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Topic: michael_atw continues to destroy history on Ebay |
Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 20 Jun 2017 1:10 pm |
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I don't know who this person is, but what he is doing to classic old lap steels on Ebay is horrible. So many wonderful guitars being destroyed just to make a few bucks...sad. It's kind of like watching a species being killed into extinction right before our eyes.
One of his latest victims is a 60's vintage stringmaster, one of the guitars I want to own the most, along with several others.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal.
Last edited by Jim Williams on 4 Jul 2017 8:11 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 20 Jun 2017 5:56 pm Re: michael_atw continues to destroy history on Ebay
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I agree. It is really disgusting to witness. It's on Reverb too.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Gary Rue
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 21 Jun 2017 2:19 am agree
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| Wonder if any missing instruments end up this way? |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 21 Jun 2017 4:32 am
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I have also wondered where he is getting so many of these things, it's not like you stumble over a stringmaster every day. I had an email exchange with the guy, he made some comment that he sells parts all over the world. From our emails he seems like the kind of guy who doesn't care about anything other than making a buck.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 6:08 am
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Man he stripped the crap out of it. look at the double neck Fender console. Ouch 
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Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 6:28 am
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the frustrating part is those tuner pans are not cheap or easy to replace once they are gone.
Frustrating 
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 8:19 am
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I don't much like seeing working vintage guitars in good condition dismantled either but to play Devil's advocate for a moment, he realized a need in the market that wasn't being filled, invested his own money to acquire inventory, and obviously, must be making a profit or he wouldn't be using this business model. We can rail against the practice till we're blue in the face but he has a perfect right to pursue this business and likely has little or no emotional attachment to these instruments.
There's a long-standing market for vintage automotive and bicycle parts however, I don't think people are parting out Model T's but rather, replacing parts that are already missing or broken. Does this parting out of vintage steels show respect for musical history? No. Does it reflect a niche need in the market. Unfortunately, yes.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 8:59 am
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I agree with what you are saying Andy...nothing anybody can do about it rather than choose not to deal with someone who is obviously parting out working guitars. It's still (mostly) a free country.
It also surprises me a bit that there is that big of a market for these parts...must be a ton of old guitars out there being restored I guess.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 9:29 am
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I understand the business model of parting out vintage steels.
I do not like it nor condone it one bit, however! |
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Daniel McKee
From:
Corinth Mississippi
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 10:15 am
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| Jim, I agree its a sad sight to see this. I do hope that these parts are helping to restore steels to working order. I could never bring myself to do this but I guess everyone has different views |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 10:59 am
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_________________
Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe.
Last edited by Rick Barnhart on 6 Jul 2017 1:56 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Jim Williams
From:
Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 11:20 am
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I totally agree, if he is obtaining them by legitimate means, they are his to do what he desires with...just a sad thing to see.
_________________
GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal. |
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Tim Russell
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 1:17 pm
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Rick, I tend to agree too.
While I hate to see vintage "anything" parted out, this is a free market and "business in business" as they say. I know of a guy in my area who buys old and new, Harleys & Indians, strips the heck out of them, and makes a boatload of money doing it.
He ticks off a lot of guys in the process, I know.
_________________
Sierra Crown D-10 |
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Former Member
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 1:48 pm
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I bought a pristine 3 neck 26" Fender.
-A company that as far as I know, never built one single left handed steel guitar back in the day.
All the railing and gnashing of teeth that came my way when I asked about what it would take to make it lefty...
All kinds of goofy suggestions. I didn't do it, mainly because I didn't like the string spacing, so I traded it away.
through this 'bay seller, I could acquire the parts to make the exact guitar I want! so I'm not against him. Other folks have complained, then asked the guy how much for an old badge or something. Possible there are more lefties out there? |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 2:42 pm
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| Ron Ellison wrote: |
through this 'bay seller, I could acquire the parts to make the exact guitar I want! so I'm not against him. |
Not sure quite what you mean here, Ron - yes, you probably could acquire all the parts from this seller to make a left hander (or pretty much any other configuration you want) but it would cost you a fortune.
Much cheaper to buy a refinished complete guitar from somewhere and reverse it. |
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Former Member
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 3:18 pm
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We don't know exactly what it would cost. All his ads have "or best offer" in them.
i might like a single neck short scale 8 string, could take that torn up double he has, with one fret board missing, offer less, with a mix package of a few things, combo with some new things..Not that much $
Is there proof all those parts came from working guitars? One things for sure, the seal has been broken, just let it all rot?
