PFDarkside
of the Forum
Which soloist do you have? Any idea what the thickness at the 1st fret is?
What, In your opinion, makes a guitar “great”?
- Thread starter PFDarkside
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Which soloist do you have? Any idea what the thickness at the 1st fret is?
Intonation is most important thing. This is largely by product of immaculate fret work and tuning stability. If guitar goes out of tune microscopically after a couple songs, that disturbs my ear. IME, Floyd Rose is the king of tuning stability, so I like my guitars to have Floyds. Those evertune bridges might be worth checking out too, but I like the ability to use a tremolo on occasion.
I used to judge guitars based on unplugged "resonance" but lately learned that its just energy being siphoned off the strings into the body. Which is primarily a factor of how the guitar is contructed. Neck through vs bolt on. Both are good.
The ergonomics are really important as well. I play in classical position, so the shape of the body has an impact on relative position of bridge. When speed picking, need things to be locked down so to speak. Im used to strat style body and where it puts the bridge.
Then there is the neck profile. I can play anything, but I prefer only moderately thin C necks. Ibanez is too extreme. I also think thicker necks have more sustain.
Then of course, I have to like how it looks.
1) Does it stay in tune perfectly? (Is it a FR?)
2) Does it have immaculate fret work?
3) Does the body shape put the guitar in the proper place for me when seated?
4) Does it have a suitable neck profile and upper fret access?
5) Do I like how it looks?
If a guitar meets all those criteria I will enjoy playing it.
I used to judge guitars based on unplugged "resonance" but lately learned that its just energy being siphoned off the strings into the body. Which is primarily a factor of how the guitar is contructed. Neck through vs bolt on. Both are good.
The ergonomics are really important as well. I play in classical position, so the shape of the body has an impact on relative position of bridge. When speed picking, need things to be locked down so to speak. Im used to strat style body and where it puts the bridge.
Then there is the neck profile. I can play anything, but I prefer only moderately thin C necks. Ibanez is too extreme. I also think thicker necks have more sustain.
Then of course, I have to like how it looks.
1) Does it stay in tune perfectly? (Is it a FR?)
2) Does it have immaculate fret work?
3) Does the body shape put the guitar in the proper place for me when seated?
4) Does it have a suitable neck profile and upper fret access?
5) Do I like how it looks?
If a guitar meets all those criteria I will enjoy playing it.
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An acoustically resonant guitar means that string energy (HF) is translated into body. These guitars will be warmer. Guitars that aren't acoustically resonant will still sound great plugged in and may actually have more sustain and presence.
I'm calling this out becaus five years ago, I would have said the same thing. Now I know that acoustic resonance generally means a warmer guitar, not more sustain or "better".
If acoustic resonance was the primary importance, then everyone would play hollowbody or chambered electrics. If you really think acoustic resonance means better plugged tone, you should only be shopping hollow bodies.
Ascension
Well-known member
1 THE NECK if I don't like the neck nothing else matters I just won't play it.
2 Tone and sustain in particular unplugged. If a guitar sounds like poo unplugged and has no sustain pickups wont help no matter how pretty it is and how good it plays.
3 Has to play in TUNE all over the neck and have an even response across the neck.
4 it needs to have a stable neck that doesn't go nuts every time the weather changes and it has to STAY in tune in a set on stage.
These things mean much much more than anything else to me .
2 Tone and sustain in particular unplugged. If a guitar sounds like poo unplugged and has no sustain pickups wont help no matter how pretty it is and how good it plays.
3 Has to play in TUNE all over the neck and have an even response across the neck.
4 it needs to have a stable neck that doesn't go nuts every time the weather changes and it has to STAY in tune in a set on stage.
These things mean much much more than anything else to me .
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Just the back of the neck to the fretboard. Interestingly enough, here are the dimensions of the necks on my three favorite guitars.
Black
0.830 - 0.890
1.667 nut
Fret 0.1095 x 0.045
Sunburst
0.835 - 0.913
1.7005
Fret 0.094 x 0.058
Blue
0.833 - 0.893
1.6855 nut
Fret 0.1035 x 0.051
PFDarkside
of the Forum
I know you are a Carvin/Keisel fanatic, what shape is the one for you?
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Same process as me, probably same caliper too.
There are a couple of Japan made Dinky and Soloists I’m eyeing.
Ascension
Well-known member
The 25 scale neck through thin profile. Own 4 DC's and a AE 185 with that profile. My second favorite neck is the bolt on 25.5 scale on my 2 1995 Washburn USA MG's.
gsammo79
New member
This is exactly it with me. 1) comfortable in my hands. 2) resonant, notes bounce off the fretboard 3) good work & craftsmanship out of the factory
Not necessarily and it appears you missed what I was fully saying. You also said "generally, may" so clearly even what you are saying has variables. I am looking for sound, sound type, vibrations all over the guitar, neck, headstock, etc. An old timer luthier and builder taught me some things and since then I have followed what he said and have never had a bad or unlikely guitar in the various ways. It works for me and that is all I care about. YMMV
beaubrummels
Well-known member
For me what makes a guitar great is that I like it. I might like it for many reasons. It could be the best woods, best sound, comfortable to play. It could also be a mutt but it makes a fantastic sound no other guitar makes. It could also just have a history, either owned by someone famous or just I've had it so long and so many memories with it. 'Great' doesn't necessarily mean it's a superlative instrument. Very few guitars I would put in that category. I read once where a guitar tech got to hold and play Brian May's 'Old Lady' and afterward said it played and felt like someone's high school project (which it essentially was.). But the guy who owned it had created pretty amazing music with it. I am of the belief that every guitar has at least one song in it that it plays and sounds better on than any other. My job as a guitarist is to find and identify those sounds and make the most of them. I don't have the patience to tap test all the woods and stick my ear on the headstock like a cork sniffer to figure out if the guitar is good or works or not. I'll know it when I play it.
Lucius Paisley
New member
When a guitar has a guitar, and that guitar's guitar has a guitar.
Who is this keef guy?
Ascension
Well-known member
I do doesn't have to be exact but needs to be close. Prefer a slim D profile with a flatter fairly wide radius.
This here is true, too.
