Most expensive guitar you didn't like

[sayheyjeff]

I don’t think I’ve played an expensive guitar I could say wasn’t any good. Some might have been right for me if I pretended they were in my budget, but that is a really different thing. I’ve played expensive guitars at shows and AGF gatherings and jams that I thought to myself weren’t for me because they were larger than I am comfortable playing, have more bling than I prefer, have different specs than I like for myself, or just a sound that isn’t really what I look for. I think, however, they were all terrific guitars. Played some expensive guitars in shops that appeared to have old, vintage, dead strings on them. I wasn’t blaming the guitar for what they sounded like with me playing and those strings. In fact, I remember going to try a Collings 000 someone posted for sale on Craigslist. The owner said he had not put new strings on it in the year or so he owned it. It appeared to be a nice guitar with enough nicks and play wear to bring the price down to my budget. However, it sounded dead and I couldn’t tell what it was going to sound like with new strings. Played it safe and didn’t buy it (probably should have bought it). Really don’t think it was going to have turned out to be a bad guitar.

Jeff

[Mark Stone]

A tie between a Gibson J-45 and a Martin D28 (around $2700 ea.) when I went guitar-shopping last March at a local GC. Both seemed thuddy and had no sustain, no life. Old strings may have hurt them methinks, but I was hoping that they would give some competition to the Taylors in the room. I went home with the Taylor 814ce, but I was quite honestly hoping that the Gibby would be the one. Now, though, almost 11 months later, I'm glad I chose the 814 -- what an amazing instrument.

[whvick]

The 100k martins just have too much bling for me

https://youtu.be/op9neJNQO7w

[Rukulele]

Gibson Hummingbird, totally boring tonally. Reminded me of my brothers old laminate Fender dreadnaught that I learned on. Playability was just ok.

[6L6]

I once owned an incredibly gorgeous Collings D-42AV (varnish). Without a doubt the most beautiful guitar I’ve ever owned.

I play fingerstyle and use a plastic thumbpick and two metal fingerpicks. Whenever I would play hard the Adi top went into overdrive and distorted. Couldn’t have that so, with tears in my eyes, I sold it on for exactly what I paid for it.

[Alnicol]

Lowden S23 .Soft frets - wear after ten hours play .I am not heavy handed I own several guitars including a 1958 telecaster which is still going strong with the original frets !,delicate soft finish .
Sound was OK .Nothing spectacular.

[tdq]

A guitar shop I visited had a Stephen Stills Martin signature model that was priced north of $AUD15K. While it was on ok guitar I wouldn't have paid more than about $1.5K for the "normal" model (prices in Australia are absurdly high but really....)
I was in another shop in London where a customer was trying out a few very expensive Lowdens. Again cant remember specifically the prices but they were several thousand pounds each. He got me to play a few tunes on each of them so he could hear them, and although they were very nice guitars they weren't for me.

[AndrewG]

I bought a OOO-28EC when they first came out and it was appalling; hands down the worst Martin I ever played. Nothing I did could make it sound right. I assume it was an anomaly; most of the Martins I have owned over my 50+ years of playing have been excellent.
Then there was the SCGC Tony Rice I bought, unseen, from the now long defunct London Resonator Centre. I had been looking forward to this, my dream guitar (at the time). When it arrived I opened the case to discover green frets, a neck like a banana, deep gouges in the pick guard and dings and scores where the headstock flares out from the neck. This was a guitar that had clearly been on and off a wall hanger and carelessly put back many times. They hadn't even bothered to dust it off-just shoved it in the case and took my money. To say I was angry is a bit of an understatement. I got my money back after venting my spleen at the disbelieving shop manager who seemed intent on calling me a liar!
I subsequently discovered that the LRC had gained a bit of a reputation-and not the good sort. I could continue with my experiences with Gibson's 'finest', but I'd hate to depress anyone more than absolutely necessary.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

I bought a OOO-28EC when they first came out and it was appalling; hands down the worst Martin I ever played. Nothing I did could make it sound right. I assume it was an anomaly; most of the Martins I have owned over my 50+ years of playing have been excellent.
Then there was the SCGC Tony Rice I bought, unseen, from the now long defunct London Resonator Centre. I had been looking forward to this, my dream guitar (at the time). When it arrived I opened the case to discover green frets, a neck like a banana, deep gouges in the pick guard and dings and scores where the headstock flares out from the neck. This was a guitar that had clearly been on and off a wall hanger and carelessly put back many times. They hadn't even bothered to dust it off-just shoved it in the case and took my money. To say I was angry is a bit of an understatement. I got my money back after venting my spleen at the disbelieving shop manager who seemed intent on calling me a liar!
I subsequently discovered that the LRC had gained a bit of a reputation-and not the good sort. I could continue with my experiences with Gibson's 'finest', but I'd hate to depress anyone more than absolutely necessary.

Hi Andy, I visited that place too. I'm so glad that you got your money back. That shop didn't last long and it left a lot of very dissatisfied people, not least the suppliers I believe.

[raysachs]

I’ve spent over $3000 on guitars twice, one electric, one acoustic. Both were great guitars, neither one suited me. One went back after a couple of days, one I sold after about 3-4 months.

