Need input on possible guitar deal! Wildkat peeps chime in!

[Brian Krashpad]

OK, so I came home from work today and took the slightly longer route so as to check out one of my fave pawns.

I've bought 2 guitars there in the past and know how to say the right thing so as to get the best deal from them.

Frankly, it doesn't take much. If you can ID a guitar on the wall by model name and take care to ask what it's "tagged at" or the "asking price" (indicating you know they'll go lower), that's all it takes.

Anyhow, they had a white-blonde Epi Wildkat there. This is not a regular color/finish (ebony/antique natural/tuqouise). Back of the headstock says "Epiphone Cutom Shop Limited Edition." Tagged at $449. Here's the stock model shot from Epi, apparently came out for a limited time in 2005 and is now discontinued:

They immediately offered it to me for three Benjamins even, with no dickering on my part.

The finish is in great shape, but I have some concerns.

The gold hardware is bigtime pitted. In a couple areas the plating is entirely worn away and underneath appears as chrome/nickel.

The strings on it are ****, making it difficult to tell how well it can be set up. I'm guessing it can be brought within reasonable parameters, but that's just a guess. The tuners are currently slippy but I bet that the expedient of simply tightening the end-post screws will fix that.

Lastly, maybe it's just me, but the fret height seems awful small. They're not notched or anything, but seem small to me.

Wildkat owners or former owners/players please weigh in. I'm busted and would have to sell a few pieces to grab this. Info as to current prices would be especially helpful!

A few selling points to me personally: never had a setneck semi, love P-90's, small body size suits me (5'7"), never had a white guitar.

Thanks in advance.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

I can't help you Brian. Other than to saw that that is a beaut.

 

[just strum]

I'm not familiar with it, but I love the size and going through an AD50VT sounds nice.

One on eBay went for $355 on June 17th. A couple are up for bid but have 5 days to go.

You are going to have to decide if the wear and tear is fixable or livable (you know-character).

From the vid and googles, I like it. You don't want it, maybe you can pick it up for me - no, must not.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

I can't help you Brian. Other than to saw that that is a beaut.

Thanks. It's really neat, white-blond all over.

I'm sorely tempted, but also flat broke. Will have to sell some things to go for it.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

That vid ain't helping JS!

The cosmetic pitting issues are not a big deal to me. I've bought beaters before that were much more mucked up. Plus the guitar itself is surprisingly ding-free, though it could use a good dust-off. Fret size and tuners/setup is a bigger issue, though I think they're probably livable.

 

[just strum]

That vid ain't helping JS!

The cosmetic pitting issues are not a big deal to me. I've bought beaters before that were much more mucked up. Plus the guitar itself is surprisingly ding-free, though it could use a good dust-off. Fret size and tuners/setup is a bigger issue, though I think they're probably livable.

I'm not following you on the fret size - are you referring to height or finger space.

I was going to be a ------, and throw in another vid.


But why settle for one more?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU3kF2xi6eM

now you can call me a pr---.

Oh, and for Tots sake, did you happen to pick it up to see how much it weighed?

 

[Spudman]

This might help...

The pickups height is not adjustable and the 2 I tried both had sympathetic rings somewhere in the guitar that I couldn't find. I would tune it to pitch and play it for a while before you buy it. Oops, did I say 'buy it?' I meant before you seriously consider taking it home.

 

[just strum]

This might help...

The pickups height is not adjustable and the 2 I tried both had sympathetic rings somewhere in the guitar that I couldn't find. I would tune it to pitch and play it for a while before you buy it. Oops, did I say 'buy it?' I meant before you seriously consider taking it home.

For the guitar challenged (namely me) would you define "sympathetic rings"

 

[Brian Krashpad]

I'm not following you on the fret size - are you referring to height or finger space.

Height. These seem like small/vintage in size. Small fret height can make certain things, like string bends, more difficult.

Oh, and for Tots sake, did you happen to pick it up to see how much it weighed?

It's at most medium in weight. Quite comfy. No more heavy than my LP Classic and maybe even a smidge lighter than my Fernandez Ravelle (obviously I'm going from memory). The body size is smaller than a typical semi, which is why it's a good match for me, since I'm not a tall person.

