(?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

[KeeperOS]

A little over a year ago I started learning about the inner workings of a guitar while at that same time I was in search for a new axe.
About 65% of all my guitar-related knowledge came from this very forum (after extensive thread probing and, a couple of times, thread starting) with the remaining 35% from various manufacturers' pages and one or two tutorials.

However, after a whole year, the more I learned the more I had trouble finding that right one...
I figure you can experiment with pickups but can you do the same with guitars? Some buy and then resell guitars easily. Others (especially non-US residents) can't.
After all this time I have come across about a dozen things that can affect playability alone, not to mention the factors that affect the tone...

These are:

- Neck dimensions, here primarily being its' thickness
- Neck back's contour, here being the shape, C, V, U etc...
- Fretboard dimensions, here being the width at the nut and the upper registers...
- Fretboard scale, 24 and 3/4. 25, 25.5 etc...
- Fretboard radius, 10", 12", 14", 16" as well as it being compound (ex 12" to 16") or not...
- Neck construction, bolt on, bolt in, set neck, deep set neck, neck-thru, or whatever.
- The frets, mid-jumbo, jumbo, low-wide standard or stainless steel and whatnot...
- Number of frets, think how a 21-fretted neck vs a 24-fretted one affects your technique!
- The bridge, hardtail or tremolo and of what kind (Wilkinson or free-floating (FR))
- The type and number of pickups, how about the magnetic pull on the strings of a single AlNiCo 2 single-coil vs 3 ceramic humbuckers? This not only affects sustain but also how much you must fight with the guitar to sound like it should...
- Setup, as well as the Action are perhaps the most inexpensive and underrated factors in a guitar. Naturally, every guitar is unique and thus every guitar needs to be uniquely set up and the action carefully set for that sweet spot... This also is for the most part an art than science...
- Any other factor that I missed?

Ok, what's the point in listing them?
I am not an expert on guitars (I'd like to be but ain't) and the truth is that although I know what affects my playability, most of the time I don't know in what way!!!

What I need from the most knowledgeable to do is name a feature and give a comprehensive explanation of which option has which results.
You don't have to know all of the above, just name one factor, explain it to us and tell us which option is best suited for which scenarios...

Example:
- Fretboard radius: Affects how easily you can play chords vs fast soloing. The lower the radius (10"), the rounder the fretboard surface which makes it easier to play chords without putting too much pressure on your fingers. On the other hand, the higher the radius (16") the flatter the fretboard is which makes it easier for string bending among other things.
Some prefer (and are accustomed to) a middle (usually 12") while others can't live without the compound solution where the fingerboard has a lower radius (ex 10") at the lower registers and changes to a higher (ex 16") at the higher registers. Not too many manufacturers use this though (except most notably Jackson) since it complicates construction while some players prefer a straight radius...
Radius is both a matter of personal preference as well as the type of music one will be playing.


Thank you for your time reading this and please, help this grow into what will help us less knowledgeable pinpoint our exact needs!

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

- Number of frets, think how a 21-fretted neck vs a 24-fretted one affects your technique!
- The bridge, hardtail or tremolo and of what kind (Wilkinson or free-floating (FR))
- The type and number of pickups, how about the magnetic pull on the strings of a single AlNiCo 2 single-coil vs 3 ceramic humbuckers? This not only affects sustain but also how much you must fight with the guitar to sound like it should...

I don't see how any of these things affect playability. The number of frets has nothing to do with how accurate you can pick or fret a note. Assuming the bridge is not broken, it will allow the action to be as high or low as you want it. Again, magnetic of the pickups is a moot point in regards to how an instrument plays.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

I don't see how any of these things affect playability. The number of frets has nothing to do with how accurate you can pick or fret a note. ...

That´s true, but if the butt width and nut width stay the same and the bridge is repositioned (as is common among most makers), the 24 fret neck will have a different feel to it due to the more even taper.

... Assuming the bridge is not broken, it will allow the action to be as high or low as you want it. ...

Correct, but the type of bridge and how it´s set up (for example hardtail vs trem with many springs vs trem w fewer springs) will affect how far the bridge "gives" when the strings are picked. This will equate to a "tighter or looser" feel difference in both the fretting and the picking hand.

String pull I also feel affects playability, though not massively. Mainly becasue it also contributes a minute amount to how the strings react. And when you consider that strings are guaged in thousandths of an inch, and a few hundreths can make or break a neck´s feel.... I think that while some may debate it, it is definitely a factor if it were not under such debate

I would also add headstock shape to the list (on guitars w/o a locking nut.). The longer a string´s length behind the speaking length, the more string you have to compensate for tension changes such as those induced by picking, fretting and esp. Bending. This results in both a "deeper" tone and a tighter feel

:beerchug:

 

[Pierre]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

I always say this: you can make a cheap instrument play just as well as a Tom Anderson with the correct adjustements. People always rave about how well a guitar plays or not but any decently built guitars (consistent radius and other non adjustable features) has the potential to play amazing. Everything is adjustable for a reason.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

I always say this: you can make a cheap instrument play just as well as a Tom Anderson with the correct adjustements.

