Do looks count as much as sound?

[astrozombie]

this is my guitar.



as you can tell, it has humbuckers with regular nickel covers.


these are the pickups I want to put in my guitar:







i have thought of going double cream and ending up with something like this:



which would be very "rockin'" except that if I install the bigsby i've been on and off about getting, the guitar would look strange.

I think the bigsby would look better with regular covered humbuckers:




but dimarzio makes versions that just look weird.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?



and




I've been on the fence... I know this is a bull**** thread but I want some opinions.

 

[CTN]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

looks + sound = total package.

IMO there's too much chrome/nickel on your guitar to make the double cream thing look good. It'll just look out of place.

The DMZ nickel covers and chrome bobbins look fine, you're just not used to them.

That said, no matter how cool your guitar looks, I'm afraid with that pink shirt and goofy bowtie, you're never gonna look as cool as your guitar

 

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

Why not cream with open face chrome covers? Best of both worlds.

 

[AniML]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

IMO sound takes precedence over looks, as long as both are at least acceptable to you. I wouldn't want a guitar I thought was ugly, nor would I want a crappy sounding guitar no matter how good it looks

 

[Psykel]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

I think the chrome bobbin'd pups would be nice. Or black with open face covers.
Also, that scene outfit is awesome. Don't listen to CTN!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

Looks matter to me, big time. It doesn't mean sound is not significantly more important, however.

Di'marzio makes chrome covers for their double-hex-screw pickups. Try the seller "banjomikez" on E-Bay.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

no matter how cool your guitar looks, I'm afraid with that pink shirt and goofy bowtie, you're never gonna look as cool as your guitar

Very good. I didn't think anyone but a few fashion-challenged grandfathers wore bow ties.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

It´s the same as with women in a way, she has to look "acceptable" for me to approach in the first place. But as soon as that is after, it´s all about whether it zings or stings.

And interestingly enough unnecessary bling-bling is a red flag for me with guitars the same as with women, unless it´s obviously a high end specimen

Ehm, let me attempt to clarify: a PRS or supermodel can run around with gold and platinum and diamonds and fur coats and crocodile leather cases and sexy 500 step translucent finishes, but a guitar or woman that´s more "normal" and "average" should not necessarily be spending unnecessary effort or money on superficial things like inlays, flame veneers, botox, boobjobs....

Hmm, that didn´t come out how I really wanted, but I think it´s close enough to understand.... :friday:

*edit* ROFL? I noticed I spelled necessarily wrong, and when correcting I was suddenly stumped at "1 c or 2?"... And then I look at the next sentence and think: "Hey, that looks right" :laugh2:

 

[blueman335]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

a PRS or supermodel can run around with gold and platinum and diamonds and fur coats and crocodile leather cases and sexy 500 step translucent finishes, but a guitar or woman that´s more "normal" and "average" should not necessarily be spending unnecessary effort or money on superficial things like inlays, flame veneers, botox, boobjobs....

I know just what you mean. There is beauty in simplicity too. Too much flash can be hiding shortcomings in other areas; guitars and women both.

 

[CTN]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

It´s the same as with women in a way, she has to look "acceptable" for me to approach in the first place. But as soon as that is after, it´s all about whether it zings or stings.

And interestingly enough unnecessary bling-bling is a red flag for me with guitars the same as with women, unless it´s obviously a high end specimen

Ehm, let me attempt to clarify: a PRS or supermodel can run around with gold and platinum and diamonds and fur coats and crocodile leather cases and sexy 500 step translucent finishes, but a guitar or woman that´s more "normal" and "average" should not necessarily be spending unnecessary effort or money on superficial things like inlays, flame veneers, botox, boobjobs....

Hmm, that didn´t come out how I really wanted, but I think it´s close enough to understand.... :friday:

*edit* ROFL? I noticed I spelled necessarily wrong, and when correcting I was suddenly stumped at "1 c or 2?"... And then I look at the next sentence and think: "Hey, that looks right" :laugh2:

Damn, and I was just thinking of getting my Ibanez a pair of triple D cups.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

I know just what you mean. There is beauty in simplicity too. Too much flash can be hiding shortcomings in other areas; guitars and women both.

^^ BING, exactly, thank you for helping me to not look like an ass.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

View attachment 37479

and


View attachment 37480

I've been on the fence... I know this is a bull**** thread but I want some opinions.

I look at it two ways you can do whats expected and typical or go out on the edge and be different. Me I like things that are odd and will catch attention as soon as you step in the room but at the same time It has to look good to me. So basically if it looks weird to everyone else so what but if I like the look im goin for it. Me personally id go with the second one chrome open coil.

 

[tonello]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

I think they do when buying a new guitar. Just like women. Not to sound like a pig, but you have to have an initial physical attraction, in order to want to go up a women and ask her out.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

Astro, I think double-cream buckers would just look wrong in that guitar. It already has a mirror pickguard; with that it'll never pull off the look of the tele-shaped guitar in the one pic. Personally, I would maintain the chrome/mirror look by getting a DiMarzio choice that your chosen pickups are both available in. From looking at DiMarzio's site, it looks like the Humbucker From Hell is only available in Chrome Tops, compared to the Super Distorition's offering of Chrome Tops, Nickel Cover, or Unplated Cover. I think Chrome Tops would like fine in that guitar.

Big picture, sound and looks are only as important as we think they are, and "we" depends on whom you ask. Of course all of us here will rate sound very highly, in any guitar-related context ranging from playing alone at home, to a bar gig, to playing a good-sized concert with a broad spectrum of audience member demographics. Surely many watching one of those shows would rate looks much more important than most of us would consider the difference in sound between two quality humbuckers to be. It's all relative. Or something.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

You know what I'm worried about? I'm worried that I'll get another set of microphonic pickups. How likely is this, from a "high end" pickup manufacturer?

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

What have you had before that was microphonic? I've only had open-coil DiMarzios (and stacks), but never any problems. I always thought they potted the hell out of their stuff -- the covered pickups a second time after putting the cover on.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

To me, it's more of a "how good or bad looks vs how good vs bad sound".

I would go for sound if the looks weren't as nice but still acceptable but I would NOT go for a little better sound if it meant making the guitar look like a train wreck.

IMO, black or chrome pickups however they are would still look acceptable so if there's an improvement in sound then why not?

BTW, for a "best of both worlds" kind of deal don't forget bobbin toppers.
When I wanted to swap the bridge pickup on my Stinnett with double zebra, I went for a Tom Anderson and they only come in black.
A creme bobbin topper solved that

 

[tubecrunch]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

Very good. I didn't think anyone but a few fashion-challenged grandfathers wore bow ties.

Grandpas... And male strippers
Oh yeah, I like the chrome covers w the hex screws

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Do looks count as much as sound?

I think your axe looks good as it is. Bigsby and chrome pickups.