What specs would stop you from enjoying a guitar?

[Rex_Rocker]

I know we're all picky about our guitars. So I'm wondering what you guys don't like and would stop you from enjoying a guitar.

For me, first, would be a Bigsby. I used to be like that with Floyds, but I've had a few guitars with Floyds which were OK. It's no my preference, but at least they're super stable. Unlike Bigsbys. To me, Bigsbys just look so dated. They look cool in some guitars, gotta admit that, but the way they function and go out of tune so easily would stop me from buying one. Also, vibrolas. Those are even worse.

Baseball bat necks next. Or V-shaped necks. Or even worse, huge fat V necks. I can live with the Gibson 50's they use on their USA guitars. Or the PRS Wide Fat because those are fat, but moderately so. But those 1 inch necks I find unplayable. V necks are super awkward for me too.

I'm on the fence about guitars with an orange or yellow finish. I don't like it. I think the color orange or yellow is not a classy color to have in a guitar at all. Or in anything, TBH (I hate to see yellow Lambos, for example). But some of those 59 LP's are so gorgeous even if they're orange/yellow. So not sure here. Hell, my LP Tribute is orangey towards the middle of the burst, but I've never liked that, TBH.

I think that's it for me. I tend to like most guitar shapes and sizes, and can somewhat easily adapt to different feelings and scale lenghts, fretboard radii, and whatnot.

JMO, though. Hope no one takes it the wrong way.

 

[GuitarStv]

Most of my problems are playability related. I can deal with, but don't enjoy playing narrow nut widths. I don't like very thin necks (many Ibanez that I've tried) as my hands cramp up on them. I have played some very heavy bass guitars - and anything over 13 lbs is very uncomfortable to play after an hour or so. Upper fret access is also a big thing - it's not like you're always on the 22nd fret, but it really bugs me if I can't easily get up there or if I have to twist my wrist in to a strange shape to make it.

As far as looks - any of the 12 year old angry kid guitars with skulls plastered all over them kinda make me not want to pick them up.

 

[jeremy]

narrow nut width isnt something i like, but also dont want it too wide. 1 11/16" is money

i cant get along with super skinny wizard type necks any more. i used to play a rg550 for a decade but now, most of my guitars have pretty fat c shaped necks which i much prefer

no stupid graphics but thats a very personal thing. what i like, someone else might think is awful

nothing over 11 lbs. i play 3 hour gigs a few days a week and i dont wanna deal with the weight

i dont like a 7.25" radius or anything flatter than 16" a compound radius from 10"-14" is perfect for me

i dont love super skinny, short vintage style frets, nor do i really want a huge super jumbo 6100

 

[Ascension]

The wrong neck profile. Nothing matters as much as how a guitar neck feels in my hand. If it feels wrong no matter how good it looks sounds or plays otherwise I just won't want to play it.
Also guitars that are so heavy that they become uncomfortable on a long set or hang funny from a strap. One of the most comfortable guitars to play a long set with I have ever owned is my Pink Carvin X220C. Looks weird but weighs 6.5 LBS and balances perfectly on a strap add that it plays like a dream and sounds good and I can get past the looks.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

no stupid graphics but thats a very personal thing. what i like, someone else might think is awful

Oh, same. The way some of those lower-end Deans are is not very good-looking. Looks like they printed the graphics at like -5 dpi's, LOL.

i dont like a 7.25" radius or anything flatter than 16" a compound radius from 10"-14" is perfect for me

Same. I used to like super flat fretboards, but I realized I'm OK with 12-14, and I don't have problem with my Esquires 9.5". But 7.25" is just way too round for me too. But I kinda like 12-14" best because that's the normal radius of a Tune-O, and that's my preferred bridge style.

 

[TVFV]

A tremolo.

 

[NegativeEase]

Neck Profile and setup are really the only things that would "stop me"

Specifically a super narrow, but baseball thick U or V profile with a small radius like 7"

and then a setup where the string height from a terribly cut nut makes it painful to play.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yep. Uneven frets.

I personally dislike high action like GREATLY. For my reasoning, it would make no sense in spending the extra money on a nice plek'd high-end guitar or a great fretjob when it's going to be set up to play like you'd need to set up a Bullet Squier.

