Gas Station Guitars........anybody here buy from them

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Not too long ago he had a really interesting Japanese market only signature Epiphone 355 that was being marketed with "MIJ" in the listing title. I'd never heard of it but was intrigued so did a bit of googling on it, thinking it might be something from the same line as the Elitist stuff. Turned out it's not MIJ at all but Chinese-made on the same production line as the normal Epi stuff*.

Thinking it may be a genuine error I emailed the guy to advise, expecting him to remove the "MIJ" and downgrade the ludicrous pricing a bit. He did indeed take "MIJ" out, but kept the price as it was - £1500 for a Chinese-made Epi! No thanks! 

*To be clear, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Chinese-made Epis, they churn out some great stuff! 

ghad

I bought a what I thought was a Squier Silver Series telecaster from there. Comms, payment and delivery all super. Guitar also super. However, it said was sold as all original. It wasn't all original, but I didn't do any due diligence until 6 months after I bought it. Turns out it's been drilled for string through (originals weren't), tuners were changed, as were both pickups. Far from original but at the time it was a decent price and impulse got the better of me. I haven't contacted GSG about this - it's been so long - and I should have queried before I purchased. Sadly I won't be able to sell the guitar for anywhere near what I paid for it given I can't call it original, but that's my problem. Either way, be cautious about copy & paste descriptions. 

lustycourtier

CharlieShaw said:

brojangles said:

Repeating the observation that they have nice stuff but it's really expensive and presumably has to be to keep them going. I'd wait around for a private seller to show up instead, especially with conventional wisdom now tilting to Mexican Fenders being better value than Japanese ones.

 I thought that conventional wisdom was that Japanese Fenders have way better QC than Mexican. And that previously Japanese fenders were underpriced. Depends on who you talk to obviously.

That ship sailed years ago. Insane the money people still pay for inferior Japanese guitars

Neilybob

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Not too long ago he had a really interesting Japanese market only signature Epiphone 355 that was being marketed with "MIJ" in the listing title. I'd never heard of it but was intrigued so did a bit of googling on it, thinking it might be something from the same line as the Elitist stuff. Turned out it's not MIJ at all but Chinese-made on the same production line as the normal Epi stuff*.

Thinking it may be a genuine error I emailed the guy to advise, expecting him to remove the "MIJ" and downgrade the ludicrous pricing a bit. He did indeed take "MIJ" out, but kept the price as it was - £1500 for a Chinese-made Epi! No thanks! 

*To be clear, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Chinese-made Epis, they churn out some great stuff! 

Wow! That’s nuts. 

I’ve just imported an early Navigator 335 copy from Japan via Buyee all for under (just) a grand! 

Iamnobody

They seem to have the Japan niche thing going on but the prices are generally a few hundred more than what I’d reasonably expect to pay. Sometimes more! 

timmypix

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Thinking it may be a genuine error I emailed the guy to advise, expecting him to remove the "MIJ" and downgrade the ludicrous pricing a bit. He did indeed take "MIJ" out, but kept the price as it was - £1500 for a Chinese-made Epi! No thanks! 

Ditto, he had a 2017 LP Classic in Green Ocean Burst, which I own, up as being an import-only colour for a mad premium - something like £2300 for a Classic that was £1600 new and £1400 in the clearance sales (best money I ever spent!)

Now to be fair, since 2017, it's been a Sweetwater exclusive, but it wasn't then, so I let him know. Removed the bits about import only but kept the mad price as if it were somehow unavailable. It's a regular production guitar!

But for all that, someone still paid the price, so he can't be too off the mark for some people.

roberty

stonevibe said:

I guess that some people will pay over the odds for something they want.

Yeah it just depends how quickly you want to sell

Dominic

it's a bit like when a speculator puts a crazy premium on a Porsche GT3 with the right spec and in the right colour with the comfort option interior etc ........you know it's £30k overprice but a couple of months later it's gone because some rich person just 'had to have it '.........different price scale but the guitar thing is exactly the same 

Fortheloveofguitar

His listings are often cut and paste with the wrong info 

I’ve contacted him several times to mention this

He sold a lovely 1981 Tokai LS60 love rock a few weeks back for £1795

I bought the same model and year elsewhere a week later for £850

stonevibe

Can't wait to see what he upsells the new Chapman Workshop Series for...

tone1

I’ve said it before…..Postage only….I live fairly close by and wanted to view something he had for sale….He wouldn’t entertain any in person sales….Needless to say I went elsewhere 

Hattigol

jumping@shadows said:

For reasons I can’t go into here due to the forum’s sensitivity to potentially litigious statements, I would not personally do business with this company, as enthusiastically cautioned  by a former Japanese supplier of his stock.  

