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View Full Version : what do you look for in buying a guitar..


Monster
03-03-2008, 01:58 PM
everyone has there reasons on what makes them buy a guitar , what are your;s that makes you buy a guitar.

for they would be
1) construction and quality of it ( if it was not built right then don't get it)
2) feel of the guitar, kneck and wight ( if it don't feel good then it will never sound good as you wont be comfortable playing it)
3) looks (reason this is second cause its nto easy to change the look)
4) sound ( not to worried because if everything above i like then i can always swap pups to something better



:2thumbups:

V-Type
03-03-2008, 02:11 PM
These days I cant justify more than $700 on any guitar or amp. And really have too save for a few months to get close.
But I look for used guitar values first. Like Used USA's if possible or other Half priced deals.
New I make sure all the finish and fit is near flawless. Im also leaning more towards uprgades on certain models such as strap locks and better hardware/electronics.
I also look for nicer finish's and blingy inlays and bindings.
Funny I have two Korean,one MIJ and One USA and the MIK's are just as nice acrossthe board. IMO.

floydmoline
03-03-2008, 04:10 PM
the most important things when looking at new instruments for me is

1. wood / sound, i feel a guitar has to be real wood, preferably not ply wood, all though there are a few plywood guitars that sound ok, i haven't found a plywood guitar that sounds great, and softer woods like agathis, poplar, and the like sound dead to me, a bit on the dull side, for metal heads who like the scooped sound softer woods are ok i suppose, but i prefer more mids

2. BALANCE i really want to get an SG for that reason alone, i love the sound of a les paul, but i find it very difficult to play one sitting, they are very bottom heavy compared to a fender designed guitar

3. lastly playability, prolly the "wrong" way to look at it, but i play on acoustics at home mostly, and play bass mostly in bands (lotsa guitar players, not so many bass players) and my acoustics all seem to be poorly constructed, or something, they all have very high actions, and are difficult to play i suppose, but i have grown used to it, so now when ever i play on a "good" electric it feels odd, the stings are so low, and so loose i find my self attempting a 1/2 step bend and end up with a 2 1/2 step bend, and for bass the bass i play is fretless, and has a high action because the if it don't you get fret-board slap.

indytruckboy
03-04-2008, 07:01 AM
the most important things when looking at new instruments for me is



2. BALANCE i really want to get an SG for that reason alone, i love the sound of a les paul, but i find it very difficult to play one sitting, they are very bottom heavy compared to a fender designed guitar




One of the things SGs are not known for are their good balance. I own quite a few. Some have some neck dive. It's workable. But a lot of people have issues.

floydmoline
03-04-2008, 09:10 AM
i don't mind a little neck dive while sitting, but the pauls butt drops to the floor, it's easier for me to hold the neck up and play then to try to hold the neck down and play, none of them really bother me standing, it's just seated that gets annoying.

senor_penguin
03-05-2008, 12:02 AM
feel is the main thing, then it goes to construction, then sound

jackal
03-05-2008, 06:42 PM
I agree, the feel is the most important... when you pick it up and play it you know if its made for you or not.. thats why i don't think there is a perfect guitar design.. because everyone likes a different feel.. of course it has to sound good too

torgeot
03-09-2008, 09:57 AM
Feel is a main thing when I buy, but honestly I've bought my last 15 guitars online. (I buy and sell alot, about 30-40 each year) I'll check reviews and see how people feel about a guitar, but the feel on the neck is the bigget thing for me. after that it's how it sounds through my amp (s).

Vintageheadbox
03-09-2008, 10:03 AM
I do it a different way.. Ive been play for over 30 yrs now and I know what I want.. and there not new guitars..

I buy used ones that back in the day were great guitars , but now they are worn out. so I get them cheap and I have the re done
from a friend of mine that is a luthier.. now they are new again so to speak..

Jerry

Monster
03-14-2008, 10:47 AM
I do it a different way.. Ive been play for over 30 yrs now and I know what I want.. and there not new guitars..

I buy used ones that back in the day were great guitars , but now they are worn out. so I get them cheap and I have the re done
from a friend of mine that is a luthier.. now they are new again so to speak..

Jerry


hey thats cool and a good idea.. i don't buy guitars brand new much any more... because they drop in price faster these days at guitar stores etc..

floydmoline
03-14-2008, 07:00 PM
only one reason i'd have to buy a new guitar from a store, and that is just so i could play it before i bought it, as far as buying one online sight unseen brand new i don't think i would, i'd prefer to buy one used from the net you can get a little more accurate description from a guy than a sales person that isn't even in the same state as the guitar they are trying to sell :-)

characterzero
04-05-2008, 11:43 PM
While feel is important, I always want to make sure that my guitar is versatile. It has to play and sound nice for a variety of styles, because I really like to mix things up in my music, using different things like really punchy funk, smooth arpeggios, and overdriven lead playing. When I bought my last guitar I wanted to make sure it was something that would last me no matter what I decided to play.

However, that said I still want a hollowbody in addition to my main guitar for jazz stuff.

Brian Krashpad
04-07-2008, 08:26 PM
To be brutally honest, the first hurdle is looks. Because even if it sounds fantatstic, if it looks like shite, to me, I will not play it. And there's not much to be done with the way a guitar looks, other than changing the color.

Once I have a guitar that looks OK, next consideraton is sound. Frankly, for me it'd better sound damn good stock, becaue i"m no modder. So if it sounds crappy, odds are I'd just as soon ditch it as mod it. In fact, odds are much more in favor of ditching. I am not a modder.

After looks and sound come playability and price. As far as playability, I'm fairly liberal. Most guitars nowadays can be set up to acceptable limits. As far as price goes, I'm a cheap bastard. I won't bore anyone with my formulae for determining a good deal, but suffice it to say such formulae do indeed exist and are rarely (if ever) departed from.