why try before you buy?

[CK9]

I'm buying a good guitar soon (probably a strat) so I have been reading about guitars on this website and many of you have said that you should always play a guitar before you buy it...

What sort of things should I be looking for in a guitar when I play it in the store? Does it just need to feel right, do I need to check that it sounds right, do I need to check that everything works? I guess that's everything.. or is there something I'm missing?

[bigdoghat]

When I buy a guitar I play as many of them as I can as no two guitars sound the same - and that applies to guitars that are exactly the same model, wood etc. You'll ultimately like the sound of one over all others. For me sound is the most important thing, playability is second. Your preferences may be the other way around and that's fine too. Either way, once you've tried a few, you'll find that some are easier to play than others. Also, different wood types on the neck make faster playing easier, so you'll want to pay attention to that too - eg. a maple neck versus rosewood neck. And different woods will affect the overall sound of the instrument too. Check around the web and see if you can get a little info on what kind of tone to expect from different wood types and neck types. Play as many as you can, then you'll start to get an idea of why trying them out is important. Note - if the guitar has not had a proper 'set up' then it may be more difficult to play than it actually should be. So if you really like the sound of an instrument but feel like it's a bit tough to play, ask has it been set up correctly/or set up at all and if not, ask the store if the set up can be done before you make a decision on if you want to buy it or not. They should be able to oblige you if they're a decent retailer/or you're spending enough money! Maybe have a friend who really knows guitars come with you the first time and explain to you what they hear and what they like about each instrument as you play it - this way you can start to zero in on what kind of sound you like and why and how to look for it as you continue exploring. Definitely go to a few stores, each one has something unique to offer

[CK9]

Thanks! What do you think about Fender Mustangs and Jaguars?

[octatonic]

Buying a guitar without trying first is kinda like buying clothes without trying them on first.
Sure you might be have a 30 inch waist, but the actual sizing has variance within it- going from one pair of trousers to another might fit differently.

Similarly guitars, whilst often being made using computer controlled machinery should yield similar results from guitar to guitar- there is always variance in the quality of the wood, the acoustic properties of the guitar, the feel of the neck and such.

I've picked up some high priced guitars, played them for a bit and thought 'meh' and put them back down.
Most of the guitars in my collection I picked up an they immediately 'spoke to me', meaning that I found them easy and comfortable to play, loved the look of them and didn't want to put them down.
Imagine buying something online, getting it home and HATING IT- for whatever reason.
Or simply not enjoying playing it?

I've made a couple of online purchases though- mostly strats and I've been pretty lucky- but it isn't something I would recommend.

[nickolo]

Fender mustangs and Jaguars can be fantasic.They have a certain sound but vary.I describe their sound as warm-bell like and not tight/precise [in a nice grunge type way]But i once was lent a 60s jaguar for a rec session and it sounded very very bright..It might be worth trying a fender 'jagstang' which is a modern design based on these early designs.It had a great tone but it had to be sorted out big time because of tuning issues.These designs almost always suffer from intonation/tuning problems,but this ads to its sound.
When looking for a guitar to buy,choose a monday morning when the shop is quiet!!I pick a bunch from the models that interest me and play them without amps to hear the pure character.Even the same model/wood varies in colour.Cheap gtr can = great gtr!!!
Good luck

[CREAMY WILLIAMS]

It is important to try a guitar before you buy it, because you can not tell how it is going to feel before you play it.
Strats don't feel right to me because I like to rest my right hand on the bridge (I am a gibson man) but it is a purely personal thing. Don't get me wrong - I love a good strat sound (hendrix, blackmore, eddie hazel, srv, ernie isley) but I prefer humbuckers and a darker sound.
Also, strats have many different necks and pickups which affect the way they play and sound (maple necks being much brighter sounding)
I would reccomend trying as many guitars as possible and see which one you fall in love with.
Also, I reccomend buying 2nd hand. My mate bought a Blade strat with seymour duncans for 300euros and it feels and sounds better than some really expensive fenders.

One last thing - if you do buy a strat, don't buy a red one. Natural, black, sunburst, cream, eggshell blue, sea-foam green or just plain battered are cooler.

[sethmeister]

Buying a guitar you've never played is kind of like marrying a girl you just met.

[Evanskyler]

On fenders especcially the first thing you should look at is the fret board radius most fender fretboards are 7.25" and alot of Gibsons are 9" radius.

This is is of utmost importance in terms of feel because you cant change it. The bridge fine, the crown of the frets fine ,the pickups fine but fretboard radius you are stuck with.

I also like to keep a similar neck profile for all of my guitars. I prefer a thin fender 50s c shaped neck.I got one on my Tele. Its the same on my reverend. Its the same on my P-Bass. But wider necks feel better to some people and some people even like v shaped necks like those found on 12 fret martins.

