Ever Been Really Disappointed When You Tried A Guitar Youve Been Lusting For?

[dptone5]

I love the feel of my PRS Custom 24 and it is absolutely beautiful. Just never sounds good to me, no matter what I tried. Les Pauls - I own one and have tried a ton. Will keep it for the tone, but not my favorite guitar. Uncomfortable to play and tuning issues with the low E string. Can never hit it hard or it sounds out of tune.

Played a $5200 Gibson LP Custom 1960 model at Guitar Center last week. It was OK. Same tuning issues as my 91' Classic and the tone was good. Then I played a Fender American Elite Strat. WOW! For me, a LP just can't compare to a good American Strat.

DP

 

[EndGame00]

Brian Moore... I was lusting over it until I played one.....The neck did not feel right to me

 

[GibsonKramer]

99.9% of Gibson tuning issues are related to the way they're being tuned (yeah, I know... no one here however, I'm sure)

If people would spend the 3 minutes watching Joe Walsh's Gibson setup video, their Gibson tuning woes would end. But, I constantly feel like I'm talking to a wall.

S'OK... my 5 Gibsons all stay in tune. E through E.

 

[axe4me]

I drove from Howell, NJ to the Wilmington , Del. GC to check out a Rick Vito Reverend.
I wanted this guitar in the worst way.
It was a bag of bricks.
The heaviest "korina" guitar I've ever played.
It had zero presence.

I drove up to Boston GC to check out this used Guild X 175.
I called the GC manager and picked his brain. It seemed like it was exactly what I was looking for.
When I got there. this GC character didn't remember my phone call and was clueless. I even called this guy when I was on my way to Boston.
The Guild was TOTALLY misrepresented.
It was uninspiring in person. It needed a lot of work that I didn't feel I needed to do or be involved with. It was inherently bad and I didn't feel the urge to haggle. It wasn't what was described to me over the phone. I would have been livid if this POS was shipped to me. The metal bridge base was shaped all wrong and didn't sit well on the body.
The manager asked me to try anything in the store to get a sale.
I just walked out.
I drove 250 miles home without the guitar or anything else that this GC manager tried to convince me was worth buying.

I've had better experiences buying GC guitars across the country sight unseen.
I don't condemn GC for a few employees that couldn't deliver a pizza.
Some are winners others are train wrecks.

Hey, I'm not slamming GC as a whole.
Some of their employees are just ass hats.
Many years ago, I spoke to a GC salesgirl on the phone about a used PRS Custom 24 on their used site. She described the guitars features. I asked her to hold the guitar for me and that I'd drive to Totowa the next day. I drove there and the PRs wasn't anything that was described. It was still something I'd love but just not as described. I bought it. Still have it. Love it.
Like the Boston GC manager, this Totowa employee was a lost fart in a blizzard.

 

[paul-e-mann]

I'm not real happy with my Tele. Once I figure out what pickups to put in it maybe I'll like it better. How did Jimmy Page make his sound so good on those first two albums?

 

[chiliphil1]

I drove from Howell, NJ to the Wilmington , Del. GC to check out a Rick Vito Reverend.
I wanted this guitar in the worst way.
It was a bag of bricks.
The heaviest "korina" guitar I've ever played.
It had zero presence.

I drove up to Boston GC to check out this used Guild X 175.
I called the GC manager and picked his brain. It seemed like it was exactly what I was looking for.
When I got there. this GC character didn't remember my phone call and was clueless. I even called this guy when I was on my way to Boston.
The Guild was TOTALLY misrepresented.
It was uninspiring in person. It needed a lot of work that I didn't feel I needed to do or be involved with. It was inherently bad and I didn't feel the urge to haggle. It wasn't what was described to me over the phone. I would have been livid if this POS was shipped to me. The metal bridge base was shaped all wrong and didn't sit well on the body.
The manager asked me to try anything in the store to get a sale.
I just walked out.
I drove 250 miles home without the guitar or anything else that this GC manager tried to convince me was worth buying.

