I just bought a 1981 Dstroyer flame t...

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Edit Profile

Author Message   Davek (Davek) Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 12:13 pm:    Hi, I bought it on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3700130964)and i am happy with it but the seller omitted afew things like 2 chips that expose wood on the flame top.The toggle switch is broken off.The seller told me on the phone that it didnt buzz when in fact it buzzez on the lo E,A strings...I just put on fresh strings.I am overall satisfied but dont know what to make of these discrepancies in the description.Any ideas?Any suggestions for the buzzing?Thanx,cool board....   Johns (Johns) Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 3:52 pm:    Davek: I'm not sure what comments you are expecting regarding the "discrepancies in the description". I don't see any chips showing in the top of the guitar. Are you talking about the clear coating or something deeper? If there's something fishy about the pictures of the top, then I'd be unhappy about the auction. To be fair, the seller mentions and shows lots of other noticeable damage. But as a pawn shop they seem experienced with describing only the positive and least objectionable aspects of the instrument. This seems strange: "It has a mini toggle switch fully functional and easy to use." I don't see a mini toggle switch. Does he mean the 3 way pickup switch? If so, how can it's being busted make it "fully functional and easy to use"? "The frets are about 50%." I'd interpret that to mean it needs fretwork, maybe even having them replaced. I wouldn't think that a fret job is part of a normal "setup". "There are normal nicks and scuffs that you would expect from a 23 year old guitar." This statement is the kiss of death. To me, it's like the fine print of a contract that says: "by the way, you shouldn't necessarily believe anything we've said, we can't be held responsible anyway. Sounds to me like you bought a "player" that needs at least a fret dressing, the nut redone and probably the neck needs some adjusting.   Ericsson (Ericsson) Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 4:35 pm:    In terms of ebay adventures it probably falls under the "no big deal" banner. You got the guitar safely, that's the biggest thing, and the price wasn't bad at all! A switch tip is a $1.99 part, and I am always prepared to do setup work on any guitar I buy, they always need something. Try raising the action a touch or maybe check the relief, you may need a slight tweak on the truss rod.   Davek (Davek) Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 7:10 pm:    Hi Johns, Well the 2 chips on the flame top are small so they dont appear in the pic but are very noticeable in person also there are about 15 small dings in the clear coat which i wasnt expecting cuz the picture didnt show anything of this on the flametop...I dont really care about the dings/chips on the other areas just the flametop.My quest here is to be able to decipher ebay lingo for guitars and what is a tipoff for avoiding an item.The guy told me over the phone it doesnt buzz but hes a pawn shop and he told me he doesnt play guitar!I dont have an amp so dont know how the electronics are but he told me its all good. Yes the pickup selector is broken off from where the threading starts for the plastic tip so you can still move it if you jam it with your fingers...That being said,the flame on this axe is insane to look at-i was staring at it for hours last night.The intensity of the stripes changes at different angles,its nuts and beautiful!! I would like to add this one came with a nut that is half brass/plastic.Dont know if that means anything. Has anybody seen how much this exact one goes for in mint condition?? Thank you both for your input.   Laaz (Laaz) Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 7:21 pm:    Hi Dave I just got a early 81 DT-400 in excellent condition for $500. You really have to out for the right piece. There have been quite a few DT-400's on Ebay recently that were trashed and for some reason still sold for rediculous money...   Davek (Davek) Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 8:03 pm:    Laaz where did you get yours? Is mine a dt-400 as well? I didnt think the flametops were that common.I also have to have the block markers with abalone and set neck.I love the look of the neck with abalone-intense. There is another destroyer on ebay now that is 550bux but doesnt have abalone and it looks more like a brownburst?Anyway,I didnt even know flametop destroyers existed till a month ago when i saw one by chance on ebay.That one went for 520bux but had a mini toggle drilled into the face between the tone controls.I paid 450 for my non-modified.   Laaz (Laaz) Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 10:41 pm:    Yes your Destroyer is a DT-400CS. The DT-400CS is a very common model. The Destroyer you see on Ebay now is a 1983 DT-500CS which replaced the 400 series. The DT-400 was available in 1981 & 82. The early DT-400's had dot inlays, body only binding and a transparent stain on the back so you could see the wood grain. In late 81 they added the neck & headstock binding, split block inlays and a solid color paint on the back. Your was built in December of 81. From the photos your guitar has had the tail piece / bridge / knobs replaced.   Laaz (Laaz) Posted on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 10:41 pm:    Yes your Destroyer is a DT-400CS. The DT-400CS is a very common model. The Destroyer you see on Ebay now is a 1983 DT-500CS which replaced the 400 series. The DT-400 was available in 1981 & 82. The early DT-400's had dot inlays, body only binding and a transparent stain on the back so you could see the wood grain. In late 81 they added the neck & headstock binding, split block inlays and a solid color paint on the back. Your was built in December of 81. From the photos your guitar has had the tail piece / bridge / knobs replaced.   Johns (Johns) Posted on Monday, February 09, 2004 - 1:12 pm:    Davek: If your quest "is to be able to decipher ebay lingo for guitars and what is a tipoff for avoiding an item", then you found a good example of how easy it is to hide the true condition of a guitar with vague phrasing. You say: "The guy told me over the phone it doesnt buzz but hes a pawn shop and he told me he doesnt play guitar!" Did you ask him if it buzzed or did he use that term? "Yes the pickup selector is broken off from where the threading starts for the plastic tip so you can still move it if you jam it with your fingers..." Sorry, this part is BROKEN, therefore it is NOT fully functional! Going on the information that you have provided, I would suspect that the seller is incapable of being "up front" with an accurate description. Here's tip #1: you have to figure out who the seller is before you can interpret their descriptions. This topic has been discussed in other threads. Try a keyword search on "ebay" and "auction" for a starter. Tip #2: Don't trust pawn brokers to tell you the whole truth. Personally, I view them as the "used car dealers" of the guitar buying community. It's all about how much money they can make. Completely satisfied customers are not their main concern. Ericsson: It's true that a "switch tip is a $1.99 part", but if the entire toggle switch has to be replaced and you can't do the work yourself, then the price to replace it has risen past the negligible mark. It's sounds like you are an experienced technician, more so than a lot of the guitar players I know. I wish I had the time and circumstances to follow your example and become more self-sufficient regarding the "hardware" side of the guitar. Maybe then I'd be able/willing to take a lot more "issues" in stride. But I believe Davek's original issue was how to be confident that you've gotten a reasonably accurate description of a guitar's condition. Because "Buyer beware" will always be the rule of thumb, learning how others deal with on-line transactions to avoid being unpleasantly surprised, is always a beneficial discussion. Even though we may want to trust everyone, unfortunately there's more than a grain of truth in the disclaimer found on the Classifieds section of Jim Donahue's old site: "People suck!"   Davek (Davek) Posted on Monday, February 09, 2004 - 4:50 pm:    anyone know how much it costs to replace a broken toggle for part and installation??   Mr_Roadstar (Mr_Roadstar) Posted on Monday, February 09, 2004 - 10:03 pm:    Dave, A generic replacement switch will run about $10-$15. If you want a 100% correct, original type switch, you're gonna pay more. Might also have a tough time finding one. I would guess about $20 for labor. Cheers Steve

Add Your Message Here Post: -Color- Black Red Green Blue Yellow Purple Orange Cyan Gray White -Font- Arial Courier Symbol Times Verdana -Size- Smallest (-2) Small (-1) Normal Large (+1) Largest (+2) Enter Item number: Username: Posting Information: This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here. Password: Options: Enable HTML code in message Automatically activate URLs in message Action: