Why you never deal with Strangletooth...!

[~K~]

Who else sold Ian a BR? And how long did you have to wait for shipping it so he could sneak it past his wife? I guess Mr Lee thinks we're all his personal storage facilities?

I swore I wouldn't get in the middle but I do have to be honest in this. I sold him a BigRed .. originally I was asked for a few weeks to make the payments over. Let me start by saying when he did say money was on the way it was there. It was always a few weeks after he would let me know but it showed up. He had asked for 3 weeks to pay me originally because he had to move some things around. He was in process of buying a BR from another JCFer and asked them to wait to buy mine because I wanted to be rid of the whole mess.

IIRC He paid a deposit right aways but he didn't pay it in 3 weeks. It dragged on about 6 months but I figured I had the deposit and I had the guitar so the control was in my favor either way I could have demanded payment if I needed it or sent back and sold it.

After he finally made the last payment he wanted me "hold" the guitar because he wanted me to drive it out to his house and spend the weekend. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I have been through hell and back twice with my daughter in the last 2 years plus some of my own stuff going on. There was no way I could make time to drive it and at one point asked Chuck E to deliver it on a trip he was planning out to LI to see Monte which never happened.

I kept asking for Ian to take delivery and he wouldn't. I was aware he had a lot of these coming in. Early on in the deal he had a personal issue with his wife over buying the guitar and said he had to back out. He ended up changing his mind and continuing on with the deal.

over a year went buy when we finally narrowed it down that he was going to have the guitar picked up. The deal Ian and I worked out had Ian to a call for on FedEx. I had the same issue with false pickups, wrong tracking numbers etc on several occasions. The difference in my deal was that I was drop shipping from work and we knew the drivers. When I would ask about a call tag or whatever he was the one that told me none was ever issued. Eventually I got Ian's FedEx account # and I reverse shipped it on my own.

The deal was completed in an honest manner but it certainly was a long drawn out process.

When Pat had his issue I had 2 people I considered very good friends tugging me in both directions over the deal. I had Pat who has always been a good friend asking me about my experience with my deal and I had Ian mad at me for not doing something to help him. Eventually word got back to me that I was being accused for helping Pat screw Ian and I sent a pissed off email telling Ian I was done not to bother me anymore.

This was a no win deal for me on either side because both these people IMO were upstanding and good friends over the years. For me to get involved meant having one feel like I was playing sides. With all that was going on in my own personal life I felt it better to remain impartial and deal with my personal life and not get involved in what I felt was added salt to my already large BigRed wounds.

I'm very unhappy to see the guitar trashed it ripped my heart out as can be seen in a previous post. Sully and I worked very hard to make that guitar a reality and live up to what was promised to Robbin but it ended up being a clusterfuck... it was hard to see this happen on top of that.

I don't believe either party has it in them to be so vindictive to destroy a guitar to prove a point and it would hurt me even more if that was the case so that part of the story I refuse to touch.

In some instance I am very regretful for not trying to help diffuse this when it started and for that I apologize ....

[Strangletooth]

Thanx for sharing Kevin. I knew it took a lot to post this and I for one, appreciate it. I didn't want to call you out on this and it could have been ignored, it wouldn't have hurt my feelings one way or another. Obviously I knew that at least you had basically the same experience as I did with the shipping madness.

No matter how mad I've ever been over this or anything I've "ever" been mad about, I'd never destroy any guitar, ESPECIALLY THIS ONE! As I for one know what you guys went through, you and especially Kurt and Sully, not to mention Robin's last breath's and the joy it brought him in the hospital, I saw the pics, I read the notes, etc.

And as many of you know, it's not my style, never has been, never will be...

I'm about done with this thread, I'm just waiting on a response from Ian...

Go Saints and Go Indy!!!

Pat

[1trussell]

So, this is the first I've read about all of this. I've not been very active on the boards due to increased time spent at school/clinic.

I will not comment on this situation as it seems to me to be a he said, she said kind of deal.

I will say this, though. Pat offered to loan me his JCF01 and PCS Rhoads for a weekend because I had asked him about the neck profiles on each. That's a cool thing to do with a couple of really nice guitars. I've been to Pat's house and was treated with incredible hospitality. Pat has been nothing but nice to me and I regret seeing anyone in this situation.

I have nothing else to add except, go Bears.

Travis

[lerxstcat]

Well Kevin, your experience really changes the scenario. Not about what happened to the guitar, but it sure justifies Pat's anger about being jacked around on shipping. I don't know what to think now, but I reckon I owe you and Pat an apology for assuming, so I do apologize for that. I really don't know what to think about this now.

It's a crying shame about the guitar, of that there's no doubt.

[~K~]

Well Kevin, your experience really changes the scenario. Not about what happened to the guitar, but it sure justifies Pat's anger about being jacked around on shipping. I don't know what to think now, but I reckon I owe you and Pat an apology for assuming, so I do apologize for that. I really don't know what to think about this now.

It's a crying shame about the guitar, of that there's no doubt.

Thank you Rich,

That is why I continually state "people don't know what goes on behind the scenes" I've done my best to stay out of the whole thing and what I've posted wasn't an intent to shed light on other party negatively ..all it is was from my own experience. I was amazed that I had been trusted for so long for that amount for money and no delivery of the guitar.

[Shawn]

If I was having that much trouble with a buyer, I would have sent the money back long ago, towards the beginning, and been done with it. Lesson learned, never sell to them again. Done. They dont get the guitar they want, I dont get any further hassle.

Sure seems more logical.

[Firebird V]

Hi Pat! Stick around.

[hippietim]

Hi Pat! Stick around.

