Biggest blunders/pleasant surprises in guitars purchases

S

Silverman

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Jan 19, 2017
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While playing my cheap Yamaha acoustic FSX today I got to thinking about how - despite it's bottom shelf price - it's one of my favorite guitars that I own. Then I got to thinking about all the guitars that I paid pretty good money for and ended up regretting, such as my Les Paul faded I recently kicked to the curb.

I figured it'd be pretty info-taining to hear about other PRS folk's regrets and pleasant surprises. Let's hear it!
 
Don't have time for details, but, just like your post, some of my favorite players are 'budget' guitars, whereas some of my highest priced get very little playtime...
Also, a few of my very favorites are very plain looking....
 
I would love to tell you about one of my favorite acoustics but it has no name on it! Bought used about thirty years ago. It was beat up then. That is all I know. Suspect it could be Japanese. I have had a few Yamahas myself. They make some great guitars for sure.
 
Back when I was in the ibanez camp I thought I wanted a neck through RG as I had 3 RGs and liked them at the time.

I found a beautiful red one that had the infinity pickups and I was prepared to buy it. Once I plugged it in I was totally turned off by the tone. Tried a couple different amps but no dice.
 
I had a black OLP hardtail with a maple neck that I got in 2003. Two buckers and a single volume control, cost me $150 new at Guitar Center. It actually played really, really well, and sounded way better than a $150 guitar had any right to. I had a cherry Gibson Faded V at the time, one of the original series with the ebony board and the crescent moon on the 12th fret as the only inlay. I honestly gave the OLP equal playing time with the V. It almost sounded Tele like. Wish I hadn't gotten rid of it.

I got my daughter a sparkly purple Daisy Rock Retro-H that I found minty fresh on eBay for $125, Grover Rotomatics and a TonePros wraparound (don't get me started... great sound, but the worst bridge to restring in the history of ever). It has one razor fret jutting slightly out on the treble side around the 14th fret, but otherwise it plays like a dream. Great rhythm axe with perfect decay and just a bit of jangle from the firebird style pups. I still contend with this little pipsqueaky voice in my head trying to talk me into getting it a Pigtail and a set of Lollars...
 
Huggy B said:
I bought one of these back in the day...............WTF was I thinking?!!!



I don't even need to explain the horrid details, do I?
Click to expand...
Oh Man! That is ghastly! Something you'd expect Nigel Tuffnel to wield!
 
I picked up a beautiful, candy apple red, MIM Strat at the cheaper end of the going used range. It sounds like a strat, it plays well for cowboy chords, but as I used it more I found that in the region of the "Comfortably Numb" solo, the strings buzz. Yep, uneven frets. Don't know why I didn't notice it when I was test driving it. I am bummed, but at least now I have something to practice leveling and crowning on.:rolleyes:
 
I decided I wanted a steel string acoustic while I was studying engineering. I got this Norman and couldn't find anything better to replace it with at 10 times the price for over 30 years.
Yes, I still own it.
CK_022NormanBackWakeAAA.JPG
 
veinbuster said:
I decided I wanted a steel string acoustic while I was studying engineering. I got this Norman and couldn't find anything better to replace it with at 10 times the price for over 30 years.
Yes, I still own it.
CK_022NormanBackWakeAAA.JPG
Click to expand...


That reminds me of my Cortley - first decent acoustic I bought at 15. Looks like the same neck/volute carve and plastic case Gotoh tuners as well.
From the little info my research turned up, mine was probably built at the Terada plant (they now make the core line Gretsch guitars). I posted a pic of the front in the "never leave instruments" thread.
Like you, I haven't been able to find anything superior for less than 10 times what I gave for it. At least until I can afford a PS PRS acoustic......

DSCF0027.jpg
 
Silverman said:
Oh Man! That is ghastly! Something you'd expect Nigel Tuffnel to wield!
Click to expand...
What can I say, it was in the Def Leppard days :p.
It had a tremolo that wouldn't stay in tune even if you smeared whale blubber over the nut.:oops:
 
Huggy B said:
What can I say, it was in the Def Leppard days :p.
It had a tremolo that wouldn't stay in tune even if you smeared whale blubber over the nut.:oops:
Click to expand...

Aw man, now I totally have to go home and figure out "Photograph" again.
 
To me, Yamaha instruments kinda don't count because they have a huge amount of industrial resources available to them as well as a whole lot of genuine luthiers. They have been known to kick out a lot of very well made instruments at completely unprofitable prices. Something like that anyway. They are formidable competitors in the instrument making world. They are also the same guys that make the V-Max motorcycle. Too powerful and fast for mere mortals to ride.
 
Biggest surprise has been the Squier 51. Have had mine since 2005. Longest I've owned any instrument. Has been a great modification platform over the years.

As I've owned a ton of guitars over the years, a lot have been disappointments. Including a Santa Cruz Tony Rice model that never played well.

Other disappointments included a Les Paul Studio that I could never get to stop buzzing someplace on the fingerboard. And, hate to admit this, a very early PRS Studio model. 10 top. The patch of wood they used around the single coils was poorly matched IMO. Definitely not a 10 for that. And the 2 single coil pickups used did not sound great. Even though they were probably Duncans. Paid a lot for it used and never got used to it.
 
HANGAR18 said:
To me, Yamaha instruments kinda don't count because they have a huge amount of industrial resources available to them as well as a whole lot of genuine luthiers. They have been known to kick out a lot of very well made instruments at completely unprofitable prices. Something like that anyway. They are formidable competitors in the instrument making world. They are also the same guys that make the V-Max motorcycle. Too powerful and fast for mere mortals to ride.
Click to expand...

If Yammy hadn't sh!t the bed and passed/low-balled on The Sorcerer's Apprentice every instrument I own would probably be made by them.
 
Couple here...
1) Taking one of my first "real" basses (Natural USA "P" bass) and chopping the body up to make the incorrect height Leo Quan Bridge fit...#$#$%!!
2) trading an early PRS Studio Red flame 10 top to a Baltimore pawn shop for a MV Pedulla Fretless...great bass, but even better guitar.
3) side note...I'm always telling people to look out for the older Yamaha FG series acoustics...great bang for the buck...IMHO
 
I've always bought USA made guitars and amps, and have never had one I'd consider a dog. My only regrets have been the ones I've let go.

Pedals are another matter. Between 1975 or so and the early 90s, I couldn't find a pedal I could live with. When my '67 Vox wah died and I somehow lost my old Maestro fuzz from 1966, I wondered why no one could make a dang pedal that sounded halfway interesting. Everything sounded generic or like junk to me. Maybe those first gigantic Boss choruses sounded good, though I wasn't into chorus at the time, so that's one I missed.

So I used rack gear, or just went straight into the amp until companies like Fulltone started making real-deal pedals and got a whole cottage pedal industry going.
 
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