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Most Disappointing purchase

#181
Peteyboy said:
Probably just good hygiene but this made it seem like your face could somehow be involved in the plucking. Or the fretting!
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well my head does come into contact with the fingerboard at times when I'm playing upright in thumb position, and mango juice on rosewood is just a sticky mess :roflmao:
 
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#182
Eventide factor pedals. I had the 4 first Actor series pedals before the H9. I watched plenty of videos on the pedals and they seemed to work great together. I didn't know much about pedalboards so I had someone build be a wonderful board with all the bells and whistles. I turned it all on and it was very okay. I had a sound in mind when I got the pedals, but I was willing to try something else depending on what the board could do. While I could get some useful stuff out of the four pedals, sending a midi command to change patches sounded like I turned up all the way and pulled the cable from the board. After asking the Eventide forum, they told me that the pedals just do that. It seemed like I would need to turn the volume down to change patches. The board was a thing of beauty, but I ended up selling everything and walking away from effects entirely for a few years.
 
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#183
mattj1stc said:
For me it was a Ric. I bought one new, and it did look, sound and play great - I was happy. Then, over a period of several months, I had multiple component failures (pickup switch, volume pot, several poorly soldered connections, a finish that chipped easily, a bridge with tail lift that didn't provide good intonation, etc.). I sold it and never got another. The funny thing is that if I had based it on my initial impression, I would have only said the most positive things. Similarly, I've never had any other components fail to perform like that on all the other basses I've owned (from a wide variety of manufacturers, at a wide range of price points and perceived quality levels). It was like they were all saved up for just that one Ric.
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Because I have a rather thick skull, I've been "most disappointed" with buying a 4003 on three separate occasions. Each time its "they look so cool", but then I buy one and yada yada yada I'm back to my P-Bass.
 
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#189
klejst said:
Biggest bass gear regret would have to be the Epiphone Thunderbird IV I bought years ago. Did not have it long and was glad to get my money back out of it. I know apple to orange, however it's what really started to turn me off from Gibson.
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That is my #2 most disappointing purchase (a Gibson SG Bass is #1). Every Epi T-bird IV I've played is just not for me, but I played an actual Gibson IV and loved it. Go figure.
 
#191
Element Zero said:
I sold many GK Backline heads and cabs back around then... aaaaand many of them came back broken or blown. Those turned me off from the brand entirely. Although, a bass player buddy of mine from around that time had a 2001RB and a Neo412 cab played with a Fender Jazz strung to dropped C and it was incredibl lol. Still, I’ve NEVER looked twice at that brand.
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If I hadn't had the very positive experience using an old GK "guitar" amp (not a bass amp), I would not of purchased it. I know that most of their other stuff is fine, but I'm with you. I don't even think about considering them for gear purchases after that experience.
 
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#192
I own 2 Modulus basses. When I bought them - both were duds with big problems.
I was very dissapointed.

Lucky for me - I live in San Francisco and I was introduced by friends to Rich Hoeg - former, chief luthier and bottle washer for Jeff Gould at Modulus.

Initially I obtained an early 90's Cocobolo topped Q5 that was sold to me under false pretense with a bunk Carbon Fiber neck that was so damaged that Rich's analysis of it suggested that the seller hat attempted to somehow bake it in order to repair the severe concave neck degradation.

The other instrument I bought was a late '80s Mod Bassstar Fretless (via Philly CL while on a trip East.) This one had a marvelous "potato-chip-thin" neck but the body had a Kahler Whammy Tremolo that made the thing like a boat anchor to play, and the electronics were noisy.

In both cases, Rich called on Joe Perman out of Fairfield, CA who owned a lot of the unused Modulus stock necks and bodies before the company was sold to company in the mid-west.

Via Rich and Joe I obtained a new old-stock Q5 neck for the 5 string and for the Fretless I was able to get a gorgeous flame maple topped Jazz Bass body and a new circuit harness.

Rich brought both basses over the finish line and they are my cherished go-to's.

