It's with a heavy heart that I post this, but I've been ripped off by someone here who is still taking money from people, and I feel it's my duty to warn people about this guy. What follows below is based on a post I just made in Swap Meet.
The guy involved is Ted Wilson, of Atlanta Georgia, goes by the usernames of Gripracer and also Cigarboxaudio (also has an ebay shop in the latter name). I can provide his full address and a genuine phone number to any other victim having problems.
I'm a DIY novice, posted here for advice last Feb, Ted offered to build me some stuff. I'm in the UK, he is in Atlanta, Georgia.
I sent money in Feb for a 'cigar box' DAC ... there were various enhancements we agreed on including output transformers and some component upgrades, so I sent extra cash.
In April i sent more cash for him to do a Shigaclone, and had a donor machine delivered to him. He also offered to do a step-up transformer for me too so I had some Altecs delivered as well.
Anyway after much hassling him (and months of no communication and a very bizzare tale over several months where he said he's shipped, no tracking info, but somehow it showed up back at his house weeks later) I finally got some kit through in November, the DAC and the SUTs.
The SUTs were wrongly wired ...each side wired wrongly, but differently wrongly, quite an achievement! I still haven't been able to make them work. The DAC works but is very badly made ... he may know the theory but his execution of soldering and enclosure-making is very shoddy.
The Shigaclone wasn't part of the shipment as he'd broken the donor board somehow. I sent another donor and am still waiting on my Shigaclone (though he did sent the PSU for it). He says now his paypal account is locked (am I surprised?), so he has no money to ship (though he claims it's fixed) - this latest delay has been going on since November.
I would have posted this long ago but I'm out more than $800 dollars all up including parts and donor machines and I didn't want to completely spoil the chance of getting the Shiga in the end. However I suspect it's too late for that and I'll never own a Shicaclone now, after going 'public'.
I must say I was shocked, as a Brit, my experience of Americans over many years has always been that they are just about the most trustworthy people in the world, but this clown lets your country down very badly!
I've only posted this because I've been in touch with three other people now who have had trouble getting this guy to follow through with promises do deliver projects or components. I don't believe he is deep down a bad guy but he lacks any sense of personal responsibility in following through with what he promises.
At the same time he was messing me around and not answering emails, he was running a competition promoting his business on swap meet (for a free 'Wineclone' as he calls it, an am based on the Red Wine chip amp + batter concept). I raised this with the mods but held off posting till now. I've now given up any hope of getting my Shigaclone in order to warn other people.
This guy has no place in this or any other hifi community and I would urge people not to deal with him.
The guy involved is Ted Wilson, of Atlanta Georgia, goes by the usernames of Gripracer and also Cigarboxaudio (also has an ebay shop in the latter name). I can provide his full address and a genuine phone number to any other victim having problems.
I'm a DIY novice, posted here for advice last Feb, Ted offered to build me some stuff. I'm in the UK, he is in Atlanta, Georgia.
I sent money in Feb for a 'cigar box' DAC ... there were various enhancements we agreed on including output transformers and some component upgrades, so I sent extra cash.
In April i sent more cash for him to do a Shigaclone, and had a donor machine delivered to him. He also offered to do a step-up transformer for me too so I had some Altecs delivered as well.
Anyway after much hassling him (and months of no communication and a very bizzare tale over several months where he said he's shipped, no tracking info, but somehow it showed up back at his house weeks later) I finally got some kit through in November, the DAC and the SUTs.
The SUTs were wrongly wired ...each side wired wrongly, but differently wrongly, quite an achievement! I still haven't been able to make them work. The DAC works but is very badly made ... he may know the theory but his execution of soldering and enclosure-making is very shoddy.
The Shigaclone wasn't part of the shipment as he'd broken the donor board somehow. I sent another donor and am still waiting on my Shigaclone (though he did sent the PSU for it). He says now his paypal account is locked (am I surprised?), so he has no money to ship (though he claims it's fixed) - this latest delay has been going on since November.
I would have posted this long ago but I'm out more than $800 dollars all up including parts and donor machines and I didn't want to completely spoil the chance of getting the Shiga in the end. However I suspect it's too late for that and I'll never own a Shicaclone now, after going 'public'.
I must say I was shocked, as a Brit, my experience of Americans over many years has always been that they are just about the most trustworthy people in the world, but this clown lets your country down very badly!
I've only posted this because I've been in touch with three other people now who have had trouble getting this guy to follow through with promises do deliver projects or components. I don't believe he is deep down a bad guy but he lacks any sense of personal responsibility in following through with what he promises.
At the same time he was messing me around and not answering emails, he was running a competition promoting his business on swap meet (for a free 'Wineclone' as he calls it, an am based on the Red Wine chip amp + batter concept). I raised this with the mods but held off posting till now. I've now given up any hope of getting my Shigaclone in order to warn other people.
This guy has no place in this or any other hifi community and I would urge people not to deal with him.
Wow...This guy's a real Piece of Work...He's still trying to sell his 'WineClone' Cigar Box amps on eBay for $350!...There is a Thread about him somewhere here...I like the Personal Touch of the badly hand done polarity +'s & -'s on the back in marker...Ouch!..
Seems to be a young man who has enthusiasm for this, and who is trying to be enterprising but got in over his head. This doesn't necessarily make him a bad person.
TBH, I have been watching his auction page for more than a year to see if he would actually sell one of those 'Wineclone' amps. The fact that so many here can't tell the difference between a well made (but perhaps run of the mill, without all of the 'glory' caps tacked on) amp and a cobbled together, half guess work, half voodoo mumbo-jumbo pile of junk says VOLUMES about peoples gullibility and total ignorance on a subject that so many here are supposed to be deeply interested in.
A little GENUINE education can go a long way.
TBH, I have been watching his auction page for more than a year to see if he would actually sell one of those 'Wineclone' amps. The fact that so many here can't tell the difference between a well made (but perhaps run of the mill, without all of the 'glory' caps tacked on) amp and a cobbled together, half guess work, half voodoo mumbo-jumbo pile of junk says VOLUMES about peoples gullibility and total ignorance on a subject that so many here are supposed to be deeply interested in.
A little GENUINE education can go a long way.
i dont deny my ignorance, i became aware of the shoddy workmanship too late im afraid. It is embarrassing coming here admitting to being taken in but people are still giving this guy money. I wont see my shigaclone now but at least he wont be ripping anyone else off now.
I've been ripped off too!
I sent him money for the DAC shown on Ebay three weeks ago. I have been trying to contact him via email - no response.
I sent him money for the DAC shown on Ebay three weeks ago. I have been trying to contact him via email - no response.
Frank the post on Swap Meet seems more active you may be better posting there, some of the guys may be able to help.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/swap-meet/181046-problems-gripracer-cigarboxaudio.html
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/swap-meet/181046-problems-gripracer-cigarboxaudio.html
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