Disappointing First Encounter

One of my favorite guitars of all time has been a Gibson L4 CES:

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electri … ogany.aspx

I had never played one, but imagined how sweet it would feel and sound. Well, I was into a place yesterday, and behold the gentleman had one sitting in a case in the corner of his office. I saw the Gibson archtop case first, and asked him what was in it (thinking and hoping it might be an ES-175). When he opened it I gasped, and of course asked if I could play it for a moment. I'll admit I had that sensation like I was in the presence of royalty. I plugged it into a little Fender Blues Jr. amp he had there, and thought I was going to have an incredible experience.

I was never so disappointed in my life! Allowing that his strings felt a bit used, the thing just sounded flat. It no ring or sustain, the tone was thin, and it just didn't "feel" right. These puppies sell for about $7,000 so I thought it should reflect that .... nope. There's a $1,000 Gretsch in a local music store that plays and sounds a lot better. It's a weird feeling to have an ongoing adoration like this crushed, almost like betrayal. There was nothing wrong with his setup, it was just that the guitar wasn't anywhere close to living up to everything I'd heard they were.

Ever had an experience like this?