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Posts: 1487
Location: Michigan | I am currently having a tough time finding that certain look of a guitar that I want to buy. If you have been following the bulletin board than you know I am the one who has gas for a natural finish stratocaster.After getting loads of great information on the guitar that I am after I now come to the crossroads of how important the looks of the guitar must be. After living on E-Bay for a week I sometimes find what I want in a guitar but I dont like the finish on it so I stay away from it . I am looking at a all natural finish guitar so woodgraining is very important to me .I for one think that the shape & finish is one of the most important features on a guitar.After all it the first thing that you notice when you look at one.
I know everybody has a different opinion on this but what is yours???
I wonder what makes a person buy an expensive guitar that has an ( aged ) finish to it ?? You pay extra for someone to scratch it at the factory and put burn holes in it to add to originality of the guitar so what makes it cost more?? WHAT THE F#^@. When I scratch, dent or put a F-UP my guitar , I get upset for quite a while.
Would you go to the car dealership & pay extra for your brand new RIDE , to have the car delivered to you scratched , dented ,rusted & cigarette burns put on your seats to make it look aged?
Maybe I am screwed up but the appearance of a guitar is very important to me .
Im mad as HELL & Im not gonna take it any more!!!
???Would you buy an aged guitar brand new???
GWB |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Sometimes older is better. Sometimes not. Sometimes people like old or "classic" stuff for sentimental reasons. Some people like new stuff. No reason to be mad. Cut back on those meds, have a few beers and relax.
I haven't bought a new guitar since 1977. The Ute is the newest one I have, but I get more warm fuzzies from some of the older ones. That's me. |
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Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | Good question! I'd say If it doesn't inspire you, you aren't gonna pick it up. Wait until you find one that feels right.
I suppose some people might find that beat up POS look fits into their image. Or maybe they think it gives them credibility like they've been playing for a long time. Thinking, hey, a shortcut to famously beat up guitars like SRV's Number One or WIllie Nelson's Trigger, for instance.
Like you, I'd prefer to start out with a shiny new guitar and beat it up myself. I certainly wouldn't pay extra for finish cracks! |
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April 2006
Posts: 972
Location: PDX | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
Cut back on those meds, have a few beers and relax.
Yep, beer, relax, repeat.
I can understand your view point, even respect it. But i usually call it anal. Not as a derogatory comment, but more as an appropriate adjective.
To me the most important features of my guitars are the playability first and sound a very close second. But i don't plan on selling them, so resell is not an issue.
Another point you seem to be making is that folks look specifically for the "beat-up" look. That's not me, I like 'em structurally sound and cosmetically "acceptable". But if i crunch the finish on the door jam -- no big deal.
edit: after reading Dave's post it reminded me of his '01 Collectors. I gotta say that is one magnificent piece of eye candy and i' hate to see a ding in it, just seems like it would be a shame.
_____
gh1 |
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Posts: 3666
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Personally, I'm into resurrection & restoration. None of the critters in my coop are unflawed, even the 1127 redone by The MotherShip. They're all players, though. And have their distinctive voices. As any benevolent curator would say, I appreciate and cherish them all, just differently. |
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Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | I think the longer you play the more you appreciate an instrument that really plays well and the less you are influenced by the looks. That being said, if you take the time to put your hands on alot of guitars, you will eventually find one that plays really well no matter what you are looking for.
If you just buy on looks, you're bound to end up disappointed in several months, if not sooner. |
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Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | I think he's talking about something like this , that has been intentionally damaged before it is ever sold.
I think looking for an older guitar with character, or being willing to overlook an older guitar with character, is normal. Obsessing about finding a used guitar that's mint would be anal. Paying $40k for a guitar that looks like Paul McCartney beat it up seems a bit absurd.
I will say that I often like the "faded" finishes better than most of the candy-colored ones, but that's just a personal preference.. I like those muted/flat/satin tones in a guitar. |
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January 2006
Posts: 1487
Location: Michigan | I just told my old lady that my OFC therapy group told me to chill & have another beer ..
And her reply was : Stop your drinking now & take a Valium ??? Oh no what do I do now???
GWB |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Both...Playabilty & sound are most important but looks and "mojo" are also a major part of it.
There was a thread a while back about "guitars as art" that said it all. All of my instruments are out in the open on stands where I can enjoy them without even hitting a note.
I'm not suggesting that they have to be mint and look unplayed...whatever type of look that attracts you, even if it's the beat to hell with a bicycle chain look, it's still a style that catches your eye. |
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May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | To me guitars are kind of like women, they must be functional and practical, but they also have to look good on my arm for me to really warm up to them.
I've seen some guitars that I am sure were pretty nice as far as playability and tone, but they just looked to wierd or odd for me to seriously consider them. |
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Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | I tend not to pick those kind up. |
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Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Of course, I shy away from the really good looking high maintenance kind also. |
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January 2006
Posts: 1487
Location: Michigan | Please dont get me wrong , I understand everyone has an idividual taste for what they want but I guess ( My Opinion Only ) if I wanted an aged , distressed,looking guitar I would want to have done the ( aging ) or distressing damage to it myself so I could tell the stories of how those burn marks and chips got there.I guess I just do not get the paying extra for a beautiful guitar so it looks like it has been beat up and you didnt get to do it yourself.
