Im just getting back into playing again, so I've been searching craigslist for a while. About a week ago I texted a guy about a new in case standard strat for 850. He said he had it about a month, only took it out of the case a few times. I like offering trades so I offer $500 and a gun.  He needs cash, can't trade a gun because of a pot felony 38 years ago. (I'd have to start another thread on that story).

I forgot about it, the ad had been on there a while. A week later he calls me and asks if I got any of my guns sold, I said yeah but I still only have 500. He said he'd trade a gun and 500. A BIG negative on that one. It was on speaker phone, I was trying to be polite and not lowball. $500 for a new standard strat was too good to be true I thought. My lowballing wife (and I love her for it) says "if you can take 500 we will come pick it up now.  It was silent for a few seconds, and he said "shit.. Something has come up and I have GOT to have some cash.


I'll take 500 if you come and get it now. I went by the atm and straight to meet him. Turns out legit too. New in the case with cable, strap, paper work, and 2 year warranty card From sweetwater. With all the numbers matching the papers.


He was older (62), and was legit. He named a few people and bands he said he traveled with but I've never heard of them. He said he traveled 300 days a year, but now lives alone, and would like a gun for home protection, but can't buy one. (don't sell drugs).   He was kinda goofy lookin like don knotts. He might have shot himself in the foot if I traded him a gun.


I know long story, but the moral is don't sell drugs.  And also every once in a while you can get a fantastic deal.

I landed my Gibson Les Paul Standard for 1K under remarkably similar circumstances.

Mine wasn't NIB, but the price was certainly a steal.

Some people have all the luck...
Great score.

I haven't scored deals that good on gear, but I've missed out on a few.

One in particular that sticks out was a Grandfather that had bought his Grandson an Epiphone Les Paul Custom, Fulltone OCD, and some sort of practice amp (can't remember what it was). All of it was brand new, but the Grandson was an ingrate,  pitched a fit, and didnt want them. So the Grandfather posted them on CL for $100. Lol.

I missed the deal by just a few minutes.

Picked up a Jan '83 American '62 re-issue Strat with the case and all the candy for $425 out the door.  

Zion Radicaster-$169.00

That was '94-95, but even at the time I'd never come across a USA Fender RI for under $600.

Not a guitar deal, but I recently picked up a Bogner oversized 2x12 for $350.  The going rate for them used around here is usually right in the $500 ballpark, when you can even find them.  So, not bad!  

My Avatar 4x12 was as good a deal, too.  $200, in basically new condition.  It was loaded with G12T-75s, which I'm not a huge fan of.  So, I sold the speakers for $200.  The enclosure itself, then, was essentially free.

I picked up an American made Peavey Nitro I for $25 at a garage sale.  It was in great shape and plays like butter.  It's still my second line axe in case I break a string on my primary.

I bought a new Ovation for $125 with a case..
A like new MIM fender P bass with EMG pickups two new 25 foot Monster cables in the packs, like new TSA case new stand and a new Snark

tuner for $325 shipped...sold the guitar for $250 and kept the rest.

But I think my best deal was when I bought my 2013 LP traditional for $1600 new shipped to my door. With the stupid crap Gibson keeps

bringing out it is only going up in value.

Traded an almost new Peavey Bandit amp for a nice Les Paul Studio.

Bought a Fender HM Power Strat for $250.

Traded an acoustic for a ham radio and a 61 DuoSonic that I traded for another (new old stock) HM Power Strat.

$300 and a HOfner bass for a near mint Fender Jazz Delux..

scored a Spector NS2 for $300- the guy thought it was a later Legend.... only about a $1500 difference.

My '67 Jazz Bass.  Paid $75 for it in 1986.  



The '69 B-15N was a freebee from a friend who just wanted it gone, as the power xfrmr was blown.  Took me a while, but I finally found a replacement, put it in, and fired it up.  It's my main bass amp these days.

I have to post this one even though it’s not a crazy as some of yours, but last two weeks ago Musicians Friend had a sale on a NIB Schecter Hellraiser Extreme for $599. They have an MSRP of $1569 and a street price of $1099. Only the see-through black with ebony fretboard was that price; all other color combos were still $1099.

