The Un-Reason

[László]

I was communicating with a pal on this forum today about picking guitars, and I realized that although I have tried for years to reason my way logically through such decisions, I really can't.

Any logical justification I make about "well I needed something that does this or that" is, in my case, merely rationalization.

It's kind of hard to explain this, but I've reached the conclusion that I never pick an instrument for logical, rational reasons. I pick it for purely emotional reasons. How can "I love the tone of this thing" be anything but emotional? I can't logically decide what to love playing.

I can only speak for myself, of course.

Hand me an instrument whose tone I don't flip over, and I'm not going to buy it, no matter how many so-called bases it covers.

The most beautiful sounding guitar I own is the 20th Anniversary of PS model, and it's a guitar that sounds like nothing else out there (just my opinion, but I think it's unique and special). Unique is not a bad thing.

Then there's the whole thing about the visual appeal of an instrument. Try making logic out of what appeals to one's eyeballs. I can't.

I guess my point is that a great guitar is more art than science. I can't logically decide what kind of artwork I want to put on a wall, a painting has to strike me in a certain way to want to live with it, and either it does, and I come home with it, or it doesn't and I don't want it. Same with a guitar.

I know that most players want to have a guitar that they can say does this, and that, and something else besides. Well...for me, that can be the original plan, but it never really happens that way.

If I'm brutally honest, either I fall in love, or not. If I'm in love, I've gotta have it. If not, well, logic isn't going to convince me to pull out the ol' wallet.

What's your own experience with this? Can you truly reason your way to picking a guitar, or is it more an "I'll know it when I play it" kind of deal?

 

[Danerada]

Well - my take is, if you are a decent player, you can cover most bases with one guitar. So, logic isn't always "logical" when picking a guitar. For me, if I play it and i just love the feel and tone of it, then that makes my decision. If it is drop dead beautiful but sounds lifeless, or the tone is what I consider awful, i will not buy it. But if I "can live with" the looks and the tone is great...done deal.

so, tone and feel trump looks every time. If you can get both then that's gravy.

 

[László]

Well - my take is, if you are a decent player, you can cover most bases with one guitar. So, logic isn't always "logical" when picking a guitar. For me, if I play it and i just love the feel and tone of it, then that makes my decision. If it is drop dead beautiful but sounds lifeless, or the tone is what I consider awful, i will not buy it. But if I "can live with" the looks and the tone is great...done deal.

so, tone and feel trump looks every time. If you can get both then that's gravy.

We agree, then. I'm with you on this.

 

[Michael_DK]

Can you truly reason your way to picking a guitar, or is it more an "I'll know it when I play it" kind of deal?

Well... You can kind of "luck into it", I guess - but buying by spec sheets is kind of a crap shoot.

On the other hand, I believe that you CAN pick a guitar and get great results IF you stick with it. That kind of presupposes you're immune to GAS, and have at least hit somewhat correctly for your tastes. I believe Tom Morello did this with his original guitar. He saw how GAS could be a distraction from all the important stuff, and just decided to stick with it and make it work no matter what. There is a lot of value in that approach, I think. This, of course, is not necessarily "buying by spec".

To clarify: I don't disagree with your original post at all.

 

[Danerada]

We agree, then. I'm with you on this.

Yes sir!

 

[Screamingdaisy]

I prefer to choose a guitar by running the rack and letting the cards fall where they will. Quite often I've left a store with a different guitar than the one I envisioned on my way in, and it's usually not even the first one I picked up because I was visually drawn to it.

 

[toothace]

I think guitars are like women...there has to be something to initially attract you to the guitar, wether it be looks or personality. Then as you play it a bit and get to know it you can decide if it's your "true love" or another to discard while you continue searching for "the one"

 

[Screamingdaisy]

On the other hand, I believe that you CAN pick a guitar and get great results IF you stick with it.

The last guitar I bought (P245) was like this. There was no "wow" moment where angels sang and fireworks went off in the background. It was actually pretty mediocre but there was something there that I liked. To eliminate variables I got permission to bring it home to plug into my own amp, where I installed new strings and setup the action. I've been playing with the pickup height and amp settings and I think I have it down now.

Anyway, while my P245 is in my opinion not a magic guitar it is the one I play the most because it's got a great meat and potatoes sound that covers a broad range of the music I play really well.

Conversely, my McCarty - which I believe is a magic guitar - has an amazing voice that actually locks it into a bit of a niche, and therefore doesn't get quite as much playtime as the more generic sounding instrument.

 

[Alan Manning]

I must admit I most definitely lucked into Prs. Back in 0/4 after not really playing for 10 yrs a friend at work decided to learn so I helped with a few chords & got hooked again. He showed me a pic of an Se Soapbar & I went with the look.
I got very lucky !!! I have since looked at playability & tone before looks. I have bought a few brands since but nothing compares to my Prs's And that is my honest belief.
Tone is king, Looks are queen. I got lucky & found my want.
That's my truth Les.!!!

 

[xjbebop]

A wise man once said "Play what makes you happy..."

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I definitely should be more like that -- fall in love with a guitar's playability, but I have a bad tendency to fall in love with my eyes. But it's still love, and it's still unreasonable.

I'm getting there, though. I'm drawn to play certain guitars more than others, based not at all on their looks.

 

[xjbebop]

Appearance makes you want to touch it (or not..), but once you're actually playing it, how much of it do you see other than the edge of the neck...???

My personal criteria these days run in this order: Feel / ergonomics / comfort ; tones / voicings ; appearance.
Some of my better sounding guitars don't get played much anymore simply because I struggle to get comfortable with them...

 

[shinksma]

Appearance makes you want to touch it (or not..), but once you're actually playing it, how much of it do you see other than the edge of the neck...???

