Missed out on my perfect 150. Must vent.

[PAdaytonaman]

Well I live in the Philadelphia area and already own a beautiful 535. I have been on the hunt for a 150 for quite some time and knew that a great deal would find me. Well, my guitar teacher, who is obsessed with all things Gibson and has a collection of les Paul's going back to some sweet '59 specials, never gave heritage the time of day, until I showed him the 535 that made his Kalamazoo built 335 a run for the money.

 

Fast forward to last week and he knows how much I love the 150's and forwards me a Craigslist ad from south jersey about a 1999 150 in tobacco burst for $750. That's right, $750. I thought, no way but he told me to email the guy to call him and since they live only miles apart, he would check it out and if clean, straight and above all had killer tone, he would pick it up for me and I'd pay him back next week.

 

Long story short, not only did he tell me it was practically unplayed, but the nicest LP style guitar he had ever seen on CL. Well, you guessed it, he told me that he was keeping it for himself and absolutely crushed me.

 

Now I don't care about losing the guitar, but this guy who I trusted as a teacher, broke the code. I was heartbroken. Never thought that anyone who understood the code of picking, and collecting would screw a friend and student. But his sickness prevented him from passing it on to me as agreed and then agreed to sell it to me at a great price once he was done with it. If I had missiles pointed at his house, his 50 guitar collection, would be ashes right now.

 

Has anyone else ever had someone do this. I think it's unforgivable and not only have I lost a teacher, but also a bit of faith in my fellow man. What a bummer.

 

Thanks for the vent.

 

Eric

 

[schundog]

So much for the city of brotherly love! The guy is a jackass. Let it go. Not all people are jerks. Don't worry, they made more of them, and I haven't found a bad one yet!

[Gitfiddler]

The best possible revenge is for you to find YOUR dream Heritage. Stick around the HOC and you'll see something pop up either here.

 

The used 150 market is pretty fertile. Good hunting.

[Horace]

Pretty rotten is right. What's a person worth who doesn't keep his word ? At least he's now exposed himself so he can't fool you again. You'll probably find a teacher as good or better. You'll probably find a 150 as good or better - but probably not for $750! But DON'T lose your faith in people, you need them too much and there's too many good ones around.

[PAdaytonaman]

I guess on the bright side, now a Gibson snob knows the real deal re: the best LP style guitars around.

[PAdaytonaman]

Pretty rotten is right. What's a person worth who doesn't keep his word ? At least he's now exposed himself so he can't fool you again. You'll probably find a teacher as good or better. You'll probably find a 150 as good or better - but probably not for $750! But DON'T lose your faith in people, you need them too much and there's too many good ones around.

You're right we do need each other and after a tough day at a friends funeral I felt like I've lost two people this week. At least I can come home and play the 535 and forget about di--heads like that for a while.

 

Thanks

[High Flying Bird]

Now you know what he is like. At least he didn't go after your woman - he would if he had a chance.

[Thundersteel]

Has anyone else ever had someone do this.

 

 

Something similar happened to me many years ago. I sold a guitar to my then best friend. He didn't have the cash, but said he would pay me a certain amount monthly until it was paid off. He paid it all, except for the last $100. I visited him several years later, hoping to get the rest of it. Not only didn't he pay it, but his wife was a total bitch. She didn't say more than a few words to me the entire weekend I was there. Sad to say, he is no longer my friend, and I haven't seen him in years.

[yoslate]

Karma, brother. Karma. You'll find your 150; there are just too many fine ones! And after you've paid for it, the money will cease to be an issue. Promise!

[bolero]

if that's what happened, that really sucks!!

 

have you told him how upset you are? maybe send him a note, calmly asking him to do the right thing & sell it to you....and then go find his own H150

 

they are out there

[SofaPlayer]

Man that really sucks. To quote Beavis & Butt-Head: "This sucks more than anything that has ever sucked before." But there are two things you can be sure of:

 

1. He knows that he is a §#?&%$ and will never be able to really enjoy the 150

2. You will find yours and it will be even better

 

And I guess he has lost a student. Tell his other students if you know them.

 

Good luck!

[H]

There's one out there with your name on it. Stick around and we'll help you to find it

[PAdaytonaman]

if that's what happened, that really sucks!!

 

have you told him how upset you are? maybe send him a note, calmly asking him to do the right thing & sell it to you....and then go find his own H150

 

they are out there

I've only told half the story. That's what happened and then some. Some people place more value on things than people. It's a disease, really.

