# What Makes It a Good Guitar- Your One Thought



## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

Here is a question for acoustic and electric guitar owners.
Please, in your opinion, answer in one highlighted phrase(italic and underline) what makes a guitar 'good'?

After not playing my Martin D18 for at least a month I opened the case, strummed a chord and _it was still in perfect tune_.

-who's next?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

_How it feels when I hold it_


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

*How I feel when I play it.*


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

zontar said:


> _How it feels when I hold it_





Electraglide said:


> *How I feel when I play it.*


_These both go together..._


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

There are a ton of factors that go into my subjective opinion on how good a guitar is. However, the ONE factor that tells me if there's something special about it...how the body resonates and transfers that energy to my body when I play it.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

In an interview I watched with Gary Moore, he mentions how an electric sustains and rings when it's unplugged is key. 

I agree. This is universal and keeps judgement outside personal preference.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

adcandour said:


> In an interview I watched with Gary Moore, he mentions how an electric sustains and rings when it's unplugged is key.
> 
> I agree. This is universal and keeps judgement outside personal preference.


This is what I came here to post. Totally agree. I judge a solid body electric guitar by how it sounds unplugged and how loud it is unplugged.

When I try out a guitar, I want to hear the guitar. Not the pickups, not the amp - those things can be changed. I just want to hear the guitar, that's what counts.

Drives salesmen crazy, they don't understand.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

For myself, I have decided that the brand name on the head stock is no longer a guarantee of a good playing guitar.
This revelation does cause problems as what used to be a safe bet no longer applies.

Bottom line for me is the way the neck feels when I play a new guitar.
I have tried enough guitars to know what I like and what I don't so it starts with the neck.

G.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

This is so subjective and so many things go into it that it is impossible for me to say what makes a guitar "good" for me. I've had good guitars where I hate the neck and others where the neck made it a good guitar for me. Same with most of the other components. One thing a lot of people are commenting on is playing an electric unplugged. For me that does nothing. For me I guess it's mostly about the sound generated by the combination of amp and guitar. It's about how much I enjoy playing the guitar, especially in a live setting. How the other musicians and the audience react when I play it. How I feel when I play it. I've had guitars that I love when practicing that I've sold because when playing with other people something was just off.


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## Guest (Aug 26, 2015)

All of the above as well for me too.
I prefer older/used. The woods have settled over the years 
by then. Electronics always tend to be swapped out anyways.


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

_Enjoyment received for the money spent


_-My 65 Stella cost $25, won't stay in tune for long but it has that unique thin, nasal tone unequaled by any other guitar I own.
-The 96 Squier Protone Strat with US pickups....a $300 guitar that sounds and plays like a $500 US Strat.


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## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

adcandour said:


> ......._ how an electric sustains and rings when it's unplugged is key._ .....


Exactly the reason why I bought the 80's MIJ Tele. Seller may have thought I was nuts for deciding to buy and _then_, plugging into amp just to confirm that the electronics work.


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Lincoln said:


> This is what I came here to post. Totally agree. I judge a solid body electric guitar by how it sounds unplugged and how loud it is unplugged.
> 
> When I try out a guitar, I want to hear the guitar. Not the pickups, not the amp - those things can be changed. I just want to hear the guitar, that's what counts.
> 
> Drives salesmen crazy, they don't understand.


I do the exact same thing and they look at me like I have three heads. Lol.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Lincoln said:


> This is what I came here to post. Totally agree. I judge a solid body electric guitar by how it sounds unplugged and how loud it is unplugged.
> 
> When I try out a guitar, I want to hear the guitar. Not the pickups, not the amp - those things can be changed. I just want to hear the guitar, that's what counts.
> 
> Drives salesmen crazy, they don't understand.


I'm a guy that at one time change everything on whatever I bought. I'd buy a guitar and change bridges, pickups, necks, tuners, etc. I finally got to the point where I'd just buy a guitar that was as close to exactly what I wanted as I could, either off the shelf or custom built. So, while I agree that my guitar needs to ring unplugged I certainly place much importance on the other stuff such as pickups, etc. The only thing I had to change on my most recent purchase was the saddles due to the stock saddles not being the best for intonating. Other than that I love everything else about the guitar. And even then I'm worried I might change something in the tone as it sounds spectacular the way it is.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

As mentioned, how a guitar feels and rings out unplugged are very important, but more importantly (to me), is WHERE does the guitar take me? It can "play" or it can blow me away. If it has a quality build, and decent feel/tone that's one thing, but it all lacks if it doesn't have the mojo to make me forget where I am in space and time


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

_​it needs to be red_


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

Maybe I'm different but the first thing to me is the visual appeal of the guitar. I'm not saying that a visually unappealing guitar won't be a great player or sounding guitar but someone will have to coax me to pick it up and play it. Next is how it feels in my hands and against my body. And then *"How it feels when I play it". *I know thats more that one thought but it's the sign of a complicated mind I guess. :smile-new:


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## djmarcelca (Aug 2, 2012)

What Makes it a good Guitar:

The person playing it.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

*For me it all starts at the neck.* I would love to have a PRS guitar. However, I just can't abide by their necks. The same goes with a Fender tele. Next would be balance. I want something that feels good when it hangs off my shoulder.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I can play different necks within reason.

For me, I big part of what makes a guitar a "good guitar" is tuning stability.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Tarbender said:


> Maybe I'm different but *the first thing to me is the visual appeal of the guitar*. I'm not saying that a visually unappealing guitar won't be a great player or sounding guitar but someone will have to coax me to pick it up and play it.


Thanks for posting this tarbender! 

The visual appeal is very important to me also. I once read a study about guitar buying "habits" and visual appearance actually ranked very high. 

My preferences (from a visual perspective) have a tendency to be change somewhat through time...this is annoying...LOL. For months, I can be interested (visually) by, for example, desert burst LP's and then I totally lose interest. 

Cheers

Dave


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Can I sum this all up?

When the instrument "moves" me (you know it when it happens).


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

adcandour said:


> In an interview I watched with Gary Moore, he mentions how an electric sustains and rings when it's unplugged is key.
> 
> I agree. This is universal and keeps judgement outside personal preference.


i agree too. I rarely plug guitars in in music stores.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I normally don't plug them in, at least not right away.
If I don't like the way it feels to hold or I don't like the neck, there's no point going any further.

But I also like to hear what it sounds like unplugged


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Another version of summary for what everyone is saying "What makes a guitar good is quality construction". This means choosing great wood, hardware and pickups. After that you should have a good guitar. It may not be to everyone's preferences, but people should agree that it's a good guitar nonetheless.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

_*A PRS single cut McCarty with a 1 7/8" nut.*_


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