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

Dumodal

Good selection of Guitars, absurd prices almost comedy. I messaged them through Reverb two times, one to ask about the guitar neck shape measurements and the second one to see if they do px trades (I was offering a High end guitar too) no reply at all plus they don't take offers, parts exchange. So they can keep their "Japanese Market" guitars.

HarrySeven

jumping@shadows 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

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.

A sobering and thought-provoking tale indeed, with (I’m glad to say) a good old-fashioned happy ending.

If only the wicked trader was eaten by wolves, it would be perfect.

https://i.imgur.com/CgthfVB.jpg

prlgmnr

jumping@shadows said:

There once was a simple tradesman, in a place far, far away, who had access to many fine goods of his native land...

You really nailed the brief here, A++++, will request a story again.

bbill335

more like gouge station
i know of at least one ugly refin that they tried to pass off as FSR japan domestic market only. 

26.2

There was a feature on them/him in Guitarist mag not long ago. They showed a selection of ‘rare’ models/finishes and he seemed to know his stuff. Maybe they were refinishes of common models?

My interest was killed when I saw the prices on his website. 

historyisjunk

I was going to PM Dominic about this as I don't particularly like discussing dealings in public, but FWIW here you go.

I see this dealer is clearly widely disliked.

The thing that gives me most concern here is jumping@shadows account. Jumping@shadows seems a sound guy, so I take that seriously, & would no way defend that, though I don't know anythng about the matter.

My personal experience- I bought 3 things from this dealer (so perhaps I'm an idiot). The first was very good, but not for me, sent back, absolutely no resistance or bad blood. I paid carriage to send it back as that was the arrangment at the time, this didn't seem unreasonable.
Second, bought quite sometime later is a great guitar, he knocked a reasonable bit off the price & sent carriage free. I don't think it was a bargain, but it's very good. Also not something that easy to find comparable prices in the UK.

Third, an even better guitar, knocked a wee bit off the price & sent free. He also went to some trouble to send me more pictures so I could compare 2 guitars, I might have left both. Also arranged dispatch to fit in with my availability ( I had already paid, but some people's comms & service are so crap they wouldn't care).

Again this was not a bargain, but I looked at other dealer's prices for similar things & the one I bought was either the most expensive, or nearly so, NOT a massive difference though. I am not comparing to anyone mentioned here considered to over price stuff.

I don't know the owner & have no association with the business, but this has been my experience.

As to the price levels, I agree they are high. I think the lower end stuff tends to be less good value than the higher end stuff. However, the business needs to import these, pay duty, shipping etc. The guitars generally seem to be very good examples of whatever they are.

If things are too expensive we should just leave them. Especially if we think we can find the same thing somewhere else for a better price....
My only personal objection to things like used guitars being over priced is that it makes it difficult for those with low incomes to get hold of nice instruments & that is really it. Beyond that, guitars are very much discretionary purchases. I like this "hobby" & want other people to enjoy it too & I don't want people to be ripped off (on anything). For me though this really is just a hobby & frankly it's an indulgence. I don't need the number of guitars I have- even to pursue this as a hobby. (For the record I am at the lower end of the Intermediate Tax band & I would certainly not go into debt for this stuff).

What jumping@shadows said aside, I don't feel this dealer is anywhere near the harrisons, or well known recording studios type of outfit.

Regarding Yamano & other Japanese dealers. I have never even seen a Yamano "selected" guitar, however there are at least a couple of people on here who seem to know their guitars & they clearly rate them.
I also asked someone who knows a fair bit about this in general & he said that there was something in it, at least some Japanese dealers are very particular about what they buy from the US.
If you look at those Yamano sold guitars all together on one site, you'd be struggling to find a selection in the UK that looked as good as these- whether they are worth the premium, or how they play I don't know.

I'm not going to get into an argument about this, I have just tried to recount my experience & give my perspective on pricing etc.

jumping@shadows

historyisjunk said:

I was going to PM Dominic about this as I don't particularly like discussing dealings in public, but FWIW here you go.

I see this dealer is clearly widely disliked.

The thing that gives me most concern here is jumping@shadows account. Jumping@shadows seems a sound guy, so I take that seriously, & would no way defend that, though I don't know anythng about the matter.

