Some guitars are just tight?

[troysgguy]

Just bought a 2011 special faded SG and seem to like the feel of it better than my 61 RE. Seems like no matter what I do the 61RE just will not loose up like the faded. It also seem to lack the ability for the same low action as the faded. Sad I like the faded better than the one that cost twice as much. I have small to average size hands, but prefer the rounded neck over the slim taper. So are some guitars just tight and nothing you can do?

[ksdaddy]

In 2012 and 2013 I owned two Fadeds and two Standards. The Fadeds were head and shoulders above the Standards for playability, general nice feel and looseness. We shouldn't generalize but 4 guitars was enough to convince me.

[milod]

To me, it all comes down to an instrument somehow "fitting" the player's personal geometry and playing style, then the added comfort one finds when the guitar itself is more comfortable.

 

Each picker and each guitar is an individual, unique regardless that each is complex.

 

m

[capmaster]

Neck shapes will also affect how tight a guitar is to attack. I experienced that thinner profiles rather tend to show live and dull notes than thicker necks. Live notes are more likely to buzz. In most cases, my cure is slightly more neck relief which still allows for reasonable action, but it never comes close to that on a fatter neck.

 

Finally, I think that Milod is spot on with his statement on individual pickers and individual guitars. When taking this into account, the satisfying overlaps can be very different.

[10K-DB]

To me, it all comes down to an instrument somehow "fitting" the player's personal geometry and playing style, then the added comfort one finds when the guitar itself is more comfortable.

 

Each picker and each guitar is an individual, unique regardless that each is complex.

 

m

+1

[charlie brown]

I bought, and love all my guitars, for their unique (to me) properties.

But, I have to admit my little TV yellow Double Cut LP Special, is damn

near "alive" even unplugged! It, along with my SG's, is hard to put

down, once I pick it up.

 

CB

[SteveFord]

You can loosen it up bit it's a struggle between truss rod adjustment and then dealing with buzzing frets.

 

My 07 Les Paul Classic was like that and it took a good 8 hours to win the battle. My 07 Firebird VII was like that, too, but it went out the door before I got motivated enough to tackle it.