The worst guitar you own but just can't get rid of.

[Blazer]

Let's talk about the guitar you just couldn't get right with, the one that had you tear your hair out of in frustration and even more so when you realize that you just can't sell it on because of one reason or another.

In my own case that would be the "Misty"


The Misty (named after the Pokémon character) was my very first built where I did everything, routing the neck, doing the frets, everything. It also was a guitar from my own original design, I wanted a Firebird/Jazzmaster/Gibson RD hybrid and in that aspect it came out really good. I also really loved the way it felt and played, it has large scoops on both the front and back of the basswood body and the body also because of being made from basswood also was light as a feather and I nailed replicating the feel of the neck of my old strat

But I quickly found out that the Misty's sound wasn't at all what I expected it to be. I have since had this experience with several other guitars with basswood bodies. I don't like the sound I get with them. In the case of the Misty I tried everything: Dimarzio pickups, Duncan Pickups, EMG pickups, I never get it to sound right.

And there are two reasons why I cannot sell the Misty.

1. it's my first all self made guitar.
2. Nobody wants to buy a self made guitar no matter how good it is, everybody goes for the brands and the looks of more familiar models. This guitar in particular is too personal to me that nobody else would want it.

[neilli]

It's not a 'worst' guitar as such, but I have a 2002 DK1 which my wife bought me for my 30th birthday, and I just haven't bonded with it. I don't like the sound, the neck profile doesn't suit me etc etc. But it's my 30th birthday present, and so it can't be sold. Ever.

[Grandturk]

I've divested myself of all of my "worst" guitars:

- A 80's Kramer Focus 2000 with a Jackson woodburn neck (don't even ask what I did to that poor neck) - "refinished" with green stain and routed for a middle hum. Poor bastard.

- My first real guitar - a MIJ Fender "Maverick" Strat - 21 frets, recessed Kahler floyd. Really its only issue was that it was a floyd guitar during my "grunge" years - all Floyds had to die. I parted it out on ebay a bunch of years ago. Really, all it needed was to be refretted with jumbos and it would have been killer.

[markD]

my worst guitar is probably my ibanez IC300. it looks AWESOME, plays AWESOME, sounds AWESOME, but it nose dives terribly. i have moved strap buttons, hung a bag of weights off the back....i just can't get it to balance. it actually gives me back pain to stand and play it.

it sounds too good to dump, and i doubt i'd get much for it on the market right now, so it is a studio guitar.

[tcwil8]

This list could be any of the mutts I've lovingly "crafted" together. Some play like a champ others are craptastic (still works in progress). I could only sell them if they went back to parts status.

[Flatpicker]

A Gibson 61 SG RI.
Nice neck, great sound, awesome fret access.
Just neck heavy and tries to get jump off it's strap buttons if I'm not careful.

[Newc]

1970's Gretsch Dorado acoustic.




Bought in a pawn shop in about 1989 for $60, and a bargain at half the price

The strings are a mile off the neck, it has a zero fret, and instead of the neck following the angle of the body top, the nut is even with the bridge. The neck heel is only pulling away from the body a very minor amount, so it's not that. It's just not made right.


However, the tone absolutely kills. It's deep and rich. When combined with a thick glass slide, you can't help but think you're deep in the Mississippi Delta in the 1930s.
Metal/brass slides won't do it, and those paper-thin glass slides Dunlop sells won't do it. You either need a thick wine bottle neck or an old glass medicine/vitamin bottle of similar thickness.

I could probably sell it for $10 bucks based on condition, but the tone is worth a Million.

[rjohnstone]

This one....


It's got a Wilkinson trem on it now, but it has had two other two point trems, including a Schaller Floyd.
It's had a regular nut, a roller nut and now a Floyd nut.
It's had a DiMarzio Super 3, JB, EMG 81, EMG 85 and a 59 in it.

It feels great with good balance but it still sounds like shit.
It's got a Custom Custom in it now and it's better, but still on the blah side.

I'm thinking of making it a hard tail. Maybe that will get better tone transfer from the bridge to the body. Yes, it's Basswood. Heavy emphasis on the ASS.

If that fails, it will become parts.

[SEEGERMANY]

This just breaks my heart, but I've got a 1990 Gibson Firebird with neck problems. If you sight down the Low E side of the neck, you see a hump at about the 5th fret. If you make a truss rod adjustment, that hump almost disappears. However, by making that correction, the High E side of the neck is too straight. Matter of fact, it may be an optical allusion, but it looks on the verge of back bowing. The High E string is dead at the second fret. I'm pretty sure that I've got a slight twist in the neck, however, I may can make this dog playable by cutting a new nut and getting that E string off the board.

It's a beautiful Bird, just has a broken wing!

[Axewielder]

Why that would be my JJ French Les Paul. The clown pink! The epi headstock! The TS logo! The horror!



This baby is one hell of a good player though. You see, it knows it has to perform...or it will be taken out back and shot.

[Ben...]

That fuzzy strap makes that guitar.

My crappy Cort explorer type-thing fits this category. I should just garbage it but I can't. I've taken it apart and put it back together so many times because that's all I really can do with it because of the stupid effects system (Which I tore out, causing a number of other issues to come up). The neck is really comfy but it doesn't fit on anything else I have so it's useless without the body.

[jgcable]

Good Thread.. I have a 1st year Washburn N2 that has a slightly bowed neck and several dead spots in the neck. I have had the guitar forever and I wore out an entire Floyd on it. I use it as a back up live and I learned to play around the dead spots because I know where they all are.
I can't get rid of it because it sounds great and I learned to live with the issues. Its also my only back up to my 1st year RG550 (which is also starting to wear out!!)

[jgcable]

Why that would be my JJ French Les Paul. The clown pink! The epi headstock! The TS logo! The horror!



This baby is one hell of a good player though. You see, it knows it has to perform...or it will be taken out back and shot.

I admire anybody who will play a guitar like this one live! BTW... JJ French is a monster of a player. We opened for TS for a year back in the day.

[kings31]

Why that would be my JJ French Les Paul. The clown pink! The epi headstock! The TS logo! The horror!



This baby is one hell of a good player though. You see, it knows it has to perform...or it will be taken out back and shot.

I love that guitar. If you need a house for it maybe I will guitar sit for you

[BayRocker]

Mines an Aria Pro II Knight Warrior, mid 80's. Can't get rid of her since it was my first guitar. But it is in a case in a closet. Crappy Floyd copy snaps strings like crazy.