Here's a Hypothetical . . .

[basschick]

since i already have a beater, it would depend on whether i preferred the one i have or the one i was given. i'd probably give away or sell the one i liked less.

if it was an all-solid model, that might be different. there are only so many parts in a guitar, and for one to be a total dud, it might be something fixable like badly shaped bracing. my husband has been doing a little guitar repair and wants to start building soon, so if the guitar were all solid, perhaps he could use it for practice or take the guitar apart find the issue.

[sixgunner455]

I have been gifted with a few guitars. Some are awesome, others are ... otherwise. I have one that I had to make a new nut for, put in a new set of pins, put on a new pickguard, and replace a tuner.

 

I did it all myself, and learned stuff about guitars I didn't know, so it was very worth going through all the trouble. That doesn't help the guitar sound very good, though. It's all laminate, and I guess it sounds okay for what it is, but ...

 

The sad thing is, I really like the fretboard -- you know, the actual playing part of it. Seems to be rosewood, has good frets, and feels great.

 

Eventually, once I'm done fiddling around with it and have the action as good as it's going to get, I'll probably hook up a kid who can't afford a better one, or sell it on some internet auction site or other.

[bigald18]

Sell it. With regards to destroying a guitar. I did it once with an old Samick. I played 1 open mic with it, but it was awful. It wouldn't stay in tune, and it sounded tinny and weak. So I smashed it into a million pieces in a fit of rage.

Not wrapped very tight,are we?




BigAl

[boxorox]

I've done about all that. Used for trading stock, outright sale, shaved braces. I can usually get them to play well, so mostly I'll give 'em to someone who can use 'em to learn on. Burned one POS with a corkscrew neck. But if they're viable players, someone can use 'em.