BREAKING UP NICE OLD RICKS FOR PROFIT...

[jingle_jangle]

Gibsondependable (Ebay) has struck again.

Some may remember the incident earlier this year in which John Simmons' lovely original JG Combo was broken up for parts by Gibsondependable (Ryan Ingram). With assistance from Gareth Holder, I managed to recover many of the parts and reconstruct the Combo, but by the time I found out about it the harness and tuners were gone.

Up on Ebay at this time is a JG Combo 950--a '65--that (you guessed it) has been broken up for parts. It belonged to David McLaughlin for a number of years, and was sold on to "guitar murph", then acquired by Ingram. Remaining at this time are the body: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rickenbacker-19 ... 2997wt_818

...along with the original brown case, the pickguard, bridge, and tailpiece. Apparently, once again the electronics and tuners are gone already.

It seems that Ingram uses one account (his girl friends?) to buy, and his own to sell, in an attempt to cloud the chain of ownership. Her name is Jennifer Knapp, and she uses the same street address as Ingram in (Carneys Point, NJ).

I've been banned from bidding on any of this guy's stuff, following an incident back in 2010 which, in retrospect seems ridiculous. It involves my purchasing a spare 330 harness from him and attempting to get my money back when it did not arrive for almost 30 days. The "resolution" is a good indicator of how blind both Ebay and Paypal can be to a buyer's legitimate complaint. NOTE: MY original post below from another thread in the past is mostly intact, but I've edited it it for clarity:

I was the buyer in a case recently which involved "gibsondependable". After nearly 3 weeks, when I didn't receive my item, I asked him for a tracking number. No tracking number--he sent it regular mail. I threatened negative feedback if he didn't cough up.

Then I filed a Paypal claim. Paypal ruled in his favor, because somehow he showed them a USPS receipt and said he shipped it. I dinged him with a negative and he emailed me several times each day asking me to change my feedback.

Here's where it gets surreal:

At first, he claimed that the package was at my post office and he'd tell me who to talk to, to retrieve it. But only if I changed his feedback immediately. I walked over to the PO in SF on my lunch hour and waited in a crazy-long line, only to be told by the supervisor herself that there was nothing with my name or address being held at that PO.

The next day, he emailed me first thing to tell me that he had spoken to my mailman, and the mailman had hidden it in my building. However, if I changed his feedback to positive, he would tell me where the package was hidden.

During the next couple of weeks, he repeatedly emailed me, sometimes 2 or 3 times per day, trying to get me to change my feedback from negative to positive.

Three weeks after I "won" the item, it was delivered; apparently a PO glitch was responsible. It took almost a month to get it, because he had sent the item ordinary cheapo ground mail with no tracking. This was not a one dollar item, and deserved a tracking receipt or UPS or some way to keep tabs on it.

A couple of days after that, on the day his request to change feedback was to expire (and after 27 harassing emails from him, and three complaints from me to eBay), he wrote me, saying that if I didn't change my feedback for him, he would have a friend in the neighborhood come into my building, retrieve the package from its hidey-hole, and mail it back to him, and I'd be out my item and the money I spent.

I wrote him back that he should send his imaginary friend to my office, instead, because the package was sitting on my sofa. No change of feedback, I told him, because he was an irritating little twerp.

Oddly, after a final total of 32 emails, he never wrote me again after that...

Anyone who is against this practice should take note.

[leftybass]

He must feed the old pickups to someone, for I never see them listed.

This is clearly an example of lightning striking twice in the same spot.

What are the chances of two perfectly fine Jetglow 950s, both from the 60's (rare), both owned by people that live 10 minutes from each other---and sometime after parting with them (in seperate sales) only to have them end up in this guy's hands to part them out (read: destroy) them.

You cannot make up a story like this. Oh well.

[Rickissippi]

Hidden in your building? Hilarious!

[Danotron]

I remember this story.

It's always cool when you can get the Mailman to hide a package in a building to only actually be delivered when you give the word. I haven't figured out how to do that trick yet! The Mailmen in my neighborhood don't seem to be ready to risk their jobs for me.

[jingle_jangle]

By relating my amusing anecdote, I don't mean to deflect attention from the very serious issue raised in this thread, and underscored in leftybass' post.