Jeff, you yourself acquired a bunch of parts that you turned into a quad, and extras, if I remember correctly. Couldn't have done that without someone taking something apart, right? I'm sure you found it fun and interesting. You could have waited it out, and bought an unmolested 4 neck. |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 22 Jun 2017 4:09 pm
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My point was simply that if someone is making money from parting out guitars you are very unlikely to be able to buy those parts more cheaply than buying a complete guitar. And looking at his prices, you'd have to negotiate a pretty amazing discount to make it cheaper than buying what you want.
I didn't make an argument for or against selling parts and if you need one or 2 specific parts to restore an instrument it's just what you need but I really can't see it as a viable way of assembling something from scratch. I was making a practical point, not a moral one.
So far I've made a quad, a single neck orphan and am in the process of helping a friend make a double. I used parts I mostly bought here on the forum for fair prices and also cannibalised a working triple I already owned. I stripped the hardware and traded the bare necks to a friend for some repair work - he is restoring them using totally non-original hardware into a single and a double, I think. |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 25 Jun 2017 6:54 pm
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| I suppose that collectors who have a fair amount of vintage steels (and keep them safe from guys like this)....are maybe not so bad after all..... |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2017 3:40 pm
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| Quote: |
| the frustrating part is those tuner pans are not cheap or easy to replace once they are gone. |
Luckily those are being made again - by Kluson! The new ones are $35 - you can find them on Reverb and eBay.
There are several of these jerks on eBay stripping down playable vintage 6-strings and steels (both lap and pedal). There's been a strong push on various Facebook vintage pages (including the Fender steel page) and among vintage dealers and brokers to spread the word and boycott them.
Many of the parts are available from players who have spares - and many of those will trade them or even give them away to players who really need them!
Players looking for specific parts just need to hunt for the right places to ask - they may get lucky. But I hope no one, no matter how badly they want an original part, buys from one of those clowns. If you do you aren't completing an "original guitar" - you're just building a single-brand parts guitar.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Mike Hultin
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2017 2:07 pm
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| Jim Sliff wrote: |
| Quote: |
| the frustrating part is those tuner pans are not cheap or easy to replace once they are gone. |
Luckily those are being made again - by Kluson! The new ones are $35 - you can find them on Reverb and eBay. |
Very luckily - since I, michael_atw, was the one who sold the owner of Kluson a vintage tuner pan he used as a cast for the aftermarket parts. |
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Mike Hultin
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2017 2:09 pm Re: michael_atw continues to destroy history on Ebay
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| Jim Williams wrote: |
I don't know who this low life is, but what he is doing to classic old lap steels on Ebay is horrible. So many wonderful guitars being destroyed just to make a few bucks...sad. It's kind of like watching a species being killed into extinction right before our eyes.
One of his latest victims is a 60's vintage stringmaster, one of the guitars I want to own the most, along with several others. |
You are more than welcome to own them. Since they haven't appreciated in value in 50 years and still go for under $1000, they are easy to obtain. I would venture, adjusting for inflation, that one goes for half of what it went for new. |
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Former Member
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Posted 4 Jul 2017 3:26 pm
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Ah-oh, Mikey's here!
Anyway, Nothing wrong with forum members not digging your deal..
If you hang around long enough youll see that folks often don't agree.
There are mighty talented committed players here, and if you spend enough time playing a particular instrument, you might not like watching them stripped apart.
It's not illegal, do whatever, not sure if you're trying to change someone's mind, or contribute something, defend yourself... not necessary. |
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Mike Hultin
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2017 4:22 pm
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| Ron Ellison wrote: |
Ah-oh, Mikey's here!
Anyway, Nothing wrong with forum members not digging your deal..
If you hang around long enough youll see that folks often don't agree.
There are mighty talented committed players here, and if you spend enough time playing a particular instrument, you might not like watching them stripped apart.
It's not illegal, do whatever, not sure if you're trying to change someone's mind, or contribute something, defend yourself... not necessary. |
I won't be hanging around a forum that is full of members who allow other members to badmouth people they don't know for childish reasons. Moreso, a forum of admin that don't curtail it. Unprofessional and childish.
Otherwise, humored so many have such childish responses. I came here to correct a few things.
Also, I'm sure those who are very talented and committed are busy honing their craft and not making hate-threads about total strangers. |
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