Of course I should have said that most dealers I've run across at festivals have been fine folks that were very honest and open about repairs, non-original parts, etc. It's just that this one guy at Clifftop last week kind of got to me. Other than trying to shoo people away from his booth, what could I have done? So I'm just trying to warn my Mudcat friends about this practice, which, as old instrument prices continue to rise, seems to be increasing. There are other things to know about buying and selling instruments that I might divulge if anyone's interested. But generally, if you're going to spend large money (which to me is anything over a couple of hundred dollars), educate yourself first.

Chet