To take a very rare and original instrument and split up its parts for a profit that is small when the magnitude of the violation is concerned, is the worst kind of cynicism.

(Couple this with his demonstrated disregard for his customers' concerns, and you have a good case for Ebay feedback not reflecting a seller's true colors.)

When we were negotiating with Ol' Dependable for the purchase of that other set of 950 parts, we asked him to consider a discount for the whole package of pieces--roughly $1100.00 worth of stuff. His response was that "his supervisor would never approve it".

He's either a pathological liar, or the real Man With Two Brains...

[bartyclue]

Actually.. after watching your awesome instructional videos.. you dont look like they type of guy I'd want to mess with... maybe you should make a "dexter instructional video" the kind where you dismember guys who dismember RIC's.. then send him a link!

The aforementioned is in jest only. I no way endorse dismembering anyone... even obnoxious doofus's who hide behind the internet so they can annoy others. I also in no way endorse dismembering Rickenbacker guitars for profit. That type of activity should be restricted to Fender and Gibson.

[jingle_jangle]

Odd you should mention "Dexter". He's our doggie. A mix of poodle, bichon, and possibly Maltese and bloodhound. Cute as hell, vicious as a piranha.

This is him after a recent hairstyle extravaganza.

[8mileshigher]

Two sad stories .... that this guy continues to "part out" valuable old Rics and the unbelievable mail problem that PW had to deal with and the threats received. It's ugly - any way you look at it.

[collin]

Sad that people still buy parts from this guy (though putting as much back as possible to save one is admirable, Paul).

What's even sadder is the fact that many vintage Rickenbackers are worth more "dead than alive." This simply doesn't apply with most vintage Fender, Gibson, Gretsch etc. It's like due to the fact that Rickenbacker used much of the same components for high-end models as low-end and also the very limited collectibility of student-model Rickenbackers in general.

[T28]

wow...just read their responses to all the negative feedback.
What an assclown.

[libratune]

many vintage Rickenbackers are worth more "dead than alive." This simply doesn't apply with most vintage Fender, Gibson, Gretsch etc.

You said "most" and I am aware of at least one exception. I follow the vintage Jazzmaster sales on ebay and the parts sold separately ("dead") can be worth more than a complete vintage guitar ("alive"). Somewhat contributing to this is that a Jazzmaster neck is the same scale length and construction as a Strat neck of the same vintage (but for a very slight difference in headstock width).

I would speculate that GibsonDepends makes most of his money on the vintage Ricks he dismembers by selling (mostly off-ebay) the original toaster-top pickups. In good working order those can go for $250 -$300 or more each.

[collin]

many vintage Rickenbackers are worth more "dead than alive." This simply doesn't apply with most vintage Fender, Gibson, Gretsch etc.

You said "most" and I am aware of at least one exception. I follow the vintage Jazzmaster sales on ebay and the parts sold separately ("dead") can be worth more than a complete vintage guitar ("alive"). Somewhat contributing to this is that a Jazzmaster neck is the same scale length and construction as a Strat neck of the same vintage (but for a very slight difference in headstock width).

Yep, that's one of the few exceptions, and even then -- it really only applies to the neck. The only other parts common to more collectible models are the neck plate, tuners, some wiring and screws, and they aren't worth much.

You don't see people parting too many Musicmasters, Duosonics, and Gibson LP specials/Jrs etc like you see on similar Rickenbacker student models. Either their parts aren't worth enough, or the entire guitar is collectible itself (which is the case with LP specials/Jrs, which are a collectible student model.

I guess there are other examples of high-end guitars being robbed of parts. ES-175s are commonly pillaged for their nickle-plate PAFs, '59 wiring harnesses, Klusons, ABR-1 bridges etc. (which does leave a number of great player-grade examples for us budget-folk, albeit with replaced pickups!).

[Kopfjaeger]

Wow, that is unreal. If he keeps on screwing with people like what he did to you, he's going to get his clock cleaned. There are people that would not hesitate to take a few hour drive or plane flight to collect what they are owed. Carney Point is a 2 hour drive for me and I'd doubt I'd barely hesitate to pay a visit if I got run around the way you did.

Sepp

[rickenbrother]

This guy should be banned from ebay.

[cjj]

This guy should be banned from ebay.

Maybe the earth...