The STRATosphere

[BillMason]

Anyone ever have any luck buying stuff from these guys on eBay? It seems like whenever I bid, I get outbid at the very last minute, and then low and behold after the auction ends another one just like whatever I'm bidding on appears as a new listing...

[Captain Chaos]

I bought a body from them.

[Nedmundo]

I was just looking at necks on eBay, and noticed they have multiple examples of each type of neck they sell. So you might not be seeing the same exact item relisted, but another of its type. I'm going to watch a few sales of '62 RI Jazz necks they're running.

[Chef]

Been watching their stuff for a while.
Haven't bought any, but I'd like another 62 type J someday...
They seem to have good feedback, but I also think you have to be careful not to pay more than the sum of the parts might go for...

[BillMason]

Maybe I'm just paranoid... I've been trying to get a set of 62 RI P bass pups for about a week, each time max bidding what I've seen them go for in the past, but have also tried pick guards and some other parts in the past, and always the same thing.

[savit260]

My guitar player bought an outstanding Greco Les Paul copy from them, at a fair market price.

I do see them list "American 62 RI" p/u's that don't have cloth covered wires. Makes me suspicious of them as all the American Made 62 RI p/u's I've ever seen had cloth covered wires. Not sure what their deal is, but thier prices seem kind of high on the "Buy it Now" stuff. You could buy a complete used MIJ Fender for a whole lot less than it would cost to buy one from these guys piece by piece.

[M5Yates]

The "American 62 RI" pickups STRATosphere sells are not the same as the ones that come in the American Vintage 62 Precision. They are just "Made in America" pickups Fender Japan installs in their Reissue Precisions. I find some of their auctions very misleading.

[lowendgenerator]

They are a great source if you need parts, but I don't think I would BIN any of it.

[BillMason]

It seems like every time I bid on something that is listed for a dollar, there are three or four instances of the same thing listed for the same price. I'll be the only one bidding on just one of those items, with no one bidding on the others, until the last minute when someone hijacks my max bid - why wouldn't they just bid on one of the others, instead of paying $20 for something that we would both otherwise be able to buy for a dollar?

[bassgod0dmw]

I bought a vintage tremolo for a Fender Strat (right handed) They sent me a left handed modern trem...and it was a royal pain to get them to exchange/refund even though it clearly wasn't what I bid on or what was in the picture...

They ended up having to refund my money because they didn't even have the part I bid on any more. I wonder if they sent it to the guy that bid of the lefty that I got...but I doubt it!!!

I ended up just finding a new one at a store in Nashville and I had them send it to me...much easier!

[Tomis17]

I am kind of weary of them. I don't think I would even buy from them.

[ibanezcollector]

I have bought from them at least 5x been a great experience each and everytime.

[bassman10096]

I've heard generally good things about them. But, like anything - read the ads carefully - some of the RI bodies are not alder - I believe they are poplar, as is sometimes substituted in Japan. When the ad says "alder" I'd rely on it. If not, not.

[tplyons]

I've bought a neck from them, transaction went smooth as silk.

[J.D.B.]

I bought two alder bodies from them and both are as advertised. Yeah, if the ad says alder then it is alder in my experience. He buys up mostly Japanese stuff (basses) and parts them out, new and used. My guitar player told me that to keep from running afoul of FenderCo, Mr. Gibney can't sell whole guitars, only parts(as he isn't a Fender authorized dealer). Maybe so, maybe not. I have had very good service there, however.
Josh