The rest of the stuff is up to your ears and your guitar tech. GET A GUITAR TECH!

Any discernable buzzes? Is it easy to Intonate? Locking tuners? Type of Wood?

Im an ol school guy Its mostly ash and mahogany for me but depending on what you are doing you should go to Warmoth - Custom bass and guitar bodies, necks, pickups, pickguards and hardware and check out different wood types and what they have to offer in terms of sound.

the shape of the body affects things to, many people enjoy the fender countour shapes, I like slab body guitars. Make shure it is comfortable and small enough to wrap your arms around.

And theres the whole Active, Single coil, Humbucker, Piezo, Laser, motherbucker debate that I will not get into. Its up to your ears, just realise that single coils are noisier and more prone to rf interference. I love single coils myself, p90s especially.

And you have to like how it looks!!! Many people will tell you it dosent matter what it looks like. But you have to be happy with it every time you look at it. Instruments are our children.

Kudos

[FFTT]

Be prepared to try 20-30 guitars before you even start to narrow things down,

The neck and the fret work are going to be all over the place some poor, some ok, some better.

Check for fret buzz and if you get closer to a decision, really go over that guitar
in every detail.

Fender, Anderson, Suhr and Sadowsky are just a few you want to look at in the Strat
and Tele styles.

I love a good USA Strat Standard and my 93' Strat Plus is an excellent guitar.

However, I'm really starting to dig HB's, P-90's , HollowBodys and LP's too.

So try a bunch of single coils, P-90s and HB and blends to hear all the variables.

If you don't now how to size up a neck, bring a friend who does along.

Take your time,

I spent 3 months on the last guitar search and I'm real happy with
My Ibanez AF105NT

Ended up buying one out of the box from MF simply asking them to please
inspect before shipping, cause if it's F**ked up I'm shipping it right back.

Guitar came set up damn near perfect.

Did the action and intonation with the dad gum floating bridge and now it's one of my favorite playing guitars.

Don't buy just the freekin logo, buy the guitar that speaks to you.

[bigdoghat]

Originally Posted by CK9

Thanks! What do you think about Fender Mustangs and Jaguars?

I'm much more an acoustic guitar person than electric - I own a couple of knock off electrics but only really use them for simple recording stuff, so I can't give expert advice on specific models. But, I just asked one of my buddies who is a guitar expert and maniac who is here at the moment and he said that they were made circa late 50's/60's and have now been re-issued - a couple of things to know about them - they have a short scale neck (shrunk down/smaller in length) neck so they're easier to play. He said that they don't give you as many choices in tone as a strat because they don't have as many pick ups or as many pick up switch position options as a strat. He said they're great guitars - I asked him if it was his first guitar would he buy one and he said no, he would go with a strat for the versatility of its sounds. For him anyway, a Jaguar or Mustang would be a great second guitar.

On the other hand, I have a friend who has an original Mustang and I really love the sound of it, I've done live sound for her band a few times and it was used on their entire album (with fx of course) - and to me it sounded fairly versatile and damn good. She is a very experienced guitar player and plays more rhythm than lead, but still definitley does play some lead and as a lead guitar, again, it sounds great to me. This is her only and main guitar and she absolutely loves it. My guy friend I'm mentioning above is a lead player only, and plays a lot of blues and country rock, so the strat and tele are a must for him. I'm a rhythm player and would definitely not HAVE to have a strat - so it might be a matter of preference/style of music. I, personally would be very happy if a Mustang dropped in my lap. Try one out and see what you think.

By the way, if you have the budget, definitely go with the American made versions of the Fenders, they sound better and it will be a instrument you'll keep for life. There's also Mexican and various Asian made Fenders in the shops, they're a bit cheaper but don't sound as good as the American ones. If not, no worries - when I bought my first bass, I got a Mexican Fender P bass - I decided if I stuck with it I would get myself an American made Fender - so you can look at it like that if you're not in the market for the real deal yet - it will be motivation to practice more!

Check out the Mustang on my friend's music - very eclectic music (you have been warned) and maybe not your cup of tea but you'll get to hear the Mustang with a variety of flavours. Start with track 4 in the music player on the top right (rhythm and lead in this one) and if you can manage it, there's some more Mustang to be be heard on trax 1 and 3. MySpace.com - JARIYA - Los Angeles, California - Indie / Alternative / Rock - www.myspace.com/jariyamusic

[lordmiguel]

pretty much all been said. even if you know the neck shape and radius, you need to check the feel, sound, frets, intonation, finish. aside from that most people are looking for that intangible spark. but construction and consistency are not a given. even in high end guitars.

keep in mind that no two pieces of wood sound the same either. a good luthier can just tap any given piece of wood with his hand and tell if its poor, average or excellent from a tone perspective. its buyer beware on this stuff.

it is hard when a lot of the major manufacturers don't even properly set-up their guitars. they really are just factories. at least cars come with antifreeze and gas in the car to turn it on.

