Best guitar you ever let slip through your fingers.

ditchboy · February 2022

When I look back at some of the guitars I’ve owned over the years (and always lost money on) it actually saddens me. I’m currently trying to sell a D28 purely because I want something a bit smaller but that’s probably the best guitar I’ve had so far and one I never thought I’d let go. Others include a gorgeous Furch OM and a brilliant Larrivee dread. What had been your best acoustic and if you sold it, why?

Tannin · February 2022

I've never sold an acoustic, certainly not a good one.

My Eko 12 (it was a "good one" only by the standards of the day and of my teenage budget) disappeared somehow, probably stolen but I don't remember. (Hey, it was the Seventies. If you can remember the Seventies, you weren't there.) Years later, my (excellent) first Maton was stolen. Other than that, I've kept them all.

Moving on to electric instruments, I swapped my baby Rickenbacker for something or other, can't remember what. (Yup. Seventies again.) And I sold my Les Paul Pro Deluxe back to the shop I bought it from for half of what I'd paid for it. I needed the money, no idea what for though. I could buy it (or one like it) back today .... for about $5000. Sigh. Not that I play electric, so it's not as if it matters. And for several years I played a borrowed '59 Telecaster bass. Superb instrument in every way. Eventually my band broke up and, doing the right thing, I gave it back to the very generous friend who had lent it to me on a "keep it as long as you like" basis. He then lent it to someone else, who promptly lost it. We both now whish that I hadn't been so prompt to return it when I no longer needed it.

Andy79 · February 2022

1941 0-15. Certainly brought in a few quid when it went but I do genuinely miss it, more so as I know I’ll never own a war time Martin again I’m sure

Mellish · February 2022

An amazing Gibson Hummingbird Modern Classic. Never found another guitar that good. Had to sell to pay bills

ditchboy · February 2022

Andy79 said:

1941 0-15. Certainly brought in a few quid when it went but I do genuinely miss it, more so as I know I’ll never own a war time Martin again I’m sure

Why did you get rid?

TheBigDipper · February 2022

I've not sold an acoustic guitar since I was 20. I've got a couple that don't get played a lot, but every time I get one of them out of the case and start noodling, I lose an entire afternoon...

I've let a couple go by not buying them, though. The day I bought my Brook Taw, I was also really struck by another Brook I tried, a maple-bodied Tavy. Different scale length, bigger body and different sound. That's probably the one I think about the most.

Not enough money is a bit of a bugger, isn't it? :-)

bertie · February 2022

nothing really, apart from a cedar on koa Brook parlor they had in Intersound yeas ago - I couldnt afford it at the time (without using the c/card) anyway. Knowing what I know now (finances etc) , I should've bought it

ICBM · February 2022

A 1961 Gibson J-45.

Stupidly sold because I needed some money, and I had it and a Lowden O10, which I was using in a band because it had a pickup system. The Gibson was too fragile to gig and couldn't/shouldn't be fitted with electrics, so as it was my only guitar which couldn't be gigged, I sold it.

Stupid.

I never liked the Lowden - nice guitar, but not for me. I eventually replaced it with a cheap Hondo Everly Brothers copy which actually suited me much better - I should have bought something like that and sold the Lowden in the first place...

I really miss that Gibson

.

TheMadMick · February 2022

Don't know about best but I bought a Hofner in Germany in 1969. Nothing special but it was what I could afford as a poor student. Played it for ages then my brother braked suddenly in the van he was driving. Unfortunately I was in the back with the Hofner and it had a heel shaped dent on the corner of the bottom bout. A few days later I saw a 2nd hand humming bird - suppose it was an Epiphone , I don't remember. Couldn't afford it and the Hofner wasn't worth much with a heel shaped hole in it.

I kept that guitar until earlier this month. It had a refurb after my mate's son made a bit of a mess of it but it was sitting under our dining room table doing nowt and someone wanted a learner guitar - so off it went. Still playing well even though it liked medium strings. Goodbye Fred. Hope you enjoy your new home.

CountryDave · February 2022

A Gretsch Setzer. Let it go because I got scared of it getting damaged at gigs. Stupid, I know. They are for playing after all.
I let a nice Atkin OM go for a similar reason. Every time I picked it up I played it like it was made of glass. Eventually traded for a J45 that I was a bit happier giving it the beans.

