"Wood" you keep it?

SuperFuzzBigMuff · Jul 24, 2025

After days of consideration and reading comments, I sent it back today.
I actually like wood figuring on an SG and the natural imperfections that come with it.
However, this blatant three-piece mismatch looked a bit too sloppy for my taste.

I’ve got to admit, whenever I read about obvious wood mismatches being framed as a “quality,” I can’t help but think of Graham Coxon’s hilarious bit about his longtime guitar tech’s theory on Graham's Marshall amp: “If you chuck it down the stairs, it sounds even better.”

Go Nigel Go · Jul 24, 2025

The most important thing is that YOU are happy with your guitar. Hope the next one works out better for you.

smitty_p · Jul 24, 2025

Go Nigel Go said:
The most important thing is that YOU are happy with your guitar. Hope the next one works out better for you.

Absolutely, on both counts.

thatbastarddon · Jul 24, 2025

Go Nigel Go said:
The most important thing is that YOU are happy with your guitar. Hope the next one works out better for you.

Yep….This^^^^^^^^

Daniel.S · Jul 27, 2025

Hodgo said:
That’s one of the most beautiful Customs I’ve ever seen. Was it stripped or was that a finish offered back then?

10/10.

Nah this finish was an option back then. Funnily enough though, it says cherry sunburst under the control cavity plate.

shreddy bender · Jul 28, 2025

I'm gonna wax poetic like the good man Col Mustard. I own a 2003 Special Faded Crescent moon SG. I bought it out of the box sight unseen. It's a three piece body and it kicks posterior.
She ain't pretty. She does mean business though!

zachspecial · Jul 28, 2025

SuperFuzzBigMuff said:
Hi, just bought this lefty SG Standard from an online shop since it had a bit of a discount. Long story short, it has a very obvious wood mismatch, 3 pieces. It plays nicely, but I’m on the fence about keeping it/returning it.
Looking at online stores that photograph the actual instruments for sale, mine definitely seems to be on the low end in terms of aesthetics.
Would you keep it? I know the rule is “if it sounds good, keep it,” but as a lefty, sometimes you’ve got to bite the bullet and sell a guitar just to be able to buy quickly when something better comes along.
And seriously… couldn’t they reserve the more obvious mismatches for ebony?
Thanks!
View attachment 57791

bruh my first guitar was an ibanez and it was matched worse than this and it didn't bother me one bit, i just think it looks unique, if its a player keep it because for all you know the next one will look perfect but plays terrible, i just bought a guitar and it look amazing but played terrible, i returned it and got one with a super boring top and was immediately disappointed till i played it and it played amazing.

SuperFuzzBigMuff · Jul 29, 2025

zachspecial said:
for all you know the next one will look perfect but plays terrible, i just bought a guitar and it look amazing but played terrible, i returned it and got one with a super boring top and was immediately disappointed till i played it and it played amazing.

How about they put out guitars that actually look decent and play great?

DrBGood · Jul 29, 2025

SuperFuzzBigMuff said:
How about they put out guitars that actually look decent and play great?

There are plenty of those.

bgreed2 · Jul 31, 2025

Good choice in sending it back. If something bothers you at first sight, it will always bug you. Plus, as stated earlier, it may prove harder to sell down the road.

DrBGood · Aug 1, 2025

bgreed2 said:
If something bothers you at first sight, it will always bug you.

Nahh ... you get used to anything if you're not OCD.

Got this nice LP Trad for a song, because the seller had fucked up the binding, trying to make it wider. I don't see it anymore. I might next time I play it, because I talked about it, but it will fly off my mind the next day. I have to say I didn't buy it to show it off, but as a tool for making music, and it is a damn good one for doing just that.

Carrion · Aug 1, 2025

DrBGood said:
Nahh ... you get used to anything if you're not OCD.

Got this nice LP Trad for a song, because the seller had fucked up the binding, trying to make it wider. I don't see it anymore. I might next time I play it, because I talked about it, but it will fly off my mind the next day. I have to say I didn't buy it to show it off, but as a tool for making music, and it is a damn good one for doing just that.

View attachment 57883 View attachment 57885 View attachment 57887 View attachment 57889 View attachment 57891

haha

thats some crazy thinkin' right there lol

thatbastarddon · Aug 1, 2025

DrBGood said:
Nahh ... you get used to anything if you're not OCD.

Got this nice LP Trad for a song, because the seller had fucked up the binding, trying to make it wider. I don't see it anymore. I might next time I play it, because I talked about it, but it will fly off my mind the next day. I have to say I didn't buy it to show it off, but as a tool for making music, and it is a damn good one for doing just that.

View attachment 57883 View attachment 57885 View attachment 57887 View attachment 57889 View attachment 57891

I’d take that, for a song…especially if I didn’t feel it while playing.
:cheers:

Stark Naked · Aug 4, 2025

SuperFuzzBigMuff said:
Hi, just bought this lefty SG Standard from an online shop since it had a bit of a discount. Long story short, it has a very obvious wood mismatch, 3 pieces. It plays nicely, but I’m on the fence about keeping it/returning it.
Looking at online stores that photograph the actual instruments for sale, mine definitely seems to be on the low end in terms of aesthetics.
Would you keep it? I know the rule is “if it sounds good, keep it,” but as a lefty, sometimes you’ve got to bite the bullet and sell a guitar just to be able to buy quickly when something better comes along.
And seriously… couldn’t they reserve the more obvious mismatches for ebony?
Thanks!
View attachment 57791

You didn’t say if it was a Gibson or an Epiphone. If it’s a Gibson send it back. If it’s an Epiphone, join the club and be happy that it plays well.

SuperFuzzBigMuff · Aug 5, 2025

DrBGood said:
Got this nice LP Trad for a song

If you're paying peanuts, that's a different story. Even a decently used one would be fine at the right price. A couple hundred bucks off for a brand-new guitar that's put together badly? Yeah, no thanks — I think I'll pass

SuperFuzzBigMuff · Aug 5, 2025

Stark Naked said:
You didn’t say if it was a Gibson or an Epiphone. If it’s a Gibson send it back. If it’s an Epiphone, join the club and be happy that it plays well.

It was a Gibbie. Just a couple hundreds shaved off the full price. Talk about a letdown.

Carrion · Aug 5, 2025

SuperFuzzBigMuff said:
It was a Gibbie. Just a couple hundreds shaved off the full price. Talk about a letdown.

well they aren't cheap !! A lot of us wait F O R E V E R for a new Gibby. a few hundred off on our dream guitar is a let down, not justifiable.

I agree, send it back. be blown away by your new unit ... not bitter

papagayo · Aug 6, 2025

I was lucky when I bought this beauty...

"Wood" you keep it?

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