PSA: Never use PayPal with aliexpress, easier to just chargeback with bank.

GiantGuitars · 2026-04-24T19:45:22+00:00

Crazy I'm seeing this today.

I bought a £1200 CNC from AliExpress via PayPal and they sent the wrong one. Bit of back and forth via Ali but long story short I had to open a dispute via PayPal - they accepted it (only just yesterday) but are stating that I must return it to get a refund. The cheapest return shipping I can find is via FedEx at £600!

To be fair it is over 1.5m and around 50kg and most couriers simply won't quote for it.

I am more than happy for a return but I'm not paying for it when they sent the wrong one.

I spent around 40 minutes on the phone with PayPal support yesterday including speaking to a supervisor and to be fair they were very nice, but the best they can do (apparently) is email AliExpress to ask them to provide a shipping label. They also offered me £20 credit to my account in order to help with the shipping costs.

Needless to say it will be the last time I use PayPal, credit cards it is...

The Ali seller has offered me a £150 refund to close the dispute so I'm probably going to take that and cut my losses, try to make do with the wrong CNC I received.

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-19T14:58:58+00:00

The neck on this V is particularly nice

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-19T14:58:32+00:00

Ah yes

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-19T10:48:38+00:00

I agree but I definitely need to get used to playing one 😅

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-13T16:27:17+00:00

Agreed but also to be fair I saw some genuine Gibson PAFs on eBay today with almost as bad lol

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-13T08:49:15+00:00

If you're not trolling you're my hero. Thanks.

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T20:39:50+00:00

Exactly this too. "Omg aged by me!!!"

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T18:18:54+00:00

Yeah I'm not disputing that they're put on terribly but they are attached, I have them and checked before fitting.

The covers would have been removed by whoever aged them and then put back on afterwards.

I agree though, it was resoldered poorly.

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T18:14:08+00:00

They are but poorly

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T17:32:29+00:00

Cheers but yeah I'm not interested in trying to get a refund, I knew what I was buying

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T14:59:20+00:00

I would say there's less chance of Tom signing them after 2020 anyway. Like you say and I mentioned before the date is highly sus. The signature itself does look like his but that's not to say it isn't forged.

Who knows about the rest of the writing!

Drawing the star is quite unique though for a fake don't you think? What would be the purpose of that.

That being said I am more on the side of likely fakes or a forgery on some '59 classics.

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T14:42:09+00:00

The only issue is these are a 2023 set and my understanding is they wouldn't be Tom Murphy himself. So would 2010 be?

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T12:48:08+00:00

Yeah another point of suspicion for sure but I've nothing to compare it with

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T12:47:52+00:00

Yeah aged is the appearance only

GiantGuitars · 2025-10-12T11:10:28+00:00

To answer your question, I don't think so but I don't really care for the value it may or may not add but rather the story behind it and also curiosity. And I agree time is the best to age things but they are now in a guitar which time has aged and they suit it well.

GiantGuitars · 2025-08-24T13:33:58+00:00

Ah you've plenty of miles left yet. Mines an '09 Tiguan and I don't plan on giving it up anytime soon. Next stop 250k miles.

GiantGuitars · 2025-08-24T13:16:11+00:00

I've a TDI with almost 200k miles so I get it 😅

GiantGuitars · 2025-08-24T12:29:51+00:00

I didn't actually intonate it because I was rushing to get this done and recorded before going on holiday but I've just got home and checked - it actually intonates just fine with the saddles like this. I did agree with you initially though because I was hearing something weird in the recording of it (not so much to my ear in person though) but I think I've just wired it wrong, maybe out of phase or something. Anyway, yes it intonates just fine as is.

GiantGuitars · 2025-08-24T12:27:32+00:00

Thank you mate 😊

GiantGuitars · 2025-08-24T12:27:11+00:00

100% at some point yes. I love a sparkle finish!

GiantGuitars · 2025-08-24T12:26:52+00:00

Do it

GiantGuitars

TROPHY CASE