My personal experience- I bought 3 things from this dealer (so perhaps I'm an idiot). The first was very good, but not for me, sent back, absolutely no resistance or bad blood. I paid carriage to send it back as that was the arrangment at the time, this didn't seem unreasonable.
Second, bought quite sometime later is a great guitar, he knocked a reasonable bit off the price & sent carriage free. I don't think it was a bargain, but it's very good. Also not something that easy to find comparable prices in the UK.

Third, an even better guitar, knocked a wee bit off the price & sent free. He also went to some trouble to send me more pictures so I could compare 2 guitars, I might have left both. Also arranged dispatch to fit in with my availability ( I had already paid, but some people's comms & service are so crap they wouldn't care).

Again this was not a bargain, but I looked at other dealer's prices for similar things & the one I bought was either the most expensive, or nearly so, NOT a massive difference though. I am not comparing to anyone mentioned here considered to over price stuff.

I don't know the owner & have no association with the business, but this has been my experience.

As to the price levels, I agree they are high. I think the lower end stuff tends to be less good value than the higher end stuff. However, the business needs to import these, pay duty, shipping etc. The guitars generally seem to be very good examples of whatever they are.

If things are too expensive we should just leave them. Especially if we think we can find the same thing somewhere else for a better price....
My only personal objection to things like used guitars being over priced is that it makes it difficult for those with low incomes to get hold of nice instruments & that is really it. Beyond that, guitars are very much discretionary purchases. I like this "hobby" & want other people to enjoy it too & I don't want people to be ripped off (on anything). For me though this really is just a hobby & frankly it's an indulgence. I don't need the number of guitars I have- even to pursue this as a hobby. (For the record I am at the lower end of the Intermediate Tax band & I would certainly not go into debt for this stuff).

What jumping@shadows said aside, I don't feel this dealer is anywhere near the harrisons, or well known recording studios type of outfit.

Regarding Yamano & other Japanese dealers. I have never even seen a Yamano "selected" guitar, however there are at least a couple of people on here who seem to know their guitars & they clearly rate them.
I also asked someone who knows a fair bit about this in general & he said that there was something in it, at least some Japanese dealers are very particular about what they buy from the US.
If you look at those Yamano sold guitars all together on one site, you'd be struggling to find a selection in the UK that looked as good as these- whether they are worth the premium, or how they play I don't know.

I'm not going to get into an argument about this, I have just tried to recount my experience & give my perspective on pricing etc.

I think that’s an excellent post all round, and I appreciate your measured contribution.

To be clear on my yarn, I had not actually heard of Gas Station until the Japanese dude I was talking to referenced them as a U.K. dealer, and that reminded me of the occasional online ads for pretty rare high end vintage MIJ I’d seen in the past, then he filled me in on his experience. 

I could have skipped passed this thread, and not mentioned anything as I have no axe to grind at all, but my info came from the horse’s mouth and is my sole reference to this dealer, so was relevant I think. 

I know any of us can get into a sticky spot as small businesses, so perhaps there was extenuating circumstances not relayed, but my guy was pretty clear about the situation fwiw.

historyisjunk

^
THanks for reading through what I said & your response, with further info. I'm not defending anyone- nor condemning.

Whatever the case was this is disturbing & I am glad your contact in Japan got things sorted out & I hope there was somehing extenuating.

Cheers

Habanero

This has been an interesting read, as the it's one of six Reverb stores that I often browse when the missus is watching something on telly that I can't be bothered with. I'd now know to check prices elsewhere before getting too enthusiastic!

WezV

historyisjunk said:

Regarding Yamano & other Japanese dealers. I have never even seen a Yamano "selected" guitar, however there are at least a couple of people on here who seem to know their guitars & they clearly rate them.
I also asked someone who knows a fair bit about this in general & he said that there was something in it, at least some Japanese dealers are very particular about what they buy from the US.
If you look at those Yamano sold guitars all together on one site, you'd be struggling to find a selection in the UK that looked as good as these- whether they are worth the premium, or how they play I don't know.

I think there is something in it, having come across a few

At the end of the day they are standard factory stuff, not custom shop... but they do seem to be at the better end of that with less QC issues appearing.  I believe sometimes they are standard models selected for the Japanese dealers, sometimes a run specifically made for that market.

Although I have twice come across the same limited run of Yamano 335's in the UK, a few numbers apart on the  non standard serial number... You have to wonder what they are they both doing here, ending up at exactly the same place a few years apart?   Sounds like Richard Henry was bringing them over
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/144308/another-yamano-335
  

Fortheloveofguitar

I’m seeing a lot of sellers bigging up the Yamano LP’s these days. 

