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What matters to you when shopping for a guitar?


Phil O'Keefe

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A comment about looks in another thread got me thinking, and I wonder - just what's important to you when shopping for a guitar?

 

 

 

Some possibilities, in no particular order:

 

Looks - including color, flamed woods, graphics, etc.

 

Shape - some designs are more functional, more comfortable and / or easier to play

 

Name brand - some people consider this important (bragging rights?)

 

Resale value / potential for appreciation in value (guitars as investments)

 

Materials used - sustainable woods, synthetics, rare materials, etc.

 

Weight - some feel a heavy guitar is a pain in the back... others think that's the only way to get sustain...

 

Playability - This is a big one for me - if the neck is too big or has the wrong sort of profile, I have issues with it

 

Tone - what kind of sound(s) can you coax from it?

 

 

 

I'm sure there are other things that matter to some of you, and the point isn't for me to set down a definitive list of answers - I would like to hear about what matters to each of YOU, and in what order! :):snax:

 

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These are mine, in order from crucial to don't really care much:

 

 

Tone - what kind of sound(s) can you coax from it?

 

Playability - This is a big one for me - if the neck is too big or has the wrong sort of profile, I have issues with it

 

Resale value / potential for appreciation in value (guitars as investments)

 

Looks - including color, flamed woods, graphics, etc.

 

Weight - some feel a heavy guitar is a pain in the back... others think that's the only way to get sustain...

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The first thing I look for is build quality. How strong is the neck? Does it feel properly supported and proportionate in relation to the body? Do the pots move smoothly when I roll them? How does the bridge feel under my palm when I pick? How does the body feel against me when I play? Are the frets okay?

 

In terms of sound, I don't like it too loud or weak. That's my main beef with vintage style guitars and Rickenbackers. I want to be able to hear what I'm playing at a reasonable volume on the amp. I shouldn't have to use a compressor. Obviously, I'd prefer alnico pickups over ceramic.

 

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I would give an entirely different answer if was building a guitar (not shopping for it). In that case I select the wood with care (I am a wood slut), I want the finish to be perfect. I'll sand braces that you'll never see and spend hours agonizing over details. When I look at it I want to be proud.

 

Oh, it also needs to sound good, play well and speak to me too

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Sound, playability, a guitar needs to speak to me

^^^

For me price would be next on the list. I won't spend a couple hundred more for something that's only " a little better"

These three have to be balanced. Next would be looks. I don't care about resale I keep things forever

 

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For me, it's playing feel first and foremost. It may otherwise be a great guitar, but if I can't comfortably play it, that's for naught.

 

Next up is the sounds it creates.

 

After that, the rest of it starts to fall into similar levels of importance. Price is still an important consideration since I'm not made out of money. :o Looks matter to me at least somewhat (sorry, but other than the Mockingbird, I've never liked BC Rich Guitars because I don't care for their looks), and weight is important too; I'd much rather have a lighter guitar that sounds great than a heavy one, all else being equal, while other things such as resale value and brand names are less important to me personally.

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1) Function: This includes neck radius/scale, controls, balance, contour/comfort in other words, playability

 

2) Tone (no explanation needed).

 

If the first two requirements are met, then comes looks.

 

I gig with my guitars. Therefore they have to be comfortable in my hands, because I play better that way, and they have to sound good because that's what it's all about. Most production guitars look good enough on stage, but they should appeal to me as well. Still, that's a lower priority.

 

It took a few models of guitars to find out what I really like, and ended up having Parker build a custom model for me DF522NN (Dragonfly 522 Notes Norton). Perfect function, outstanding and versatile tone monster, and it looks nice.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

 

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Has to be 24 fret, thin neck (under 21mm at the nut), 25.5" scale or I won't even look at it anymore. I can't get comfortable with less than these three items. I prefer Rosewood or maple fretboards, neck wood isn't as important. I prefer heavier guitars, I'm in the heavy = sustain camp. Weights not a deal breaker, just a preference. If I'm going for a tremolo equipped guitar, it must be a Floyd or Edge or similar licensed variant. I hate going out of tune with every hard pull or dive, and won't even entertain anything else. Pickups/electronics aren't as big a deal, I can always swap those later.

I tend to gravitate towards pointy as opposed round, and flat as opposed to arch-tops.

Volume knob placement is HUGE. I cannot stand a volume knob too close to the bridge pickup or the bridge itself. I refuse to re-teach myself how to play because of ridiculously close knob placement.

