I have to sell my Artwood AW120 - Series I

[wolle_schmidt]

Hello collectors.

I have to sell my loved and really rare AW120.

solid Alpine-spruce-top with rare golden Mother-of-Pearl inlays, scalloped bracing, solid rosewood-body with solid and wooden bindings, one-piece and solid mahagony-neck, ebony fingerboard with rare golden Mother-of-Pearl inlays, headstock with rare golden Mother-of-Pearl inlays and rosewood overlay, ebony-bridge with Tru-Tune saddle and boxwood-bridge-pins, solid rosewood pickguard, IBANEZ Gold VelveTune 18:1 ratio, smooth satin finish, hard shell case

Look at the photos:

http://kreativ-lab.de/artwood/images/sammlung/AW120_01.jpg

http://kreativ-lab.de/artwood/images/sammlung/AW120_02.jpg

http://kreativ-lab.de/artwood/images/sammlung/AW120_03.jpg

http://kreativ-lab.de/artwood/images/sammlung/AW120_04.jpg

http://kreativ-lab.de/artwood/images/sammlung/AW120_05.jpg

http://kreativ-lab.de/artwood/images/sammlung/AW120_06.jpg

http://kreativ-lab.de/artwood/images/sammlung/AW120_07.jpg

http://kreativ-lab.de/artwood/images/sammlung/AW120_08.jpg

Regards Wolfgang, mail@wolfgang-schmidt.com

[gemberbier]

"Have to" as in "not out of free will"?
That must hurt.


Ginger

[chazmo]

Wolfgang, I sent you email.  -- Charlie

[chazmo]

Wolfgang, have you received my email?  I am interested!  Best wishes.

[chazmo]

Hey, Wolfgang,

I got your initial email response, but replied again to you.  Did you get that?  Are you still looking to sell?

[chazmo]

Well, we're almost locked and loaded on this one.  Wolfgang and I came to reasonable terms on this.  I feel bad for him because the US $ is so depressed against the Euro, but we're going to make it happen.  In any case, this is definitely a record sum for a Ibby acoustic, as far as I know, but I'm glad to be doing it.  I think it's quite possible that I'll be the only series I AW-120 owner in the states.

So, if the money transfer works out OK, this will ship by air from Germany to good ole' central Massachusetts. 

My wife and I were gabbing about collecting stuff today, and I tried to explain to her how special these guitars really are from a historical perspective.  I have this picture in my head of a small bunch of luthiers in Japan sweating over each guitar and trying to prove to the world that their stuff wasn't just copycat, derivative junk...   The '70s, in Japan, were all about a nation trying to move up in world stature from copycats to innovators.  What I haven't been able to figure out is how some of these Ibanez gems ended up in Germany, which was kind of going through the same, post-WWII thing, not to mention also fighting with the split (cold-war) identity crisis.  As others have pointed out, Germans could ill afford these guitars.  As I understand from Wolfgang, this particular AW-120 sat on a music store walll for 10 years.  Go figure.

Anyway, I couldn't be more excited.  I hope this works out well; I've never paid through a money-conversion wire transfer, nor have I received a guitar shipped from Europe.  I have my fingers crossed as we go forward.

[BCy2k]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!

Just reel her in nice and steady

I'm totally jazzed for you Chazmo!! The champaign has been set to chill - just waiting for the word 

[chazmo]

BC, cross your fingers.  Hoping the transaction completes this week and the guitar finds its way in one piece across the pond.

[TAMA-FAN]

Hi, Charlie!

I am very happy that you and Wolfgang had made this deal
And I am absolutely sure that this transaction will find a totally very good end!
Everything is going to be all right. Keep trust into the German and American mail
This wonderful guitar in your hands...I am envious (is this the right word?)
But you are the one who deserves it

Tell us.................Manni

[chazmo]

Thanks for the good wishes, Manni, and I will keep you guys informed.

[BCy2k]

Fingers crossed Chazmo!

This is always the hard part - hang in there. Happy thoughts and positive vibes coming at you from the west.

[chazmo]

First setback:

For future reference, a bank wire transfer from $US to Euro cost me $30 for my bank fees (which I knew about and paid), and then the conversion fee kicked in, which set this transaction back about 30 Euros (roughly $45, which I didn't know about, but sort of expected).  This screws Wolfgang over a bit.  I've offered to accept a cheaper (riskier) form of shipment, or just buy him a big dinner and beer if we ever meet up!

I will contend that PayPal would have cost this transaction much more, as would a credit card.  Still, I'm not exactly delighted.

[TAMA-FAN]

Hi, Charlie.

I understand that you are annoyed because of that . In times of the internet a money order takes only seconds. So I can not understand why the banks still have so high fees for that. I myself ordered some smaller things in the USA, for example a bass-neck and some guitar-parts, and paid via PayPal. The shipping costs were acceptable. So I think, PayPal would be the better way.
In Germany we have different ways to pay something than in the US. So almost nobody has checks anymore. Not everyone has a credit card, I don't have one too. . May be that is reason. Or it's one of the ways for the banks to make some more money?
Doesn't matter - I think it was worth it for this fine guitar.

Regards......Manni

[chazmo]

Hi Manni,

Yes, Wolfgang is being a very patient and understanding fellow as we go through this process.

Anyway, the guitar has been delivered to DHL in Germany and it begins its journey today.

The money still hasn't made it into the German bank, I think.  I think the money transfer was a mistake.

I am excited to have the AW-120 over here.  I have three gorgeous wooden stands for my three Artwoods to be on display in my guitar room.

[chazmo]

Tick, tick, tick...  The -120 is in the US, I believe, and Wolfgang has received his money wire.  I still have an email out to my bank regarding the excessive fee imposed by the money conversion company (a.k.a "launderers" ).

Anyway, I'm excited.  I'll post up when it gets here.  It's AW-75 and AW-60 younger brothers are waiting!!!!