What do you look for?

[jcmktgguy]

When you go in to a guitar shop and look at guitars, what are the top 3 things you look for?

In other words, based on your needs, what are the 3 most important things that you want it to have, thus prompting you to want it or buy it?

Forget price points, etc. I'm looking for info on the most essential elements that trigger you to buy it.

Thanks for your input!

[markD]

excellent paint job, good stock electronics, floyd rose.

[danastas]

I prefer strats, so I look for archtop strats. But then...

1. Great craftsmanship on the neck. Has to have excellent fretwork, rolled off edges. Binding not essential.

2. Neck pocket has to be tight.

3. Coating. I want to see a good finish on the body, no imperfections, etc.

If the guitar is doing well at this point, I start considering the pickups, hardware, etc.

In any case, my eyes go immediately to the work on the neck, then I move down and have a look at the joints.

This has always been the reason I'm drawn to Jacksons and Carvins.

[bonghits]

1. Original Floyd Rose
2. Jumbo frets preferably but no smaller than KV2 frets with excellent fretwork and 24 frets
3. Good electronics(Seymour Duncans, DiMarzio, or EMG)

[Death metal soloist]

First of all, I decide if the guitar is even worth looking at by looking at the neck joint.

If it has bolts and a big heel, NEXT.

Second, I look at the body style.

Third, neck.

[joshulator]

I tend to have an idea of what specific guitar I want ahead of time. In other words, I don't usually go in, play something that grabs my attention, and then buy it. I know exactly what guitar I'm going to look at.


Be that as it may, obviously there's a process I go through before I make my purchase:

1. Look at the condition, even if it's new. New guitars hanging on the wall at GC will frequently already have damage or missing parts. If so, I'm not interested. I won't even play it.

2. If the condition is good, I will play it. It is important to play it both clean and distorted. Play your usual stuff, both licks and riffs. During this I'm noting how it sounds, and how it feels. And when I say feels, it's not just is it easy to play. Some guitars feel cheap and others feel like they could last forever. I don't know how to quantify that, but I'm obviously looking for the latter. I check the intonation. I check the range of the whammy bar. I realize that these things can be adjusted, but if it is real out of whack, that scares me off.

3. Usually at this point I already know where I'm going with my decision, but I then stop playing and look at the craftsmanship. Look at the fretwork. Look at the binding. How is the thing put together? Does it look perfect or does it look like a high school shop project? Most of the time, if I've made it this far, the guitar will be of high craftsmanship. Thus far I have found that if it feels and sounds like quality, it usually is quality.

4. One last test: how does this guitar fit me? Does it fit the image I'm working for? Does it feel like it's an extension of myself, and not just wood and strings? Was this guitar made for me? Was destiny calling when I picked this thing up? I suppose that may be silly, but when you're spending hundreds or thousands, this guitar should mean something. Besides, music is expression. Why would you express yourself with something that is not you?

[Top Jimmy B]

Fit & finish, feel of the neck and its acoustic tone. I usually swap out electronics as soon as it gets home so the stock pickups are never much of an issue to me. Having said that, a display guitar with Duncans will usually get my attention first. Seeing that logo on there, for some reason, always leads me to believe I'm looking at a nicer product.

[wilkinsi]

1. condition
2. price
3. alternatives (food, clothes, transport - nah! screw that lot, guitar comes first... )

[Madness]

1. Craftsmanship/quality.
2. Playability/Comfort

I definately tend to lean towards neck thru/set necks when I purchase new... they just feel alot more solid to me, especially Jacksons. I own many bolt ons, (just bought a DK2M recently actually) they're great to don't get me wrong.
The shape of the neck also has an impact...obviously if I feel like I'm straining to play on it then I don't buy it.

As far as electronics and hardware are concerned, they aren't as big a deal to me as I'm just gonna rip it out and put what I want in there anyway.......although, It was a nice treat to get real duncans in my DK2M.

3. Aesthetics


and of course it has to make me look alot better than I am.

[jackson1]

Design, color, graphics, switch & pup configuration, woodtypes aside, this is what I'm looking for:

1. Top notch neck and fretwire craftmanship. Neck feel means a lot to me. I'm not talking backshapes or thickness here - I'm talking the touch of a skilled worker that shines through. That's what I'm looking for.

2. Top notch overall finish - I'll look at the bevels, the contours, the paint, the mounting of the hardware.

3. A good loud resonant sound when played acoustically.

[Mikernaut2]

well the thing that annoys me is how many times have you gone to a shop and they have no USA made Jacksons.

That to me is the biggest problem. availability to see,try and experience a true Jackson.

but otherwise everyone else has basically covered everything else.

[StukaJU87]

well the thing that annoys me is how many times have you gone to a shop and they have no USA made Jacksons.

That to me is the biggest problem. availability to see,try and experience a true Jackson.

+ infinity. If Guitar Center is some kind of giant that moves so much inventory for Jackson that online dealers can't post their real prices, how come we never see NEW USA Jacksons in Guitar Center?:ROTF: It has literally been over 2 or 3 years since I saw a new USA Jackson in any of my area GC's. I have never seen a new Charvel USA either. That is rediculous.:ROTF:

[nateb]

Just to throw this out there....

Plugging in is the last thing that I do.

It is all about feel and comfort. I like picking up a instrument that feels like it has been taken care of and that there was a little care put into what you are planning on spending almost 2K for. When you see a nice instrument in the wall, there is nothing more disenchanting then a crappy setup. That is the experience that I get whenever I pick up a guitar in Guitar Center in San Jose.

For example, they have 2-3 USA charvels in the San Jose store that I picked up and played for about 10 seconds before I put it back on the shelf. The string tension was wrong, the string height was to the roof and it felt like it was completely mishandled. This was the same experience I had with all of them. I knwo they are good guitars. But, to anyone who was to come into the store blind, and not knowing the charvel/jackson name, would have no idea of what kind of quality insturment they had in their hands.

So, it is...

1) Brand
2) Look
3) Playability

-Nate

[sl2lover]

I look for any neck thru Jacksons/Charvels, new or used! Amps/effects next. Live sound gear after that! Although any hotties lingering around help!!

[shreddermon]

- Good looks. If the design and/or paint isn't visually appealing, you've already lost me - it doesn't matter how good the guitar actually is, if it's not something that I'd like to play. And, since I like variety, "visually appealing" can mean many different things - body and headstock styles, solid, trans and graphic finishes. But, then again, a lot doesn't work for my preferences, too.

- Quality workmanship. i.e., excellent fretwork, paint, hardware alignments and installations, body routing, etc. No significant flaws. It could be the coolest looking guitar on the planet, but if there's an obvious flaw of some sort, it's a "no-go". The first thing that enters my mind is "I wonder what else might be wrong with it."

- Quality components. i.e, Quartersawn necks, Original Floyds, Duncan or Dimarzio pickups, high quality paints, dyes, clears, etc. Cost cutting in this area is obvious, and an immediate turn-off.