If you'll all excuse me for a moment, I'd like to make a point. Believe me, it's damn long overdue...
  

Lee and I are very fortunate to be able to buy and sell guitars for a living. 98% of the time, it's a wonderful experience that, while sometimes filled with stress and an "in the moment" intensity, is ultimately rewarding and brings great joy to our lives. But, like all things, nothing is perfect and there is the 2% of this business that is dark. This very small part of our business is infested with greed, dishonesty and the insane worship of the almighty dollar. We have personally witnessed acts of greed that would astonish even the most seasoned of Guitar show veterans and if you want to see a grown man crawl on his belly like a snake, throw a hundred dollar bill on the floor and watch the feathers (or scales) fly. There is a small contingent of trunk gypsies, rug merchants and snake oil salesmen that permeate our business and not for the love of music, musical instruments or the joy that they bring. Rather, they scrounge around the countryside like starving rats, in search of an easy buck and in hopes of a quick profit. They have no honor, no integrity and no real knowledge of vintage guitars and what they truly represent as a part of Americana. What they do possess are the thoughts and intentions to sneak, cajole, and scam their way to the true rulers of their lives, money. And, in our eyes, it's dirty money. They are a cancer that just cannot be cut out of this industry because there is just no way to qualify if they are worthy. Well, I say that they are not worthy and never were. Yeah, I said it because somebody needed to.
  

The guitar you are looking at represents the other side of that coin. It was provided to us by a man that is a decades- old stalwart of the Atlanta music scene. He is respected both for his talent and his long- standing dedication to the guitar and what it means to so many of us. He is a gentle soul and one we are proud to call our friend. Believe me, a real "friend" in this business is a rare thing indeed and if that needs an explanation, please re-read the first paragraph. To the gentleman that sold us this guitar, we say "Thank You". Thank you for your honesty, your true word and your love of this game we call the guitar business. Lee and I hope you know that we will always stand with you, have your back and take your best interests to heart. We realize that an agreement between men is honor- bound and worth more than all the gold on this planet. If you took all of that away, we could always just sit around and play guitar, remembering that the true value of an object can only be measured by the joy it brings to one's life. Please consider yourself an honorary member of the 'Elk Nation Hall of Fame, for what it's worth.

   In case I forgot, this R9 weighs in at an incredible 8 lbs, 5 oz. It has a few small, pintip dings on the back, but they do not affect the tone at all. The package includes the OHSC, care kit and COA- the very fact that they are all there is yet another testament to our seller's honesty. In any event, thanks for lending an ear and here's hoping that this message arrives where it belongs. Remember, a lesson learned is a lesson earned...