A couple of weeks back I notice an auction on ebay for a vintage Gibson acoustic, a 1966 COUNTRY WESTERN. The CW is the natural version of the SOUTHERN JUMBO. I have been blown away by the square shouldered SJ that I bought some months back and so was intrigued as to why the price was so low (given the description) for this CW. I also wondered why the auction had had not that many views. I came to the conclusion that maybe it was because the seller was in Venezuela ... In my experience the vast majority of people I know in the USA who use ebay never seem to want to buy from outside of the USA and Venezuela would certainly be low on their "like" list. I kept investigating.
The price was really good, 50 - 60% of what one may pay in the USA (assuming the guitar was real and the description was true). probably a quarter of what I would pay here in Oz, even less than what a modern 2016 - 2018 equivalent would cost!
But before I woudl even consider hitting the BUY IT NOW button I did a search on the name of the seller ... he appeared to have a recording studio in Venezuela, checked his Instagram site and going back to 2016 it looks like he did a trip to California and while there purchased this guitar from Norms rare guitars (for US$5k)… there are photos of the case with “carry on luggage” labels. (labels are still on the case now)
From other Venezuelan websites (Spanish language – thank goodness for google translator) it does appear he is moving country and selling off large items including some nice microphones… but I as I don't need any of that type of equipment, I just studied the CW.
The worst risk a I saw it was if it arrives totally shit, then the return costs would be AU$300… Given what it was, I thought it was a risk worth taking.
Clicked the BIN button, paid the US$2400 (plus postage of a couple of hundred) and waited.
The seller sent some pics of the "coffin" he made up out of MDF ... not bad ... I was feeling good.
The seller said the guitar was being shipped DHL.
Never used DHL for guitars ... just books, pedals, "stuff" under $1000, so I have never had to pay duty on anything when using DHL. Normally when I buy guitars the sellers have used FEDEX or UPS.
Delivery was scheduled for 30/4/18. I knew I would have to pay duty before the package would be released from customs, so I tried to determine how to pay the duty. Customer assistance at DHL was basically useless... they could no understand the concept that the package could not be delivered on the Monday if there is no way of paying the duties before the Monday (and then travelling 1000km from Sydney to Melbourne).
As I said, useless as tits on a bull.
Sunday evening I was frustrated because I had no idea where the package was (Sydney? Melbourne? in transit?) So I sent an email of complaint to the head of DHL Customer Service in Oz, outlining the (simple situation) Within an hour I had been contacted by Oz DHL and was informed of the amount to be paid for duties and told a website I could pay it at.
Did that, felt vindicated, and knew it was OK for me to take Monday off from work, as the guitar would be delivered the next day.
Monday morning at 8:05 I get a call from DHL asking me to pay my owed duties! WTF! I explained I had already paid them and was told that the package would be delivered that day and if there was any issue I would be phoned.
So I did not go into work, sat on the couch, did some email via the work login page, but generally sat there waiting.
I waited until midnight when I sent a second email of complaint to the head of DHL Customer Care.
The package was delivered 9AM Today (Tuesday).
I mean how fucking hard is it to pick up a phone and say, sorry the package has been delayed by a day?
FEDEX are always more expensive, but I have never had any issue with FEDEX and they have a phone number you can use 24/7 to calculate and pay any owed duties, to facilitate the quicker movement and subsequent delivery of packages.
The guitar:
So how is it.... it is certainly mint, but not mint if that makes sense.
Basically none of the lacquer has been worn off on the binding anywhere, but there are a few of knocks (looks like case knocks, when you are taking it out of the case and not concentrating). The label inside is as clean as I have ever seen a label. There is a scratch running the length of the back, not deep - just a surface scratch, around the bookend join of the two back pieces of wood... initially I thought it was the seam joint or similar... but closer inspection tells me it is just surface and not even inline with the seam joint.
The nut is not 1 11/16", as the seller said it was... but I knew that would be the case, as it is a 1966 model> The serial number indicates early 1966 and the style (material) of guard certainly means if cannot be any earlier than 1966. The nut is 1 19/32", and some would regard this as needle thin... but it actually isn't. I have piano player fingers... I cannot use three fingers to play the first position A chord - I have to use two fingers, and I find this neck very easy to play. It is most certainly the cut/depth/shape of the neck that Gibson used with these thinner nut necks that make them so comfortable.
I even think that the seller hasn't even stuck new strings on it when he bought it 2 years ago from NORMS RARE GUITARS. The strings are the same strings that the guitar came with when he bought it from NORMS RARE GUITARS back in 2016 and given that the guitar basically has not even been played, minor scuffs on the guard, they could even be the original strings. On the rosewood bridge, where the pins secure the string heads, it looks almost factory new.
Oh ... it is very light and very resonant.
Had to use a fair dollop of rosewood oil on the fretboard and the rosewood bridge. Interestingly the guitar has two satchels of that silica gel crystals inside the body... I suspect given where Venezuela is located, the humidity may have need it. The truss rod will need to be adjusted, but I will let the guitar settle a bit before I head down that road. After cleaning (mainly dust), rosewood oil and new strings, it plays and sound like a dream. For US$2400 ($2600 total) damn good value to come away with effectively a NOS 1966 Gibson Country Western acoustic guitar.
There are bargains still out there on ebay ...
To the pics...
The coffin as delivered ... notice sometime between the seller shipping it and the coffin being delivered to my door step someone had cut hand holes in each side of the box WTF? Did DHL have any idea what was inside?:
soft morning light
sun breaks through the clouds
Inside shots after cleaning the dust, rubbing on some rosewood oil on the fretboard and the bridge
Perhaps Gibson's concession to the peak years of psychedelia?
