Very Obscure ‘80s Washburn Guitar

[MusicStudent1]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1000...archweb201603_

A Chinese stripped down replica of an Ace Frehley Washburn AF-40v “Artist Model” Guitar! The original was made in Japan. It had little to do with Ace Frehley as he only had it for a video and a few photo shoots in the ‘80s. I bought one for $700.00 in 1987 and played it hard for years.

I sold mine, regretted it, and thought about ordering a custom replica from Ed Roman’s Shop but the cost stopped me.

Finally, somebody made another one!! Here’s the dilemma....I don’t want to get scammed. AliExpress?!? The possibility of LOSING about $500.00 is a gamble I can’t take.

I love that guitar, though. It sits in your lap comfortably in any position, stays in tune, and you have access to the 24 frets. There’s nothing else like it....the closest I could ever hope to get is an EX kit with a 24 fret neck and cut away the body enough to be able to play it and have it look good.

I want this guitar! I also don’t want to get ripped off so I’m in limbo for a while....A $500.00 gamble....how bad do I want it?

If it shows up on eBay and I can pay via PayPal....Done!

[Bakersdozen]

It is actually $638.89 AU dollars once you work it out. I've had a good response with getting AliExpress to intervene and provide a refund when I received something sub-standard (granted it was only $25 worth of goods). Just upload proof and they should come to the party. If it doesn't get delivered, you also have insurance with the tracking number, which no one can argue with.

There are a few options if you are dead-set on this guitar.

Make contact with the seller and get a general feel for how honest and responsive to you they are. Ask them if it would be possible to pay through PayPal. Or if they can setup a specific eBay listing for you. There are other guitar sellers on AliExpress and DHGate etc. And if you have good rapport with a genuine seller, who is responsive to you and you gain trust, then you can also show them the link and ask them to organise that guitar for you.

There are heaps of sellers on these sites that engage only a few factories that produce the guitars. They are kind of the dealer i guess, if you look at it in those terms. So chances are all these dealers are having their guitars made at the same few factories setup to do so.

[Simon Barden]

using eBay will push the price up though.

[king casey]

Forget Frehley...this is the one I'd be after.



cheers, Mark.

[DarkMark]

Forget Frehley...this is the one I'd be after.



cheers, Mark.

We would have to change your username to “Prince Casey”. Does that guitar come with a case?

[Simon Barden]

We would have to change your username to “Prince Casey”.

Ha!

Nice one.

[ThatCluelessGerman]

If you pay via credit card, you always have their buyer's protection, too. So if you have trouble with AliExpress (which I have never had and I made over 100 orders in the last 4 years), you can still have your credit card company chime in.

[PJSprog]

I've been kind of mulling the same thing ... different guitar, though. Found it recently on DHGate, but not sure I want to pull the trigger. I've always had trust issues with buying things online from an overseas seller. It's the main reason it took me so long to order a kit from PBG.

[Simon Barden]

With just the one pickup, what was the selector switch for on the original guitar? Series/parallel or coil split?

[MusicStudent1]

If you pay via credit card, you always have their buyer's protection, too. So if you have trouble with AliExpress (which I have never had and I made over 100 orders in the last 4 years), you can still have your credit card company chime in.

Thanks for the input, everybody. I’m going to ponder it for a couple of weeks because I am irrationally excited about finding this guitar. ...like a kid who just found saw something in a toy store and has to have it. If it still seems like a good idea then - I’m willing to take a gamble on it.

I didn’t know about credit card protection and such - I’ll do a little research. Thanks!