fortyearspickn Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 The look gets me to pick it up. The feel makes me play it. The tone and playability keeps me playing it. If I like it and have the cash, I'll get it. I negotiate the price with cash in hand. Occasionally, I'll come back a week later just to make sure it's not a total impulse buy. Agree! I don't go shopping or things I've not already decided I am looking to buy. Too many puppies have come home with me when I've gone to the pound "Just To Look". I'll play pieces of the same 3 songs - and if the setup/strings aren't good - sadly, that guitar goes back up on the wall. I've learned certain brands rarely have what I"m looking for, so even if there is a 'looker', I'll tend not to bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 A couple of things I don't understand. Why would I care how a guitar sounds unplugged if I never intended to play it that way? I can understand the sound of an unplugged hollow bodied guitar can be echoed by pickups when plugged in, but not so much for a semi-hollow or solid body. And I've never bought a guitar when I didn't change the strings and re-do the setup to suit the action I like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 Funnily enough....I bought my 3 Gibsons over the internet without playing touching or actually seeing them other than pics. Rough summary of thought process: 1) Wow! If that plays as good as it looks.....Beautiful dark cherry LP Custom, non-relieved mahogany-top with P90s, I haven't got a guitar with P90s. 2) WOWW!! I've never ever seen one of those - there's no other choice I'VE GOT TO HAVE IT. 3) WOW! THAT looks great! With those features (inc a Bigsby)...ooh..aaghh...OK quick! While I've got the money and it's available! Yes I bought 'em simply because I was looking to buy Gibson and they looked bloody amazing to start with; "if it plays as good as it looks" isn't always the case, but for me it has been with my 3 Gibsons. If I had the money I'd definitely get a nice 25/50 LP Custom. And...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 ...Why would I care how a guitar sounds unplugged if I never intended to play it that way?... Because the way a solid-bodied guitar's strings vibrate is what the pickup picks up. If a solid-body guitar is more resonant, has a fuller sound and has more sustain (etc... etc...) unplugged then these resultant vibrations will be reflected once it is amplified. Conversely if a guitar doesn't hold much sustain and the strings 'die' unplugged because the body nullifies resonance then this, too, will be reflected in the end-tone. Absolutely no offence intended, zigzag, because you are clearly a smart cookie but I can't see why this is difficult for anyone to understand. Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 Because the way a solid-bodied guitar's strings vibrate is what the pickup picks up. If a solid-body guitar is more resonant, has a fuller sound and has more sustain (etc... etc...) unplugged then these resultant vibrations will be reflected once it is amplified. Conversely if a guitar doesn't hold much sustain and the strings 'die' unplugged because the body nullifies resonance then this, too, will be reflected in the end-tone. Absolutely no offence intended, zigzag, because you are clearly a smart cookie but I can't see why this is difficult for anyone to understand. Pip. I get that, Pip, no offense taken. But, what does it matter if I don't intend to listen to the guitar unplugged? Foreplay, I guess. Also, it never made sense to me to have the pickups raised. I play them as low as they'll go to hear more of the guitar and less of the pickups. I guess it just depends on what you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 This is what Gary Moore thought 40s in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 ...what does it matter if I don't intend to listen to the guitar unplugged? Foreplay, I guess... I think we're talking at slightly cross purposes. It doesn't matter in the slightest what is sounds like per se but at the same time it is a very clear indication of how Dead-or-Alive the guitar will respond when it is plugged in and this aspect is why it does matter. If it really 'sings' unplugged then this will be reflected once it is amplified. Try it out for yourself if you have the opportunity, curiosity, spare time and inclination. Go down to your nearest large Gibson dealership and test-drive half-a-dozen Les Pauls (say) unplugged. You might be surprised by the variation between them - especially if you can find an example of a "Collector's Choice" or else a really good re-issue against which the rest can be compared. Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelT Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 I think we're talking at slightly cross purposes. It doesn't matter in the slightest what is sounds like per se but at the same time it is a very clear indication of how Dead-or-Alive the guitar will respond when it is plugged in and this aspect is why it does matter. If it really 'sings' unplugged then this will be reflected once it is amplified. Try it out for yourself if you have the opportunity, curiosity, spare time and inclination. Go down to your nearest large Gibson dealership and test-drive half-a-dozen Les Pauls (say) unplugged. You might be surprised by the variation between them - especially if you can find an example of a "Collector's Choice" or else a really good re-issue against which the rest can be compared. Pip. This is definitely the case with mine. 6 Gibson guitars, 4 of them Les Pauls, 2 Flying V's. They all have the same set of strings on them. They all have varying weights and weight relief. The Traditional and Classic have similar weights and lack of weight relief. They sound warmer and more woody when unplugged. The Standard has ultra modern weight relief and it's brighter unplugged than the Classic and Traditional. The Tribute is a whole different animal with its satin finish and 9 hole weight relief. It sounds fairly mellow yet louder than the other three when unplugged. It and the Classic both have P90's but when plugged in, they have a completely different tone. Unplugged, the Tribute sounds the best. Plugged in, the Tribute and Traditional sound the best and are more versatile for what I play. This is how each one got picked out for purchase when I played them, except the Tribute. He was an online order. Unplugged matters as much as plugged in for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 I think we're talking at slightly cross purposes. It doesn't matter in the slightest what is sounds like per se but at the same time it is a very clear indication of how Dead-or-Alive the guitar will respond when it is plugged in and this aspect is why it does matter. If it really 'sings' unplugged then this will be reflected once it is amplified. Try it out for yourself if you have the opportunity, curiosity, spare time and inclination. Go down to your nearest large Gibson dealership and test-drive half-a-dozen Les Pauls (say) unplugged. You might be surprised by the variation between them - especially if you can find an example of a "Collector's Choice" or else a really good re-issue against which the rest can be compared. Pip. The first new thing I've learned today. :) While I'm posting on this topic, I'd like to mention that I recently bought an LP with Burstbucker Pro pickups. I live in the sticks, so it is difficult for me to test drive and compare guitars and pickups. I have a 335 with '57 Classics (the only two sets of Gibson pickups I own). To my ears, which are not that good, the '57s can get pretty muddy unless dialed in just right, but they are well rounded. The Burstbuckers are creamier with more definition, and tend to get crunchier with more aggressive attack. I love the '57s for what they do, but I prefer the Burstbuckers for what I do. After fit, feel, and playability comes sound, and obviously pickups are a major part of that. I wouldn't mod the pickups in a high end guitar, but I'd switch out pickups on any Epi or Fender if thought it would make me happier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Quality of construction, fit, finish and materials. Tuning stability, nut, bridge, and whammy construction. Shape/balance. I want it to be comfortable to play. Contoured with no uncomfortable pressure points and no neck dive. If it's comfortable to play and I don't have to fight the instrument, I play better. Neck scale/radius. I prefer 25.5"/14" - I tend to play high at times and my fingers are too fat for shorter scales, and I bend strings a lot thus the long radius. Master volume close to the picking hand - this keeps me in balance with the band regardless of my pickup or pickup combination. Changes are intuitive because when I'm soloing, I'm lost in the music, not 'which pickup(s) am I using and which knob(s) to I need to adjust to blend for comping and rise above for soloing. Master tone control. I used to like guitars with lots of knobs, but now I appreciate the simplicity of one vol and one tone. Pickups - this comes lower on the list, because if I like everything else about the guitar, I can change the pickups. IMHO the pickups are the most significant factor for your tone (other than your hands of course). I like P-90s the best and P-Rails for their versatility (95%P90 tone, decent rail tone, and very good humbucker tone). Wood, for it's beauty and weight. Wood makes zero or next to zero difference since pickups work on magnetism and not sound - of course that is only for electric guitars, with acoustic guitars the wood makes a significant difference. Insights and incites by Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 "Ooooh, I love it!" Do I "need" it (NO!!!) Do I have the money? (Yes=I (probably) buy it, No=I don't)! That's about as "deep" as I go, anymore. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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