I've had better experiences buying GC guitars across the country sight unseen.
I don't condemn GC for a few employees that couldn't deliver a pizza.
Some are winners others are train wrecks.

Hey, I'm not slamming GC as a whole.
Some of their employees are just ass hats.
Many years ago, I spoke to a GC salesgirl on the phone about a used PRS Custom 24 on their used site. She described the guitars features. I asked her to hold the guitar for me and that I'd drive to Totowa the next day. I drove there and the PRs wasn't anything that was described. It was still something I'd love but just not as described. I bought it. Still have it. Love it.
Like the Boston GC manager, this Totowa employee was a lost fart in a blizzard.

You've got that right. GC is a crap shoot. I'm lucky to have 1 fairly close that has good and knowledgeable employees and another who has SOME good and knowledgeable people. I have definately seen the clueless pushy sales people and it is absolutely frustrating. The one worst one was on a trip to Virginia. They had a dual rectifier in there used and I've never played one so I had to take the chance to try it. I asked this guy if I could plug in and got the ok, so I did. The amp either wasn't plugged in or something was wrong but either way it didn't work. The sales guy had no idea what to do and wasn't willing to try BUT he did start talking to me about the GC credit card and how they could ship it to my home for me, since I was on a trip. This guy would not let up, kept on with "you can finance it" "You don't have to worry about carrying it home, we'll ship it" I mean on and on. Keeping in mind I hadn't even heard the amp yet nor did I know if it even worked. I walked out frustrated, disappointed, and without amp.

I'm not real happy with my Tele. Once I figure out what pickups to put in it maybe I'll like it better. How did Jimmy Page make his sound so good on those first two albums?

Because he is JIMMY PAGE.

 

[JLBIII]

Any one with a Floyd Rose locking tremolo. Thought I would like it so I bought a guitar with one installed. Can't seem to get the hang of it after playing stop bar tail pieces all these years. No problem with Fender strat or Kahler systems.

 

[axe4me]

The Springfield, NJ GC has a used Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight Fuzz for $299.99.
You can buy them new for $225.00 and Reverb.com has a used one for $185.00.
You need to do your homework.
Most of the used gear prices at GC are really good.
A few are incredibly bad and will screw you out of your hard earned cash.

I dealt with the Springfield, NJ a month or so ago.
I did a trade for a used Gibson 335 Studio.
They didn't give me a gig bag or COA because they never got them with the guitar.
The manager told me that Gibson will sent the COA to me if I request it.
One salesman told me that the Memphis Gibson 335 Studio was a GC exclusive.
I told him that just isn't so and he just shrugged his shoulders.
I called Gibson and they won't send me the COA or send it to GC.
The BS meter should go into overdrive when one of these car salesmen opens his/her mouth.
I like the guitar but have some reservations going back to the Springfield, NJ GC.
I haven't been there since.

 

[Bownse]

Yes (to the OP). My current LP Trad Pro 2. It sounded and played well but wouldn't stay in tune for [nuthin']. Every 2nd or 3rd song I was retuning it. Went back to GC (mistake) and paid them for a setup but the issue persisted. Fought with it for more than a year. Tried gaphite as well as Nut Grease and still no help.

Took it to a local luthier (Lambs of FtW) for a replacement nut (bone), setup, installation of a pair of Dr. Vintage pickups, swapped in some Black Bee PiO caps (47uf @ 600v) and a 50s wiring.

One thing he suggested while we talked was a wound G.

The sound was much improved with the PAF pickups and other bits but the amazing thing is that, the wound G in combination with a proper setup, the stinking thing now stays in tune like my Martin. Rock solid with maybe a slight drift after sitting in the case for a week.

NOW it's the guitar I thought it should have been from the factory.

