What do you look for?

stimpsonslostson

When guitar shopping what's the most important factor in you picking a guitar?

Looks? Would/do you own a particularly fugly guitar because it sounds/plays really well? Or own a beauty that you KNOW doesn't play well. 

Feel? Similarly are you willing to overlook deficiencies in sound or aesthetics to own a really comfortable guitar?

(Strat owners- you answer "Yes" and move on)

My Vintage V100 looks a bit stupid- the previous owner put a Gibson logo on the headstock, but the neck is wonderful so I love it. 

Sound? This is the end goal: the point of the guitar right?? Or is it? If a guitar ticks the other boxes and yet sounds uninspiring would you buy it with the intention of improving it later? 

Loads of people have commented that they prefer to try a new guitar unplugged to get an idea of it's potential (I do this too because any guitar is going to sound different through my own amp when I get it home). 

I know most of us seem to have a "type" of guitar we're drawn to, but what sets example apart from the other?

grungebob

Being a gentlemen gifted with sight, ultimately I'm drawn first on looks, if it then turns out to sound or play crap I move on. I like a light guitar, the neck has to be right ( not nearly right but just right), if it has one nice sound in it I'll then consider buying it but I won't buy a guitar that plays well and sounds crap thinking I'll swap pickups. I've mostly found that a guitar that sounds crap with stock pickups still sounds mostly crap with upgrades.

digitalscream

Feel is what I go for. The sound and visuals can - to a large extent - be changed, but the feel and playability of a guitar has only limited options in terms of improvement.

frankus

stimpsonslostson said:

Feel? Similarly are you willing to overlook deficiencies in sound or aesthetics to own a really comfortable guitar?

(Strat owners- you answer "Yes" and move on)

I've got a Fender Strat and a Suhr Strat and frankly I prefer the look of a strat to pretty much any other guitar HOWEVER.

The top-horn means the top frets are too close to my body, the neck profile is too thick and rounded (and I have big hands), the scale length is less fun, overall the action isn't as low as set neck, higher radius fretboards.

However it's sonically versatile (more so with a tremelno, baseplated bridge pickup and a Rothwell HLK) I've yet to play a PRS - being left handed I've no interest in the guys bigoted ideas about us lefties - but from what I've heard they're the nearest for versatility. Aside from the versatility so many iconic sounds come from the strat in pretty much every style of music.  

So pretty much the opposite of what you think.

I chose guitars based on availability and reputation - being a lefty I don't get to waddle into shops and sample loads, I'm lucky if there's a Squier Strat and a Tanglewood Acoustic. However, I keep guitars based on feel and sound, and ultimately an extreme fondness of either will swing it.

mike_l

Strat-based body shape.

Floyd rose/2-post Fender trem - for picking hand comfort

Nice neck not too chunky, flatish fretboard

not_the_dj

Mojo

richh

Sound. You'd like to think this can be changed with better pickups, but that is hard to be sure of.

I would need any guitar to hold tuning well, balance on a strap, and be playable, but the tones that can be got out of it are what it's all about for me.  Especially when you have other guitars, in which case I'm really looking for something different to what I have already.

Phil_aka_Pip

everything. some boxes may have more ticks in than others but every box requires a tick.

Bucket

Looks are the first thing, of course... no matter how good my intentions are I can't overcome that. I'm not going to play something that doesn't look good, or at least cool or interesting. (No comments about my 30-fret sparkly red Ibanez please)

Then feel. Neck, body, balance, weight etc etc. A large part of it comes down to how well it's set up in the shop as well, which seems ridiculous because it means I can write off several guitars that should be wonderful just because the action's too high or something.

I usually play stuff unplugged first before plugging in... if it's loud and resonant that's a good sign.

mike_l

Bucket said:

Looks are the first thing, of course... no matter how good my intentions are I can't overcome that. I'm not going to play something that doesn't look good, or at least cool or interesting. (No comments about my 30-fret sparkly red Ibanez please)

30 fret Ibanez = different = cool and interesting

When every other guitarist is playing a Strat/Tele/Les Paul etc, you'll stand out from the crowd.

Unless you're at a 30 fret convention........

Sassafras

Single coils.

johnonguitar

Looks. But not because it looks great. I always think you can tell how a guitar will sound by the way it looks. Roughly.

If there's a wall of strats I find if you just clear your mind and float around you will gravitate to one that's going to be in the ballpark of the sound you like.

