Ever bought gear you regretted buying?

[snorkie635]

I assume that most of us have, at some time, been 'persuaded' by advertising or other means - our 'hero' plays/uses whatever - to part with money for something we were less than happy with soon after purchase? 
 

A very long time ago, I decided to save up for a four-track home-studio and bought some over-complicated Yamaha which used a standard C90 cassette with some kind of metal label attached to allow recording. Awful results on the whole and at the time, it cost me more than buying a brand new Fender Jazz. Less than a year later I traded it at a 90% loss, but it was worth it, just to see it go.

 

Also fell for Fender 'Silver' and 'Platinum' leads which had exterior covering like plastic sandpaper. These cost a fortune and yet again, had a lifespan of around a month before crackle set in and the covering had managed to damage the finish on my bass. I can't be the only mug out here?

[TheGreek]

So, so much.

 

Deliberately vague to protect the BCer and the UK vender.

 

I traded a very nice Spector bass for a well known branded and artist endorsed bass built for a UK manufacturer in the Far East. Got it home, the build quality was abysmal, the individual (out of alignment) bridges felt like they were made from milk bottle tops, the tuners, again misaligned, seemed to be unable to hold a tuning, the strap locks were loose and the whole bass felt CHEAP - not inexpensive, CHEAP!!  I'd previously played another of the UK Vendor's instruments at the LBGS and it felt reasonably playable for a budget instrument - this did not.

 

I rang the person I traded with and agreed to pay for both basses to be couriered as we'd met up at a well known venue near a major road just so that I could get the Spector back.

 

I've been wary of this brand ever since.

 

It wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out which bass this is - I won't be drawn any further on it.

[RikiB]

Wren and Cuff Phat Phuk B, it just either did nothing or made my sound worse.

[chris_b]

Mostly not, but it does happen.

[Hellzero]

Yep, 3 gear boxes in a row for my ugly Talbot VF1.  🤪

[Waddo Soqable]

Gear I regretted buying?.. Well there was this orrible "go faster powder" we bought off someone at some fetish type club somewhere in East London (a popular post-Slimelight destination) , the stuff was rubbish and even looked dodgy, we just laughed and threw it down the toilet.. 😂

That's a tenner I'll never get back... 

[snorkie635]

41 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

So, so much.

 

Deliberately vague to protect the BCer and the UK vender.

 

I traded a very nice Spector bass for a well known branded and artist endorsed bass built for a UK manufacturer in the Far East. Got it home, the build quality was abysmal, the individual (out of alignment) bridges felt like they were made from milk bottle tops, the tuners, again misaligned, seemed to be unable to hold a tuning, the strap locks were loose and the whole bass felt CHEAP - not inexpensive, CHEAP!!  I'd previously played another of the UK Vendor's instruments at the LBGS and it felt reasonably playable for a budget instrument - this did not.

 

I rang the person I traded with and agreed to pay for both basses to be couriered as we'd met up at a well known venue near a major road just so that I could get the Spector back.

 

I've been wary of this brand ever since.

 

It wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out which bass this is - I won't be drawn any further on it.

Elementary. 😎

[snorkie635]

18 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Gear I regretted buying?.. Well there was this orrible "go faster powder" we bought off someone at some fetish type club somewhere in East London (a popular post-Slimelight destination) , the stuff was rubbish and even looked dodgy, we just laughed and threw it down the toilet.. 😂

That's a tenner I'll never get back... 

i sold it to you in good faith as well. 😁

[Nothingman]

It’s all part of the journey. 
 

You work some rubbish jobs.

 

You wake up next to some mistakes.

 

You buy duff gear. 
 

Life’s a wave, just gotta ride it. 

[Delberthot]

I've lost count of the number of basses that have passed through my hands. Some great, some good and some absolutely terrible.

 

Thing is that something that didn't agree with me 20 years ago could be something that I'd use now.

 

Don't regret any of it as it was all a huge learning experience (in the case of Rickenbackers I had to buy half a dozen of them over the years before I learned my lesson 😂) plus there's nothing that I can do to change what I've done so chalk it all up to experience

[MichaelDean]

I had a Hohner Arbor series p bass copy. I fancied a p bass and was lusting after that one as it was apparently a birth year bass and the white/white/maple colouring looked cool. Didn't really like it. It felt like a wide neck to me (probably 44mm), heavy, tone wasn't great. Should have moved it on sooner, but I didn't lose any money. It had the look, but I didn't gel with it at all. Still haven't played another straight p. I do quite like my pj though. 

