Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

1. Humbucker in the bridge
2. Hard tail bridge
3. Thick neck. Gibson 50's style for example.
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

1-24 frets
2-Humbucker at bridge
3-Fb radius>12'' or Jumbo frets couldn't decide
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

1. Must tune well

2. Must have a comfortable neck

3. Should sound good acoustically and when plugged in to an amp
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

1. Natural Sustain. Without an amp..
2. Neck/play-ability. Have to 'feel' right for you personally. Have a 24 fret I like but can't stand or need the extra frets as they take fullness out of the sound and I don't shred so what's the point.
3. All Electronics and hardware can be changed out, but, if they are cheap so's the build. Means = GOOD WOOD and craftsmen ship first...then look under the hood, what pots etc..
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

1. Humbucker in the bridge
2. Versatile (single coil switching etc)
3. Not sound like mud
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

1. Thin neck.
2. EBONY,EBONY EBONY FRET-BOARD. Maple is alright but not as good, hate rosewood more than I hate morning wood.
3. Nice curves. Big cutaways, good access.
Pickups and hardware can always be changed, so I'm willing to try new things in that category.
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

I'm not too terribly picky. So my top three are:

1. I like the way it feels/plays

2. It sounds good unplugged

3. It's gotta be mechanically sound, meaning, everything is straight, or at least as straight as it should be, nothing is coming apart, the neck isn't twisted or curved to the side or doing anything goofy, the bridge is positioned properly, ect.

That's about it. I have guitars with Floyds, and various types of fixed bridges, along with a set neck, three neck throughs and several bolt ons, along with a couple acoustics. HH, HSS, SS, and SSS configurations are all in my collection too. It's all good.

And if there is something wrong with a guitar or something I don't like, the electronics and most hardware can be easily changed out, and if it only needs a minor repair I'll look past it if the price is right. Heck, if the price is good enough, I'll look past a major repair too, as long as I come out even or ahead.
 
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Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

I used to be very picky about guitars...these days I feel like I can get what I want out of almost anything I have access to. Since coming to that conclusion I have taken to heart something the Reverend Willy G said a few years ago...

"I'd be willin' to throw down a "C" on any solidbody outfitted with a rear-position pickup. Don't even have to work. Grocery sack for a case, some spare change for a couple of Radio Shack leads and a furious fuzz box. Killer combo for your stack of greenbacks."

That's pretty much how I feel about it these days!
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

The very first things I thought of were 1) Sounds good, 2) plays well and 3) looks good.

Since that's realistically what every player wants, it makes more sense to go into something more detailed.

1) Resonance. The best guitars I've owned all had a synergy where the neck just vibrated right and it felt alive. When I was young and immature, I thought the louder the guitar was unplugged the better it was going to sound plugged in and found quickly that was not the case. You can definitely tell when something resonates right, though.

2) Single coils. I just plain like the jangle of single coils. I always thought I was a humbucker guy growing up and now I enjoy them on a very limited basis (last time I had used them was in an ES335 and that was a good guitar). I rarely play power chords and I use a lot of jazz voicings so I like clarity and I like having one position almost sound like an acoustic plugged in for when I'm strumming. The best thing I've found for this is Dyna Sonics, but I like my Tele pickups very much as well.

3) Stability. Nothing will kill the vibe more than when the guitar won't stay in tune. Gibsons and the "G" string come to mind. I like stuff I can bang on and not worry about having to constantly tweak with my tuning knobs. If I can't make it through a song without playability issues, that respective guitar is just not going to happen for me.
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

Fat/chunky neck, with good joint at the body - set neck/bolt on/neck thru doesn't matter, so long as it's solid

Properly cut nut (probably the most important component I look for)

Quality electronics/pups preferably with 50's style wiring

--- I like all shapes/sizes/colors --
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

1) Strat shape basswood or mahogany body
2) 7 string
3) 25.5" scale minimum
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

Mahogany or Ash Body 1 or 2 Piece

Dual Humbuckers

Original Floyd w/Screw In Arm & Big Brass Block
 
Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

1. Humbucker bridge pickup. I think SH-6 would fit me well
2. Either fixed, Floyd or Evertune bridge
3. Shape must be one of these: Strat, LP, Explorer, V, maybe I would like tele too :j Also Ibanez, ESP pointed, and that usual Schecter headstock would be great, but it doesn't matter so much
3. Set-neck
3. Mahogany body

I can't figure out which one of three last ones is more important
 
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Re: Top 3 'MUST HAVES' in a guitar!

A. Tune-O-Matic bridge. I can not play on any other bridge (tremolo, acoustic saddle, etc).

B. Has to have a certain appearance (Body must be Satin/Matte Black, Transparent Black or Transparent burst with Black around the edges and a darker colour towards the center. Neck must be Natural Satin or Black Satin. Binding has to be abalone - but I can deal with something else). A lot of those "vintage" guitars, in my opinion, look like glorified pieces of crap.

C. No EMG pickups. I despise those things.
 
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