I had to do it. The guitar is pretty loaded: ebony fretboard (my favorite); gothic cross inlays; EMG 81 & EMG 89R (can be used as a humbucker or single coil); 1000 series FR; Grovers; yadda yadda yadda… basically everything you’d expect for an $1100 guitar.

Really sweet guitar! To this day I wonder if they made a mistake with that sale price… a NIB guitar at almost 50% off street price, free shipping too. I almost feel bad about it… almost.

It’s this one here:
http://www.schecterguitars.com/guitars/hellraiser-extreme-c-1-fr-e-detail

That color/neck combo currently on sale again, but for $880:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/schecter-guitar-research-hellraiser-c-1-fr-extreme-electric-guitar

My one buddy who doesn't play guitar, I was telling him that deal would be like finding a brand new HK45 for $500, or a new DD AR for like $699 or something.

It was the Stupid Deal of The Day. They have a new one every day. Most arent all that great, but some are really good deals. One of them I remember from last year was a Randall head that, iirc, had a street price of $500 to $600, but they were letting them go for $350 that day.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

I'm not sure that it was. It was on sale for about three days, maybe more. I don't know when the sale started, but I originally saw it on Monday but didn't order it (I need another guitar like another hole in the head). It was still that price on Tuesday, which is when I ordered it (decided it was too good to pass up). It was still that price on Wednesday. Maybe it was the SDotD, but it was that price for multiple days.

Anyway, it could've been... doesn't matter. Either way, I am glad I ordered it.

You know what, you're right. I got it mixed up in my head with their model that looks like an SG. And now that I clicked the link (duh, should've done that before I opened my yapper), I see what it is. Sorry, my bad.

They do occasionally have some screamin' deals on that SDoD page, though.

Got a custom Martin 16 series for $1100 new.  Price was misprinted.  Msrp on it was close to $4k.

No worries. And yea, I'm always checking out the SDotD. You never know what might be there. Though I don't think I've ever seen anything 45% off street price! Still stoked about that.

Worthless without pics and stuff...

Today I wandered into my local guitar center after seeing the sales in the SG thread. While looking around I saw a new 2014 Gibson Memphis Les Paul ES hanging on the top rack with a clearance tag on it saying $2399. After playing it a bit I told the clerk if they would honor the Labor Day sale with 15%off I would take it. The clerk called the manager next thing I know they just want to move the thing from their inventory I walk out the door with a new Les Paul ES for $1699 plus tax

So you asked for 15% off and they gave you 30% off?

Exactly that! I about crapped myself when the kid told me the price. I wasn't going to argue I just quietly took my guitar and got out of there. Pics or it didn't happen right.

I've got a few decent deals in my day.

Got a Charvel Legend for $180 (MIJ tele style) It looked like someone had dipped their hand in a bucket of ice cream every time they played it.  The fretboard was disgusting, I spent a couple of days cleaning it up and the neck looks like new, not a mark on the body doesn't really have that twang of a traditional telly but it does have a nice sound.

Got a BC Rich Acrylic Mockingbird for $280 the original ones with the acrylic headstock.  It was an Ebay auction that some guitar store down in Texas did, they occasionally listed them with no reserve and it bit them in the ass that time.  I put some Gibson Classic 57's in it and 500k pots the thing just screams.

I got a USA Gunslinger that I thought was a neckthrough for $400 and was really bummed when it showed up and it was a bolt on.  It was a beautiful guitar but I was a little pissed because I called the store and specifically asked it was a neckthrough, they said it was so I bid on it. I sent it back and have regretted it ever since, I don't really know what the fuck I was thinking.  I have wanted a Gunslinger for quite a while and I still look for them but Ebay is pretty much the only place to get them and it's turned to shit.

Earlier this year I got a Schecter Hellraiser Baritone for $542 which wasn't the greatest of deals but I was shopping around planning on buying from Amazon but looking all over for reviews everywhere else had it for $799, I ordered it, took a nap and when I woke up it was $799.  I figured they were going to cancel my order because the price was messed up but they shipped it.

I looked around when I was laid off in 2008 and some of the deals you could have had on guitars back then were unreal.  I just didn't have any money to take advantage of them.

No wonder they took so much off the price...  It's got two holes in it and it's missing most of the insides.




Beautiful guitar.

Nice. Your deal and my deal both bought NIB with 30% and 45% off street price really show how much they mark these things up.