Balance would be on my list. I LOVe my Beast, but the balance sucks.

Brand. Don't care what the headstock says, so long as it plays well and holds up.

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I like the classics, the guitars that have stood the test of time.

It must sound good, feel good in you hands and make you want to play.

 

However there are some modern designs I kinda dig. There's some classic stuff just don't care for either and some classic stuff I like better than other classic guitar.

 

No Floyd Rose's please.

 

The fretboard radius needs to feel good, so not too flat for me.

 

Electronics should be smooth and flawless

 

 

Acoustics should be made of solid woods and not have a pick up system that can't be remove, leaving a gaping hole in the side of your guitar. I have one Martin with a Fishman blender system and it sounds good. The guitar is nothing more that a grab and go bar gigger.

 

 

Feel/ play-ability

sound

workmanship

look

 

It all goes hand in hand.

 

 

 

It's also nice to know that down the road it has a nice resale value, although I have not sold many of my guitars along the way.

 

 

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Playability comes first. The sound doesn't matter much, because with pickups and electronics, it can be "tailored" to my needs.

Tone second. yeah, I know, it kinda goes against what I just said, but a good core tone is important. It needs to sing to me.

Feel is third. It's not the same as playability. The way it sits against you, the way the wood resonates thru the hand, that certain mojo, that really can't be explained.

Materials. I LOVE mahogany, ebony, nice maple, doesn't have to be flamey, just eye pleasing.

I do prefer a 22 freter over 24.

Shape doesn't matter within reason. Mockingbird, sexy. "V", stupid. Warbeast, ridiculous.

Color doesn't phase me what so ever. I just don't care for black guitars.

Features aren't that important me. Don't care if it's a Floyd, or a bigsby, or a hardtail, the above matters a lot more.

 

 

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Sound first then playability. My Les Paul is nothing to look at but sounds great in any situation.

 

I'd like to say that looks don't matter but when I put together a Warmoth tele I stained and dyed the ash and maple to make it look like it was all rosewood.

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. . . No Floyd Rose's please. . . .

On the assumption that we're talking about electrics, I'll take this one further and say the absence of a trem. I have to like the way a guitar looks. I generally don't care for Tele's so most of them are out regardless of how the guitar might sound or play. Beyond that, it needs to be playable. Extremely heavy guitars are out too.

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Playability for me is paramount, so to me that means radius (not too flat), action, C or D neck profile and shape - I don't want anything I can't feel comfortable playing both standing and sitting (no V's, explorers, warlocks or other pointy contraptions for me). Don't want to deal with a neck diver or a boat anchor either. FR's are also out for me as they just seem like more trouble than they're worth. I'm basically all about Strats, Super Strats, (Jags are OK too), LP shapes and 335s -those are the guitar types that work best for me.

 

Tone is equally important to me and for me that means even string to string balance, no dead frets, and notes that ring out as well up the board as they do down. I have ten and in selecting them have done so with an eye towards some sonic characteristic that makes each guitar a bit unique and have an assortment of pickups, builds and wood combinations to achieve that goal.

 

Value for me would be the next box ticked. I don't like to think about resale as then I'd have a museum piece instead of a dear friend. It's a balance, I don't want to cheap out and compromise on quality, but I don't want to pay for name or model cachet either. I have a few that bluebook over a grand and a few that would probably only fetch a Benjamin or two. Dollar value is generally not consistent with what they mean to me though (my cheapies play and sound competitive with my more expensive ones). I have the experience to realize that some inexpensive guitars are made with cheap components - soft frets, soft woods, poor workmanship - and know the pitfalls to avoid in that area.

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A couple of prerequisites before I begin the test driving process:

 

  • I need the ability to isolate myself from the Ritchie Blackmore and Eddie Van Halen wannabees, so I might walk off with an electric geetar into the acoustic room for some unplugged analysis listening for fret buzz, buzzing truss rod, etc.

 

 

  • The salesforce needs to let me be until I actually need them.

 

 

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For me its

 

1. It needs to be something that expands my collection or I don't already own.

 

2. Cost - A guitar is either in my budget range or it isn't. I may want something out of my range but the other attributes wont matter if I cant own one. I look for a good deal for the money and consider devaluation and resale.

 

3. Neck fit - What good is an instrument is you cant get to the notes in comfort and play the hell out of it?

 

4. Wood/Acoustic String Tone - Wood tone comes before electronic tone. I can always upgrade the electronics to get the best signal if the strings contain good tone from the body and neck to begin with.