+1

[hippietim]

Ok, since we're coming clean. I had similar dealings with Ian.

First, I sold him a Big Red. It was a bizarre set of circumstances but basically I was never 100% wanting to let it go but did for reasons that aren't germaine to this discussion. He took a longer to pay me than he said but that was not the end of the world. The thing that rubbed me the wrong way about this is that he swore up and down to me that he would never sell it but if he did I would get first shot at it. Now I am the first one to say what's yours is yours, do what you want. But when you say stuff like that you should honor it. I know I have offered guitars back to people as promised when I let them go. But the way I found out he had gotten rid of my old Big Red was when Shawn called me up and said "I think I've got your Big Red". Obviously it was Ian's guitar and he could do what he wants with it but it still pissed me off and showed me what his "word" meant.

The next dealing I had with Ian was when he bought my Vetta with the big foot controller. What a hassle. He took FOREVER to pay. To be honest, he was a really dickhead. He was "buying" guitars left and right and not paying me for a deal we had made quite some time before. Once he paid me for part of it I got the same nonsense where he can't finish paying and later doesn't want me to ship it because he can't let his wife find out. Then he wants to back out and get a refund. I said no. I've got his money and the amp, what do I care? It was just sitting in my basement. This dragged on for quite some time. Then he lists the rig in the JCF classifieds to sell it. Eventually the stuff moved and the money got juggled around and I ended up shipping it to other folks.

[Shawn]

Tim-Bob, I have a line on another one if I want it (not Brett C)

Lets get this one back to its rightful owner, then we'll both have one. Just give me a call.




Shawn

[atomic charvel guy]

Hey Pat,
Good to see you posting again, and thankyou for making that contribution for me to the Dimebag drive that you put a $10 spot down on. As i said in my first post, I just had a hard time believing you would do something like that , butif you did I'd be there with an army to make things right, but once I heard another side of the story, and glad I did, I know you didn't do that to the guitar. Yes, you're right, I'm lucky to be alive to this minute, and I've had some great support from people on this board and others, but I'm basically in the same shape as i have been in for coming up on 4 years now, still fighting to get back to where I once was, but I also think I've been decent to people here and elswhere right back as well, I've sent out memory for computers to many memebers when I had it, lent money,(borrowed a few bucks too) , overpaid for some guitars on the level, and not on the level (but that's my fault)had the once good time atomic Christmas list(it lated very shortly) and have not been given a shot at guitars that I was promised to be given a shot at if "they ever sell it" after I've sold it to a person and it can hurt your feelings when you think you're being shoved under the carpet with the rest of the dust, and because of this thread, i am going to try and not make any snap judgements on people again, not that I was ever on the have him hung jury and barking about it, I just was in shock. Anyway, The cardinals suck(i'm just jealous)and I hope you stick around. When Tim posted the other side to this , i was relieved to know you didn't trash that guitar. After hanging out with you at NAMM I was so confused by this thread, and glad to hear that you had not done that to the axe. Anyway, stick around, read a worthles post of mine or two once in a while, or just send me an e-mail and i'll give you my digits. e-mail- [email protected]
Take care,
Tommy

[Budman68]

Hi Pat! Stick around.

+2!! How are ya Pat!!

Tim-Bob, I have a line on another one if I want it (not Brett C)

Lets get this one back to its rightful owner, then we'll both have one. Just give me a call.




Shawn

very nice, my friend -

[Top Jimmy B]

Well, having read all of this I now want to apologize to Pat for assuming that he damaged this guitar prior to shipping. I, unfortunately, had taken what I remembered from Pat's exit(temper, temper) and combined it with the pics, and Ian's version, and came to that conclusion.

Occam's Razor? I can't find a less complicated version of events in anything posted here, and what solution is the simplest?

[Shawn]

Kevin,Pat,Tim. Those are all believable and no doubt true stories of your dealing with Ian. I have heard of other Ian stories as well exactly like that. I am NOT in Ian's corner, or in Pats corner, as some would like to choose sides.

Absolutely none of those experiences are an excuse,reason or explanation of what happened to that guitar. And what happened to that guitar is the real issue, isnt it?

So what happened to that guitar? Its a big step going from being a slow payer and afraid of your wife to smashing a $2500 guitar to make someone else look bad.

What would the motivation be for that?

[Strangletooth]

Yes Rich, a thank you from me for that as well! As we all know, there's ALWAYS 2 sides, and I can certainly understand how you guys can just throw me under a bus after a post like that and not knowing, not seeing me around for a year or more, etc etc...

Tommy.... What can I say bro? I still have the Atomic Noodle programmed in my phone but I'm just thinkin that number just wont' work today? Been a while bro and good to see you're still around here ( and everywhere )!!! Cardinals suck? Oh yeh they played in that little game this fall, what ever happened with that? Wasn't there 7 games? Oh wait, I don't think they needed all 7, did they? Man, memory loss....

Travis, dude.... WTF? Where you been bro? Still around in St Lou? Give me a call sometime, we'll catch a show or sumpin? My cell's still the same. Still got the sweater puppies? I think my kids miss those...

Dave, how are you bro?!?

Very refreshing seeing you guys!!

And thanx for the welcome...

Shawn, I agree that is the issue at hand. I can't explain it, I don't even want to try and speculate. I'm no psychologist or a rocket scientist,
but it is what it is, and for that alone, I'm extremely hurt, not to mention pissed... Ian has a way of twisting things to fit his agenda, if this is one of them, it's rather extreme, but again not surprising to me... People snap, some more extreme than others.

Where is he anyway? Why haven't you posted Ian? You've certainly got my attention, not to mention curiousity...

Pat