wdwflash - Posted - 03/27/2020:  23:16:16

Well, I'm new to the forum and am posting this so that others might not get scammed like I did. I've been wanting a metal body resonator for decades, but the price was out of my range. I buy a lot of things off of Aliexpress and found a company selling metal body resonators at a reasonable price. I turn 75 in April so I though I would give myself a birthday present.

The Guitar is called a Jonathon 1711ek. (Has anyone bought one of these?) Its sold by Customized Guitar Store(Aliexpress) and made by: Shanghai Rematch Music Instrument Co, or Yiwu Skyline Instrument Co. (hard to track down what Chinese company makes what, I believe they also make the Regal brand imported by Saga Music.) I looked at the pictures on the Aliexpress site and contacted Customized Guitar on aliexpress messaging. They offered two pickups, the lipstick style and the Tesla EF pickup. I wanted the EF. They got back to me and said the 1711 doesn't fit the EF pickup and I told them that they offered it and there was pictures of it on the site with the EF pickup. Long story short, they changed their web site information.

So, I ordered the Jonathon 1711EK and a specified I wanted the light colored wood grain neck and headstock without plastic cover.(as pictured on their aliexpress site.) They said fine, but was not in stock and would take two more weeks and I said OK. When it was finished they said that the neck and headsock were not as pictured, but dark wood. This was the old "Bait and Switch" scam. We went round and round on it and eventually they used foul language and cut me off from messaging them on Aliexpress. ( Ms Sally Xi customer dis-service)(they already had my money so what did they care?)

I canceled my order. I found an email address for Customized Guitar and filed a complaint. A Mr. Ge got back to me with a load of BS . He bad mouthed Aiersi resonators (Republic) and stated all the things that were better about his guitar and bad in Aiersi guitars( rust, poor wood, bad manufacturing, cheap tuning nuts/strings), so against my better judgement I reinstated my order. (since he had my money) Big Mistake, he wanted more money to ship and eventually would not ship even though he has my money. Do yourself a favor and avoid these companies. I am ordering a Aiersi resonator. I can only hope I have helped others avoid the stress and tribulations of dealing with these scamming Chinese companies. So much for it being here for my 75th birthday.

wdwflash - Posted - 03/28/2020:  00:45:27

Update: I canceled the order with the scammers at Customized Guitar Shop(Aliexpress)/ Yiwa Skyline Instrument Co/Jonathon Guitars, and ordered a Aiersi bell brass parlour guitar. What a difference in customer service. So far the people at Aiersi are right on top of everything and multi people at their company emailed me with information/shipping. Very unlike the foul-mouthed customer dis-service at Customized Guitar. I've read good things about the Aiersi and I've heard they make the Republic resonators. Anyone own a Aiersi or Republic?

RezBluez - Posted - 03/28/2020:  08:39:42

Word to the wise, don’t order anything from Aliexpress, that whole site is a scam. I ordered from there (non music related) but I never received my item. Lucky for me I used a credit card, so they refunded my money. But had I used PayPal or something, well they just give you the run around until it’s to late to do anything about it. I have even had the same experience on eBay from China. Nothing shows up, they tell you we sent a replacement, it don’t show, we sent another replacement, it don’t show, by then it’s to late to dispute it. Now when I order I pay the extra few bucks and order from a reputable country. It’s worth the extra few bucks for piece of mind.

Wildeman - Posted - 03/28/2020:  08:47:15

Sounds bleak, i won't order off that site. I own a Republic Tricone and its a great guitar, i have also talked to Devon Zhu from Aersi via email and they seem like a very good company to deal with, i haven't ordered a guitar from them yet but i most likely will.

wdwflash - Posted - 03/28/2020:  10:38:05

I order tons of stuff off of Aliexpress. I live in Cambodia and its difficult to buy a lot of things. With Aliexpress I use my credit card so the money is safe until I state the product is delivered. I've bought car parts, motorcycle parts, boat parts, guitar parts, clothes, shoes (can't get size 10 shoes in Cambodia) I had some try and scam me like Customized Guitar Store, but most of the sellers deliver. I've bought some really good things and some really bad, but the price is always good. I bought a Gibson clone semi-hollow body $288. to my post office box and its a killer guitar. I am in the process of putting DiMarzio Humbuckers on it, Grover tuners and a custom pot kit from Browns Custom Shop, but I bought it as a rainy season fun project. The woodwork on it is amazing. Can't wait to see my Aiersi resonator.

