quarters wrote:

I was in a Sam Ash years ago and saw a guitar on clearance for no lie...13 dollars. It was a Carlo Robelli... well worth the money for a guitar that cheap, but you know what it was. A piece of garbage. I still have it though.

Carlos Robellis are hit and miss, I've noticed. Mine is a dream to play. Great tone, looks great, feels great, but if I go to the music store, I can pick up 2 CR's of the exact same model, and one plays great, and the other is complete garbage. Sounds like their Quality Assurance team needs to pay more attention.

For me, it was my Epi SG. Still have it, but I'm getting ready to sell it for WAY less than I paid for it. Bland tone, neck is *sticky* even after oiling to neck. Pickups get muddy fast, and the electronics are BEYOND sub par. Thinking I might trade it in for credit on an Epi Explorer I've been test playing for the last few weeks.

My daughter.(the trout). Had a Carly acoustic guitar. It was Carlo Robelli`s girls model of their regular guitars.It was bright pink, full size. Bought at Wal Mart for 120.00. She wanted a pink guitar. She really wanted  a Daisy Rock metalflake rock candy.They were expensive at the time so I thought the pink carly would shut her up.Guess what,it didn`t. The carly was actually a great guitar.great action,didn`t sound bad,played like a dream. If it wasn`t for the color,I may have kept it as a beater.It is still around. She gave it to a friend of hers who is taking lessons now. If carlo robelli`s are hit or miss.We must got the good one of the bunch. A few month`s later I got her the daisy rock she wanted(used) for her 10th birthday.She still has it.

moldeoldie wrote:

I have to say the worst guitar I ever owned was a no-name (or I don't recall the name) old blues type f-hole guitar.  The strings were actually 3/4 inch off the fretboard.  BUT it was given to me to practice on and so I did.  Very happy that I did it managed to get my fingering down pretty well and when I finially got my (new at the time) Sigma DR28H playing was like a piece of cake.  Sold that old Sigma years ago and now I wish I could find another but they are no longer being made (((

They are being made again. Martin sold the company, designs, logos, the whole kit an kaboodle and they're now in production and being sold as Sigma guitars. Be aware though, they're no longer part of Martin and I haven't tried one so couldn't comment on the quality. If you can get hold of one of the old Japanese made models you'll be doing well, they go for a pretty penny these days.

Jerry

Yeah I know I can find a newer one but not near the quality of the old ones.  That's why I wish I had never sold it lol

Roger

I have to say the worst guitar I ever owned was a no-name (or I don't recall the name) old blues type f-hole guitar.  The strings were actually 3/4 inch off the fretboard.  BUT it was given to me to practice on and so I did.  Very happy that I did it managed to get my fingering down pretty well and when I finially got my (new at the time) Sigma DR28H playing was like a piece of cake.  Sold that old Sigma years ago and now I wish I could find another but they are no longer being made (((

They are being made again. Martin sold the company, designs, logos, the whole kit an kaboodle and they're now in production and being sold as Sigma guitars. Be aware though, they're no longer part of Martin and I haven't tried one so couldn't comment on the quality. If you can get hold of one of the old Japanese made models you'll be doing well, they go for a pretty penny these days.

Jerry

Hi:

After reading all your letters and experiences, with lousy guitars. I do not feel as bad as I did before. I bought an Ibanez AS 73, from some seller off of E-bay.
I bought this guitar for about $320.00 plus shipping, which I bided. I thought I got it for cheap, which it was not. I found out later that the jack was broken inside of this f-hole guitar and I can see no way in fixing it, berceuse it has no cover in the back, to open for repairs. I do not know if it could be fixed. I am just going forward and learn from my one of many mistakes I’ve made in my life. The old saying is; “YOU DON’T GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING�� .

Man, I just fixed one of those (well a Gretsch) about a week ago. If you are handy with tools, you can fix it, but it requires patience.
It goes like this:
Get a new set of strings.
Take the old ones off and set aside.
Pull off all the knobs and loosen the nuts on the pots (locking washers will fall inside the guitar).
Unscrew the trim ring on the bridge humbucker.
Lift the pickup out go the guitar.
Connected to it will be all of the pots - volume and tone control, plus the broken jack.
turn it over and shake out any loose washers, etc.
Connect up (solder) a new jack in place with everything on the outside of the guitar.
Use the old guitar strings to pull the pots and jack back through the body cavity (tricky)
Tighten them all back up.
Put the bridge pickup back in place.
Restring.
Single malt scotch (optional, but recommended)

Right now I have a Strat-style guitar that I've been throwing money at, off and on, for years. It just sounds bad/dead/dull, with any pickups and will not hold tune long enough for you to let go of the tuner button. The bad thing is, every part in it is name brand and every adjustment that can be made, has been made 6 times. Its haunted.

it is pretty much the same size as my baritone ukulele

After reading all your letters and experiences, with lousy guitars. I do not feel as bad as I did before. I bought an Ibanez AS 73, from some seller off of E-bay.
I bought this guitar for about $320.00 plus shipping, which I bided. I thought I got it for cheap, which it was not. I found out later that the jack was broken inside of this f-hole guitar and I can see no way in fixing it, berceuse it has no cover in the back, to open for repairs. I do not know if it could be fixed. I am just going forward and learn from my one of many mistakes I’ve made in my life. The old saying is; “YOU DON’T GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING

After reading all your letters and experiences, with lousy guitars. I do not feel as bad as I did before. I bought an Ibanez AS 73, from some seller off of E-bay.
I bought this guitar for about $320.00 plus shipping, which I bided. I thought I got it for cheap, which it was not. I found out later that the jack was broken inside of this f-hole guitar and I can see no way in fixing it, berceuse it has no cover in the back, to open for repairs. I do not know if it could be fixed. I am just going forward and learn from my one of many mistakes I’ve made in my life. The old saying is; “YOU DON’T GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING