What's more important: sound or playability?

[Spudman***]

Liking a guitar for me starts with feel. If it feels good and plays well then I'm on to the next step which is listening seriously to it. Many guitars I've tried over the years and many I still have feel great and play great but unplugged you might think they were real dogs. However, plugging them in and turning some knobs on the amp showed me that they were going to be good guitars. I think with electrics, because you do have the ability to electronically alter them via the amp, booster, eq etc., it's easier to come up with a winner rather than as with an acoustic guitar. Acoustics need to sound good from the start.

For me I'll always start with playability and then hope that I'm pleasantly surprised with the acoustic sound as well as the plugged in sound.

[deeaa*]

Liking a guitar for me starts with feel. If it feels good and plays well then I'm on to the next step which is listening seriously to it. May guitars I've tried over the years and many I still have feel great and play great but unplugged you might think they were real dogs. However, plugging them in and turning some knobs on the amp showed me that they were going to be good guitars. I think with electrics, because you do have the ability to electronically alter them via the amp, booster, eq etc., it's easier to come up with a winner rather than as with an acoustic guitar. Acoustics need to sound good from the start.

For me I'll always start with playability and then hope that I'm pleasantly surprised with the acoustic sound as well as the plugged in sound.

Well that's pretty much the polar opposite of mine :-) I don't care if it's a dog to play because I know I can make it play like buttah anyway...but it has to be healthy and solid to be worth working on. Loose/soft and crappy woods > no matter how good it is to play, it's junk.

[jpfeifer]

This is a great question about tone versus playability. For me, the tone has to be there first. That's most important, then playability is second. I can tollerate a less-than-easy-to-play guitar if it delivers a inspiring tones. If playability were all that mattered, then I'd never pick up my acoustic. (Martin would have never sold many of those old D-28's. A lot of those were horrible to play, but man do they sound good, especially the older ones).

I've even passed on some guitars that played way better than the ones that I bought, simply because I didn't like the tone of these better-playing ones. For example, I've never liked the way PRS guitars sound even though I think that they are the most well-built, most beautiful, best playing guitars ever made. I don't know what it is, but I've never liked the tone, other than their hollow-body ones that I can't afford :-)

For that matter, even Strats tend to fight you when you play them. You have to get more physical with them as compared to a Les Paul. But Strats have a certain tone that you just want to coax out of the guitar, even though it takes a little more effort due to the longer scale length.

--Jim

[markb]

This is a great question about tone versus playability. For me, the tone has to be there first. That's most important, then playability is second. I can tollerate a less-than-easy-to-play guitar if it delivers a inspiring tones. If playability were all that mattered, then I'd never pick up my acoustic. (Martin would have never sold many of those old D-28's. A lot of those were horrible to play, but man do they sound good, especially the older ones)...
--Jim

And I think we should also mention 50s Gretsches here, Thin frets, usually way too tall, shifty bridges, badly cut nuts. A player's nightmare but boy they sound good. Rickenbackers are pretty much the same, the 12s have 12 strings crammed into a nut that's narrower than a Tele, not a luxurious experience but, if you want that sound...

OTOH I've never come across a Fender Strat (or a good copy) that I couldn't get to play well. OK, they might still put up a bit of a fight but still nicely playable instruments for my tastes. Bigger necks with a tighter radius just fight back a bit more.

The worst sounding "good" guitar I ever owned was a Tokai Tele which just refused to sound even remotely like a good T-type. I blame the dull pickups to some extent but more the thin bridge plate and the wimpy cast saddles. It was a very playable guitar if you could be bothered with it but didn't give anything back even through some nice vintage Fender amps. I replaced it with a MIM strat with an oddly deep U neck profile which was pretty good with a change of pickups if a bit of a challenge to play.

I'm rapidly coming round to my ideal being a Strat or Tele with a "modern C" or "soft V" (like on some CIJs) profile. If pushed I'd take the "modern C". It just fits best.

[Eric***]

If playability were all that mattered, then I'd never pick up my acoustic.

That's a very good point.

I've never liked the way PRS guitars sound even though I think that they are the most well-built, most beautiful, best playing guitars ever made. I don't know what it is, but I've never liked the tone, other than their hollow-body ones that I can't afford :-)

I've heard that complaint a few times before. Seems strange to me that it's such a common complaint for a high-end guitar like PRS, but it is what it is. I've never played one before.

[kiteman]

That's a very good point.


I've heard that complaint a few times before. Seems strange to me that it's such a common complaint for a high-end guitar like PRS, but it is what it is. I've never played one before.

Pretty much the same for Carvins. Well built but stiff sounding. I don't know about mine but they sounded ok to me. Maybe I'm not that discriminating.

[Tig***]

Pretty much the same for Carvins. Well built but stiff sounding. I don't know about mine but they sounded ok to me. Maybe I'm not that discriminating.

I wonder if PRS's and Carvins just need their pickups replaced with perhaps some Duncan 59's or Gibson Burstbuckers? I'm just mentioning humbucker models here for the sake of argument.

Who would want to change pickups on a $1800+ Carvin or a $2400+ PRS? You'd think at that level, you'll never need to change anything, unlike a $350 Epiphone, but why not if it would make the guitar live up to it's real potential?!

Just sayin'...

[kiteman]

The Carvin pups are quite decent and better priced. My Bolt is the only one still with Carvin pups, C22B and C22N (and AP11). They're classic sounding like JB and '59.

I have a set of Carvin Holdsworth pups on my BD guitar. Very paf sounding.

I have a set of NOS Carvin M22T and M22V. Made in the 80s with red bobbins and black bezels. I guess it's modern sounding but the neck pup (M22V) is the sweetest I've heard. I had them in my DC127 which made them bright but I moved 'em to the BD with mahogany body. They sound better in the 'hog.

My DC127 now have Dimarzio D'Activators. It even had SD Blackouts before I went back to passives. I already lost count how many pup swaps I did.

[hubberjub***]

Sound and playability are not nearly as important as price. The more expensive the guitar the better it is. That's why I always pay more than sticker price for everything I buy. That way mine is always better than someone else who has the exact same model. It all comes down to simple economics.

[Eric***]

Sound and playability are not nearly as important as price. The more expensive the guitar the better it is. That's why I always pay more than sticker price for everything I buy. That way mine is always better than someone else who has the exact same model. It all comes down to simple economics.

I like the way you think. I enjoy buying and playing very bad guitars...

[Tig***]

Sound and playability are not nearly as important as price. The more expensive the guitar the better it is. That's why I always pay more than sticker price for everything I buy. That way mine is always better than someone else who has the exact same model. It all comes down to simple economics.

Man, do I have some deals for you! I've taken cheap guitars and upgraded them... Not with parts of anything useless like that. No sir, I've upgraded the price. That's right. No need to go to the guitar shop when I can fleece, um, help you right here.

[MichaelE]

I'll sell you this one for $7500. That way you'll be sure to have a better one than even Buckingham.

[hubberjub***]

I'll sell you this one for $7500. That way you'll be sure to have a better one than even Buckingham.

The pickup's crooked on that Turner. Your asking price of $7500 seems a little off. Will you take $9000 plus $250 for shipping? If so, we have a deal. You will take a two party out of state bad check, right?