Jim Wilson Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 I've been noticing various guitar ads on the internet - not just Gibsons - and not just acoustics. It appears that a lot of folks must be drawn to a certain guitar because of how it looks instead of how it sounds. Of course, veteran pickers know better, but the guitar companies and the music stores seem to think that looks is what sells a guitar. What say you folks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratherbwalkn Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Three most important issues for me are Tone Tone and Tone! IMHO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 You're seeing guitar ads because they are targeting you. I researched some tires for my truck the other day. Now I'm noticing a lot of tire ads... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 1 hour ago, Jim Wilson said: I've been noticing various guitar ads on the internet - not just Gibsons - and not just acoustics. It appears that a lot of folks must be drawn to a certain guitar because of how it looks instead of how it sounds. Of course, veteran pickers know better, but the guitar companies and the music stores seem to think that looks is what sells a guitar. What say you folks? Welcome to the early 60's and Leo Fender aiming at young people with cool car colors and sexy lines and shapes. You Won't Part With Yours Either. rct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 (edited) Cool looking guitars have always been a thing to draw one in to them. No complaints about that on my part. I like cool looking guitars. Plus, as alluded to in a different posting string, tone is mostly in a player’s hands not the guitar. Although some guitars are more enjoyable to play such as the Gibson’s and some Epi’s discussed here...as well as let that tone in one’s hand more enjoyably come through. QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff Edited July 1, 2019 by QuestionMark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Wilson Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 I got the lesson a number of years ago. We were in the studio doing some recording when a guy came in with the sorriest looking old Guild dreadnaught I'd ever seen. When he played the first note I liked to have pulled a neck muscle doing a double take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 (edited) Beauty is, of course, also in the eyes of the beholder. One of my guitars is a 1955 NY Epiphone FT79 (probably made in the original Epiphone’s final plant in Philadelphia) that is a totally naturally beat up well worn old guitar...that is also beautiful and cool because of that in its own way. Plays/sounds good, too! QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Edited July 1, 2019 by QuestionMark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Once you get into something, you start to learn about it and really what the measuring sticks of quality are - before that, it's which looks best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 13 minutes ago, billroy said: Once you get into something, you start to learn about it and really what the measuring sticks of quality are - before that, it's which looks best. Well said! QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 It's kind of a mixed bag for me. Certainly, I want the tone, but I also appreciate a guitar that looks good. Fortunately, the guitars that tend to call my name and sound good to me also look pretty sweet: Gibson dreads, Hummingbirds, and super jumbos. The rest of the guitar world doesn't get a lot of my attention. Some great-sounding Martins and Taylors out there (to name just a couple), but they all tend to have a very generic look to them, so I rarely take a serious listen. If Gibsons hadn't always been so unique looking and sounding, I'd likely have ended-up playing lots of different guitars. No doubt I could likely find some guitars of other brands that sound as sweet as Gibsons, but the problem for me is that they wouldn't be Gibsons. Just my view. Doesn't make me right and someone else wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Wilson Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 10 minutes ago, MissouriPicker said: It's kind of a mixed bag for me. Certainly, I want the tone, but I also appreciate a guitar that looks good. Fortunately, the guitars that tend to call my name and sound good to me also look pretty sweet: Gibson dreads, Hummingbirds, and super jumbos. The rest of the guitar world doesn't get a lot of my attention. Some great-sounding Martins and Taylors out there (to name just a couple), but they all tend to have a very generic look to them, so I rarely take a serious listen. If Gibsons hadn't always been so unique looking and sounding, I'd likely have ended-up playing lots of different guitars. No doubt I could likely find some guitars of other brands that sound as sweet as Gibsons, but the problem for me is that they wouldn't be Gibsons. Just my view. Doesn't make me right and someone else wrong. It' nice when everything comes together like that, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holiday Hoser Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Hey I was simply talking to my wife about an RV didn't google it or email about simply talking about it around my iphone and Hey look at that suddenly all banner ads are trying to sell me an RV. Want to have some fun? I had a friend who speaks fluent Italian chat at my phone for a while and you guessed it Italian banner ads. 1984 big brother is watching you. Jihad everybody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 It's got to look classic and reasonably understated for me. None of the pink/olive/"chroma" finishes will ever find a place in my collection, no disrespect to them but they wouldn't look right for me onstage, the music I play isn't pink, olive or chroma and neither are my guitars! I like classic bling (SJ200, Hbird, Dove) but I can happily play my very basic looking D18 or AN finish Maple AJ all day long. Taylors are mostly a sour combination of modern and plan to my eyes...I really enjoy the way they sound but they look very "sessiony" to me (I say this as a session musician myself and mean no offence!). As a performer, I've found over the years that audiences tend to have their perception of a show VERY strongly coloured by the visual element, and guitars very much play their part in this. Feedback I've had is that an SJ200 looks showy and connotes a degree of status, a J45 looks austere and infers that the player is likely a craftsmanlike songwriter, a Hummingbird seems to have a strong association with the hippie movement amongst audiences and (oddly) more of an Americana association than the SJ200 or J45...and so it goes. As performers, our choice of guitar colours our visual presentation massively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Gotta admit it - the visual beauty of a guitar means a lot to me. Whether made by an individual luthier or by a factory, there are numerous construction choices that will determine the final outcome, and there is artistic license at play in those choices: Body shape, woods utilized, finish work, binding, inlays, pickguard, logos, etc. - will all contribute to the final visual outcome. When the visual beauty of a guitar matches the tonal beauty, it's like the completion of an ideal circle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoSoxBiker Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 I have a instant response when I see a pic of an HD-35 taken at just the proper angle. Perhaps is a commonly used stock image. It's like I can imagine it booming something out. I played one the day I ordered my SJ. I like what I have, but that HD-35 experience stayed with me like the Hummingbird did a few years back. I kind of hope I don't see a Dove on a wall before I get an HD-35. Kind of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 8 hours ago, Jim Wilson said: I've been noticing various music stores seem to think that looks is what sells a guitar. What say you folks? Sometimes it affects the judgement of the buyer. A certain body style is what I gravitate towards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Of course looks play a part Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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