I guess I am just lucky to have proximity to these resources but when buying blind you need to expect curveballs.....
 
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#193
AboutSweetSue said:
A Martin acoustic from their all mahogany 15M line. First one needed a neck reset, second one had a bridge that had been misaligned in the bridge rout (which was odd on it’s own, that there was a rout for the bridge). Scraped the Martin idea and went with Guild.

Honorable mention to Taco Bell’s reintroduced Chalupa. Tastes like cardboard with ranch.
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Lol!:laugh:
 
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#194
Bill Murray said:
For the longest time I watched all of my bass heroes rocking Modulus basses. I knew I’d have to eventually own one but the price point kept me away.

I quit a cushy job and got a months pay, plus vacation/sick time, and my last bonus and I saw my moment.

No where even remotely close had one so I had to just pull the trigger... Dropped $4K and while the bass looked amazing I was like ehhh...

for the record they’re great bases and built to survive a nuclear explosion, they just weren’t for me. I even sold that one and went through several models trying to convince myself it was the kind of bass I needed. It wasn’t haha.

I can’t be the only who’s gone through something like this, all that hype just to be unimpressed, what was your most disappointing purchase?
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Alembic. There was nothing about it I liked except for the burl walnut.
 
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#196
I am not trying to pile on Ricks here, but for me it was exactly that. I grew up in the 60's and 70's, and like many during that time was totally into progressive style rock. Yes was a favorite, and Rush. So...I had my heart set on getting a rick when I was mid to late teens. Couldn't afford one, and eventually had a guy talk me into buying this "new" bass that Leo Fender had started- so I purchased a new MM stingray in 78. Coupled it to a SUNN Betabass amp, and thought I was in hog heaven.

This story actually has two parts- At first I was always disappointed in having a MM and not a Rick, but then life came and I really didn't play much while I was in the Coast Guard for 30 years. Eventually sold the Sunn amp, but kept the stingray. Fast forward about 35 years, and I had started playing again, had the cash, so bought a Rick from Bass NW in Seattle. Was drooling all over that bass for months, playing it, getting used to it. I never did. It wasn't that I couldn't sound like Chris Squire or Geddy Lee- way old and wise enough to know that a bass alone doesn't give you the chops, but it was the feel of the neck, feel of the forearm on the binding while playing fingerstyle, and in some cases the tone. Just never bonded. Begrudgingly, I sold it for exactly what I had into it, and called it a wash- I owned a Ric as I always wanted but just didn't keep it.

Now part two of this- I still have that Stingray, and love it now more than I ever did. I never fully appreciated what it could do early on, but now have a deep appreciation for it. Doesn't hurt that it has been mine from the beginning, so it's like an old trusted friend. Have had to change out the electronics due to them failing, had the neck refretted and leveled with a new truss rod (all the moving in the Coast Guard took it's toll on it over 30 years), but it's a players bass and I absolutely love it. Putting in an East 3 band pre as soon as it arrives.

Just goes to show you that sometimes that sometimes the best thing is sitting right next to you, hiding in plain sight.

TLRR---sorry!
 
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#199
My Zon Vinnie 4 ticked all the boxes in theory, but I gave up on bonding with it after a year of trying. Sold it for what I had in it, so no big deal. They come and they go.

Picked up a killer deal on a minty Ric burgundy with a Peavey cab and head. As cool as the Ric looked, I never got along with it. Eventually, the whole package was sold or traded in pieces. I came out a little ahead on the deal.

Many a pedal has come and gone. I only held on to the very best, the Ovnilab Smoothie comp. A couple Multi fx units serve for practice hubs.

Mostly I’m disappointed in the time I’ve wasted buying and selling stuff that didn’t work out. I only buy used, and I know the going prices so the cash stays fairly balanced. Win some and lose some. If it only costs me shipping one way to get in and out, I’m good.

I don’t know how else I’d have gotten to explore so many cool toys.

I feel another gear purge coming on. Spring cleaning.
 
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