Which guitar purchase disappointed you the most? - Page 5

inadu ridge · #61 06-20-2019, 07:17 PM

I've been disappointed with the tone of several guitars bought online over the years.
A couple that come to mind are:

A Martin CEO4-R that sounded like it was stuffed full of dead fish.

A mid-70s Guild G37 that had absolutely ZERO bass response.

mikef · #62 06-20-2019, 07:36 PM

Taylor 614ce - nothing at all wrong with the guitar, I guess Maple isn't for me.

Goodallboy · #63 06-20-2019, 07:37 PM

fitness1, nothing "always works". I'm presenting the view that playing a guitar before buying presents a better opportunity for success than buying unplayed.

If you disagree with that, ok. If some are adventurous and like to take chances on commissioned builds, that's understandable as well.

I suspect people would like to know how to increase the chances of success. If they want adventure and suspense, by all means they can keep ordering guitars with liberal return policies. My advice is for the former, the others can ignore it and all will be satisfied.

Rosewood99 · #64 06-20-2019, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CASD57

Well if I liked them I would of purchased

And Most of the ones listed I did purchase one of their models

Seagull a Mini-Jumbo.. boring tone
Taylor GSmini good....didn't like any other lower end models I played
Cort.. Earth 70 and 70 12 string, 100 and 200 series I owned..overbuilt
Martin... owned a GPCRSG Grand Performance, too glossy and wasn't tonally interesting. Played a bunch of others..
Eastman...Also owned HE122e didn't like also
Alvarez AP30SB could've been good if the bridge wasn't lifting
Guild P240 ..Quiet..felt like it was compressed sent back
Yamaha CSF3M boxy...sent back

I could go on... But I think I've figured out I'm a Yamaha guy and I'm waiting on My FG3 Red Label...

But the question was which disappointed you the most. Not list every guitar you dislike.

Coop47 · #65 06-20-2019, 08:48 PM

I found a floor model J45 online at CME at a fantastic price. It was beautiful but sounded as lifeless as any guitar I've ever played. Changed the strings, played it for 90 minutes straight, listened to a friend play it - no matter what I tried, I could not get it to sound good. Thankfully CME is great about returns, but I was bummed out.

CASD57 · #66 06-20-2019, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulzoom

But the question was which disappointed you the most. Not list every guitar you dislike.

Wow picky about dislikes , lol oh well

Ed66 · #67 06-20-2019, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

fitness1, nothing "always works". I'm presenting the view that playing a guitar before buying presents a better opportunity for success than buying unplayed.

It's hard, if not completely illogical, to disagree with this statement. In an ideal world I'd try every guitar before buying. Unfortunately, I have neither the time, nor live in a location which facilitates that reality. So most of my purchases (with 3 exceptions) have been online. I've been a statistical aberration (apparently), in that most of my online purchases have been great successes. I did buy two guitars early on - out of ignorance and and at very cheap price points - that didn't last - but they served their purposes and I ended up selling them for what I put in them so no loss there.

On to the disappointments. One was a Seagull folk model that I bought off of Craigslist. I'm a huge Seagull fan, but I bought this after playing it in a McDonald's parking lot. It sounded OK originally (with traffic noise competing with it) but once I got it back it just didn't feel right. I ended up learning how to setup a guitar on it, but, while I was able to get it relatively comfortable to play, it always had a small guitar/boxy sound that I wasn't OK with. I ended up selling it in the same McDonald's lot and making a few dollars.

My other disappointment is a Furch spruce / walnut G21SW-C that I've worked to get setup well, but I still struggle with in terms of sound/applicability. It's a very loud guitar (possibly the loudest I own) with some real punch and good tone which I imagine might work quite well were I a flat picker doing a bunch of bluegrass tunes. But that's not me so I'm in a state of flux on it right now. I may just hold onto it, but if I find I'm not playing it much in the next year it will have to go. Truthfully, it's too nice a guitar not to have a home that appreciates it and makes sure it gets played regularly.

