What specs would stop you from enjoying a guitar?

Rex_Rocker said:
What is richlite, exactly? Is it kinda like really fine MDF? Or is it more of a polymer?
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richlite is layers of paper pressed together with phenolic resin. It's not MDF nor a polymer. MDF is made of wood particles and glue, where richlite is truly paper. It's harder than ebony, with the tonal equivalence of ebony. But gluing that to wood is a pain and I would not like to repeat that process.
 
orpheo said:
richlite is layers of paper pressed together with phenolic resin. It's not MDF nor a polymer. MDF is made of wood particles and glue, where richlite is truly paper. It's harder than ebony, with the tonal equivalence of ebony. But gluing that to wood is a pain and I would not like to repeat that process.
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I havent had any issue with Richlite guitars -felt and sounded great.
 
NegativeEase said:
It just feels good to the touch and makes the overall feel and playing of the guitar -I dont know how to describe -you just need to try one with low action in a guitar store and try.

As for sound, it's hard to tell the difference from rosewood, just a little snappier -but not close to a Maple fretboard amount of snap

The other thing I encourage people to try in a store is an asymmetrical neck profile -These days alot of end Musicman guitars have them if you are looking around -like Sterling Axis Series
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I've got an Epiphone Les Paul modern that has a asymmetrical and now that I look at the specs again it actually has a ebony board. Wow I thought that was really dark rosewood or laurel or something. I'm going to try it out. I remember not caring for the asymmetrical neck shape but I'll give it another try to see how the ebony plays.
 
I don't like guitars that have a color that is orange or yellow. I think it takes away from the guitar's classic look.

But some people might like it, and in the end, it all comes down to personal taste.
 
After trying the Epiphone Les Paul modern again (after few years) I actually find the ebony board to be very nice and smooth feeling and sounds great on this guitar. The last time I played this I didn't jive with the asymmetrical neck shape but I actually don't mind it now, it's a refreshing change from the Gibson 50's neck shape but not too thin. I think I'm going to start playing this guitar more.
 
Bigsby. They look stupid, weigh a ton, are worse than a Floyd to restring, and you can't do all the cool obnoxious Floyd stuff.

Glossy maple necks and especially fingerboards. That crap sticks to my skin like glue, looks awful, and feels like I'm playing a plastic guitar.

Neck dive. Probably the biggest deal breaker.

Anything that feels heavy. Unintentionally, all the guitars I have now are pretty light. My LTD M1000 and Tele are both a little over 8lbs, the rest are low 7s, and one of my Carvins is like 6.5. Even my Les Paul is well under 8. My current line up is the best bunch I've ever had, and while I'm reluctant to attribute that to the weight, it's unlikely I'd ever buy anything much over 8 lbs again.

Vintage specs, like tight radii, stupid tiny frets, PAF-style pickups, crap like that. If you dig it, cool. I don't.

Piezo pickups. Yuck.
 
JB_From_Hell said:
Bigsby. They look stupid, weigh a ton, are worse than a Floyd to restring, and you can't do all the cool obnoxious Floyd stuff.

Glossy maple necks and especially fingerboards. That crap sticks to my skin like glue, looks awful, and feels like I'm playing a plastic guitar.

Neck dive. Probably the biggest deal breaker.

Anything that feels heavy. Unintentionally, all the guitars I have now are pretty light. My LTD M1000 and Tele are both a little over 8lbs, the rest are low 7s, and one of my Carvins is like 6.5. Even my Les Paul is well under 8. My current line up is the best bunch I've ever had, and while I'm reluctant to attribute that to the weight, it's unlikely I'd ever buy anything much over 8 lbs again.

Vintage specs, like tight radii, stupid tiny frets, PAF-style pickups, crap like that. If you dig it, cool. I don't.

Piezo pickups. Yuck.
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That's what I've always wondered myself. I mean people's conflicts with glossy necks. I've never had a problem with gloss necks. The only time I've ever felt a neck get sticky on me was when my Gibson Tribute was 100% new. Two sessions with it, and it was fine. It was even satin new. But now that it's glossing up a bit, I feel it's less sticky even, LOL.

Maybe it's something to do with my sweat? I know people sweat differently. I know I've got VERY sweaty hands, but my sweat seems to be not as corrosive to strings as some of my friends' on strings, for example.

You'd hate my Esquire, LOL. It has a super thick poly glossy coat on both the neck and fretboard. I like it fine, personally. But I'm used to LTD's EX's and EC's where the neck is glossy and feels plastic-y. I will agree with that, though. Gloss poly does feel plastic-y. But satin soon starts feeling like that too once you've played it in a bit.

But to be completely honestly, I've never spent time with a gloss-finished Gibson or other companies that use nitro in like a gig scenario where things get really hot and sweaty. Or during the summer in a hot humid beach town like I am now.
 
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Rex_Rocker said:
That's what I've always wondered myself. I mean people's conflicts with glossy necks. I've never had a problem with gloss necks. The only time I've ever felt a neck get sticky on me was when my Gibson Tribute was 100% new. Two sessions with it, and it was fine. It was even satin new. But now that it's glossing up a bit, I feel it's less sticky even, LOL.

Maybe it's something to do with my sweat? I know people sweat differently. I know I've got VERY sweaty hands, but my sweat seems to be not as corrosive to strings as some of my friends' on strings, for example.

You'd hate my Esquire, LOL. It has a super thick poly glossy coat on both the neck and fretboard. I like it fine, personally. But I'm used to LTD's EX's and EC's where the neck is glossy and feels plastic-y. I will agree with that, though. Gloss poly does feel plastic-y. But satin soon starts feeling like that too once you've played it in a bit.

But to be completely honestly, I've never spent time with a gloss-finished Gibson or other companies that use nitro in like a gig scenario where things get really hot and sweaty. Or during the summer in a hot humid beach town like I am now.
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I used to say painted necks would be a deal breaker, but I have 4 like that (the two Carvins, LP Studio, LTD M1000). I de-glossed the LTD a long time ago, but fought like hell to tolerate the LP and Carvins being glossy. They've been de-glossed, which is much better, but I'll probably end up stripping and oiling them.

As far as the why of it, my hands are extremely dry, to the point where I have O'Keefe's working hands in my desk at work, in both bathrooms at home, and one in my laptop bag for work. I've found that extremely smooth finishes feel really tacky (surface tension), so a little bit of texture to the wood makes it feel slicker. I'll go as far as to say my guitars with ebony boards even feel a little sticky, so I'll always take rosewood if I have a choice.
 
I can usually get used to all kinds of necks, but these days, I prefer small, narrow necks with either no finish or the wax finish Ernie Ball uses. I tend to prefer scalloped necks, too, but that isn't always available or possible on some necks.
 
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