smitty Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 i say playability Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragyn Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 Looks are important, but if it isn't playable, then what good are looks. . . . . So Sayeth; Like it really matters what I say Dragyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 I remember reading an article about EVH loving how fast he could play on a big 'ol Gibson (something like BB King plays). The rest of the band was looking at him like he was delirious and told him to put that damn thing down and pickup his usual guitar. I could be remembering this wrong but it went something like "put that thing down - you're in a rock band <explatives here>!". Point is, looks do count to most people in rock bands and fans. The looks can't be more important than the feel and performance though. I'd say they are about equal in my opinion. Does anyone remember that guy who claimed to be a luthier on ebay and was trying to sell his guitar with the pickup placed in the "harmonic sweet spot"? Someone here (I think) posted a pic of Steve Vai playing it live and I couldn't stop laughing . Imagine that guitar having the same looks but actually did play great. It just wouldn't fly. I wish I could find that pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 "What matters more in a guitar?Looks or Playability?" When I'm trying to figure out what I should pay for it, I'm probably more concerned with looks, since it's almost always a sure thing that I'll get it playing good later. But by looks, I mean how original it is, what kind of hack repair jobs have been done, parts swapped, hidden damage/mods, what kind of wood. But for most, it has to be new, and they don't even know, and probably never will know, what a good playing guitar is. That's why the used guitars at some music and pawn shops move real slowly out of the place, while the high-gloss, paint not even dry yet, cookie-cutter jobs fly out of guitar center like a high-speed production line. The pawn-shop one might play like crap, but usually so does the GC one. Might as well tweak the one that looks like it sounded good enough for someone to put real wear marks on it over some years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 I say get on for looks, then send it to Soapbarstrat to make it play good!!! BTW .. I like the neck jig you built.. do you like it better than the older model, workbench one you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 Gimme a POS pawn shop special, ugly as sin, and if it plays good, I'll take it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 what i think is if your playing for or in front of people that have no guitar experience its all about looks, and playability doesnt matter, unless it plays extremely bad. But if your in front of a bunch of experienced guitar players, looks barely matter at all, unless its extremely ugly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 Looks aint nothing unless your comfortable and you have some good sounds to back it up. I really like the 'once nice' look, for instance jaco pastouriou's bass. Its an old fender jazz with a sunburst, it had tons of chips, no pickguard, the pickguard holes wernt filled, but it sounded great! experenced players shouldnt care how it looks, but only how it plays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLS Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 playability of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 From a players standpoint, I would always prefer my guitars to look "cool". That doesn't mean that it can't have damage done. From a builders standpoint, looks are very important. From either view, it has to play and feel good to be worth owning. I don't know if I'd ever buy an "ugly" guitar that felt good unless it was my only option. Why not hold out for a sweet looking guitar that also feels good and set's up nicely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted August 12, 2004 Report Share Posted August 12, 2004 heck, my washburn strat looks ok, but it plays really well IMO but, with the crap tacular single coil pickups, that barely work anymore, its startin to fade on me Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StratDudeDan Posted August 12, 2004 Report Share Posted August 12, 2004 i can't get over old, busted-looking POS's that can be cleaned up to play amazing. all three of my acoustics are that way (an old '62 Silvertone, freaking old Yamaha, and a classical POS my friend found at a garage sale for $5), and i'm always looking for cheap stuff at the local pawns and the "alternate" music store. here's my idea: if it looks horrible but plays awesome, it's a keeper. if it looks incredible but plays like crap, sell it and buy something that looks bad. if it both looks and plays great, you paid too much for it. if it looks like crap and plays even worse, fix it and then it's more special to you than any other guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted August 12, 2004 Report Share Posted August 12, 2004 I'm amazed that there are guitar players who would even CONSIDER looks over playability! Not to say looks aren't important to a certain degree... but at the end of the day it HAS to be about playability! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted August 14, 2004 Report Share Posted August 14, 2004 Ideally I want the best of both. Obviously if i had to pick just one, it would be playability, but there is no reason why I cant have both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeR Posted August 14, 2004 Report Share Posted August 14, 2004 Hi guys, With EVH, i think it was a 335, and the band said "You aint Roy Orbison. Either get some dark glasses, or loose the guitar". oh, and for me, 'Playablity'. (Dont mean to thread-hack, but I have noticed so many guitar players[myself included] when asked this question always say 'plability' or sound over looks). But it never counts with women, does it? I mean, we will go to hell and back to get an attractive woman, but avoid the friendly ugly ones like the plauge. So for women, looks, but guitars, playability. (I think maybe i have my priorities wrong ) Anyway, take care guys, Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ki swordsman Posted August 15, 2004 Report Share Posted August 15, 2004 true in a way the two are quite alike though......we are drawn in by a guitars looks, then we find out about it's playability right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 15, 2004 Report Share Posted August 15, 2004 I say get on for looks, then send it to Soapbarstrat to make it play good!!! BTW .. I like the neck jig you built.. do you like it better than the older model, workbench one you have? All I did was mod the old one to be more like their newer one, Which was basically to add dial indicators, take away some pins, add a threaded rod to go under the end of the headstock. It seems more high-tech then how it used to be, where there were no indicators, and I would use a "back-light" to set about 8-9 pins against the back of the neck just right. I like the newer version just fine, but have a lot of fond memories of how it used to be, plus the older version made guitars play just as good as the new version. Nobody can send me anything for a while still, I'm still away from home for another 6 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulNeeds Posted August 30, 2004 Report Share Posted August 30, 2004 I voted playability but equally important is sound. However, like looks, most things ca b sorted f the instrument is relatively sound to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky182 Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 i thing palyability is most important, buy what's the point in haveing a nasty looking guitar!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanglewood15dlx Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 both but playability stil has the advantage. what are looks if it sounds like COW DUNG? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted September 1, 2004 Report Share Posted September 1, 2004 (edited) looks, a good looking guitar feels better, a bit a placebo effect, this doesent account for superhigh string actions because you cant play on such a thing besides on a bad playing guitar it cant be that worse like you play 10 times as worse as normal i say: if it plays horrible: get to used to it (i can accound for that, my nylonstring guitar is horrible) Edited September 1, 2004 by Shaggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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