CASD57 · #68 06-20-2019, 09:46 PM

Since this thread has rules on dislikes

The biggest let down goes to the Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor... I couldn't get it back in the box fast enough, and then I had to wash my hands twice

(Sorry Jim Dandy owners) I had to make it a little fun...

gitarro · #69 06-20-2019, 09:55 PM

For me, it was a OM made by a very well respected luthier in the Martin vintage replica tradition that I briefly owned years ago. Though it was an EIRW guitar, it had very little overtone content and was as fundamental as a mahogany guitar is supposed to be. It had however tremendous power and could not be overdriven by me. Still, as I do not flatpick, it was totally unsuitable for me and I sold it very quickly. After I put it up for sale, it sold before too long and I am sure its new owner liked it much more. Most of the time, it is not the guitar's fault - it is as a result of a mismatch between the buyer's needs and tonal expectations vs what the guitar was built for. If it is well made, somebody is bound to like the guitar that we do not like, and a guitar we find is unsuitable may be that person's dream guitar.

Conomor · #70 06-21-2019, 03:31 AM

An Alvarez AP70 I bought used. It was a brash, bellowing thing. I tried different strings, took it for a setup etc all to no avail. I ended up selling it for about what I paid for it, but I would have happily given it away just to be rid of it.

fitness1 · #71 06-21-2019, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

fitness1, nothing "always works". I'm presenting the view that playing a guitar before buying presents a better opportunity for success than buying unplayed.

If you disagree with that, ok.

Actually, I agreed with it in the previous post ("In a perfect world.....") - it's just not realistic for many people any longer. Lots of brick and mortar stores have gone away, and the internet has opened up lots of new opportunities. Believe me, I'm kind of a "stick in the mud" when it comes to technology.....fighting it as much as I can, but I'll also admit the "hunt for tone" has been kind of fun over the last 20 years since I found Ebay (and now Reverb)and the forums.

B-Nads · #72 06-21-2019, 06:43 AM

In acoustics, I had a Morgan OM cutaway that I wanted and tried to love - it was a beautiful looking guitar. Perhaps I gave up on it too soon, but it was terribly tight playing, feeling, and sounding. The fit and finish blew my 03 line Larrivee away, but the maple 03 absolutely shamed it for tone.

In electrics, a custom built Tele style and a 2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard.

backdoc · #73 06-21-2019, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleJesse

You noticed this right away and he wouldn't take it back? I'd have been pissed.

I was. He just blew me off. Cost me nearly $140 to send to Martin with insurance and obviously value is lost on the guitar. He claimed that they checked all guitars before they left, but clearly they weren't checking for that. It was obvious. The action was a bit high but there was barely enough saddle showing to bring it down. Took it directly to an authorized repair shop who advised me to send it directly back to Martin. They agreed it was a manufacturing fault and fixed it, but still left a bad taste in my mouth for Ted and I will never buy from him again and I take the opportunities that I have to let others know. He has great prices and is easy to buy from, but he won't do jack for you if you receive a defective guitar.

devellis · #74 06-21-2019, 07:08 AM

Biggest disappointment was a Gibson SJ-200 True Vintage. Big, bold look, as we all know. It was a superb strummer, a good flatpicker, and an okay fingerpicker with picks on those fingers. But it was not a particularly good fingerpicker for bare fingers, which is how I play. It was just too difficult for me to coax out the sound I wanted. And for what it cost, it just didn't work for me. Other guitars that cost far less served my needs far better. People often say of this guitar, "Well, it worked for Gary Davis." Yes, it surely did. But he used fingerpicks and I'm no Gary Davis. And to be honest, while I love the Rev.'s playing, I was never that crazy about the actual tone of his guitars (which were often out of tune anyhow). The overall effect was truly mesmerizing but I attribute that entirely to the player and not to the guitar.

The other notable disappointment was a Santa Cruz 000 in rosewood. The overtones and sustain were unending, which can be a good thing for some styles but for busy ragtime types of stuff, the notes all ran together and sounded muddy (at least in my hands). Another very good guitar that just wasn't good for me.

Both have moved on.

Rosewood99 · #75 06-21-2019, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CASD57

Since this thread has rules on dislikes

The biggest let down goes to the Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor... I couldn't get it back in the box fast enough, and then I had to wash my hands twice

(Sorry Jim Dandy owners) I had to make it a little fun...

Not a rule. It was just the question I originally asked. I wanted to know the biggest disappointment.