mjon

You have skills which luthiers don't have. That might be your way ... do you really think that's the point ?

Bought a "Jonas Hellborg - Sound of Sweden" bass. Strange guy, more than 90 messages from the beginning of transaction. I've just expected a clean deal, I asked for few details, some reply were quite curious, twisted or evasive but this bass is rare and, despite a real maze to arrange the shipping (he wanted I arrange the courier from my side ... very pratical indeed, I'm in France, he's in Poznan (Poland), just need time to learn polish to do that!), I decided to take the risk (must be crazy). The bass is a good bass, as an old one, it has some few defect: - neck is not perfeclty straight, as it doesn't have the same "curve" on "E-side" and "G-side", it can't be fixed with trussrod (straight on "G-side", neck is curved on "E-side"; straight on "E-side", it becomes "warp relief" on "G-side" and buzzing). A compromise had to be founded. Seller said: [b][i]"with bass is everything ok"[/i][/b], [b][i]"Neck is straight, low action"[/i][/b] ... [i][b]"the bass has a perfect neck relief, low action, all OK"[/b][/i] - severals wear marks ... [b]not specified[/b] (I don't mind). - frets are quite used ... [b]not specified[/b] (not critical but compromise accuracy) - truss plate is made with a loose piece of wood ([url="http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/144102trussplate.jpg"]http://img15.hosting...2trussplate.jpg[/url] ,I would have prefered: [url="http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/39911725690551338284142.jpg"]http://img15.hosting...51338284142.jpg[/url]) ... [b]not specified[/b] (no comment). - nut was not fixed, randomely adjusted in pressing down on 2 thin metal tongue: [url="http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=666997Eside.jpg"]http://www.hostingpi...666997Eside.jpg[/url] , [url="http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=112980Gside.jpg"]http://www.hostingpi...112980Gside.jpg[/url] ... it was buzzing on opened strings and slide off even with strings tension. How can you reach a decent setting with such material ? I've never seen a bass with a mobile nut, it can't be serious!.... [b]not specified[/b]. - bridge's screw for "A" string saddle was too short to get right tune ... [b]not specified[/b] (no problem, I can change screw). - bass was really dirty, grimme all over the fingerboard, sticky strings ... the less to do when you sell something is to make it clean! ... Seller says: [i][b]"The fingerboard was clean when I sent it"[/b][/i] (no comment). I had to leave the bass to a luthier to arrange some of these troubles. He has fixed the nut (after cleaning a pack of old glue on nut's area), tryed to reach a better straightness for the neck (it's better but non-perfecly-straight) and made some adjustement. It cost me some money for sure. Seller doesn't want to admit anything of this. If this bass wasn't so rare, I would have given up the deal before it has started. Even the price was unclear (550 pounds announced: [url="http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/219282Capture.png"]http://img15.hosting...9282Capture.png[/url] but he asked for 600 and finally it was 575 pounds!). Some conversations were really weird, I wondered sometimes if we were talking about the same thing (ex. when I ask what kind of tool he refers to set the nut (I was curious, there's no way to use tool with a nut, or glue?): [i]"Tool in good size. If u dont know how to do this, be careful, u can brake the nut, if u do to much. Or destroy the top, cap. Read how to do this online or go to the real cios luthier."[/i]. Is there something from science fiction with this guy ? I regret things happened this way. I don't think he is bad guy, somewhere on the moon maybe but I can't stand dishonesty (and slander when he says I imagine all of this to get back some few money). Don't you think the slightest thing in such a deal is to be correct and honest in description ? Music can't run like that. But people do.