 

[12barjunkie]

Went into GC some time ago planning on spending some serious cash on a Gibson LP. Played every LP in the store...several times. Walked out with an epiphone that played and felt waaay better than everything else. Love that guitar! ( and my wallet loves me )

 

[Bownse]

Went into GC some time ago planning on spending some serious cash on a Gibson LP. Played every LP in the store...several times. Walked out with an epiphone that played and felt waaay better than everything else. Love that guitar! ( and my wallet loves me )

Yeah. I traded in my Epi LP for the Gibson and until Lambs worked on it, I felt it was a trade down. The Gibson has more trim detail but the Epi seemed more stable.

After the work on it, there's no comparison. The Gibson had the edge on playability with a slight edge on tone. But the stability of the Epi was the cat's a$$ with playability a good setup away (I suspect). After the mods, the Gib is a honking beast that has so many different personalities that it's great fun to explore what tones it can do.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Any one with a Floyd Rose locking tremolo. Thought I would like it so I bought a guitar with one installed. Can't seem to get the hang of it after playing stop bar tail pieces all these years. No problem with Fender strat or Kahler systems.

I actually had a Floyd installed on an Ibanez Strat back in the 80's when whammy was all the rage. I enjoyed it then but I never use it any more, its just not my thing at this point.

 

[GibsonKramer]

Love my Floyd! Got the replacement washer this week and going to have it setup next week. Coming back into the rotation!

 

[dptone5]

99.9% of Gibson tuning issues are related to the way they're being tuned (yeah, I know... no one here however, I'm sure)

If people would spend the 3 minutes watching Joe Walsh's Gibson setup video, their Gibson tuning woes would end. But, I constantly feel like I'm talking to a wall.

S'OK... my 5 Gibsons all stay in tune. E through E.

Thanks for the tip GibsonKramer. I will look that up and try it. Would love my LP to stay in better tune. I also heard that I should put some graphite in the nut.

DP

 

[msgdman]

I love AC/DC, and grew up on Angus, I wanted to love an SG so badly I could taste it. I was SO excited to buy my first one, and was positive I would love it, but I HATED it. I have tired several, always thinking the next one will be right, but I cant stand the way the neck wants to drop when playing it, literally drives me crazy.

 

[wolf5150]

I bought a Tyler Studio Elite a few years ago based on reviews that raved about his necks.
Ordered it unseen.... never again.
The neck was enormous and the whole thing balanced oddly on the strap.
I contacted Tyler to ask about the neck and got a reply full of attitude.
couldn't sell it quick enough.

 

[GibsonKramer]

Excuse me... but who is Tyler? I searched ebay and came back with ridiculously high priced Fender clones.

It'd be real tough to get me to pay remotely close to that, for a Gibson. For clone, of a Fender? I don't care if its crafted by Apollo. Not.

 

[JLBIII]

Thanks for the tip GibsonKramer. I will look that up and try it. Would love my LP to stay in better tune. I also heard that I should put some graphite in the nut.

DP

Old trick. Just use a "lead" pencil on the string slot in the nut.

 

[Coronado]

I have a Fender Blacktop Strat that I think looks and sounds great. It feels great, except I struggle with the volume which I always seem to whack my hand on. I just cant find a comfortable hand position. Other than that, I think its great.

Guitar Center... Ah yes. Like anything, you got your good and bad. 3 years ago, my wife was buying me a Gibson LP Trad for Christmas. I told her the exact one I wanted, and all she needed to do was to call GC and just verify that they still had the one I wanted before she came down. Apparently the salesperson was such a knob that she told the guy forget it and then went to Sam Ash. Then again, this last Christmas, she was buying me a new Gibson Explorer. Same story, called to tell them she would be down to pick it up in a couple hours when she got off work and the guy starts in with his BS about how it might not be there when she arrives, she should leave work now. She left work on time, and again headed to Sam Ash to buy the Explorer after yet another bad experience with GC. No lie, that same black Explorer is still hanging on the wall at GC.

 

[GibsonKramer]

Old trick. Just use a "lead" pencil on the string slot in the nut.

Why? When you don't need to.

If you just stretch on the strings, always tune up, not down... you won't have any need for rubbing a pencil in the nut.

Slack on the strings, above the nut... is the number one tone/tuning killer on Gibsons.