Also, a gorgeous, natural finish PRS Custom 22 Artist that was fab. The mahogany back had as much figuring as I’d seen on some tops. Let that go because I fancied something different and had a similar guitar that I had owned for over 25 years. Should have let the other go and kept the blonde.

artiebear · February 2022

An early 50's J45, bought from Gruhn's in Nashville. A couple of years after selling it, I started looking for another one that had the same tonal characteristics. I went through both the modern offerings from Montana ( which were so far removed tonally from that old guitar ) as well as chasing after quite a number of vintage instruments. I soon realised that due to the ad hoc bracing etc at Gibson during the post war years (for a while they used both two and three braces, scalloped and unscalloped, making decisions how to proceed on the work bench ) I was looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack. TBH I never bothered to check which version mine was, the only thought being that due to that guitar being forward in the mids, big and dry, it might have been a two brace, unscalloped top,I will most likely never know.

lincolnblue · February 2022

I had a Tanglewood super jumbo 12 string about 20 years years ago and only kept it for a bout 4 years - sold it to buy an electric. Loved it and really regret selling it.

Andy79 · February 2022

ditchboy said:

Andy79 said:

1941 0-15. Certainly brought in a few quid when it went but I do genuinely miss it, more so as I know I’ll never own a war time Martin again I’m sure

Why did you get rid?

Bills. Usual strife. Hindsight tells me I was a fool but when your in the situation it’s different

crunchman · February 2022

Martin HD28V. I tried it in a shop. I went back a couple of weeks later intending to buy it and that one had been sold. The replacement one they had ordered in wasn't as good.

I've got a very good Martin now, that's got a well balanced sound, but that other one was a total cannon.

tone1 · February 2022

Angry Angus Strat….A Cunetto Strat eased the blow somewhat though

hollywoodrox · February 2022

A Ferrari red Charvel San Dimas made in Japan
A neon pink Jackson SL3x made in Indonesia

Beautiful guitars I had a really bad ulcer flare up when I had the pink one and thought I can’t be faffing with this floyd .silly though I’d got it blocked with a brass gadget but prefer them blocked with wood. Sold the Charvel to get a crackle Jackson on here but miss it so much

Mellish · February 2022

@hollywoodrox ; nice guitars chap

hollywoodrox · February 2022

Mellish said:

@hollywoodrox ; nice guitars chap

Thank you

Tannin · February 2022

crunchman said:

Martin HD28V. I tried it in a shop. I went back a couple of weeks later intending to buy it and that one had been sold.

Same for me, almost. I still think about a 2009 HD28 I tried, loved, and went away to mull over. Went back and it was sold. I's actually made me less likely to buy a Martin as, having played that one, I don't want one that isn't as good. (And how much can I trust that memory? Do I now imagine an impossibly good instrument that no other could match?)

ditchboy · February 2022

Andy79 said:

ditchboy said:

Andy79 said:

1941 0-15. Certainly brought in a few quid when it went but I do genuinely miss it, more so as I know I’ll never own a war time Martin again I’m sure

Why did you get rid?

Bills. Usual strife. Hindsight tells me I was a fool but when your in the situation it’s different

Been there too. Selling quickly at a loss more often than not. I sold a Ltd edition buttercream stingray bass that I absolutely treasured for way less than I paid for it. I don’t even play bass anymore but I’ve still been tempted over the years to pick one up again.

Benm39 · February 2022

tone1 said:

Angry Angus Strat….A Cunetto Strat eased the blow somewhat though

Angus is in safe hands. I see myself more as the caretaker than owner...

rustneversleeps · February 2022

MARTIN M36 sold 6 years ago.Great all rounder.

tone1 · February 2022

Benm39 said:

tone1 said:

Angry Angus Strat….A Cunetto Strat eased the blow somewhat though

Angus is in safe hands. I see myself more as the caretaker than owner...

Have I still got dibs?

Benm39 · February 2022

tone1 said:

Benm39 said:

tone1 said:

Angry Angus Strat….A Cunetto Strat eased the blow somewhat though

Angus is in safe hands. I see myself more as the caretaker than owner...

Have I still got dibs?

If it's up for sale it's yours first refusal yes. I should decide what to do with my electrics as they're not getting that much use, albeit Angus is the one that comes off the wall into my hands most often

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Best guitar you ever let slip through your fingers.

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