 

[warren0728]

i'm not a huge fan of gold colored hardware....but...that is a cool looking guitar....i would definitely want to play it before i bought it though!

hey i'll be in gainesville in a couple of weeks....where is that pawnshop you like so much!! oke:

ww

 

[just strum]

Height. These seem like small/vintage in size. Small fret height can make certain things, like string bends, more difficult.



It's at most medium in weight. Quite comfy. No more heavy than my LP Classic and maybe even a smidge lighter than my Fernandez Ravelle (obviously I'm going from memory). The body size is smaller than a typical semi, which is why it's a good match for me, since I'm not a tall person.

From the first vid I posted, I liked the size.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

i'm not a huge fan of gold colored hardware....but...that is a cool looking guitar....i would definitely want to play it before i bought it though!

hey i'll be in gainesville in a couple of weeks....where is that pawnshop you like so much!! oke:

ww

Hit me up when you come through town Warren! I'm in the book under Brian Kruger, and my office is 376-4872. As long as things aren't crazy at work and I'm not out at Scout camp with my son (7/16), I can show you the pawns or take you out to a club or something.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

From the first vid I posted, I liked the size.

Yeah, the small body size has led it to be on/topping my short list for setneck semi's for quite awhile. Within the last year I tried playing a big boat semi/hollow (Dean Palomino) at a local shop, and it was just just too deep for a guy my size to play comfortably.

Size-wise, it's perfect for me.

 

[warren0728]

Hit me up when you come through town Warren! I'm in the book under Brian Kruger, and my office is 376-4872. As long as things aren't crazy at work and I'm not out at Scout camp with my son (7/16), I can show you the pawns or take you out to a club or something.

just looked at the calendar....will probably be monday, july 28 (my birthday) or tuesday, july 29th....gonna be dropping the kids of in high springs for their annual week of summer with my folks!

ww

 

[Brian Krashpad]

just looked at the calendar....will probably be monday, july 28 (my birthday) or tuesday, july 29th....gonna be dropping the kids of in high springs for their annual week of summer with my folks!

ww

Cool, sfaik I should be around.

Stay in touch between now and then!

 

[Spudman]

For the guitar challenged (namely me) would you define "sympathetic rings"

Certain notes would trigger something ringing throughout the body or neck. Like something was loose or touching something else and causing a secondary noise on top of the played note.

I couldn't find where it was coming from so it might have been in the body cavity.

 

[just strum]

Certain notes would trigger something ringing throughout the body or neck. Like something was loose or touching something else and causing a secondary noise on top of the played note.

I couldn't find where it was coming from so it might have been in the body cavity.

Been there and done that. I am amazed at how a sound will travel on a guitar and fool the ear. Search the body, find the problem at the headstock.

 

[just strum]

Well thanks Brian, did a lot of reading last night and today at lunch.

I'm hot on the trail and trying to close.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Haha, what hath I wrought!

Unfortunately it appears that the pawn doesn't have a case for the one I looked at.

I might offer them a trade, 2 of my cheapies (Peavey Strat and my P-90 Bullet Strat), and a couple monitors I don't use. Maybe a little cash. They probably won't bite though.

 

[just strum]

Hey Brian, this is from another forum posted by a guy in Florida, do you think the two of you shop at the same store?

"I saw an alleykat in white with P-90s, bigsby, working well, in a pawnshop yesterday for 250 i think.
Problem is, every damn piece of gold was tarnished to hell on it.
Probably kept on a screen porch or something.
If I knew how to detarnish it and could get it looking nice again, I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but not sure now."

I see you posted a wildkat and this guy posted an alleykat, but I don't think the alleykat has a Bigsby.

 

[Brian Krashpad]

Hey Brian, this is from another forum posted by a guy in Florida, do you think the two of you shop at the same store?

"I saw an alleykat in white with P-90s, bigsby, working well, in a pawnshop yesterday for 250 i think.
Problem is, every damn piece of gold was tarnished to hell on it.
Probably kept on a screen porch or something.
If I knew how to detarnish it and could get it looking nice again, I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but not sure now."

I see you posted a wildkat and this guy posted an alleykat, but I don't think the alleykat has a Bigsby.

Yeah I think he just misspoke about the model name. Very well could be the same guitar.