Unbranded Strat-style (2022) Red, White, and Black striped tribute guitar

****PLEASE READ****PLEASE READ****UPDATED APRIL 5, 2024.

Hello, and thanks for looking!

I recently received negative feedback from a buyer who seemed very nice at first, but soon after our initial messages, I learned to be somewhat more impatient and over eager than anyone I've spoken to before. I took great time and care to write the description here, how I came upon wanting to build my own guitars and desire to want to share them so that my work can continue. I am 53 and just shy of my 50th birthday in 2020, I suffered a massive heart attack and survived. I decided a few months later to submerge myself in guitars and music again as I did in my late teens. I loved it! I have been a lifelong artist and an very, very meticulous and bordering on OCD with my work and attention to detail, no matter what means or type of artistic expression.

Now, being semi-retired and taking care of a 22 year old son with cerebral palsy, I have come to love building and painting some amazing guitars. I'm an artist who has played guitar since the 80s. I absolutely love it! When sharing my work as I have for over 30 years now, I want to continue creating and sharing.

I've been focused on guitars strictly for 2 years now, painting and building them. I have met some wonderful, kind people. I have also encountered some very strange and negative individuals. I've been posed with some scams, and so far as being sent fake cashiers checks and money orders for my guitars. There are so many scams and hard to read situations that it makes an already frustrating and frightening situation into something of nightmare levels!

I try to answer every question. I will supply photos for anyone interested in the most minute detail. I have always seen myself as someone who wants to offer a high level of quality for as affordable a price as possible just so I might continue to be able to do this. Well, with the feedback so far, I have shone so proud upon receiving the wonderful comments and praise.

With this negative feedback I recently received, I would just leave it alone normally but I feel it needed to explain a little just so my work is not reflected from one misguided, confused person and their motives, whatever they were upon being so vindictive.

I answered every question for this person, and they requested and went so far to ask me to rush the shipment of the guitar. I have(had) in my description that I like to take everyone and go over them, every detail and spec, one last time before shipment and not until I know everything is just right! NO exceptions.

The same went for this individual. I honored their request to expedite the process despite having another due to finish before theirs. I made sure the guitar was stunning. Took it apart and made sure everything was in place, set up, and played as if it were my very own to keep and better if possible. The guitar played perfectly, and the action was set just right. All the parts were locked down, and I was proud of another one.

This person offered me "extra cash" to expedite shipment to them, and it made me suspicious and I explained how I would do my best and whatever I could prior to my normal 3-5 days of handling. I also explained that I had to care for my son first and foremost. He is 22 and completely dependent. It's not an excuse but my everyday life. Period.

I'm not looking for empathy but only understanding and patience. Maybe after a job well done, some praise or a little complement? I shipped the guitar 3 days early and never heard a thing. That's okay, though. Not until 3-4 weeks later, I received 2 out of 5 stars and negative feedback. But negative in the sense that this person "had to spend $600 to get the guitar to play" and the "pics did not match" and "another one was listed with the same photos". It'd been clear in the description that specific photos would be sent immediately upon request and that being an artist I wish you to see my work more broadly covering the details to help you decide and entrust in my talents.

I have put together portfolios my whole life to showcase my work and remain humble ALWAYS. It's not an attempt to decieve or bait and switch or attempt to give anything but 100% as beautiful and attention to detail as any and all photos used to reference the model guitar as listed. Seemed simple enough to me, but obviously, this person felt something I did was wrong? I don't know because they never messaged back.

Also, why would you post within your negative comments and feedback that you spent $600 more (the guitar was sold for $500ish) to bring it up to playing shape? They insinuated that the quality was poor but invested another $600 in upgrades into it, meaning the inherent value was there all along in your opinion to do that to the one and the same guitar? That confused me and still does. I still never heard anything, and if the guitar was bad in any way, I would absolutely fix or replace any part or piece needed to make it right.

That's just being kind and responsible. Why not reach out if it were wrong? I'm just trying to make sense of what happened and I want anyone interested or curious what that feedback means, to know what happened as well or maybe help me understand also.

I humbly apologize for the long explanation but feel better knowing that you have a better idea why the sudden negative feedback. Thank you for allowing me the chance to shine light on the matter. The buyer is blocked to me so no harm can be further done thank God.

I have been an artist my entire life as well as playing guitar and tinkering and learning, same as one of my great superheroes did.

During the pandemic, I decided to build and paint a couple of my own guitars and make my replicas of each in the same mindset and using as close to the original parts and materials as possible with some modern upgrades with some of the supplies used. I have created a few that I've chosen to share so that I might continue being able to further explore the mix of my artistic ability with utmost creativity and my deep love of guitar. Here are some of the results. Please feel free to message me and plan to enjoy it!

Each guitar has been created and finished with NO off brand parts used, yet I want to keep them affordable enough where if someone like myself wants one or more, they can afford them.

I have made each guitar with all the best and uniquely as close to the original parts as I could l, using Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan pickups, Floyd Rose Tremolos, the best Grover or Gotoh styled tuners (*for specific details for each guitar please inquire) I could find and all high quality paints and finishes. These are all done using a Satin based clearcoat and buffed out to a nice semi gloss luster, same concept as the original. Again, please feel free to ask anything, and please check out my other listing.

Thank you all, and have a great day!