LukeL - Posted - 03/29/2020:  07:07:53

I’ve used Aliexpress once or twice for small computer parts and things like that. I don’t know that I’d expect a decent quality resonator to come from there though.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 03/29/2020:  11:00:02

Until this thread appeared I had never even heard of Aliexpress. You learn something  new everyday. 

Also never heard of  Jonathan Guitars. But that's no surprise - there seems to be an endless parade of different brand names and headstock logos of fretted instruments coming out of China.  

wdwflash - Posted - 03/29/2020:  20:38:10

Since I live in Cambodia (Kampot next to the gulf of Thailand and its sunny beachs) its difficult to buy a lot of things that everyone in America takes for granted (can't buy size 10 shoes), so Aliexpress is my shopping mall. Anyway most things in America are made in China( 100% for Walmart) so I can buy direct and at a discount. The downside is that I have to wait a while (sometimes up to a month and a half) and you can't look at the quality before buying. As I said I bought a clone-Gibson semi-hollow body Les Paul for $288. delivered and its amazing. I knew the pots, tuners and pickups were dodgy, but the finish is amazing. I bought it as a rainy season project. BTW/ I bought all my luthier tools from Aliexpress. Unfortunately there are some scammers like Customized Guitar Shop(Aliexpress)/ Shanhai Rematch Music Instrument Co/ Yiwa Skyline Instrument Company (makers of Regal and Jonathon Guitars), that are scammers that try the old "bait n' switch" and/or don't know what customer service is. There are many reputable guitar makers like Aiersi to balance out the bad. I've got a Washburn acoustic/electric that I bought from a music shop in Phnom Penh Cambodia and its very well built.

Three_Eyed_Willy - Posted - 03/31/2020:  09:14:51

Saga claims their Regal instruments are made in Korea. I don't trust any of the Chinese manufacturers to tell anyone the truth about what they manufacture. I can expand that. I don't trust any of the Asian mass manufacturers to tell you the truth about anything they manufacture. There was a manufacturer a few years ago that claimed they were manufacturing Deering banjos. It wasn't true.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 03/31/2020:  12:18:30

Willy, I'm curious where you found the claim from Saga that the instruments are made in Korea?

When  Saga was formed in the mid '80s and for quite a few years many of the instruments were in fact made in South Korea. 

Eventually, as has been the case with many American importers of a bazillion different products, the labor rates rose in Korea and companies began going to China where the labor is cheaper.

I'm sure there are any number of members here who own Regal resos that still have a "Made in China" sticker somewhere on the guitar. 

We're not BFFs, but I've gotten to know  Mike Replogle (who lives a couple hours south of me) a little bit in recent years. This is the same Mike who ran OMI Dobro for Gibson in the '90s when it was still in California  and over the years  he has produced Replogle reso parts. 

Mike  recently  started a new position as production manager at prestigious Santa Cruz Guitars. 

Prior to that for a few years he was in a management job with Saga, and would sometimes share photos on Facebook  of his business trips to China and some great looking restaurant meals. It wasn't like he was trying to hide anything. 

Though I'm pretty sure he avoided the bat soup. 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 03/31/2020 12:19:25

wdwflash - Posted - 03/31/2020:  19:48:55

" Current Regal resonator guitars are made in China and imported by Saga Musical Instrument of San Francisco, California."
Buymandolins.com

"We OEM for Regal brand for Saga Music." (an answer to me on Aliexpress message board)
Sally Yang, Customized Guitar Shop(Aliexpress)( Shanghai Rematch Music Instrument Co.)

aether - Posted - 04/02/2020:  04:59:19

Keep in mind that while one Chinese factory may churn out guitars for Republic and others, that the final product may not be built to the same standards or with the same materials. It’s typical for the US companies to specify specific requirements for tolerances that when not met are rejected. Also as many folks may be aware, companies like Gold Tone and Republic do final setup on these instruments in the states. It’s highly likely that the instruments being sold on Aliexpress and EBay are instruments that did not meet the quality control standards/specs of the US companies, so buyer beware....

wdwflash - Posted - 04/02/2020:  21:05:16

This is what I suspected with Customized Guitar Shop(aliexpress)/Shanghai Rematch Instrument Co. They are trying to sell their rejects on Aliexpress with false ads and pictures than pull the old "bait n' switch." After I caught them they used foul language and stopped answering me. Lucky with Aliexpress (and my use of Visa) I got my money back. On the other hand as I stated I ordered a clone-gibson a while ago and its amazing for the price.