I can do it with no more then one adjustement: sell the cheap guitar and buy an Anderson.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

:haha::beerchug:

 

[LJ King]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

All of those aspects might affect playability.

But playability isn't objective. Like tone, it is all personal preference.

A "setup" is useless if it is just a reset to some factory spec. Setups aren't objective either.

As an example, my perfect setup is one that would have most people running to find a tech to do a setup. High action, moderately heavy strings, slightly more than normal relief in the neck, and if the guitar allows it, string height at the bridge set flat (i.e. not following the neck radius at all).

A friend is the exact opposite. Neck set almost straight, super light strings, action barely clearing the frets.

Needless to say, neither of us can play the other's guitar.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

... hence "...This also is for the most part an art than science..." although I missed the point that every guitar and every player are unique. Other than that though, some prefer some specs over others because (aside of personal preference) they best serve their purpose a.k.a. their hands' shape and size and the type of music they play (and the way in which they play it...).

These albeit subjective are not known to the less knowledgeable.

For instance tell me the difference between too high and too low action and I think I could safely tell you which one I'd prefer. However if I don't know the difference I can tell squat and thus, can't know which one I'll like better.

Same thing with the various fret sizes. I know which ones they are but since I don't have the ability to try 'em all adequately, trying to eliminate the guitar's other factors, I know squat which ones would best suit me, let alone somebody else...
(actual fact, I still do not know how fret size affects my playing or which ones I'd prefer...)

Oh, and yes, I stand corrected about the headstock. I matters big time, also if being reversed or not.

Keep em coming guys!!!

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

My 2 cents:

- Neck back's contour, here being the shape, C, V, U etc...

Depends on your hands. Go try some out.

- Fretboard dimensions, here being the width at the nut and the upper registers...

Depends. Short fingers might not like widely spaced strings, but "sausage" fingers might not work well with narrowly spaced strings. However, there are exceptions, like Itzhak Perlman: he has huge sausage fingers that dwarf his violin, but he still rocks out on that thing.

- Fretboard scale, 24 and 3/4. 25, 25.5 etc...

Frets farther apart might make stretches difficult for people who don't have long fingers, but frets too close together might make ultra-high register solo work difficult. I find 24.75" scale difficult (sausage fingers) towards the 24th fret (maybe 18-24 frets), but the first 5 frets on 25.25" scale difficult. You should try various necks.

- Fretboard radius, 10", 12", 14", 16" as well as it being compound (ex 12" to 16") or not...

I find that 10" and under are nice for open chords, especially on a 25.25" scale (which is why I LOVE my Lite Ash, because I TRIED IT FIRST ). However, supposedly the higher scales are for bending, and on my Showmaster (14.75" I think) it seems to be true, compared to my Lite Ash (9.5" "straight" radius).

- Neck construction, bolt on, bolt in, set neck, deep set neck, neck-thru, or whatever.

Can't really compare my two guitars, although set neck that's shaped well (i.e. my Showmaster) feels totally awesome in the very high notes versus my Lite Ash.

- The frets, mid-jumbo, jumbo, low-wide standard or stainless steel and whatnot...

Jumbo frets are cool, I like how they feel. Medium jumbo are cool too, but the higher the fret, the lighter you should push because you can push the string out of tune. My ESP is like that: the frets are so high that it almost feels scalloped.

- Number of frets, think how a 21-fretted neck vs a 24-fretted one affects your technique!

I think it's more about how high a note you need to play than how many frets you have. Besides, 24 frets on a non-routed neck (bolt) or a neck not shaped well (set neck and neck-through) is a waste: why have 'em if you can't easily access them?

- The bridge, hardtail or tremolo and of what kind (Wilkinson or free-floating (FR))

Hard tail is more fun for bends in conjunction with non-bent notes. Think bluesy. Anyways, there are those that think more sustain comes from a non-floating bridge, etc, and to an extent I believe them. I just love having vibrato for some cool vibrato sounds and such. Can't play Vai or Satriani stuff without vibrato, to be honest.

- The type and number of pickups, how about the magnetic pull on the strings of a single AlNiCo 2 single-coil vs 3 ceramic humbuckers? This not only affects sustain but also how much you must fight with the guitar to sound like it should...

Depends on the sound that you like. I don't seem to find problems with string sustain versus magnet type, but I don't own any ceramic pickups. However, to me, it's the tone: Alnico II magnets sound a certain way in my opinion, and the Lite Ash is FULL of nice Alnico II tone. The Showmaster is more of a lead work / rock guitar. But not everything is straightforward about this, either. I think you should try out more pickups. My thing was to go to the music store and try out all the Seymour Duncan pickup stock guitars, like the Lite Ash, the Showmaster, etc. This is how I started liking Fender guitars with Seymour Duncan pickups more than ESP guitars with Duncan pickups, etc.

