Snagged me a Duke.

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Yo fellas...finally snagged a Duke, been looking for one for a long time with no luck. But today was the day! Not much interest in this one, so I think I lucked out. Got a good deal from what I have seen some Dukes go for lately.

I do believe this is a factory finish?????? plus it has the nice roller bridge and the double jazz pickup, which I always like better than the humbucker. Just needs a control plate.
Steve, correct me if I am wrong.

Checck it out... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320214488781&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011

[Steve EZ]

I do remember the spiderweb graphic going on a few dukes but not that particular color scheme. I also don't remember the paint around the edge of the body like that. :scratchhe I'm not sure that it's a factory job.

The jack plate looks like it was added on but otherwise it's a damn good deal. That' the better configuration, IMO, the Double J and Roller bridge. :thumbsup

[KramerUK]

I don't know if that painted on the sides or if its decal tape, you'll have to let us know when you get it Mike, but either way its a great snag, and at a great price.

Look forward to better pics one you get it home :thumbsup

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Thanks fellas.
Guy I am getting the Duke from said that the owner b4 him said the bass was painted by an artist that Kramer hired to paint some guitars for them and then they were sold/auctioned for a charity thing!:whistle

Does that sound like something that could be true, Steve?:scratchhe

I have no clue....I just hope it's in decent shape.:evilrobot

[Steve EZ]

It's possible, that sounds plausible, but not something I remember.

Did you get any other pictures? The control cavity looks silver inside which is a little weird. The strap button looks strange but hard to tell from the pictures. Is it candy apple red? I don't remember that finish going on any metal necks but it may be trans red.

[Rodlucci]

I trust you will be pleasantly surprised when it arrives:thumbsup
Unhomed had a red spiderweb duke that he eBay'd last year.
Caught me between back to back 5000's, :guns so I did not get it from him.:-x
Another one that got away!:arrg
That would make 2 I have seen that are red with the web.:)
I agree with the others on the stripes on the side, Idano:scratchhe

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Those are the only pics I have seen.

I know at some point, some where, I saw a Duke with the spider web graphic, it was red, and they said it was a factory job. It reminded me of this one, thats one reason I bid....oh well, I should have it by Weds or Thurs and then I will see whats up.

Are there any tell tale signs that will give me clues if the finish is original? I figure if its a bad repaint I should be able to tell, uh.

[Dr. Greenthumb]

I trust you will be pleasantly surprised when it arrives:thumbsup
Unhomed had a red spiderweb duke that he eBay'd last year.
Caught me between back to back 5000's, :guns so I did not get it from him.:-x
Another one that got away!:arrg
That would make 2 I have seen that are red with the web.:)
I agree with the others on the stripes on the side, Idano:scratchhe


I knew it.....I wonder :scratchhe got to find out how long this dude had it for.

Whew...I knew I had seen one.
Thanks RW:thumbsup

[Unhomed]

I trust you will be pleasantly surprised when it arrives:thumbsup
Unhomed had a red spiderweb duke that he eBay'd last year.
Caught me between back to back 5000's, :guns so I did not get it from him.:-x
Another one that got away!:arrg
That would make 2 I have seen that are red with the web.:)
I agree with the others on the stripes on the side, Idano:scratchhe

I miss it, but I rarely (if ever) pick up any bass to play now. It was factory red painted, but mine had black webs not silver ones (if I remember the pic correctly). That doesn't mean to imply that they could not have come with silver webs if that is what this one had.

Good score Dr G! Glad it went to a good home.

[twiggman]

Right On - your stable needed a Duke! Can't see the pic at work will chck em laters,
David

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Hey guys...well it came today, and I think I made a rookie mistake. I do not think it's a Duke at all, I believe it's a copy. The tuners are not Schallers, The bridge does not say Kramer on it. And most importantly the neck plate does not say "The Duke" on it. I should have asked more questions or asked for more pics.....besides all this, the paint looks like shit, and its got a bad pot and or jack, it about blew my amp up.

