Am I being silly?

VellaJ · 2011-04-22T21:18:20+00:00

So tell me... Am I the only one out there that looks at what a guitar looks like before I play it? Yes, I know that many people shall "shun the non-believer...

Am I being silly?

Bob-Dubery

There's no one right answer to this question. We all have different motivations for owning the guitars that we own, and we all weigh different factors differently.

My 5c worth is that if the guitar plays good and sounds good I tend to end up liking the way it looks.

If you want a guitar that's going to last your entire musical career then
a) You'll need more than looks.
b) Good luck! If guys like Clapton with access to makers and money can't crack that one then what chance do the rest of us have? Even if you find the guitar that has it all, eventually things will start to crap out on it and you'll have to fix or modify or, depending on the wear and fatigue, replace that magic axe.

pbrizzolari

My advice is to go to a couple of the big shops and play different guitars until you find the basic construction that you like, then start looking at the range to see finishes etc. Shops I use for this are toms, Marshall music and music connection because they normally have a decent range of guitars.

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AlanRatcliffe

No, you're not being silly. While not as important as sound and feel, the look and finish is part of it - it's an outward display of your personality to the audience.

What you need to do is isolate what you don't like about the Ibanez neck and what makes you like the ones you do. Play everything you can get your hands on and educate yourself about all the features you like. Then start looking around... If you know enough about what you like it becomes possible to order something sight unseen (from a decent manufacturer, so the chances are better of getting a good one).

It might be as simple as taking a guitar like the Ibanez RGA32 and swapping the neck for another Ibanez model.

If nothing fits your criteria, have one built. There are lots of guys out there who can build or assemble your "dream guitar" - as long as you know exactly what it is you want. Options range from getting Carvin to build a guitar to your specs to finding a custom luthier who will build you something from scratch. I got into repairing and modding basically because, while I found lots of nice guitars, there was always a "but...". I was poor/cheap, so I learned to do it myself.

Dingwall

I too was a strat man, in my teens, wanting one more than air and food! Then one day I got an opportunity to play a vintage reissue US strat at SA Entertainment in Hillbrow (anyone remember that?!). Anyway I was so dissapointed, it was my first go of a 'proper' strat and it sounded nothing like what I wanted in my head, or indeed how I had heard strats sounding on record! Then I was handed an alternative guitar to try and at first I fought very hard as it was the most replusive thing I had every seen, but as soon as it was plugged in everything in my little world changed. I fell madly in love with it in a way that I have not since fallen for any guitar. Not because it was the 'best' guitar in the world but because it was exactly where I was at that stage of my life. Anyway it got sold, I cried, I went to army and saved my little army salary, 2 months before I finished my year it miraculously re-appeared in SA Entertainment. I got my chance to get it and I did!

And here is the punchline - this is what it looked like:

This thread could be linked to the evolution thread elsewhere on this forum because since then I have had all sorts of guitars and guess what my main guitar is now ---- yep a strat!

PS they are all good looking guitars....but how do they sound....? (Washburn for me tho...)

Charlie4

You need a guitar you want to spend time with, hold, work the neck etc. ? Otherwise the honeymoon effect will wear off like in my case -
My jem 555 is not such a jem to me anymore unfortunately (Damn you Edge III !) Work horse or looker? The ibby's are workers more than lookers with the exception of a few - RGA32 etc.
So I'd say try out as many guitars as possible, you're bound to find the right one out there...

chris77

Naah, not silly. Looks are important, even if we don't feel comfortable to admit it sometimes. Personality and all things practical are the big logs that keep the fire burning through the cold, but looks are the small sticks that gets it started in the first place.

Aaaand another vote for the Ibby btw... ?

singemonkey

I first wanted a Les Paul purely because they looked cooler to me than strats. Strats were for Mike and the Mechanics and Bryan Adams, and Les Pauls were for freakin' Jimmy Page and Slash.

I still love Les Pauls today and love the way they play and the particular sounds they make. But it all started with the looks.

I've seen some of the threads about SA luthiers and I was really surprised at what custom solid electrics can be had for in SA. So +1 to Alan's "roll-yer-own" suggestion.

p.s. The headstock on the Washburn sucks. ?

guidothepimmp

Dingwall...

That guityou posted is the one Ive been after for years now...

Love those charvies!

VellaJ

Thanks guys, at least now I know I'm not the only one ?