- Setup, as well as the Action are perhaps the most inexpensive and underrated factors in a guitar. Naturally, every guitar is unique and thus every guitar needs to be uniquely set up and the action carefully set for that sweet spot... This also is for the most part an art than science...

Learn to set it up yourself. A complete setup is awesome, but not without you making sure your technique is good. The lowest, sweetest setup won't compensate for over-exerting yourself all the time. However, it's hard to play well on a guitar that's difficult on your technique, so do a good setup, then focus on your technique.

Anyways, that's my 2 cents. Everyone's hands and ears are different, so play ALL the guitars you can, and only then pick one. Case in point, I used to almost worship the Jackson USA Soloist guitars, but hearing one changed my mind. It's mainly your ears and hands, dude

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

...Everyone's hands and ears are different, so play ALL the guitars you can, and only then pick one. Case in point, I used to almost worship the Jackson USA Soloist guitars, but hearing one changed my mind. It's mainly your ears and hands, dude

Oh, this is by far the best advice anyone could give, if only it could be done.

You see, there are no guitar mega-stores here, there are many smaller to medium ones, all of them having no more than 2 or 3 (usually only one) employees at a time that let you play 2 or 3 max guitars at a time, watching you like a hawk, making sure you don't pass the 5 minute limit. You can't really tell for sure like this, and believe me, I tried.

It's not only that by the time I played some I only got to remember the last one(s), it also was that every guitarist has its' days, and playing different instruments on different days makes for a less than equal comparison. Trust me, I played some guitars 2 or 3 times just to make sure, and every time felt different.

Great post by the way, helped enormously. The only thing left I think is for some more elaboration on the frets, I really can't understand how they affect my playing, I simply know that ever since I had my guitar's frets filed down (damn I still don't know the right term, it's what a luthier does when the frets are worn but not as much as to need refretting) it feels a lot worse, fretting needs more strength and they are too flat which causes some awful buzzing... (on the up side, I think it made it easier to play faster... weird...)
I think I need to actually re-fret my guitar after all which leads me to promptly need to know which frets to use...

Thanks a lot!!!

 

[Fresno Bob]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

I simply know that ever since I had my guitar's frets filed down (damn I still don't know the right term, it's what a luthier does when the frets are worn but not as much as to need refretting) it feels a lot worse, fretting needs more strength and they are too flat which causes some awful buzzing... (on the up side, I think it made it easier to play faster... weird...)
I think I need to actually re-fret my guitar after all which leads me to promptly need to know which frets to use...

Thanks a lot!!!

Since the file down, has proper action/intonation been set? ...correctly?
Is there enough fret left to round it off a bit so it's not so flat?

To me, I could care less what a guitar sounds like. Its sound can always be adjusted through pickups, hardware, eq, amp, etc. What should matter the absolute most, is that it feels right in your hands and is comfortable to play.

EDIT: Nice example https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=103175

 

[LJ King]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

The only thing left I think is for some more elaboration on the frets, I really can't understand how they affect my playing, I simply know that ever since I had my guitar's frets filed down (damn I still don't know the right term, it's what a luthier does when the frets are worn but not as much as to need refretting) it feels a lot worse, fretting needs more strength and they are too flat which causes some awful buzzing... (on the up side, I think it made it easier to play faster... weird...)
I think I need to actually re-fret my guitar after all which leads me to promptly need to know which frets to use...

Thanks a lot!!!

When you push a string down to a fret, you only need to apply enough pressure to firmly seat the string against the fret. Too little and the string won't be seated maybe leading to buzz or a dead sounding note, and too much is just wasted effort.

It is not necessary to press the string down to the fretboard - only to the fret.

"Flat" frets do not cause buzzing. Too low an action or uneven frets cause buzzing.

It could be that with the lower frets, you are feeling the fingerboard earlier than before with the higher frets, and are not applying enough pressure to seat the string against the fret.

Personally, I find higher frets much easier to play.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: (?) How do various guitar specs affect playability?

Great post by the way, helped enormously. The only thing left I think is for some more elaboration on the frets, I really can't understand how they affect my playing, I simply know that ever since I had my guitar's frets filed down (damn I still don't know the right term, it's what a luthier does when the frets are worn but not as much as to need refretting) it feels a lot worse, fretting needs more strength and they are too flat which causes some awful buzzing... (on the up side, I think it made it easier to play faster... weird...)
I think I need to actually re-fret my guitar after all which leads me to promptly need to know which frets to use...

Depends. I hear stainless steel feels great. I'd recommend it, along with stainless steel strings, but that's just my opinion. This combo should prevent early string corrosion, but it's only my opinion.