Which guitar purchase disappointed you the most?

[Ares]

A martin Hd35.
I saw it in a youtube comparison video , along a D28 and HD28.
In the video it made the other two martins sound weak and small.
I contacted the store , I asked them if this specific guitar was in stock and I had an american friend receive it for me.
She brought it to me 4-5 months later.
I opened the box , tuned it, played a g chord and within a few seconds I realized that this tone, with the thick impenetrable wall of lowmids, is unusable for me.
It was indeed very loud, but it didn't sound good.
I gave it a couple of months, I tried to like it, and in the end I traded it for a new D55.

[birkenweg42]

The worst guitar tonally was a '76 Martin 000-28. I loved looking at the naturally aged woods and binding but the sound was muted and muddy.

[jpd]

2009 Gibson "BluesKing". Bubinga back and sides just did not float my boat.

[gurroz]

Originally Posted by movehome

The new Yamaha Red Labels. I bought three in total that I had to return. I tried a couple more in the store that also had obvious issues.

The final one I returned had 3 tuners that barely worked. Even without much tension on them they were very difficult to turn. Yamaha branded turners too so there's really no excuse.

Another one in the store had the exact same problem.

I really wanted to like those guitars but the quality control is just really bad. Finish issues as well, intonation issues, glue squeeze out, etc. even with the made in Japan ones. At the time I had recently bought a new $150 guitar and it had significant better fit and finish.

My FS5 is fantastic! It is the one guitar I cannot put down once I start playing it. The fit, the finish and tone are fantastic. I had an instructor play it and he went from "this is nice to, this is really, really nice to, this is possibly the nicest guitar I have ever played."

[Nick84]

Really enjoyed reading through this thread!

I’ve had plenty of disappointments driving to try guitars only to walk away.

In terms of purchase I bought a lightly used Gibson LG2 50’s Original online from a dealer. It had a poorly cut nut and just lacked a lot id heard in other LG2s I’d played.

It seemed to sound even worse plugged in with the LR Baggs Element than any other guitar with the element I’ve played. Nails down a chalk board.

I sold it on at a loss.

[Br1ck]

I just remembered a couple, but I knew buying them. I knew I didn't like Les Pauls, but had to own one to prove it once and for all. Same with the MLO neck Martin. Thought I'd get used to it. Then there was the parlor I had to have just when flatpicking got me into dreads. But I knew going in, so there were no surprises. It was just something I had to prove to myself.

[slowesthand]

Mine was a HD28, bought used at 2 yrs. Old. It was my bucket list guitar. It played fine at first, loved it. A few months in it was harder and harder to play.took it to the shop and found out it needed a neck reset. Approx. $500 also the binding kept coming loose. I didn't love it enough to put anymore money into it. Ended up trading even up for a Taylor 314ce.

[Nickster]

My biggest disappointment was a froggy bottom dreadnought. Had no low end at all.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by Bluenose

Charlie Hunter is amazing but you're no slouch yourself.

You are too kind!

[boombox]

My first four figure guitar was a Martin 000-CE which I thought sounded good in the shop. Got it home and realused it was actually pretty boxy and dead. Moved it on within a month, losing £200. Sold an electric and put the money towards a Collings OM2H, which was a differrent class.

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by movehome

The new Yamaha Red Labels. I bought three in total that I had to return. I tried a couple more in the store that also had obvious issues.

The final one I returned had 3 tuners that barely worked. Even without much tension on them they were very difficult to turn. Yamaha branded turners too so there's really no excuse.

Another one in the store had the exact same problem.

I really wanted to like those guitars but the quality control is just really bad. Finish issues as well, intonation issues, glue squeeze out, etc. even with the made in Japan ones. At the time I had recently bought a new $150 guitar and it had significant better fit and finish.

Wow…Thanks for your post. It is something to consider….I have strongly considered one of these red labels.

[Zissou Intern]

I have a two way tie for worst purchase. A used Gibson 2010 J45TV was heartbreakingly bad. I should've sent it back, but I kept it thinking I'd change the pins, try different strings, and play the heck out of it to open it up. Nope, didn't happen.

The second disappointment was an Eastman E20D from maybe two or three years ago. I had owned an E20D several years ago, and it was a really powerful rosewood dread. When this one showed up, it was tight and bright, was way overbuilt, and sounded nothing like the Eastmans of old. (Great neck though.) It went back the very next morning.

[garthjmoore]

Sadly, I had a Lowden F32 12 fret that just sounded dead. Spruce top, but no sustain. It was also bulkier than I thought, given it wasn’t an O model. I love Lowdens, but had to sell it after two weeks and three sets of strings trying to liven it up.

[guitargabor]

I have to add another one to my previous post.

The past 2 months I have been in a merry go round trying to find a "couch" and "desk side" guitar.

Last week I took delivery of a Taylor GT urban ash...

Even my spouse commented: "that sounds terrible".

Enough said...

[Guitarfish]

Mine was a Custom shop 00-15s from a dealer that closed (can't remember). I got a decent deal, and it was an absolutely gorgeous guitar. But I just couldn't get past what I felt was a dead box. It was partly my type of play but I was happy to only lose a hundred or so turning over.