"Hard" rules for your guitars

2025 Must-haves:

1) Weighs 7.5 lbs or less
2) No neck dive
3) Stainless frets (unless buying an older model)
4) Controls placed out of the way of picking hand
5) Locking tuners
6) 1.65" or 1-11/16" nut (i.e. 42mm or 43mm)
7) No middle pickups
8) No fancy switching aside from coil split
9) No gold hardware (looks good, but doesn't last)
 
First rule is the neck feel. If I don't like the neck, absolutely nothing else matter.
Next is tone and sustain, If a guitar sounds good it sounds good, but some just don't.
Weight and balance on a strap. I don't own case queens, so if I can't comfortably carry it for a long set I won't own it.
Last is physical appearance.
 
No actives.
No non-classic shapes.
Can't weigh a ton.
No neck dive.
No sharp fret ends.
No V neck profiles.
I have to vibe with the neck or it's a no-go. I can get used to anything else but the neck has to feel good in my hand.
No 7-, 8-, or 9-string nonsense.
No trem system.
No ultra-chonky heel joint.
 
1+11/16th" nut or wider is a must for me.

Everything else I can adapt to thanks to decades of gearslutting. Well, I don't like neck dive.

ETA: and shapes like Explorer and Flying V, they throw off my right hand position.
 
I wouldn't ever use signature guitars onstage. Also, I need a humbucker in the bridge no matter what.
Agreed. I don't actually own an SSS guitar, though I wouldn't be opposed to it for specific applications and genres. In the end, though, my bridge probably needs to be a humbucker. Whether it's splittable or not depends on what I'm using the guitar for.
 
no one wants a guitar with fret sprout or that weighs 15 lbs or wont intonate or stay in tune. some of those things can be fixed
 
I literally do not have any rules. preferences and tendencies? Maybe

Low action
Loud Ceramic Humbucker in the bridge
PAF styles in the neck
10's on Les Pauls
Bar that doesn't flop around
knobs on 10

But I break every one of those all the time.
 
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