What was the worst guitar you have ever played or owned?

[bloodlust]

I would say it is a toss up between a samick plexi glass metal strat that weighed a tun and just sounded flat or a used ibanez jem555 that i bought used would not stay in tune I had the frets redressed and the neck adjusted and it did not help and it just had a thin sound to it but it was used or could have been a dud

 

[Choop]

Either this dude's Epi LP special (felt like a toy, it wouldn't hold tune and the tone and playability in general were just catastrophic) or the plethora of cheap acoustics people often get that just play and sound terrible. Not to say all cheap acoustics are bad, I have a seagull s6 folk and it's pretty nice.

 

[shanejohnson02]

Oddly enough, a prestige Ibanez. I still have it, can't seem to get rid of the thing. It's an SA1260. The action is outrageously high, and it constantly binds over the nut when I use the tremolo. I know I could fix it, but it's also got a very annoyingly thin sound, and I've tried 3 different sets of pickups in it. I've tried to sell it several times but nobody seems to want it.

 

[spirit_crusherITA]

1) a MIM strat that i bought when i started playing.I thinked fender was awesome...the action was so high that you could have put a finger under the high E.the trem was total crap and so the pups.UNPLAYABLE.
2) a SX strat copy of a friend. same as above but in addition some frets popped out of the fretboard,LITERALLY. they fell on the floor.at least the guitar was like 100 bucks...
3)a custom shop fender that went for 2400 euros that even with a insanely high action had lots of buzz all over the fretboard.the neck of that bitch was straight as f**k!

 

[kochmirizliv]

It was an Orfeus a bulgarian ussr "guitar" with a neck like a shovel.The action was higher than an Rambo movie...

 

[CrownofWorms]

Dean Razorback V 255.

fuck that piece of shit

The neck is awful

 

[Dickicker]

98% of this thread is cheap guitars. Of course they suck but I cant believe there was some super expensive stuff listed, thought I was the only one. I played a 98 gibson les paul studio that a friend of mine got in at his shop. It was so bad. No life in the wood and the frets were like razors. If you pay more than a grand for a guitar, this bitch should come set up. But they dont. I've payed more than 2 grand and the stuff was not setup.

 

[rockstarazuri]

My first guitar, Ibanez GIO GRG150. Action was like 4-5mm off the fretboard at the 5th (!) fret even after setting the bridge way down. I don't know what was wrong with the neck.

Recently, the Fender USA American Special Strat. Sloppy workmanship, looooose neck pocket, uneven paintjob. The maple fingerboard wasn't smooth and the frets were poorly done. The quality sucks so much, it shouldn't have the Made in USA stamp on it.
It played ok and was resonant, but maybe because of that it had very bad sustain on the higher frets, which bothered me a lot.

Promptly traded it in for a Made in China Rasmus. Surprise, the quality is light years way ahead of the USA strat (and my Prestiges as well, surprisingly). I stopped believing only America and Japan make the best guitars on the planet ever since. Given proper QC, other places can make a high quality instrument without being super expensive.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

Recently, the Fender USA American Special Strat. Sloppy workmanship, looooose neck pocket, uneven paintjob. The maple fingerboard wasn't smooth and the frets were poorly done. The quality sucks so much, it shouldn't have the Made in USA stamp on it.
It played ok and was resonant, but maybe because of that it had very bad sustain on the higher frets, which bothered me a lot.

Promptly traded it in for a Made in China Rasmus. Surprise, the quality is light years way ahead of the USA strat (and my Prestiges as well, surprisingly). I stopped believing only America and Japan make the best guitars on the planet ever since. Given proper QC, other places can make a high quality instrument without being super expensive.

The American Special series has always been pretty hit or miss, not surprising for a USA built guitar for $800, they tend to have to cut a few corners to get the pricing that low. I've played really good ones, but a whole bunch of really bad ones. Considering you can get a decent American Standard for the same price, I'm not sure why the AmSpec is still kicking.