:arrg :arrg :arrg :arrg This guy totally misrepresented this, the auction says Kramer Duke, sounds good!!!:bs

I am emailing this guy right now!:ninja

[Unhomed]

Hey guys...well it came today, and I think I made a rookie mistake. I do not think it's a Duke at all, I believe it's a copy. The tuners are not Schallers, The bridge does not say Kramer on it. And most importantly the naeck plate does not say "The Duke" on it. I should have asked more questions or asked for more pics.....besides all this, the paint looks like shit, and its got a bad pot and or jack, it about blew my amp up.

:arrg :arrg :arrg :arrg This guy totally misrepresented this, the auction says Kramer Duke, sounds good!!!:bs

I am emailing this guy right now!:ninja
Damn! That f:censored ing sucks.

Couldn't tell by the pics, but does the string retainer have 2 bolts, not just 1? Wood fingerboard? If so, no Duke:nono . In looking at it now, too many pole pieces on the pickup :-x . It's hard to ask all the right questions. Everything is always easier in hindsight! I've been so lucky so far.........

I feel for you! Good luck in getting this resolved.

[DethConsumer]

Hey guys...well it came today, and I think I made a rookie mistake. I do not think it's a Duke at all, I believe it's a copy. The tuners are not Schallers, The bridge does not say Kramer on it. And most importantly the naeck plate does not say "The Duke" on it. I should have asked more questions or asked for more pics.....besides all this, the paint looks like shit, and its got a bad pot and or jack, it about blew my amp up.

:arrg :arrg :arrg :arrg This guy totally misrepresented this, the auction says Kramer Duke, sounds good!!!:bs

I am emailing this guy right now!:ninja

If the neck is Aluminum\Ebonol, it's gotta be a Duke. Sometimes the lower end Aluminum necks didn't come with Schaller Tuners either. Lastly, not all Dukes said "The Duke" on the neckplate. Remember Kramer's are famous for inconsistancy! Post some pictures bro and let Steve EZ check it out.

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Rik, string retainer has 2 screws and it definitely is a rosewood board.
Jeff, the neck plate is blank, no Kramer, no serial# even, in fact I can't find a serial# anywhere.

Can I tell anything from the pots?

someone painted the back of the neck, it looks like a lumie neck but does not feel like one....it feels so light also, but I guess dukes are light.

[serdontos]

The neck looks aluminum, with the skeletal outline of the aluminum showing, are you saying that this is just painted on? If this is not a Lumie, then the seller has clearly misrepresented it:arrg :arrg :arrg

[Rodlucci]

Mike,

I hope you don't have to go through an ordeal if you decide to return it, but if you do I will share my experience.
I got burned last year on a 5000B that was used as an axe, meaning the neck had been separated from the body without the removal of the screws holding the neck on. I was very calm and very calculated with my correspondance with the seller. I never lost my temper and never stated that he was a :arrg The seller did not want to take it back, but in the end came around.

Below is the return policy in your auction, which I believe is what was in the auction I won last year. It does not specify that the seller will not take a return nor does it state that they will.

I ended up getting my money back plus the shipping I paid to receive the 5000. The only thing I was out was the shipping to send it back to the seller.

I hope and trust this works out and know that we support your efforts:thumbsup


Return policy not specified.
Read item description for any reference to return policy.

[Unhomed]

Rik, string retainer has 2 screws and it definitely is a rosewood board.
Jeff, the neck plate is blank, no Kramer, no serial# even, in fact I can't find a serial# anywhere.

Can I tell anything from the pots?

someone painted the back of the neck, it looks like a lumie neck but does not feel like one....it feels so light also, but I guess dules are light.

Duke necks don't feel heavy. The normal Lumie headstock really makes a difference in weight.

Unfortunately, it's probably a Hondo Alien :banghead .

[Dr. Greenthumb]

The neck has got to be a lumie, it just feels weird cause it has been noticeably painted. I was checking it out seeing if I could scratch a little paint off to see that is was alumie underneath, it seems to be.

I emailed him, no reply yet. I didn't get crazy or blow my top, I just stated the facts about how none of this bass adds up to make it a "Real Duke", and how there were a couple of good copies, like the Alien by Hondo. Perhaps he was not aware what he had was not a Duke so there was no malice intended. But the auction states Duke and I bought it assumeing it was a Duke and in my somewhat knowlegeable mind, this is not a Kramer Duke. If I wanted a copy, I would have paid a hell of allot less, they do pop up on ebay too. Told him I would put it back in the mail today.

