when responding to frickin ads on CL by phone. I called out a dude for trying to pass off a guitar as a real Epi when it had binding on the back. So he shows up at the shop. People sure get all bent when you call them on their fake bullsh!t. Turns out he looked me up by my number and found my shop.

So I asked him if he brought me a guitar or computer to repair...he said no. I told him to get the fvkc out. Seriously? Don't pull that crap on me. Guess I'll be sticking to the ol anonymous CL relay system from now on. People is crazy.

All over a fake Epi? He didn't even bring it so I could check it out....

Good thing I didn't need to use that line..."say hello to my little friend." I don't sit around here dealing with the public without my plinking toy.

He showed up at your shop? What did he want, precisely? What was his stated purpose for being there?

 

[TheX]

Here's one with binding on the back.

 

[Mark V Guitars]

He showed up at your shop? What did he want, precisely? What was his stated purpose for being there?

Simply to call me out on calling him out seemed like. He came across as fishing to see who I was and what I was about. We didn't talk much. I stood my ground, so he left after a couple of minutes. I've never had to deal with someone that brazen before, to just show up like that. He even called me by my first name in a text message, which was my clue that he googled my number.

 

[sk8rat]

Yeah...I'll be smarter about that now. Way to close to home this time.

Here's a pic of the back. Hopefully I won't have to eat my words on this one.

I have an epi with multiply binding on the back..... if that is the only thing leading you to say its fake I think you are wrong.... cant say for certain without seeing the front.

 

[Mark V Guitars]

Here's the pic of the front.

 

[Dun Ringill]

Any pix of the headstock? Looks like a custom to me. All of my Epi customs have back binding. I'd be interested to know the year since it has the flame top.

 

[sk8rat]

only thing that looks wrong (not stock) to me is the pickguard and pickups.... looks real to me.

 

[Big John]

pickguard?
slotted bridge studs?
off-angle back grain?

I'm no Epi expert, but these are what stand out to me.

 

[LtDave32]

Simply to call me out on calling him out seemed like. He came across as fishing to see who I was and what I was about. We didn't talk much. I stood my ground, so he left after a couple of minutes. I've never had to deal with someone that brazen before, to just show up like that. He even called me by my first name in a text message, which was my clue that he googled my number.

It sounds like he himmed and hawed and stammered around before working up the courage to call you out. What a dork.

Back in the old "Recycler" days (late 1990s), I had a shingle out for building and repairing amps and Hi-Fi stuff in my garage. I ran an ad in the Recycler.

I had this guy show up, "Little Steven" bandana, eye mascara caked on, big loop ear rings. Drove up in a 1965 Dodge van, crap and trash, old sandwiches etc on the dash. Had a Dean Markley 50 W tube amp that needed repair. He left it, I checked it out. Burned grid resistor, easy fix. Called him up to come get it. $50 bench charge. He shows up, loved the repair price, wanted to contract me for further work.

Here's where the fun starts.

He claimed that "since carbon was the root of all evil and destroying the planet" he wanted me to swap out all carbon resistors and carbon pots (a metal wiper on the carbon, etc) for metal film resistors and "non carbon pots". Then he launched into a tirade again about how carbon is the the stuff of the devil, hell is full of carbon, carbon is some sort of evil plot to kill us all..

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. I said "You know that everything on earth is carbon-based, don't you? Even YOU are carbon, when you get right down to it."

He freaked out, his eyes got wide, he started spitting and blubbering under his breath. ..In my garage. I had to laugh openly at him. He was friggin' ridiculous. Between chortles and guffaws I took a book of matches, lit the whole thing and waived it at him "ooh, carbon! oh no!!" I said.

He lowered his head but looked up at me, with a guttural growl. "yooooouuuu!! yoouuuu" he growled, and came at me.

It was like a tiny, freaked-out Little Steven from the E Street Band attacking me. I couldn't help but laugh as I moved away from him. He had his hands out like some sort of 1950's wrestler pose. What a joke. I picked up a chunk of galvanized pipe standing against the wall and motioned in a jab at him. Told him to get the hell out of here. He fell on his ass, got up, got scared and ran to his van at the curb. I carried his amp out saying "don't forget your amp, you friggin' weirdo". Of all things, he got flustered and managed to flood the van. Wouldn't start. There's "Little Steven" pumping the throttle frantically and cranking it for all it's worth. I went back in my garage and watched. He finally got it started, got out, with lightning speed he grabbed his amp, threw it in the van and sped out of there. But not before I hollered out "You're belching carbon out the tailpipe"..

 

[Mark V Guitars]

.

 

[James Carney]

All LP customs have binding on the back, Epi too.
My Epi LP Classic Antique even has binding on the back.

Maybe know what you're talking about before calling out some stranger and getting killed over it.

 

[Mark V Guitars]

It sounds like he himmed and hawed and stammered around before working up the courage to call you out. What a dork.

Back in the old "Recycler" days (late 1990s), I had a shingle out for building and repairing amps and Hi-Fi stuff in my garage. I ran an ad in the Recycler.

I had this guy show up, "Little Steven" bandana, eye mascara caked on, big loop ear rings. Drove up in a 1965 Dodge van, crap and trash, old sandwiches etc on the dash. Had a Dean Markley 50 W tube amp that needed repair. He left it, I checked it out. Burned grid resistor, easy fix. Called him up to come get it. $50 bench charge. He shows up, loved the repair price, wanted to contract me for further work.

Here's where the fun starts.

He claimed that "since carbon was the root of all evil and destroying the planet" he wanted me to swap out all carbon resistors and carbon pots (a metal wiper on the carbon, etc) for metal film resistors and "non carbon pots". Then he launched into a tirade again about how carbon is the the stuff of the devil, hell is full of carbon, carbon is some sort of evil plot to kill us all..

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. I said "You know that everything on earth is carbon-based, don't you? Even YOU are carbon, when you get right down to it."

He freaked out, his eyes got wide, he started spitting and blubbering under his breath. ..In my garage. I had to laugh openly at him. He was friggin' ridiculous. Between chortles and guffaws I took a book of matches, lit the whole thing and waived it at him "ooh, carbon! oh no!!" I said.

He lowered his head but looked up at me, with a guttural growl. "yooooouuuu!! yoouuuu" he growled, and came at me.

It was like a tiny, freaked-out Little Steven from the E Street Band attacking me. I couldn't help but laugh as I moved away from him. He had his hands out like some sort of 1950's wrestler pose. What a joke. I picked up a chunk of galvanized pipe standing against the wall and motioned in a jab at him. Told him to get the hell out of here. He fell on his ass, got up, got scared and ran to his van at the curb. I carried his amp out saying "don't forget your amp, you friggin' weirdo". Of all things, he got flustered and managed to flood the van. Wouldn't start. There's "Little Steven" pumping the throttle frantically and cranking it for all it's worth. I went back in my garage and watched. He finally got it started, got out, with lightning speed he grabbed his amp, threw it in the van and sped out of there. But not before I hollered out "You're belching carbon out the tailpipe"..

Funny stuff right there.