I'm in no way surprised that the Rasmus is better, while the bodies and necks are cut and worked in China, the bulk of the work on them is done in the USA at Suhr's California facility, including fretwork and PLEK setup and they're then given a full once over an QA/QC by the Suhr USA team. The hardware is also top quality Gotoh with Suhr pickups. Keep in mind, that Rasmus still costs a few hundred more than the AmSpec. Rightfully so too.

 

[Polythoral]

A local music store carried these amazing looking imported acoustics that were priced like 400-700 USD. Upon playing it, the frets bottom ends were damn sharp enough to cut my finger(s) and there were dead notes along the entire neck of each guitar. I forget the brand name.

 

[Pav]

The highest-end Ibby I've ever played was more than enough to kill any interest I had in the brand.

 

[rockstarazuri]

The American Special series has always been pretty hit or miss, not surprising for a USA built guitar for $800, they tend to have to cut a few corners to get the pricing that low. I've played really good ones, but a whole bunch of really bad ones. Considering you can get a decent American Standard for the same price, I'm not sure why the AmSpec is still kicking.

I'm in no way surprised that the Rasmus is better, while the bodies and necks are cut and worked in China, the bulk of the work on them is done in the USA at Suhr's California facility, including fretwork and PLEK setup and they're then given a full once over an QA/QC by the Suhr USA team. The hardware is also top quality Gotoh with Suhr pickups. Keep in mind, that Rasmus still costs a few hundred more than the AmSpec. Rightfully so too.

Sadly there still are a lot of people who get put off by it's MIC origin, and still say they won't buy anything other than American/Japanese guitars. These things need more love

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I think Suhr did great with the Rasmus models, but they priced them WAY too close to the Pro Series. You can find S1s and S2s for only a few hundred more than a new Rasmus pretty consistently.

Would you rather spend $1400 on a Rasmus Govan or $2000 on a real deal M2?

If they drop the price on the Rasmus by just a little, and used some of the brighter finish options (or just more trans finishes) they'd probably sell a little better.

 

[MFB]

I thought $1400 was the MSRP on the Rasmus putting the street lower, closer to the $1100 mark?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I thought $1400 was the MSRP on the Rasmus putting the street lower, closer to the $1100 mark?

The Govan model (just an M200 model with a trans finish) streets for $1400, the rest go for between $1000 and $1200 depending on dealer.

There are half a dozen Suhr Pros on eBay for ~$1000 right now, and a handful more in the $1500 range. Most go for $2000 and that includes ones with drop dead gorgeous finishes.

 

[rockstarazuri]

Unfortunately in Japan, Suhr prices are marked up, overpriced even. Brand new a Suhr Pro series would cost $3000+ depending on the type. A plain Modern with alder body etc would be like $3200. Second hand Pro series are even rarer. Exorbitant prices > No one buying new > No second hand.

Even the Rasmus is slightly overpriced here rather than the usual price.
When it comes to USA boutique brand guitars, we get overcharged as bad as the folks in Australia.

So, no, I would probably be support the Rasmus more.

 

[wrongnote85]

Glad I'm not the only one that names their guitars.

the name is a play on words. i think it's pretty clever.

 

[GrotesqueCarcass]

I got to play one of the worst instruments on existance...A Freeman Flying V, it's chinese, the neck is a fucking baseball bat, and not in a good way, pickups have too much low-mid freq. and are toneless, even with the tone knob at 10, with the overdrive it sounded even worse and the action was high as balls, the only good thing was that playing that thing sitting down was comfortable, but it sucks, it's a goddamn waste of money

 

[Tommy]

I did a set up for one of the guys I work with. He has a dean dbdt, its a ml shape. I eventually got it to play somewhat okay. The neck wasn't comfy at all and the thing was dead. Sounded muffled and weak unplugged. He still thinks its the best guitar ever. I feel bad for that guy.

 

[jahosy]

PRS SE Tremonti. An impulse buy. For what it cost me, its very mediocre in every aspects.