Do you guys think I should file a dispute with ebay or paypal right away? or wait to see what he says first. I am a virgin with this stuff...first time I got burned here.

[Rodlucci]

I waited and used it as a tool stating the he, the seller had a risk with me filing a claim.
Your seller has 3 transactions with 100% feedback. Your negative would give him 4 at 75%. Plus eBay can ban him from selling.

It is your deal, but I like to hold my cards close and use them when I can gain the most from them.

[Unhomed]

Do you guys think I should file a dispute with ebay or paypal right away? or wait to see what he says first. I am a virgin with this stuff...first time I got burned here.

Give him a chance to do right. Maybe he was 'taken' about it being a Duke too.

Bringing paypal and e-bay disputes so quickly into this may bring another variable into this: his ego.

My .02

[Steve EZ]

I can't remember the name of the guy who went off and started making Duke clones but that's what it sounds like to me :-x

Two bolts on the nut and Rosewood FB. Damn! Sorry you have to go through this dispute process now.

I would wait to hear fom him but the Paypal dispute is the best way to make sure you get full restitution. He will have to refund the money once you provide a tracking number to show it's been shipped back or Paypal will pony up and close his account. Either way, you are protected. It may be Aluminum but it aint no Kramer and no DUKE.

I'll be your expert witness if you need

[KramerUK]

Man Mike this sucks, I was probably just as excited as you, was looking forward to pics and a big smile on your face.
hope this goes smoothly and the guy is honest enough to sort this out in a civil manner, but thankfully you have an expert in Steve, and you paid with PayPal, so with the incorrect listing you are more than entitleed to a full refund.

Keep us in the loop :-x

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Hey guys...he already contacted me back, and will give a full refund or he said if I want to keep it he will give me back a partial refund. I am gonna check around and see what it might be worth, and then see if he will go for it. Truthfully I would not pay more than probably 125.00 for it the Hondo's which I think it is go for around that. He will refund me the purchase price, but said nothing about shipping yet, then I would have to pay to ship it back, meaning I would be out 50 or 60 bucks and have nothing.

Sooo...he seems to be on the up and up and was very sorry for the drama. I will let you guys know what happens, could be a cool little project.

Not sure what it's worth tho, and I don't want him to think I am trying to scam him.

[geetar10]

I'm always up for a road trip, Mike. ;)

[twiggman]

Best wishes Mike,
Bummers to hear. My 2 cents is I'd get the most $$$ back out of it by sending back or getting a partial refund and selling it yourself, then hold out for the Duke. Can't say enough good things about 'the real thing'.
Aloha, David

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Hey David, good to hear from ya!

Well guys, the little "Faux Duke" is officially mine. The guy was ultra cool and willing to do whatever it took to make things right. We discussed all the options, and me keeping it made more sense, so he refunded me a hefty chunk. I wound up paying 100 bucks for it. So now I have a little project. Think I am gonna strip it and repaint it :whistle someday.

Thanks for all the comments and help, it all worked out:thumbsup

[Unhomed]

Hey David, good to hear from ya!

Well guys, the little "Faux Duke" is officially mine. The guy was ultra cool and willing to do whatever it took to make things right. We discussed all the options, and me keeping it made more sense, so he refunded me a hefty chunk. I wound up paying 100 bucks for it. So now I have a little project. Think I am gonna strip it and repaint it :whistle someday.

Thanks for all the comments and help, it all worked out:thumbsup

Making lemonade from Lemons :thumbsup .

Glad everyone walks away happy.

[Rodlucci]

excellent!
glad to hear everyone is happy!
great ending!

[Steve EZ]

There's a nice Duke case on Ebay right. $75 BIN :thumbsup

[serdontos]

At least the guy was decent and made things right, you hear too many stories about a-holes jerking people around in situations like that.

[Steve EZ]

Hey Mike, I justed snagged a black Duke and case from Ebay for cheap if you want it. The BIN was too cheap to risk waiting. PM me if you want it and I'll have them ship it to you directly. :thumbsup

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Pm sent...lets talk!