Well, since I preen in front of wall-to-wall mirrors when I practice and play, looks are very important. It is also how I practice my guitar face.



I keed, I keed...

Appearances while playing are minimal to me, but to my audience may add that extra wow factor. And that is not something to ignore...the reason I got into PRS was because of the beautiful Custom 22 in Emerald green I saw Steven Wilson play.

But appearances are a great plus-up when I just look at my guitars as I pass by them, and may induce me to pick one up faster than if they looked boring or utilitarian.

But yeah, I'm with Les - logic is a nice place to start, but it usually falls to the wayside very rapidly, and emotion and gut feel take over. We then use rationalization to substitute.

 

[CantankerousCarl]

I am wired so that desire gives way very quickly to justification / rationalization.

If a guitar is pretty, I am more tempted to pick it up. And with PRSes being so very very good, chances are whatever one you pick will both look and sound great.

That means I've gotten quite comfy with buying something that appeals to me on a looks/spec basis. Within a day or two of getting it in-hand I know if she's a keeper. Like eloping

I have definitely justified completely unwarranted members into my collection, and held onto them for too long, based upon looks, rarity, perceived value, cool factor, etc.

I'm a polyguitmyst...

 

[alphasports]

I think guitars are like women...there has to be something to initially attract you to the guitar, wether it be looks or personality. Then as you play it a bit and get to know it you can decide if it's your "true love" or another to discard while you continue searching for "the one"

I subscribe to this camp.

 

[bodia]

I am wired so that desire gives way very quickly to justification / rationalization.

If a guitar is pretty, I am more tempted to pick it up. And with PRSes being so very very good, chances are whatever one you pick will both look and sound great.

That means I've gotten quite comfy with buying something that appeals to me on a looks/spec basis. Within a day or two of getting it in-hand I know if she's a keeper. Like eloping

I have definitely justified completely unwarranted members into my collection, and held onto them for too long, based upon looks, rarity, perceived value, cool factor, etc.

I'm a polyguitmyst...

Me to a "T"!

 

[G-Man]

The logic thing and guitars for me just do not mix well. My last purchase was a CE 22 from Brian's. I saw it online and kind of liked it. Not the original pickups, wide fat neck and a kind of plain top. Went to the store and it confirmed all of my fears as it hung on the wall. Not really my cup of tea from what I thought I wanted.

I took it off the wall, and yes, I always ask first. Looked it over and the guitar was in mint condition, probably never played for more than an hour or two. Neck fit like a glove and after a bit of fiddling and a few strums, my credit card was out. Never even plugged it in. Riding home with the new guitar in the passenger seat, buyers remorse set in. By the time I was home, I was pissed at myself for making a rash decision. My wife was on the deck, I opened the case, the sun hit the rather plain top and the natural binding was like laser beams in my eye. The top had a very muted flame like and old Les Paul. Beautiful.

It has never left my hands since. This guitar had everything going against it in terms of looks, color, top, neck, pickups and I love it to death. Unplugged, it has a huge open sound. Plugged in, it had the sound I was looking for, a lester light. My friend comes over and always asks for "that 22" . I hear you guys on this one!

 

[dmatthews]

I won my SE ONE. That gateway drug was my first PRS. It made me buy a 305 off ebay without trying one first. I was wanting a straty type guitar and it fit the bill beautifully. Then I wanted a PRS humbucky axe so I bought a Mira, again without playing one first. Now I knew that the quality was ALWAYS there.
When I saw a McCarty with rosewood neck in my local CL I jumped on it. It was dirty, the strings were really old/bad but it was gorgeous and I snapped it up after playing it for less than 3 minutes.
Logic... that is what made me buy the P22. I really wanted to incorporate a piezo in some of our bands tunes. The funny thing is that the best priced one I could find over a three month search just happened to have a 10 top, rosewood neck, and gold hardware. I never went looking for the added bling, but I'm sure not complainin'!

 

[vox801]

The look of a guitar is my first impulse when buying a guitar. I believe they are "art"... They are iconic in pop culture, the wood, the colors, the knobs etc. The design catches my eye first. I look at a builder such as Rick Toone and love his designs. Now loving a design or look of a guitar is what turns my head, but, no matter how cool they may be ... They have to have the sound I hear in my head and be comfortable to play. Thankfully, with the Toone... It's playable "art" ... One of the best sounding/playing guitars I own. Now this being a PRS forum. I have to say I always liked the look/design, but I didn't truly appreciate them until I bought one that I heard the sound in my head. I own 6, all based on looks, the sound and build quality are exemplary. I have to admit I did not like the sound of them in the 90's, they all played well, all were built well... They just didn't sound good to me. It wasn't til the mid 2000's that I saw a black McCarty that not only caught my eye, but had the "sound". And they seem to be getting better and better, to me, in the sound department. So, I agree, when I buy a guitar it's an emotional decision based on the look first. But I still want "the sound". Fortunately, they have both. Beautiful, playable Art.

 

[Jimi D]

My response to a guitar is always emotional, and I spent a lot of years chasing whatever "next" guitar caught my fancy on-line only to find I wasn't really satisfied with the purchase for very long... Then I just decided a few years back that I wouldn't buy any guitar I couldn't play first, and after about 8 years of that, I find that all but two of my electric guitars are PRSi (12 of them, I think)... My other two electrics are both Fenders... I've only one guitar today that I didn't play before I owned it, and that's the guitar my wife bought me last year for Christmas, a 2007 McCarty that I'm noodling on it now as I wind down after a long day; I've had it a little over six months and I just love the guitar - it fits me like a glove and just sings! After so many years refusing to buy on-line, I felt really confident when she ordered this one for me - it's a PRS after all...

Play what makes you happy is a great philosopy, and PRS makes guitars that make me want to play...