My worst purchase of the year 2010: The Loar LH-700. Be careful! - Page 5

jmcphail · #61 01-07-2011, 05:44 AM

Good post, it's a sickening experience and I've been there, I'm sorry about your Christmas guitar

You have to wonder how it got out the door, how many individuals handled it and why none of them raised a flag, etc.

My thinking is don't let them do anything except make it right for you.

Bananafist · #62 01-07-2011, 05:47 AM

Don't want to sound inflammatory, but plenty of good restaurants in the UK, you've just got to know where to look, (same as in much of the US).
If the manufacturer and location in China was stated, would it mean anything to most westerners?

Jeff M · #63 01-07-2011, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bananafist

Don't want to sound inflammatory, but plenty of good restaurants in the UK, you've just got to know where to look, (same as in much of the US).

Oh, it's MUCH better now than it was 10 years ago.

A local restuarant (fairly decent) with a sense of humor has a T-shirt that reads;
Heaven is where the police are British, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian, the cooks French and it is run by the Swiss.
Hell is where the police are German, the cooks British, the lovers Swiss, the mechanics French and it is run by the Italians.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bananafist

If the manufacturer and location in China was stated, would it mean anything to most westerners? ....

Most Westerners? No.
Guitarists who are passionate about guitars, know quality, and can promote guitars with their recommendations/visits to forums like this one? I believe so.

Kitchen Guitars · #64 01-07-2011, 06:03 AM

Great review of a bad guitar. Man, my second build is looking better all the time

The misalignment at the endpin is an inditement of the entire companies quality control. I bet Zager could not make it right!

drive-south · #65 01-07-2011, 07:35 AM

Is the center seam off, the tailpiece attached in the wrong spot, or both?
That is one ugly guitar. Does this dealer claim they do a "set up" on all guitars prior to shipping? If so they missed the boat on this one. The dealer owes you a refund including shipping both ways.

Someone's got their panties in a bunch today. Thank God it's Friday.

lennylux · #66 01-07-2011, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drive-south

Someone's got their panties in a bunch today. Thank God it's Friday.

Can't be me, I'm European, we don't wear any..... Interesting that you would feminise the term though, good for you, bro!

Side Man · #67 01-07-2011, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitchen Guitars

Great review of a bad guitar. Man, my second build is looking better all the time

The misalignment at the endpin is an inditement of the entire companies quality control. I bet Zager could not make it right!

OUCH!!!

The thought occurred to me that perhaps this is simply a Chinese copy of a Chinese-made guitar...

drive-south · #68 01-07-2011, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lennylux

Can't be me, I'm European, we don't wear any..... Interesting that you would feminise the term though, good for you, bro!

Perhaps the problem isnt' bunching panties, but chafing. Try taclum powder.

tennjed · #69 01-07-2011, 08:48 AM

Picker2

Thanks for the great review and photos. You have done all a great service.

The thing that brought me out of my chair was your second post in which you state to cost of gasoline to drive your car for 12 hours is the same as the cost of the guitar..........Wow! While I know The Loar guitars are cheaper than many hand built archtops, I also know that they are not cheap.

Thanks again.

drive-south · #70 01-07-2011, 08:55 AM

I think he means the cost of gas to do all that driving could be applied to a slightly more expensive instrument. And his time is worth money as well.

Jeff M · #71 01-07-2011, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennjed

Picker2

Thanks for the great review and photos. You have done all a great service.

The thing that brought me out of my chair was your second post in which you state to cost of gasoline to drive your car for 12 hours is the same as the cost of the guitar..........Wow! While I know The Loar guitars are cheaper than many hand built archtops, I also know that they are not cheap.

Thanks again.

I think it has more to do with the cost of gas in Europe.

Allman_Fan · #72 01-07-2011, 09:07 AM

I think buying a guitar online is risky.
Especially acoustic.
Especially archtop.

Buying online is a variable of much greater signifigance than the manufacturing company/country. (To me, obviously.)

drive-south · #73 01-07-2011, 09:14 AM

I know a guy that collects archtop/carvetops. He has purchased most of his guitars sight unseen from reputable dealers he trusts. He has never recieved a lemon but occasionally gets one he isn't completely thrilled with and he returns them with no questions asked. He owns 2 Gibson Citations and if you look you'll see the price of these is in the ozone.

I've bought many guitars off EBAY and only once did I recieve one that was a huge dissipointment. In hindsite, the ad was sketchy and the photos were very blurry so you couldn't see any real details. I never should have bought that one in the first place. Live and learn.

I just ordered a new Larrive BT-03 from a dealer. Obviously I couldn't play it beforehand. The guitar turned out to be great and I'm delighted with the purchase. I guess I'm just lucky in that regard.

The dealer should have done a QC check on this instrument before sending it out. They could have saved themselves and their customer a lot of greif. These flaws are so easy to spot there is no way they even opened the case and glanced at it.

Picker2 · #74 01-07-2011, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennjed

Picker2

Thanks for the great review and photos. You have done all a great service.

The thing that brought me out of my chair was your second post in which you state to cost of gasoline to drive your car for 12 hours is the same as the cost of the guitar..........Wow! While I know The Loar guitars are cheaper than many hand built archtops, I also know that they are not cheap.

Thanks again.

We pay 8.34 US$ per gallon here. Up and down to Thomann (1200 km) would cost me 100 liters, which is 221 US$ for the gasoline only. OK, doesn't pay the guitar yet, but still...

backdrifter · #75 01-07-2011, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff M

As you are in the market for another archtop, why did you sell the Eastman...and why not consider another?

I'm not really in the market for another archtop, I just window shop quite a bit. Like non stop.

I sold the Eastman for the same reason I've sold over 27 guitars over the last two years - something else caught my eye and it was time to try something new. I would buy another Eastman in a heartbeat though. No worries there - they make very nice instruments.