Any tips for long distance trading?

Talk on the phone.

 

Looks at the posts and call...I just did one and it worked out great...also be sure to give tracking info asap....But as a rule the person with less posts should send tracking first....Just seems logical to me...

 

Got the same from my girl before, also ask if they have an ebay ID and look up their feedback. Giving them a call also helps. Definitely make sure to get tracking info.

 

I did one with a fellow Gear Pager and it was good for both of us.
I understand the apprehensiveness but go with your gut.

 

You can usually get a good feel for the person you're dealing with by reviewing their past posts, exchanging a number of emails and talking with them over the phone. Make sure you get their real name, address and phone number and try to verify those on your own. Obviously if they refuse to provide a name or phone number or don't want to speak with you on the phone then your radar should go up. If anything seems weird, it probably is. Use your instinct and judgment. That being said, I've done dozens of deals on TGP, including guitar purchases and trades, and so far all has gone well. However, it's always caveat emptor and if a deal goes south you may not have very much recourse depending on how payment was made.

 

like xknight said........talk to them, you should get a feel and try to deal with guys you see alot on the board (post count is not always the best judge tho)............I've done tons of deals here and certainly feel better making a deal on TGP than swimming in that ocean of sharks, rippoffs and cons of evilbay

 

Sounds to me as though you have all the pertinent info. Should go fine. I have taken the same steps in trades here and have never been let down. Enjoy the Firebird. I have a 7 and just love it. These guitars are so unique, some folks love them, some don't get them at all, but I think everybody ought to own at least one, just for the experience. I have used Les Pauls primarily all my life, but my Firebird gets quite a bit of playtime. Good luck on your trade, hope it is a great one for both parties!

 

My firebird is much more "well rounded" and fits more musical styles easier than my Lesters do. It has this wonderful quality of sounding like a perfect cross between a Fender and a Gibson, but the tone is unique to it. Also the pickups are very well balanced. It has a more even sustain also, not nasal at all. The notes non't "bloom" like a les paul, the sustain is much more linear. It also has a world of very articulate clean tones that none of my other guitars get. I got it back around the beginning of December, and I really spend a lot of time on it. It just sounds so good for anything I use it on-I'm hooked! Mine is very heavy on the body side, so it isn't head heavy, but if you get yours and it is head heavy, don't despair, there is an easy fix for it. Just get a good 3 inch wide leather strap that has a suede texture on the backside. It will distribute the weight better and the textured side will hold it in place against your clothing.

The Firebird is a big guitar, but it fits my body perfectly. I am of medium height and build.

 

I've done a few trades here with some pretty high end items. I would say this...

1. Talk to the person on the phone. Just bs for awhile and get a feel for them. Yeah...pretty much starting a conversation about guitars and tone with anyone here will lead to a long conversation. You'll get a good feel for someone I think and if you're comfortable, close the deal.
2. Watch the communication flow online, make sure it seems in line with what you talk about with them when on the phone.

Those pretty much make me comfortable. I think anybody trading some high end gear is probably a reputable person because you don't get that gear AND be a member here without caring about your music and gear...so it's a fairly safe bet.

I did a trade a few months back and the gentleman stated he'd ship the next day (even after I said it'd be a few days until I could ship). He followed through and I communicated daily with him about where I was. I tend to over-communicate things when it comes to gear trades...more-so when it's high end stuff. Pedals I don't worry about, pay for it and ship it...but a $4,000 guitar is a little different. I will say that out of the ~20 deals I've made here on TGP, everything has gone smoothly. I had one item get held up in shipping and the person and I worked it out and said we'd wait a few days before I would have given a refund (it was a small ticket item of a few tubes so no big loss to me). The tubes showed up the next day after about 9 days in the mail.