# Antoniosai Guitar....story



## harrym (Jan 19, 2010)

Here's an interesting story that happened to me 3 or 4 years ago. I bought an Antoniosai dreadnaught 6-string on Ebay for about 600 clams. Beautiful guitar.. not much bling on the front but the back was filled will dragons and such, exquisit. Solid top and supposedly solid rosewood back and sides. Well, after I had it for 4 days I noticed some cracks in the back near the botom and i was shocked. They weren't there when I got it. After 6 days the cracks, about 8 now had migrated the full length of the back. I emailed the seller, Antoniosai ( I think he is in Taiwan ).No reply, emailed again and he replied. He told me it was the climate in Canada and that I didn't take proper care of it. I told him "BULL", I been playing guitar for over 40 yrs and know how to take care of them. After many emails, he said he had a repair depot in the USA and that I should send it there but at my expense. 
I sent the guitar by UPS to the repair depot. It was in the case and then boxed with a lot of bubble wrap. I have sent guitars before and never had a shipping damage problems at all. Well, the guitar arrived to the depot and the repair person emailed me back that the guitar got damaged in transit and he couldn't fix it now. Adding more insult to injury, I had to pay to ship it back to me. Well, I got it back. The box looked good (same box that I used), I unpacked it and the case looked OK, no damage. Took the guitar out of the case and to my surprise I noticed that the end strap pin had been pushed in and the wood was all broken around it. This guitar was under his so-called warranty. I contacted the repair person and he only had some nasty words for me and said I should make a claim with UPS for the damage. I did not make a claim with UPS as I know they did not damage my guitar. I emailed Antoniosai and he said it was unfortunated but he could do no more for me. I then told him that this is the way I see it...Seeing all the cracks on the back, his repair person smashed the guitar on the floor and broke the end and then says UPS did the damage and to make a claim for it. After this, neither Antoniosai or his repair man would ever respond to my emails again. Sad but true. Beware when buying a guitar from these areas of the world. You pays your dollar,you takes your chances.


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

I am surprised that you bought a guitar from Tiawan, sorry but most folks know that the climate there is so hummid that the moment you take it out of country that it is doomed to fail and with all of that work they did on the back had to weaken the wood its self its like the Blueberry guitars if you are willing to take the chance on getting soemthing that might be wonderful great. But I could never bring myself to take a chance fro a place like Tiawan, very nice folks but they don't understand that the rest of the worlds climate is vastly different compared to theirs.
Its to bad you had to go through that. But at least you serve as a warning for others to be aware of what and who they are buying from and that one must do, so much research that it often hurts your brain cell the amount of work you must do to protect you dollar at the end of it all.Ship


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## harrym (Jan 19, 2010)

That was the first and last time doing that. I have an HD28 now and several others that I enjoy.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Antoniotsai's Guitar Mandolin Arts items - Get great deals on guitar parts,luthier, 1guitar.luthier items on eBay Stores!

Negative/Neutral Feedback received by inlaidartist

This is an old old old old old one now. The only way to think of any of these instruments is as window dressing and window dressing only. There are LITERALLY hundreds of postings for at least 10 years all over the internet about Antoniotsais. The two consensuses are, he does good inlay, he would do better to use dry/cured wood and not green wood. As to him as a business man, well the world is full of ....

Though the number of complaint hits now, since his eBay reinstatement, have dropped.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

keeperofthegood said:


> Antoniotsai's Guitar Mandolin Arts items - Get great deals on guitar parts,luthier, 1guitar.luthier items on eBay Stores!
> 
> Negative/Neutral Feedback received by inlaidartist


 *
Reply by inlaidartist (Aug-13-10 00:32):
No shops would admire items which you bought from third party.
o
Follow-up by travis082380 (Aug-15-10 19:47):
private and school teachers concurred the instrument wasm even 'beginner'


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## bobb (Jan 4, 2007)

I seem to remember hearing about another Taiwan inlay "artist" who sells on ebay. Stories about pieces of inlay falling out almost as soon as the instrument is received.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

That I hadn't heard about Antoniotsais though honestly, I would not be surprised considering how fast the instruments begin to fail. I did a lot of reading on forums about 4 years or so ago about Antoniotsais specifically and what I read most consistently was that the inlay work itself tended to be good, it was everything else about it that was not. I think the longest I read for anyone that had one of his instruments before cracking/failing is a year.

Part of the problem with eBay feedback too, once left it is there. Lots of guys open the box and give a "A+++++ w00t" and then three months later cannot change that as their new instrument becomes pieces. I would expect his rating to be really bad if eBay allowed buyers to change their ratings.


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