Anyone got an 'eating popcorn' GIF I could borrow please....

prlgmnr

jumping@shadows said:

For reasons I can’t go into here due to the forum’s sensitivity to potentially litigious statements, I would not personally do business with this company, as enthusiastically cautioned  by a former Japanese supplier of his stock.  

maybe you could tell us as a sort of parable, without any details that could be traced to anyone in particular but in such a way as to give us the general gist

JerkMoans

prlgmnr said:

jumping@shadows said:

For reasons I can’t go into here due to the forum’s sensitivity to potentially litigious statements, I would not personally do business with this company, as enthusiastically cautioned  by a former Japanese supplier of his stock.  

maybe you could tell us as a sort of parable, without any details that could be traced to anyone in particular but in such a way as to give us the general gist

...or a form of mime. Or species of modern dance?

HarrySeven

thermionic said:

Offset said:

They do indeed but I've always thought they were a smidgen over-priced - but perhaps that's a little unfair in the current market. 

Gas Station Guitars and their ilk is part of the reason that the current market is in such a state. £1200 for a used Japanese Jazzmaster?

Wiz’d.

CharlieShaw

JerkMoans said:

prlgmnr said:

jumping@shadows said:

For reasons I can’t go into here due to the forum’s sensitivity to potentially litigious statements, I would not personally do business with this company, as enthusiastically cautioned  by a former Japanese supplier of his stock.  

maybe you could tell us as a sort of parable, without any details that could be traced to anyone in particular but in such a way as to give us the general gist

...or a form of mime. Or species of modern dance?

It should include those theatrical Japanese mask things.

thermionic

timmypix said:

Brize said:

I always just scroll right past anything this guy has for sale on Reverb - the same with AC/DC Glory and Squeal-Like-A-Pig Guitars.

AC/DC Glory genuinely astonishes me that he sells anything. And tbf, there aren't many sales compared to the number of listings. But his prices verge into the delusional.

Never heard of this bedroom dealer before so I had a look… he has a Rickenbacker 330 on sale for £2600! That is 2.4 times what I paid for mine about 5 years ago and an 18% markup on the price of a new one. Why would anyone buy from such a conman?

Wazmeister

Man, their prices are a bit lively !!

SPECTRUM001

A couple of years back I was close to trying one of his MiJ Mustangs (it looked nice - a California Blue ‘66).

But the postage cost was stupidly high - something like £80. And then I realised, the guitar cost was being counterbalanced in a way that if you returned, your refund would be artificially low (as shipping would not be refunded).

Put me right off.

jumping@shadows

prlgmnr said:

jumping@shadows said:

For reasons I can’t go into here due to the forum’s sensitivity to potentially litigious statements, I would not personally do business with this company, as enthusiastically cautioned  by a former Japanese supplier of his stock.  

maybe you could tell us as a sort of parable, without any details that could be traced to anyone in particular but in such a way as to give us the general gist

There once was a simple tradesman, in a place far, far away, who had access to many fine goods of his native land- so many in fact, that he sent word out far across the distant waters to find others to help sell them.
One day he discovered a seemingly honest trader, who had an attractive store front and apparent shared passion for his native wares, so struck a deal where he would send a great number on the basis of convivial trust, to be compensated once they sold, with the promise of further stock and a fruitful relationship far into the future.
Sadly, a great misfortune struck our noble friend when suddenly all communication ceased with this distant trader, and he found both his precious goods and promised funds lost! 

No matter how hard he tried he could not pierce this cold wall of silence, despite seeing his goods still openly for sale, and was in great anguish.
After many months of sorrow and regret with nary a word from this callous betrayer, he was finally able to harness the arms of a brave ally in that very distant land, who pressed directly upon the wrongdoer’s door and seized back what remained of the ill gotten merchandise and ferry it safely back to a place of safe keeping.
Our noble tradesman was greatly relieved, but also chastened, for he had learned a valuable lesson: not all that glitters is gold! 

He vowed not to lose faith in his fellow man, and to seek out new, truer alliances and spread his wares far and wide across the globe…and so ends the parable.