The electric was a PRS 594 that sounded and played fantastic, but I play seated and I could never get comfortable with that guitar. Turns out that’s true of all Les Paul type designs with the leg cut way to the left, near the neck pickup / neck end of the body. But I learned that lesson on this guitar. Great for playing open chords, which I don’t do that much on electric, but I had to twist around like crazy to get to the upper frets, where I spend a lot of time on electrics. I tried to adapt to that guitar for a few months, but couldn’t. I bought it used, so I didn’t take much of a loss when I sold it after a few months.

The acoustic was a Martin 00-17 Authentic. It sounded wonderful fingerpicked, but didn’t have the kind of punch I wanted for strumming. At its price it would have had to be a single all-rounder, and it wasn’t. And other physical fit issues too. My right hand naturally fell far to the left of the bridge, to the point that it was uncomfortable to get my hand back to the bridge for palm muting and / or anchoring. Turns out I’m fine with 000 12-frets in this regard, and 00 or 000 14-frets, but not 00 12-frets. Live and learn. Also I finally met my match with too wide a neck at a 1 7/8 nut on that V. I love V necks but that one was really a handful. I might have adapted to that, but the guitar just wasn’t gonna work for me as an all-rounder. Returned it alter 2-3 days. Bought a CEO-7 for just over half the price and it’s been my only acoustic for nearly a year - a total hit in the areas where the 00-17A was a miss for me, with no downsides

In neither case was there anything wrong or bad about either guitar - just didn’t work for me.

-Ray

[Silly Moustache]

I'll mention two guitar then duck.

From '75 to about '96 I had a '73 Martin D35. I'd known and worked wit the two previous owners and despite it having a repaired neck break, there was (and still is) something magical about it.

After I traded it , I missed it and visiting one of my "wheeler dealer" pals He showed me a similarly aged D35 but with a shaded top - very beautiful, bu fr some reason I simply couldn't make it sound like a Martin - thin, uneven tonality.
I think I traded it for my first Collings 12 fret dread in '99.

This is the one I get flamed for.

Like Glenn, I wanted something to mark my 69th birthday, and had a yearning for a Gibson Roy Smeck style guitar.
A dealer some way a way , where Ibought my Collings 0002h, had started importing Huss & Dalton guitar. and they did a 12 fret version of their version of a gibson Jumbo - a DS12.

I ordered a custom version with a 1 & 13/16" nut width and a little subtle bling. and a deep dark sunburst.

It arrived in good time and Mrs Moustache and I drove to collect it on my actual 60th birthday.

From day one there seemed to be something amiss with the guitar. I do believe that it was the most expensive guitar I'd ever bought.

The neck felt terrible in ways I couldn't describe and it buzzed, buzzed, buzzed. ad the finish wasn't cured or something so you could smear it just by pressing it with your finger.

I can't remember how times I took it back to the long suffering dealer who replaced nuts and saddles endlessly. I tried to discuss it with H&D but they simply would not talk to me referring me back to the dealer. Later I took it to a much trusted and highly regarded luthier (who teaches other luthiers, and he told me that the top was too thin and floppy and the struts were too thin to support it.
Dealer finally took it back and gave me a larrivee in exchange - nice but not what I was looking for. I took it to end the saga. I sold that to a friend but lost some thousands on the deal overall deal.

I don't prescribe to judging an instrument on first impressions, especially new ones, but in this case I should have rejected the H&D on that day, my 60th birthday!

Some years later I saw it hanging in another dealer, being sold (or not) on consignment. It didn't sell.

P.S. I believe that any builder can build what we consider "dogs". whilst one can say its just a wooden box with strings over, it isn't "magic" to making it work but , maybe one aspect, most often the top, doesn't work and especially when guitars are high volume produced.

n.b. In the UK, the warranty responsibility for foreign made instruments (that means USA or other) passes from the builders to the dealers or distributors. This is possibly why H&D refused to speak to me.
However, I had one experience with a Collings (that I bought used) and Collings took it upon themselves to arrange shipping from UK to the US, fix the issue and ship it back for me, (FOC). Whilst I'd detected something that prompted them to modify published specs it was really an over and above expectations demonstration of customer service. See - it can be done!

[KCharlesD]

A 1968 Martin D28. Sounded dull and lifeless. What a disappointment. I was very surprised. I went back to playing a Blueridge in the shop straight after that.

[varmonter]

I have 2 experiences.
One was a martin at the local GC.
I cant recall the model but it
had alot of bling and it was
A 000 or om size. 4800.00
Absolutely dull lifeless guitar.
The other was a 60s vintage hummingbird in a pawnshop window
In Ashville NC. It was a nice looking
Guitar with not a ton of wear.
Set up was good. They were asking
5k. I sat in a chair and the girl carried
It over to me like it was the crowned jewels of england. I took 3 or 4 strums and handed it back. Just awful dull thud of a box.

[KenL]

I finally found a 000-28EC after looking for months. Gorgeous guitar when it arrived. I played it for a month, tried different strings, but could never get it to sound like much, either strummed or fingerpicked.

I had my old Guild and an Alvarez-Yairi at the time, and the Martin came in a distant third to those two. Very disappointing, so I sold it.

Just my bad luck, I got the rare dud. I know that most of them are great guitars.

[TJNies]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

A 1970’s something vintage Martin D28 Marquis that sounded awful and needed a lot of work.
They wanted $1800 for it. That may not seem like a lot, but there’s no way I would have bought it even for $1000.
YMMV.

The Marquis were not produced in the 70s, so this was likely a standard D-28.