Better guitars are easier to play.

[Obsessive Compulsive]

A guitar that you don't like to play is worse. Doesn't matter what it sounds like if you don't lift it off the stand to make music.

You are short sighted. Some guitars are owned for investment value. I have several that I don't like to play but I know they are going to increase in value in less than a decade, surpassing stock market ROI with zero risk.

Some others are there just for the joy of owning stuff. Materialism is what lubes the gears of modern economy. That's why people collect cars, harleys, guitars, pussies, etc.

 

[weepingminotaur]

There's a lot to be said for a guitar that's easier to play, particularly high up on the neck. Having said that, my Epiphone Les Paul has the worst heel of all my guitars (at least for me): that typical chunky heel that makes reaching frets 20-22 a pain. But I also reach for that Les Paul more often than any of my other guitars. There is just something I get from playing that Les Paul that I don't with the others...

 

[Mincer]

A guitar that you don't like to play is worse. Doesn't matter what it sounds like if you don't lift it off the stand to make music.

Since I don't buy for investments, I agree with this. I don't own anything I don't play regularly. That goes for any gear I own.

 

[solspirit]

Define "better". What about a guitar whose neck shape isn't as nice of a fit for my hands (thus is harder to play), but sounds better?

I guess it boils down to quality components, build &, QC, for me.

 

[GuitarStv]

You are short sighted. Some guitars are owned for investment value. I have several that I don't like to play but I know they are going to increase in value in less than a decade, surpassing stock market ROI with zero risk.

Some others are there just for the joy of owning stuff. Materialism is what lubes the gears of modern economy. That's why people collect cars, harleys, guitars, pussies, etc.

Everything you're describing is very sad.

 

[weepingminotaur]

The neck plays a huge part in "better" for me. You can change so many things about a guitar, but if you don't vibe with the neck, what are you going to do? It doesn't necessarily mean the shape has to fit my hand perfectly. I have guitars with C, D, and U neck profiles and they all feel fine to me. Maybe the U is a touch nicer since I'm mostly a "thumb on the back of the neck" guy, but honestly I can't tell the difference when I play. In the same vein, while I generally prefer satin or roasted maple necks to gloss necks, I can play just fine on the latter.

Leaving aside obvious QC issues like fret sprout and fret buzz, which you never want, neck size and heel joint size are probably the big things. I can't play huge baseball bats comfortably, but those super insanely thin wide flat necks also induce hand fatigue after a while.

 

[solspirit]

The neck plays a huge part in "better" for me. You can change so many things about a guitar, but if you don't vibe with the neck, what are you going to do? It doesn't necessarily mean the shape has to fit my hand perfectly. I have guitars with C, D, and U neck profiles and they all feel fine to me. Maybe the U is a touch nicer since I'm mostly a "thumb on the back of the neck" guy, but honestly I can't tell the difference when I play. In the same vein, while I generally prefer satin or roasted maple necks to gloss necks, I can play just fine on the latter.

Leaving aside obvious QC issues like fret sprout and fret buzz, which you never want, neck size and heel joint size are probably the big things. I can't play huge baseball bats comfortably, but those super insanely thin wide flat necks also induce hand fatigue after a while.

I have a hard time with the baseball bats ,I can still play them FOR A WHILE. The same goes for the flat necks, just different parts of the hand hurting. I like a C or modified C, better yet.

 

[solspirit]

^ this is one of the reasons why I could never gel with an LP. I still need to look at the fretboard once in a while and the LP body shape doesn't allow me to do that because when I pull it in I either hurt my broken ribs or my broken neck trying to look over the neck.

 

[weepingminotaur]

^ this is one of the reasons why I could never gel with an LP. I still need to look at the fretboard once in a while and the LP body shape doesn't allow me to do that because when I pull it in I either hurt my broken ribs or my broken neck trying to look over the neck.

Sorry to hear that. I can pull in on LPs when I need to, but it's certainly not the most comfortable position.

 

[Χάρης]

This guy can make any guitar sound good

 

[Mincer]

Let's get back on topic, please.

 

[dave74]

^ this is one of the reasons why I could never gel with an LP. I still need to look at the fretboard once in a while and the LP body shape doesn't allow me to do that because when I pull it in I either hurt my broken ribs or my broken neck trying to look over the neck.

Years ago I trained myself to rely on the side-dots instead of the board's main inlays. My neck would start killing me after awhile from hanging over, and then that would sometimes trigger headaches, almost like a migraine headache.

Using the side-dots only(or at least mostly) takes a little while to get used to, but it really helps your playing posture.
Those glow-in-dark dots are really the best!