[Croaker]

Well this is Gearslutz so will will need to buy at least 2 guitars.

Funny you should mention this today because I just bought a guitar(today) without trying it but I wouldn't do that if I had a choice.

Look at it this way. I live in maui and the guitar shop here has a poor selection of quality guitars. When I want to buy one I cant even try it and that sucks. About 7 years back I walked in there to buy some strings and just look around at stuff. There was no way I was buying a guitar because I bought a used fender custom shop tele jr about a year before that(didnt try that one either). I was checking out some picks and out of the corner of my eye I saw a Root Beer colored Paul Reed Smith thin hollowbody. Just for the heck of it I asked to check it out and 5 minutes later I knew that this guitar was made for me. I ended up buying it. Another time I bought mexican strat for $200 off my friend because when I picked it up at his house it felt perfect in my hands...go figure.

I guess it depends on how long you have been playing. In the early years of my playing I tried and owned all kinds of guitars just to see what they sounded and felt like. Eventually every player develops his likes and dislikes in a guitar (all mentioned above).

So when I want to buy a guitar these days I talk to a well known shop with a good rep and a big stock of guitars. I know what I like pretty much these days and give the guy some guidelines of what I am looking for in a guitar. I just ordered a thin skin nitro 54 strat from wildwood guitars in Colorado. Steve is a great guy over there. He talked to me for a few days about what I was looking for and I picked 5 of the same model guitars that I was interested in. I wanted a light ash body strat so I picked the 5 lightest ones and he played them all and picked out the best playing one for me and I bought it. They have a tech who sets it up and goes over every little aspect of the guitar. They do this because they sell alot of their guitars overseas and out of state and they don't want any returns. Worse comes to worse you can send it back and you are out the shipping, which is better than having a guitar you dont like.

Short of going into a shop and trying out guitars this is the best way to go. Good luck on your search for "THE ONE".......now buy a dam guitar and start playing it

Aloha

[CK9]

Thanks for the info everyone! I'll have to take some time to figure out which neck shape/radius I like. Also, I never would have imagined that the fretboard wood changes the sound. I've done some research and it seems like Rosewood will be best for me.

Given that I don’t own an amp, what amp should I use in the store when I'm trying all their guitars?

And how do I check intonation?

Evanskyler, when you say 'get a guitar tech', are you saying I should take my guitar to a guitar tech to get it set up, maintained etc?

[nickolo]

Just choose either an amp yo like the sound of and plan to buy in the future or a simple fender twin/pro reverb etc..start with clean to hear the guitar etc..
Intonation-If its in a bad way then it will sound out of tune when you fret notes and chords further up the neck towrds the pick-ups.This will be the case even when' in tune'
If in doubt,take or borrow a tuner.Tune the guitar with it,fret each string an octave,then 2 octaves,3 etc up the neck.So start with low E string.If it is showing flat-sharp all over the place then it needs sorting.This is a simple job and most new guitars require a general set-up.Shop will do it for you sometimes!!
One vital thing is to check the neck is not seriously warped.Hold the guitar with the body up by your eyes-eye level [flat] the frets should look nice and even..
You have to be unlucky to go to a decent guitar shop and get a real problem guitar but perhaps take someone that has a little guitar knowledge as it can be daunting and some of those salespeople are weird creatures that will play solos all day long in front of you given half the chance ha ha !!!

[Croaker]

Hi CK

Have you played a guitar before or will this be your first? A good shop should set it up for you. Ask if they have a person or guitar tech that does that stuff and repairs etc? You can teach yourself how to do intonation once you own your guitar.

If you are just learning and will be playing at home mostly get an amp that sounds good to you but is not too loud. A good clean sound is the way to go so you can hear all the notes. If you have a friend that plays take him/her with you when you try out the amps. I prefer tube amps. Im sure you can do a search on GS for opinions on tube amps.

What kind of music do you like or envision wanting to play. That will dictate to some extent the sound and amp you are after.

The big question is how much money do you want to spend and how serious are about playing the guitar. You could go super cheap for learning and upgrade after you get better and have more of an idea of what you like (bigger chance of getting a guitar that doenst play as well or intonate good)...or you can buy quality and feel better about the feel and sound of your axe and amp, therefore making it more enjoyable to play. At some point if you sell to get something different it tends to keep its value better.