[Lozz196]

Up until this year, aside from when I bought a Gibson Les Paul Bass, pretty much every bass I’ve bought that wasn’t a Fender Precision, after the initial buzz had worn off I realised it wasn’t really for me.

 

Given this I fully expected the same when I bought my Fender JMJ Mustang Bass but no, I really love these basses as well. Which is great as my back can’t deal with full size/weight basses anymore, so I might well have been on another lengthy journey.

[Reggaebass]

I wouldn’t say I’ve regretted buying anything as such, but I’ve lost count of the amps cabs and basses I’ve had, lots of them were my fault for not doing any research and just buying what I liked the look of, whichever basses I bought I always went back to a fender jazz or precision, so I now know exactly what’s good for me, and of all the amps I’m settled on the Ampeg sound, it’s all a learning experience and if you don’t try these things you’ll never know 

[asingardenof]

Before I bought my trusty Trace Elliot Boxer I bought a Laney combo that pretty much from day one I never got on with. I don't even remember how I disposed of it, with how little an impression it left on me.

[SteveXFR]

My Orange Terror Bass amp. The preamp isn't good. It doesn't do clean and the overdrive tones are woolly and a bit crap. I'm still using it but with a Two Notes Le Bass in to the effects return to bypass the orange preamp section. I wish I'd bought an Ashdown ABM600 instead.

[lozkerr]

Boss ME-50B multi-fx unit. Lots of nice sounds that were fun to play with in practice sessions but I just couldn't get on with it on stage. I replaced it with individual pedals to get the sounds I use the most and haven't looked back since.

[Bluewine]

I hate to say this and I don’t want to offend anyone.

 

I've regretted any MIM Fender I've ever purchased. There were two, a reverse Jaguar bass and a Telecaster.

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

9 minutes ago, lozkerr said:

Boss ME-50B multi-fx unit. Lots of nice sounds that were fun to play with in practice sessions but I just couldn't get on with it on stage. I replaced it with individual pedals to get the sounds I use the most and haven't looked back since.

 

I've yet to be sold on multiple effects devices.  I'm still researching Kemper.

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

39 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

My Orange Terror Bass amp. The preamp isn't good. It doesn't do clean and the overdrive tones are woolly and a bit crap. I'm still using it but with a Two Notes Le Bass in to the effects return to bypass the orange preamp section. I wish I'd bought an Ashdown ABM600 instead.

 

I've always wanted an Orange amp since the early 70s.

 

When I recently  tried to buy one,  the sales guy looked at me and said;

 

" If you're looking for the Orange you fell in love with back in the 70s, this ain't it . "

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

Up until this year, aside from when I bought a Gibson Les Paul Bass, pretty much every bass I’ve bought that wasn’t a Fender Precision, after the initial buzz had worn off I realised it wasn’t really for me.

 

Given this I fully expected the same when I bought my Fender JMJ Mustang Bass but no, I really love these basses as well. Which is great as my back can’t deal with full size/weight basses anymore, so I might well have been on another lengthy journey.

 

I have a Gibson Gold TOP LP Bass. Big mistake.  I can't handle the thick neck profile.

 

And I can't find a local buyer.

 

Blue

[NAS Bass]

7 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

 

I've always wanted an Orange amp since the early 70s.

 

When I recently  tried to buy one,  the sales guy looked at me and said;

 

" If you're looking for the Orange you fell in love with back in the 70s, this ain't it . "

 

Blue

 

Same with SVT's

[neepheid]

No regrets - anything I've bought that hasn't worked out has helped me understand what I do like a bit better.

[asingardenof]

1 hour ago, SteveXFR said:

My Orange Terror Bass amp. The preamp isn't good. It doesn't do clean and the overdrive tones are woolly and a bit crap. I'm still using it but with a Two Notes Le Bass in to the effects return to bypass the orange preamp section. I wish I'd bought an Ashdown ABM600 instead.

Would it be amiss for me to indicate that there is at least one for sale here?

[Mudpup]

49 minutes ago, neepheid said:

No regrets - anything I've bought that hasn't worked out has helped me understand what I do like a bit better.

Exactly this. Nutshell.

[SteveXFR]

31 minutes ago, asingardenof said:

Would it be amiss for me to indicate that there is at least one for sale here?

 

If it's still available when my p bass sells then I may very well buy it.