 

5. Build, Ergonomics, Looks, Feel, Options - How well the instruments constructed, Hardware, Weight, Comfort, Finish, Electronics, How it feels playing, pickups, pots, switches etc. I put these last because I'm not overly concerned with looks or electronics. I can mod many of these items, refinish the instrument, replace pickups switches pots.

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I came to actually buying a guitar via drums and synths so it was more going for variety rather than the one Anderson. So I started with a red RG, and graduated to a Peavey tele, Fernandez strat, the two Bolts I spend most of my time on, a Hondo paulish thing and an Epi Dot. Also a generic Classical - 30 bucks through the mail and a better Epi classical as well as a used steel string for 75 bucks I think.

 

All the major food groups to choose from. A whole buffet for under 2K. I've settled on the Carvin/strat copy as my instrument of choice. Now that I know that, I don't care about a high end instrument. Unfortunately I do gas for better electronics.

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On the assumption that we're talking about electrics, I'll take this one further and say the absence of a trem.

 

I like vibrato tailpieces... some add considerably to the overall vibe and sonic capabilities of the instrument. Imagine a Gretsch with no Bigsby... to me, it just doesn't make much sense. However, if the dang thing goes out of tune all the time then it's more trouble than it's worth. I'm not expecting a Bigsby, or a Maestro or a Fender Mustang's vibrato to act like a Floyd - each is different and has its own charms and quirks, and I'm okay with that... but used within those parameters, it has to work and stay in tune relatively well or it may as well not be on the guitar. IOW, IMHO a good vibrato needs to be set up correctly and used right.

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This is a slightly trickier question than I first thought. My initial reaction was that it's all about feel and responsiveness: how it feels in my hands and how it responds to being played. When I bought my first strat I spend an afternoon trying everything I could lay hands on before walking out with the right guitar. However that was searching for a specific type of guitar, rather than guitars in general.

 

See I also like unusual guitars. I like that they're unusual, they often sound and feel unusual and they look like more fun than just another Strat or Paul. So if I were to go out shopping for a guitar this afternoon, not knowing what I wanted, then I'd certainly be drawn towards something that looked exciting and different: a Moderne, a Dano, an Yamaha SGV (none of which I own yet). However things haven't really worked out for me doing that, so I don't own any flying Vs now, sold off 2 out of 3 Godins, a Washburn A15V, a Switch vibracell guitar, a First Act Lola, for example. I do still have a Godin XTsa, Washburn A20 and a JJ Goldtop as well as a couple of strats and a Les Paul, but the 'odd' guitars haven't lasted as well as the conventional ones, and although they always draw me towards them, they don't stick around.

 

What do I look for - fun. What will stick around - a good solid player.

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The price. That's the first thing I look for...OF COURSE I'd love to have a Les Paul, or USA Strat or any number of other fine guitars, but I'm married and on a budget. We're doing fine financially, but buying a thousand+ dollar guitar just isn't a priority for me right now. I did buy a lovely USED G&L SB-2 bass a few years ago for about $800; it's the only US-made instrument I own. So I'm not really in the market for any guitar over about $300 or so. The last few guitars I've bought have been at that price point or lower.

 

But by buying import guitars, I have a nice stable with variety. I have a couple of strat types, both a straight ahead SSS strat copy (G&L Tribute Legacy), a SSH "super strat" with a locking trem (Squier Stagemaster), a 1990-ish MIJ fender telecaster, a sort-of Les Paul type guitar, ( Aria ProII PE-1500), and an ES-335 copy (Aria Pro II TA-60).

 

If I'm buying used, I don't worry so much if a guitar isn't properly set up or has electronics problems, I'm a DIYer and have been able to fix most problems that crop up. Both my G&L tribute and the Squier Stagemaster needed their trems set up and of course their strings changed. I'm always a little surprised that GC doesn't give their used instruments a little TLC before throwing on the "used" rack.

 

So:

1) Price - can I afford it?

2) Sound/type - does it make the sounds I want?

3) Color/style - do I like the way it looks? Will chicks dig it?

 

Things like wood type and resale value are way down the list for me.

 

About the only guitars I'm still hankerin' for are:

1) A pedal steel. It's rare to find a used one that's not well over a thousand dollars.

2) Gibson Moderne. I almost bought one a few years ago when they were re-issued, but didn't. I guess I'll twiddle my thumbs and hope they re-re-re-issue them again.

 

 

 

 

 

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