Dented Avatar b212 neo- Am I in Trouble?

bringitlow · #1 02-08-2013, 01:41 AM

Hello everyone,

Tonight I purchased an Avatar B212 Neo off of craigslist. The seller seemed very courteous and professional, and I trusted that the cabinet would be fine, since in his ad he didn't list any issues at all. I met up with him at the parking lot of a public place, and i did a quick once-over of the cab, mainly checking to see that the speakers were in good shape. They checked out. I asked if there were any issues with the cabinet, he said no, and frankly it was too dark for me to do any serious inspection. My mistake...

I got home, and played through the cabinet. it sounded great. But then I took a closer look and noticed a whole bunch of issues with the cabinet. Here come the pictures...

it looks like there's a crack running through the underside of the cabinet... I can't tell if it's the actual wood, or a tolex glue joint. But all the tolex'd cabs I have have not had anything like this. Any insight?

Your typical crack in the plastic corner. I will probably end up having to replace this.
a.

b.

This is the one that worries me the most. I know it's kind of hard to make this out from the pictures, but basically the bottom of the speaker, right under the port is dented (picture a) causing that crack (picture b).

My question is: Will any of these issues drastically affect the performance of the cabinet? Will I be looking at any issues later on?

I'm already beating myself up about not giving the cab a thorough look over before shelling out the money, especially when it's been my standard procedure every time except this once. I am at the point where I am considering contacting the seller expressing my concern with these issues. I know, it's a craigslist no no, but I can't help but feel I was cheated out of my money, even partially. I am in a touring band and rely on my equipment for my income, and I can't be second guessing any part of my rig.

Any advice or expertise would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Downunderwonder · #2 02-08-2013, 01:55 AM

Misrepresented? Yes.

Any comeback? I don't know.

The straight line tolex gap sure looks like mere tolex separation.

The corner can be replaced.

The ding at the bottom looks worse than it is from the sound of it. No buzzing, sounds great. Try your luck at meeting back and getting a refund but don't stress over it breaking down on you if he doesn't return your calls?

nogoodwithnames · #3 02-08-2013, 02:06 AM

My avatar212 has a line just like that, only its on the underside of the cab. I'd say nothing to worry about there. The cracked corner sucks, but maybe he wasn't even aware of that. The dent in the port probably just looks like a big deal. Can't see it really affecting anything.
IMO, yeah it was misrepresented, but you've still got a nice cab.

bobcruz · #4 02-08-2013, 10:23 AM

+1. The tolex gap is a non-issue; try coloring the gap with a sharpie. Cracked corner isn't a big deal--replacements aren't expensive and will help your cab look brand new. The dent is the only real damage and it's pretty minor. Be careful not to drop the cab or it could get a lot worse. Good luck, Bob

jlepre · #5 02-08-2013, 10:41 AM

FLASHLIGHT next time? Sold as is, so I wouldn't think you have any recourse. Did seller say it was in EXCELLENT or MINT condition? It's a used cab, and that's what you got.

arginator · #6 02-08-2013, 07:03 PM

How much did you pay for it?

NYCbassist · #7 02-08-2013, 07:22 PM

That all looks superficial. Don't sweat it as long as it plays good. I'm sure Dave at Avatar will send you a corner protector. I'd just enjoy it as is. These are Great Cabinets for Sure.

bringitlow · #8 02-08-2013, 07:56 PM

Hey everyone, thanks for the reassuring responses.

I paid $300 for the cabinet, which I thought was an okay deal. I guess my main concern is the crack propagating, but hopefully that doesn't happen...

KhzDonut · #9 02-08-2013, 07:58 PM

You might want to take some thin super glue and just put a few drops into the crack just to help keep it from separating further. You could probably just smear some titebond wood glue into it and wipe off the excess. Basically, I'd just put enough glue that it seeps into the crack, but not enough to leave on the surface.

And honestly, I doubt that's necessary, but I'm the paranoid OCD type that over-thinks these things and comes up with convoluted solutions to insignificant problems.

I just bought a used Neo4x10 Avatar, and it's pretty solid from what I can tell. The surface carpet and plastic feet told a tale of misuse and neglect, but I can't find any signs of the structural components having noticed all of the trauma and abuse. Seems like all the joints and everything are built like a tank in those things. Time will tell, I suppose.

fdeck · #10 02-08-2013, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bringitlow

Hey everyone, thanks for the reassuring responses.

I paid $300 for the cabinet, which I thought was an okay deal. I guess my main concern is the crack propagating, but hopefully that doesn't happen...

The crack is unlikely to propagate in plywood. You might be able to straighten it out with a big C clamp and 2x4's, but it's probably not worth trying to fix.

Or, sneak off the Tolex around that portion, patch it up, and put the Tolex back on. It's really just cosmetic.