 

[solspirit]

Neck Profile and setup are really the only things that would "stop me"

Specifically a super narrow, but baseball thick U or V profile with a small radius like 7"

and then a setup where the string height from a terribly cut nut makes it painful to play.

Pretty much

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Also, I've never tried an 8 string, but I don't think I'd like it.

I'm OK with 7-string guitars, but they'll never be my go-to. I like baritones, but the one time I had one, I didn't feel inspired to play anything out of the ordinary. But 8 strings... probably not. I'd rather have an extra-long 6-string baritone tuned super low.

 

[Securb]

I can't really think of anything. I have all types of guitars of every flavor, neck profile, and pickup configuration. I am not a huge fan of Floyd Rose tremolos but that would not stop me from buying a guitar I really like with a FR. I would probably eventually replace it with a Sophia. I cannot see myself owning a guitar that does not have a humbucker in the bridge but that also is easily remedied.

 

[allbutromeo]

Most of the "shred" specs, super thin neck, really tall frets, flat fretboard are no's. Floyd's aren't my favorite, but I could live with it. I also have small hands so really fat or wide necks are a no, middle pickups are also a no. Finally, not a fan of "pointy" guitars, classic Gibson style V or explorer and maybe the short horn Mockingbirds.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah, middle pickups for me neither. Especially middle humbuckers.

 

[ICTGoober]

Strings.
Hands down.

 

[Mincer]

Things I wouldn't like:

If the guitar is heavy
or unbalanced
reverse headstock
Bigsby
large or deep neck
pickups that are too hot
slotted headstocks
middle humbuckers

 

[Phantasmagoria]

headless
Wimpy pup's
Not crazy about pickguards..especially pearloid ones ,,though on some guitars they work
Weird/gimmic-y stuff like robot tuners
Tele's (sound great but they're fugly)
With the odd exception - single coil bridge pups
Slider switches
Abalone body trimming
overly modern/djenty finishes
Overly modern/djenty guitars in general :laugh2:

 

[Chistopher]

Only thing that will stop me plating a guitar is if it's left handed or my pinky hits the knobs. I enjoy everything from pointy V's to pre-war styled acoustic and parlor guitars.

 

[Demanic]

Bow and Arrow action.

 

[weepingminotaur]

- Ugly pointy 12-year-old metal fan shapes
- Headless; I recognize and appreciate the utility but can't get with how they look
- 7- or 8-string guitars. Play 'em if you want. I have zero use for them.
- Multiscale -- looks like an 11-year-old discovered Photoshop for the first time
- Super-fat or super-thin neck
- Unreasonably high action
- Low-end stock pickups
- Noticeable fret buzz
- Fret sprout
- Dead spots on the fretboard

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Never liked Bigsbys; I only have one in my entire fleet and probably wouldn't buy another (unless it came on a sweet vintage guitar).
Not really a fan of Kahlers either; they feel spongy to me. Don't have any of those.

Am getting older now, and have a few issues that didn't bother me until the last decade or so:
I get cramps playing superthin shreddy necks after half an hour. Not selling the ones I have, but won't be buying more.
Same with very heavy guitars - over ten pounds is a dealbreaker now. I can only play heavy ones for a few tunes at a time.
Got finger clubbing due to lung disease; extremely narrow nut widths are hard. Can't let my Albert Lee go despite its tiny neck.
I don't like really low action - it limits my dynamic range to a fraction of normal. Of course, action can easily be adjusted.

Wouldn't consider a guitar with bad fretwork. Honest wear is one thing, shoddy workmanship is another.

No problems with various neck profiles. I generally prefer chunky ones but am comfy with anything except crazy thin.
Love the fairly fat Gibson R8 profile. And the baseball bat on my '49 Gibson acoustic. Still, several all-time faves are PRS.
To me they all PRSs seem fairly close to the Pattern profile. Small differences, not major ones.
The Wide-Fat is not a fat neck in my book, although my DGT feels a little bigger thanks to the jumbo frets.
My '63 Strat was refretted with medium jumbos in the 70s, before I bought her. (My favorite Fender; feels great to me.)
I prefer big frets to small ones, but wouldn't refuse to consider a guitar just for having skinny frets.