I have been thinking about getting a guitar made up for me, so thanks Alan for mentioning that possibility. Up 'til now I haven't inquired further about this, mainly because I don't know who does it, and secondly because I'm scared about what I may be looking at in terms of price. Does anyone know roughly what that sort of thing would cost? I know it depends on what I'm getting done and what options I use, but a ballpark figure would be nice...

And yes, that Ibby looks good... but that rosewood on the Washburn looks hot 8)

guidothepimmp

VellaJ wrote: Thanks guys, at least now I know I'm not the only one ?

I have been thinking about getting a guitar made up for me, so thanks Alan for mentioning that possibility. Up 'til now I haven't inquired further about this, mainly because I don't know who does it, and secondly because I'm scared about what I may be looking at in terms of price. Does anyone know roughly what that sort of thing would cost? I know it depends on what I'm getting done and what options I use, but a ballpark figure would be nice...

And yes, that Ibby looks good... but that rosewood on the Washburn looks hot 8)

Vella,

Gonna PM you

guidothepimmp

pm'd ?

Bob-Dubery

VellaJ wrote: Thanks guys, at least now I know I'm not the only one ?

I have been thinking about getting a guitar made up for me, so thanks Alan for mentioning that possibility. Up 'til now I haven't inquired further about this, mainly because I don't know who does it, and secondly because I'm scared about what I may be looking at in terms of price. Does anyone know roughly what that sort of thing would cost? I know it depends on what I'm getting done and what options I use, but a ballpark figure would be nice...0

It's impossible to say - but more than you'd spend on a Cort ? Very dependent on the builder and his reputation, the woods, the finish, the appointments, inlays etc etc

What you should be concerned about IMO is time lines. This can be a major source of frustration if not managed properly.I'd prefer a guy who tells me "10 months" and delivers in 10 (or 9.5) than a guy who tells me 3 and then delivers in 8. So maybe ask around or google - see what sort of feedback the maker gets.

You also need to understand the game you're getting into. You will be asked for money before the build even starts, and you will need to get a good level of understanding with the luthier as to what you really want because he's building to your order.

VellaJ

Thanks Guido! Answer is in your inbox ?

Bob, thanks for reminding me... I guess I was kinda getting ahead of myself there ? Very true what you're saying about the timelines, but at least I'll get a feeling for what I'm looking at once I find out about it... I guess it all depends on how fussy I am ?

Dingwall

Hey GtP

Its called a Charvel Spectrum. I did love it and do wish I had not sold it like I did. I feel that about all my 'lost' guitars! Hey ho!

Svengali

You're not being silly, but neither is the majority of the world's serious guitar players deluded.
I too had an eye on a Ibanez that lookes much like the guitars you pictured. That was back when I did not know whether there was any real difference between Ibanez and Gibson/Fender/-insert whatever other appropriate brand-. Over time my perception of esthetics have changed.

These things are relative. A guitar that's worn in looks super cool, but one that comes out of the factory with manufactured blemishes to its finish such as Fender produces wouldn't warrant a second look from me even if it's specs puts it up there with the best.

Most likely you'll be influenced by the looks of the guitars most commonly being used by your musical idols. It is however a refuteable fact that your industry standards keep on turning up in the most diverse musical settings which goes to show that their rep has to be well deserved.

Svengali

Sorry, :-[ irrefuteable fact

Jack-Flash-Jr

IMHO it's down to the feel... that might change your mind about the looks... I've always liked the Les Paul Jr look, serious GAS etc. but after trying out a couple I realised it's never be comfortable, I'm not going to "fall in love" and now they don't look as good as they did before...

Malkav

There you want that, it's pretty much the most comfortable guitar in the world. Designed from the ground up to offer maximum comfort, every cut out is to aid you in sitting comfortably, the frets fan to the angle your hand naturally assumes travelling the neck and the neck itself warps out towards the low end a slight bit to follow your natural posture better and the shape is trapezoidal to fit the hand more correctly ?

Now that's a unique looking guitar designed to be the ultimate in comfort, crazy swedes, and realistically you'll never see or play one in South Africa - with that behind you just happily pick any of the others as none will dominate this hard ?

(This is all a joke, you may find something else out there you really like. The point I'm trying to make is that once you get one of the 3 you'll probably want something else anyway so focus on sound and feel and if it gets those right for you then make do with it. It's nice to look cool but it's more important that you do your gear justice and make it work hard)

Highway-Chile

Assuming we are discussing guitars that really play well......I think looks are extremely important.....shape, color and brand....as important as features. It all plays into how the player feels about what he or she is doing, style of music etc.

That's why I like this one................ 8)