Oh well that is what I like about this board is we all have different opinions , and none of them are always right & none of them are always wrong.
Dont get wrong on the playability of a guitar , I would never buy a looker that plays like crap just to look at it.
Like Slipkid said ,
:: I am very proud of my guitars::
and all of mine are on display in my front room,and when someone comes over and checks them out and asks ?? WoW those guitars look really nice but ??? How did that big old chip get in there ?? ,, I usually have a good story about it to tell them .
I think the meds are kicking in now..........
I want to beat it up myself. |
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Posts: 5332
Location: Bluffton, SC | GWB, put the guitars down and slowly back away. Nobody has to get hurt here...remember, we're all friends. It's a mix of mojo, look and feel and usually you can tell it from half a mile away. Don't look for the recipe - just enjoy the taste. |
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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | I'd back away from eBay and go haunt music stores until you find what you want. Buying unplayed and largely unseen will bring disappointment...I bought two Os on eBay and I will NOT buy any more. Both had issues. I now never buy a guitar that I can't play and eyeball first, for the same reasons as you stated.
You may have seen my note in the Strat thread, but there are TWO Mexican Strats in natural in the western Detroit suburbs you can check out, if you're anywhere near here, one in Ann Arbor, one in Canton.
Roger |
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November 2004
Posts: 382
Location: USA | Sound and looks go hand in hand...Ive never seen an Ugly Ovation or Adamas. :) |
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May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | Sound and looks go hand in hand...Ive never seen an Ugly Ovation or Adamas You havnt looked hard enough. I recall seeing some center-hole abomination in a "blue-burst" color that I can only describe as tidy-bowl blue. It was sick. |
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Posts: 382
Location: USA | Sick as in good ??? haha
Or sick as in bad...
Jk |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Don't take me wrong, either. I like a good looking guitar. The 99 Collector's is one of the best looking, in my opinion. The 1537 is nothing fancy. But I play the 1537 ten times as much because it sounds so much better. When it comes down to it, it's the sound that matters and a good sound makes the guitar look better.
On the other hand, finish cracks bug me. I traded one guitar in because it had a finish crack and I'd like to get those in the 87 and the Custom Balladeer fixed. I would never pay more for one with some flaws than I would for one without. |
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August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | nice and new& shiney is fine..just not my style, ive looked at some new o's but a new guitar dosnt have much charecter. i played some nice ovations at the gc over the weekend, they sounded great but just didnt have the charecter of my 70's matrix with the cracked and sunken in top,high action..its ugly as hell but sounds great..its my faviorte for now..until i get my 1114 from woody..just my 2 cents worth..jason |
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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Originally posted by Brian T:
To me guitars are kind of like women, they must be functional and practical, but they also have to look good on my arm for me to really warm up to them. Good looking guitars are far more affordable than good looking women. |
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November 2004
Posts: 382
Location: USA | all kidding aside...
If it sounds good...thats the one...
Ive seen guitars that have looked like they've been thrown, trampled on...you name it..and simply radiate the most beautiful sounds you have ever heard.
And then ive seen some amazing looking guitars that radiate sounds that should not see the light of day...
http://www.myspace.com/styllheartandsoul |
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July 2006
Posts: 171
Location: Oregon | Yeah, the tone is Number one for me. But if it doesn't look good I don't pick it up. The worn look...like SRV, is kinda cool I guess. I sure as hell wouldn't buy it new like that though, makes me seem like a poser or someotherwhathaveyou. If I did it myself i'd be okay with it. I hate the guitars that look nice from afar, but are fugly up close. Like Gibson Les Pauls. I dispise them now, along with Epiphone they are my new enemy. |
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April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | Originally posted by Old Applause Owner:
...I bought two Os on eBay and I will NOT buy any more. Both had issues. I now never buy a guitar that I can't play and eyeball first, for the same reasons as you stated.
Roger Some people have bad experiences here. I bought all of my O's sight unseen, and I never had to touch the setup. Also A Les Paul (recently sold) and my Strat. I love them all, no dissapointments.
Those beat up relics are the stupidest things I've ever seen. Some exec. is laughing all the way to the bank. Plus you have to pay EXTRA! Soon we'll have to pay extra for factory seconds or scratch & dent's. I'll get a beat up guitar if it sounds and plays good, but it'll be old, and someone else would have played the teeth out of the finish. |
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August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | I picked up a beat up old blonde Fender Precision bass from a garage sale 20 years ago for $50 Australian. The original plywood case had hinge screws that went right through the case and chewed into the body of the guitar.
For 50 bucks, I thought, why not just re-do it?
I stripped it back to bare wood and stained it a darker colour and it looked like sh*t.
So I started to sand the stain off - it came off the solid bits easy, but stayed in the deep grain - and looked great.
Not knowing the technique of applying 2 part lacquer, I just got a tin of the most expensive urethane floor varnish and sprayed about 5 coats on it.
You might laugh, but I've since loaned it to various professional bass players and have had a hell of a time getting it back off them.
It's completely unsellable, but I'll never part with it anyway. And I don't think there's another one in the world like it.
I'll post a pic if you like. |
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HOW IMPORTANT IS IT YOUR GUITAR LOOKS GOOD???