Guitar voodoo

Bellycaster

It has to look good to me and feel good to me, there is no trade off.

Edit; Sounds good is quite important too :-B

RMJ

Looks/Mojo. I have to want to pick it up.  I've had some extremely well made guitars (PRS, Anderson) that didn't have 'it'.

Feel. Neck profile and finish are the most important aspects. Less concerned about weight.

Build quality. If there are obvious flaws I'll move on.

Sound. Ultimately its got to sound good.

Skipped

I think Mojo does exist and should not be ridiculed.

You may have seen those devices which attach to the body of your Acoustic or Es guitar and vibrates in a way that wakes up the wood. So it then sounds good without waiting several years.
Well.....a great player does that to a guitar.   x 1000.
I have been watching some videos of Al Di Meola playing his black refinned 50s Les Paul and have come to the conclusion that loaning him your expensive guitar for 20 years would be a great idea. Because he is playing all over the neck...and applying vibrato at every part of the neck.
Your guitar would almost certainly come back to you with Mojo.

Neil

Looks - that's it.

ESBlonde

Can I gig with it?

If I can pick it up and play it live while I sing and prance about looking cool (?) then that's a biggie. Included within that is the neck comfortable and the fingerboard 'right', are the controls logical and accessible. Are the stock sounds usable and versatile. Is this a good tool?

Then colour, shape, finish, condition, sexual orientation, weight, strap balance etc. all get factored in.

If I'm thinking different pickups might help it gets passed over, I want a guitar that sounds ready to go and I have several already, why would I buy another thats not right?

axisus

looks always come first, only a few guitars 'turn my head'. Having got over that hurdle, I can be 90% sure if I want it just by playing unplugged. Every guitar I have ever bought I knew I was going to buy it before even plugging in. 

PolarityMan

Feel is what I buy on but I wouldn't even try if it doesn't look good. Sound is hard to accurately judge under shop conditions but I'd say unless it's actively bad it probably sits behind feel.

Catthan

I'm sorted for LPs so it's now strat & strat variants that are on my radar (again). 

First thing would be "is it strat-y enough" for my tastes? Then, does it offer any degree of versatility that doesn't compromise the desired degree of said "strat-yness"?

If yes for both, unless the off the wall gtr feels like "the one" I'll probably look for an online deal that allows me to return it if not happy. This gives more options on colours too. 

The important thing then is how it works with my rig. Not safe to gig a new gtr that may be returned so what I look out for at home is how stiff it feels in the hands relative to the mid frequencies. Can I dial them in-out to the desired degree of looseness? eg, if it has an inherent snappy attack which I can't work with or dial out then it's not for me. 

If it's dull and can't dial the rig in so that it cuts better it's also not good. But the chances of anyone keeping a dull gtr are slim anyway..

Again, speaking about strat variants, in my experience there are more chances in getting a good one of the wall or online if you spend a bit more. Fender CS, Suhr, Anderson, Tyler (GAS!!!).. 
I'm also getting picky about stuff like a worn, played in neck feel out of the box. Satin or satin-feeling neck finishes, rolled fret edges etc. These are always a plus and are more likely offered in the higher price end.

I cannot judge which aspects of unplugged sound translate to a good sounding gtr when plugged in. 

eg, my Suhr strat sounds rather uninspiring (to me) unplugged but it's the most consistent and balanced sounding gtr I've played plugged in. Sounds how I like strats to sound day in/ out and gives the feel of a precision, pro-grade instrument fit for a top session dude (I guess that's what it is for) rather than a weekend warrior like me. 

A rather jangly, bright and lively when  unplugged strat I had sounded meh plugged in. 

Another thing that's important but hard to check at the shop is how well the hardware works and how sensitive it is to adjustments. Does the neck move if I give the rod 1/4 of the turn, does it intonate well etc.. Again, my experience is that it is more likely to get those things right by spending a bit more on a gtr. But I wouldn't say that's a fact;Just my experience..

Had a few pints and now talk-type too much.. apologies..

Nunogilberto

These days, especially now I'm playing live more and tend not to worry about the sound as much, it tends to be all about feel - you can alter the sound to a point. Looks will always come into it, but feel is the biggest thing for me. The more comfy I am with a guitar, the better I'll be able to play it - looks and sounds have no bearing on that whatsoever...