What makes you say 'Yes, thats the one i want'

red_ice

Do you buy guitars for brand names, looks, cost or what?

I know a couple of poeple who will only buy gibson, fender or epiphone because they are names they can relate to... is that a bad thing?

I was looking about on the net the other night and i came across this. I think thats well worth 200 quid by looks alone.

I think when it comes to bass/guitars the deciding factor for me is looks.. im not totally pushed about tone atm, simply because i havnt 'found' my tone that i like.

What makes you decide on what guitar you want? Does price matter? As in, if its cheep, would you still buy it?

Karl Hungus

Hmm... Good question.

It's definetly a lot of factors. Mainly it's tone and playability, but looks definetly comes into it the odd time. For example, my J Custom, I could've gotten one that was identical, except for the Tree Of Life inlay, and it would've been cheaper, but I went for the one with said inlay because it just looks absolutely swish.

Brand comes into it so much as if a particular brand of guitar does what you're after. So if you're after a Les Paul, you'd probably be looking at Gibson, or a Strat, Fender. I don't think it's simply to do with name brands, if you're after what they offer.

BC Rich and Ibanez would probably be the brands I'd go for, but only because their guitars suit me much more than the next brand would. You get me?

Doctor J

It takes very little for me to want a guitar, unfortunately. Thankfully, I can almost control the GAS urges in a discreet manner these days

Generally, I look for something well built, good wood, hardware and electronics or at least with the potential for me to change it to suit my needs. Brand names aren't too important, though I think the tendency exists to trust the more established names, reputation is important, especially in a country like this where choice is very limited in terms of things you can buy in a shop.

As for paying big €€€, generally you get what you pay for. If it's cheap it's usually for a reason. Sometimes the expense of an instrument (Gibson Les Paul for example) doesn't make sense in my mind. For two grand you can have a custom made instrument built exactly to your specs. I don't get paying that amount of money for something mass produced and generic, especially from companies whose QC reputation has been somewhat erratic in recent years.

My #1 bass is an ESP 400 series, MIJ around 86-88, called 400 Series because the suggested retail price was $400. Basically it's a Japanese 62 Jazz reissue. I bought it for about IR£300 back in 92 or 93. It's not a boutique instrument by any means but it has stayed my #1 because it's a great bass. It would never fetch as much second hand compared to a US made equivalent, no matter how much better it is, just because (amazingly) there is still something of a stigma about Japanese instruments. The price doesn't matter when the quality of the instrument is so good. However, I'm getting a bass custom made in Germany which is going to cost about two grand. I believe with every fibre of my body that this is also going to be a great bass, based on the reputation of the builders. I am looking for a bass for life, the king of all basses, I don't want to buy another bass after this, so I've done my research, examined countless builders and companies and said yes to the people who I think will deliver me what I want at a reasonable price. That's what it takes

Seany

I have to agree that that bass looks fantastic but i'd have to say there is probably a very good reason why it is priced at €205. (I havent played one btw)

I think with something like that, you will end up going out and spend the same money again in 6mths to a years time. I have only recently appreciated the value of spending a few more quid on that guitar you might have your eye on. The playability of the instrument, the tone, its reliability, the the look are all important factors to consider if purchasing an instrument and its often the case that you get what you pay for.

I agree that some instruments are overpriced simply because the carry the name gibson or fender. However, I'd consider spending a few more quid and get some fairly decent you can hold on to

Seany

Beecher

red_ice wrote:

What makes you decide on what guitar you want? Does price matter? As in, if its cheep, would you still buy it?

Price didnt really effect me as much before as it does now. I recently picked up my first (of what will be many) high end Ibanez and have fitted it with dimarzio pickups. I find even with high gain the sound is very articulate, for the first time my sweep picking rings clear, and im finding many other techniques im practicing are sounding a lot better too (I can finally play the glasgow kiss riffs clearly!!). I find this guitar really compliments my playing, and more importantly has made playing a lot more fun. So whereas I might have skimped before in the past on quality over something that looks cool (The Ibanez SAS32 comes to mind, nearly bought it recently cause it had really nice binding and made it look like it was worth more than it was) I will now pay a premium for a guitar because I know what im after and need in a guitar.