Funny how half of them have no paperwork whatsoever to support their claims 

Dominic

I've been back to look seriously at their 'for sale' site .
The guitars are very well presented and are actually a stunning selection of interesting ,pretty,unusual and rare .In fact ,there are probably a dozen guitars there that I would love to own .........there is no shop where I have felt so turned on by what they have in the secondhand selection .
I have concluded that they are about 20%  'overpriced' if you look at most shops/dealers .So what ?
It's very normal to form a conclusion of 'value' based on comparable and alternative .......it's how people evaluate houses ,cars etc etc :The sports car where every detail is just right ,it has the optional suspension pack, a.c ,digital dash , sports exhaust and it's just the right colour red with the perfectly matched interior and even the very unusual red piping on the leather that perfectly matches the exterior etc etc ......compared to the others of the same mileage on the Autotrader site the dealer has got it marked up for 10% more ..........the blue one with the standard suspension and the less desirable alloys will never feel or look the same .
You pay your money and take your choice .
It's become normal to look at secondhand guitars with a view to valueing them as if you are a trader (albeit one who isn't concerned about making a profit but feels entitled to get his money back and never make a loss beyond £50 for a courier .)
The oft seen " Looking for what I paid for it "..........................what a luxury ! It's a perverse view that has become the normal expectation .There are very few commodities in life where this 'rule' applies .
In this case it should be about " it's a dream guitar for me ......I'm never selling anyway " although that often changes in time.
  The whole thing is relative ........for everybody who makes an enquiry of this dealer there is somebody who walks into a main dealer ,hands over a considerable sum for their PRS bookmatched joinery furniture masterpiece and walks it back to the car safe in the knowledge that they have just handed over £6k for some wood and wire that is now worth £2500 less !

Ddigger

Well done Dominic, that is a good perspective.

I won't be purchasing anything there as I am a cheapskate, but people will pay for what he is providing, as you have outlined.

I'd like to ve a good MIJ LP and sometimes look at their offerings on t'internet.  I think I'd maybe have a punt on the Yahoo Japan thingy. 

Gilly

It’s not just about price though, it’s also about trust. You want to be confident that what you’re buying is what it purports to be. The posts by jumping@shadows suggests this is not a dealer to be trusted. I certainly wouldn’t take the risk when there are other dealers out there who have good reputations.

liamon

WezV said:

At the end of the day they are standard factory stuff, not custom shop... 

There are plenty of Yamano custom shops. I own a 68RI with all custom shop paperwork and Yamano paperwork. 

Fortheloveofguitar

liamon said:

WezV said:

At the end of the day they are standard factory stuff, not custom shop... 

There are plenty of Yamano custom shops. I own a 68RI with all custom shop paperwork and Yamano paperwork. 

Nice to see somebody has a real one with the actual paperwork to support that 

liamon

Fortheloveofguitar said:

liamon said:

WezV said:

At the end of the day they are standard factory stuff, not custom shop... 

There are plenty of Yamano custom shops. I own a 68RI with all custom shop paperwork and Yamano paperwork. 

Nice to see somebody has a real one with the actual paperwork to support that 

It’s yours for £8k 

  

WezV

liamon said:

WezV said:

At the end of the day they are standard factory stuff, not custom shop... 

There are plenty of Yamano custom shops. I own a 68RI with all custom shop paperwork and Yamano paperwork. 

..... stupid quotes are not working properly....

Yes, im sure  Yamano imported some custom shop stuff as well as some standard factory stuff and factory special runs.  That is what you would expect.

 The point i was clumsily making is that the Yamano label alone does not make the guitar a CS.

Mike58

A friend of mine is in the market for an excellent condition Fender Japan double bound ‘62 Custom in sunburst model TL62B-TX
This dealer seems to have exactly what he wants albeit a couple of hundred pounds more than most ads. 

The only issue I see in the ads is mention of specific woods ie. Alder and Indian Rosewood as it must be difficult to prove this.
I presume you can tell basswood from alder by the neck pocket? 

It’s a shame they don’t show neck pocket stamps.
So if the guitar was not as described you would have grounds to return it ? But not accepting credit card gives you little protection in these situations.
it’s a tricky one, 

Dominic

I would think you could tell Alder from Basswood by weight and heft alone