You dont have to buy it the first day you go in to try. Give yourself some time to check out different shops. Some guys are just going to want to sell you anything.
Where do you live?

let us know what you decide on..good luck

aloha

let us know what you get!

[CREAMY WILLIAMS]

Originally Posted by nickolo

Just choose either an amp yo like the sound of and plan to buy in the future or a simple fender twin/pro reverb etc..start with clean to hear the guitar etc..
Intonation-If its in a bad way then it will sound out of tune when you fret notes and chords further up the neck towrds the pick-ups.This will be the case even when' in tune'
If in doubt,take or borrow a tuner.Tune the guitar with it,fret each string an octave,then 2 octaves,3 etc up the neck.So start with low E string.If it is showing flat-sharp all over the place then it needs sorting.This is a simple job and most new guitars require a general set-up.Shop will do it for you sometimes!!
One vital thing is to check the neck is not seriously warped.Hold the guitar with the body up by your eyes-eye level [flat] the frets should look nice and even..
You have to be unlucky to go to a decent guitar shop and get a real problem guitar but perhaps take someone that has a little guitar knowledge as it can be daunting and some of those salespeople are weird creatures that will play solos all day long in front of you given half the chance ha ha !!!

I would reccomend going through a clean fender twin with a very neutral eq setting and no or little reverb. Do not use a modelling amp with flangers and delays etc - you will have no idea what the guitar sounds like.
I went strat shopping with a friend recently and the cheaper ones (and some of the more expensive ones) had an unpleasent "plinky" top-end. Try to find a guitar with good natural sustain and some body to the sound.
When you find a guitar that fits the bill (and really gets you excited) try it though something dirty like a boogie or a marshall.
Also, do you have a friend who is a good player who knows a thing or two about guitars? If so, get him to go along with you and get his advice (or her - sorry female guitarists) and hear what the guitar can really do. Most guitarists are happy to go guitar testing (we are slutz, after all)

Anyway - best of luck to you!

[Evanskyler]

Originally Posted by CK9

Thanks for the info everyone! I'll have to take some time to figure out which neck shape/radius I like. Also, I never would have imagined that the fretboard wood changes the sound. I've done some research and it seems like Rosewood will be best for me.

Given that I don’t own an amp, what amp should I use in the store when I'm trying all their guitars?

And how do I check intonation?

Evanskyler, when you say 'get a guitar tech', are you saying I should take my guitar to a guitar tech to get it set up, maintained etc?

Yes Sir, Right on the money. I would be out of the job if it wasn't for my techs. Seperate guitar and amp techs are also a must.

Intonation is the difference in the tuning of the 12th fret harmonic note, the fretted 12th fret note, and the open note. If these arent the same its out of intonation. When you look at the bridge make sure you can make all neccisary adjustments. What you want to look at is the intonation screw, tilt adjustment, saddle adjustment and saddle height.

When you are trying out guitars play them all through the same amp and pick which one you like the most because your ear will get used to the sound of that amp even if its the one you arent going to buy. When you've narrowed it down to a few guitars go around and do the same trial and error on the different amps in the store.

[lordmiguel]

an interesting tip of the way someone (who used to be in a famous band) does it. plucks the b string and feels the bottom of the body when evaluating a wall of guitar rows.

http://www.youtube.com/v/1ZnQt9yiBMg&hl=en

[CK9]

Well I think I'm definately ready to start shopping now, having the patience to try so many guitars is going to be the hardest part but I'm gonna do it.

Croaker, it wont be my first guitar and I'm not a learner but I haven't owned an electric guitar for years and even when I did, I dedicated very little time to understanding the instrument. I was always interested but I spent all my time playing, jamming, being young and everything that goes along with that. I will never sell another musical instrument again that's for sure. I'm very serious about this purchase, willing to spend money and after reading all the information on this thread I'm also willing to spend time making sure I get the right guitar and to understand what I'm getting. I live in Western Australia, its really hard to describe the music I'm playing and I think that is partly because I dont have my electic guitar sound yet but the band I hope to end up with will be a traditional 1 or 2 guitar, bass, drums set up.

It might be a while before I make my purchase but I'll eventually resurrect this thread and let you know how the shopping experience goes.

Thanks again.

[Croaker]

well I wish you the best in your search CK and I have some news for you, we are all learners haha.

Most of all have fun with the music.

aloha

[CK9]

Originally Posted by Croaker

I have some news for you, we are all learners haha.

Good point!

[AMIEL]

Originally Posted by nickolo

When looking for a guitar to buy,choose a monday morning when the shop is quiet!!I pick a bunch from the models that interest me and play them without amps to hear the pure character.Even the same model/wood varies in colour.Cheap gtr can = great gtr!!!
Good luck