I also find myself biased towards and biased untowards certain names. As great as those Fame prs'alike guitars look I find myself put off by the name 'Fame' as it sounds cheap to my ears, and im probably missing out big time by thinking like that, but its something I cant help.

When it comes to playing bass however thats a different story. I take guitar seriously but bass is something I play just for fun and have no real aspirations with it. I have a Jazz Bass Deluxe V that I dont always have access too so ive been considering buying this or one of those epiphone sg basses, they are cheap but look good imo and that'll do for me for basses

Patricide

For me i would mostly go for a guitar by a brand name and good reviews and if had played somthing similar for the simple reason that in tralee there are no real guitar shops(well theres 2 but there how you say...Crap)The right pickup conbinations and hardware and if an artist i liked used the guita that would be good enough for me to order it, id obvoisly ask some peoples opinion on it first.

However if i went down to my guitar shop and found me a cheap ol banges up guitar and if it had a tone i liked id snap it up, Tone is really the most important issue for me.

Johnny Storm

Doctor J wrote:

...I don't want to buy another bass after this...

Stop, Doc! You're killin' me!!!


*** Red Ice, that bass you linked to might well be a fine guitar but I would defo want to try one out first.
Personally I would consider playability to be the #1 criteria, but appearance, affordability, tone, durability and value are all very important.
I would be very happy to buy a cheap guitar as long as I liked it. EG I would imagine that an inexpensive Tokai could be a better guitar than a Gibson and certainly better value.
The cheaper the guitar though, the more you need to check it out thoroughly before buying.

ferdi

its got to push the right buttons visually first. design, colour.
usually the second i pick it up the play a few notes i'll know yay or nay

deaddonkey

it has to look good, so it can't be antigua.

if it's remotely wanker metal looking i won't touch it, no matter how good it plays or sounds.

single coils is a bonus.

otherwise, when i play it and it speaks to me and it resonates a lot and just says "take me home" i follow those urges. a big chunky neck always helps though.

so far, only 2 guitars have "spoken to me"

PlasseyMinstrel

Tone and playability are the most important factors, as well as the general "feel" of the guitar under your hands.

I play a Gibson SG Special. I've always loved the look of it (and mine is the Faded version, no plasticky finish, just a red painted mahogany body... beautiful) but I didn't order one until I was in a guitar shop tooling around with various things and I picked it up and instantly fell in love with it. Its difficult to quantify it but it just felt right.

I do agree Les Pauls are overpriced but keep an eye out for the Special versions of Gibsons (as mine is) - they're made to the same spec but lack some pointless cosmetic things like the diamond or crown inlay on the headstock, also it has mother of pearl dots rather than bars as inlaid fret markers. I paid €900, compared to €1300 for the Standard model.

Another big factor for the SG was the weight - its incredibly light. At the time I ordered it I was playing a cheap Strat knockoff that weighed a tonne in comparison. Oh and, to date, three people have ordered SGs since playing mine. Two of them were Strat nuts and the other was about to order a Strat. I'm quite proud of that!

Its a personal thing really, sometimes you pick up a guitar and its... you!

jcoote

well for me on a severe budget at the minute it'd be about what i need..like my last guitar (lite ash strat) was purchased cos i already had a humbucker filled ibanez RG and the strat gave extra tones.

ideally it'd be about tone and playability as every seems to agree on

a nice neck shape,responsive pickups and a quality reputation for a specific brand would are all things i'd look for

also they should look cool too of course

Abby D Cody

I'll set my sights on something and wait and save and wait. Tone (top of the list), playability (top of the list), overall feel (top of the ... hold on ...) are important. If it happens to look good, too, I take that as a bonus (though if there's a choice, I'll definitely pick a colour I like). After that, I let fate handle the rest. The last lover I bought - sorry, did I say lover? I meant guitar - ended up costing considerably less than normal discount, just under the wire of the top end of my budget, for a whole host of reasons you couldn't have planned for - and a case thrown in! After that, I knew it was meant to be. Since then, no regrets.

The last lover I bought didn't offer any discount at all. It was a sign, clearly.