 

If i were him I would have said that I love it so much how bout you let me know if you ever sell it and I want rights of first refusal. That's how it should have worked! There's a code, I don't want to say, a man code, but it sort of is a man code. You just don't do that crap.

 

karma is a bitch.

[squawken]

That blows. I saw that one. I'm in south jersey so if you ever need someone to check something down here I would be glad to help you. Promise I won't do anything like that to you. I believe it what comes around, goes around

[schundog]

Maybe this blast from the past about karma will at least put a smile on your face. Guest starring Milton Berle.

 

[JeffB]

Sorry to hear your plight. At least you didnt get to play it to find out if it was a good one or not.

Having said that, Ive done it. Having done it, and lived with the consequences, none really, Im pretty sure I would do it again without a second thought if the same situation arose.

There ya go. Im a bad person.

[gpuma]

Unfortunately your situation is not that uncommon and more unfortunately I heard similar stories even here where we are a bunch of friendly guys.

[ridethatbike]

That is pretty crappy. Hopefully he'll come to his senses over the next couple of days and let you have it with an apology. Otherwise he's conjured up some bad mojo and will badly botch several solos, lose his reputation and his gigs. prompting him to sell his entire collection and die a lonely, miserable death.

 

Ok, maybe that's a bit much. But that was a lame move on his part.

[AP515]

Bummer PAdaytoneman

 

I have a related, but good Karma, story. I cruze CL often and even though I might not need the guitar, if it is a really good deal, I pick it up and then see if one of my friends wants it at the same price. I found this MIM Strat at a good price. Brought it home, played it, and really really liked it. But I had shown the ad to a co-worker. He was looking for a Strat and so I said if it was a good player I'd get it for him.

 

It wasn't just a good player, it was spotless. Candy apple red, maple neck. Everything I would ask for in a Strat. It played well, and other than needing a set of strings, it was factory mint. I put a new set of strings on it and turned it over to my co-worker (not even a close friend). After that I missed having a Strat so I found a black one on CL and all was good. Well about a month ago the co-worker decided to put it up for sale. He didn't even tell me, but a mutual friend did, and I bought it back from him at the same price I sold it to him for. Another example of what comes around goes around.

 

Now I just have to sell the black one...

[SouthpawGuy]

Never know. It may be a headstock repair guitar. Which he wont' be able to sell for what he paid for it. So he'll sell it to you for $200.

 

There are a few h'stock repair guitar on CL for some time btw .....

 

[PrairieDude]

This really does suck. But I bet you'll find a better teacher, a better 150, and this will become a lesson in Karma that you share many times. Just be patient. Payback is a Mother!!

[SouthpawGuy]

Never know. It may be a headstock repair guitar. Which he wont' be able to sell for what he paid for it. So he'll sell it to you for $200.

 

There are a few h'stock repair guitar on CL for some time btw .....

 

 

or a factory second.

 

Or both.

 

[Guest HRB853370]

Well, although blowing his house up sounds like a cool idea, there is something even better. His reputation is toast and if he ever has the nuts to speak to you again, I would flat out tell him that. You could literally put his ass out of the guitar teaching business if you wanted to. I would just politely let him know that he will NEVER get a referral or recommendation out of you, and on the other hand you will let folks know how unethical he is. What comes around goes around.

[drfie]

Well, although blowing his house up sounds like a cool idea, there is something even better. His reputation is toast and if he ever has the nuts to speak to you again, I would flat out tell him that. You could literally put his ass out of the guitar teaching business if you wanted to. I would just politely let him know that he will NEVER get a referral or recommendation out of you, and on the other hand you will let folks know how unethical he is. What comes around goes around.

 

 

....then after a pause state "BUT.....I can make this all go away for one of those mint '59 LPs you have locked in that climate controlled secret vault in your basement."

[Number8]

It's bad but it's not that bad. The guy was looking out for you after all and he did find the guitar himself. His only crime was brining it to your attention and then realizing he wanted it for himself. That's a tease but not an absolute injustice. Considering your affinity (and mine) for Heritage guitars, this was almost predictable. Sort of like having him set you up on a blind date with a smoking hot girl and letting him pick her up and drive her over to meet you, you simply gave him too much time and opportunity to succumb to temptation.

 

Here's my sob story: I was the first person to call a seller about a H445 that was for sale and the guy agreed to sell it to me. The snag was that he was at work when I called him and he told me to call him back the following morning to work out the details. When I called him he was kind of sheepish and eventually told me that he decided to sell it to someone else. I flat out told him he was breaking my heart. The person that did buy it had it for a couple of months and then sold it. Oh well...that's the way it goes sometimes.