Tips for spotting good guitar

  • Another variant on the many "which strat to buy" question.


    Looking to buy CS Strat to get close to this JM Sweet Tone. Have a 2013 Fender MIM Roadworn Strat. Cannot find specs - its a Rosewood neck, Olympic white (more cream) with black PU-guard, PU's & knobs. 2nd tone is connected to Mid PU. As far as I know , these are Tex-Mex PUPs ? Assume it has 9.5"radius neck. Whatever - I am looking if I can upgrade guitar for more vintage PU and 7.25 radius neck (or compound 7.25 - 9.5) guitar.


    Originally, choose this Road Worn, cause neck was really smooth - and I don't like the Poly plastic bodies/necks of the AM Stdrd.


    Have seen on YT a '54 CS with vintage PU's, played on Toneking Imperial with great John Mayer tone. so tempted to buy a Custom Shop Strat - but maybe a regular AM Vintage or AM Original is as good ? So how does one decide ? Not many shops have several CS to test. How do I recognise a "good tone wood"- well made 'not dead' guitar ? Is it the trick with body vibrations ( is it B or G string to play unplugged and feel vibrations near guitar body plug - one with strongest vibrations is best) ? Or are there other ways to test/evaluate guitar in shop, next to "playing in plugged/unplugged" ?


    Are there some clear objective criteria/tests one can apply, or is it all pretty much subjective ? Or is it all pretty much in "the hands"?

  • If it sounds good and feels good, it IS good. Specs are less important that finding something the really feels good in your hands, and also sounds good....TO YOU.


    Don't get lost in all the options, etc. If it feels like an extension of your body, buy it. The sound can be changed with updated pickups, etc. It's more important to get something that will make you want to always pick it up and play.

  • actually there are two ways. Order at your local guitar builder. Or go to the store and check out the guitars. I found that the right guitar will find it's way home. Having said that I once chose a rather cheap guitar over a similar guitar at more than twice the value...

  • All good points. I am rather uneasy to order 1 via mail and test it. My preferred process would be to play as many as possible in shops, and come to small list. However, shops in most European cities have about 4 CS models, some even only have 1. So how do you compare ? I read that some people test like 20-30-40 different strat's before 'finding the one'. Brings me back to the original questions, next to subjective personal impression, how do you recognise a good one ?

  • i play the guitars first without amp

    if this is fresh acoustic sound which you like

    then the wood is right and the instrument have the sound you like

    good pickups will reflect this acoustic behavior

    and at least you will have a great guitar

  • i play the guitars first without amp

    if this is fresh acoustic sound which you like

    then the wood is right and the instrument have the sound you like

    good pickups will reflect this acoustic behavior

    and at least you will have a great guitar

    Great, Thx. So, first you look for an acoustic sound you like. looking for more base or treble - whatever your type of sound is. I've read that some say " it sounded really loud and alive" (versus quiet / dull ?)


    What about vibrations in the wood ? Nitro Lacquer versus Poly E ? Thick neck versus thin, ... does it all affect tone, or is this more into the "mythical sphere " ?

  • Muddy is right. If the guitar is hanging on the wall, try plucking the B string and place your other hand on the bottom edge of the guitar, near the strap stud. You should feel the vibration through the wood. The stronger the vibration, the more resonant the wood. This points to there being a good tight neck pocket and well-joined body pieces (obviously in two- or three-piece bodied strats), but also how well seasoned the wood is. As someone else said, the better a guitar sounds acoustically, the better it will sound plugged in (unless the pickups are really bad, but those can be swapped). This quick test can help you to not waste time playing every dud in the shop.

  • Muddy is right. If the guitar is hanging on the wall, try plucking the B string and place your other hand on the bottom edge of the guitar, near the strap stud. You should feel the vibration through the wood. The stronger the vibration, the more resonant the wood. This points to there being a good tight neck pocket and well-joined body pieces (obviously in two- or three-piece bodied strats), but also how well seasoned the wood is. As someone else said, the better a guitar sounds acoustically, the better it will sound plugged in (unless the pickups are really bad, but those can be swapped). This quick test can help you to not waste time playing every dud in the shop.

    I need to try this. Thanks!

  • Muddy is right. If the guitar is hanging on the wall, try plucking the B string and place your other hand on the bottom edge of the guitar, near the strap stud. You should feel the vibration through the wood. The stronger the vibration, the more resonant the wood. This points to there being a good tight neck pocket and well-joined body pieces (obviously in two- or three-piece bodied strats), but also how well seasoned the wood is. As someone else said, the better a guitar sounds acoustically, the better it will sound plugged in (unless the pickups are really bad, but those can be swapped). This quick test can help you to not waste time playing every dud in the shop.

    Great tip ! Heard about this on internet, but never knew if this was really used or just another crazy rumour. Does anyone know why specifically the B string ? Is that the one that vibrates the least ?

  • Heard about this on internet, but never knew if this was really used or just another crazy rumour

    I was the same, until I tried it with some of my guitars. All my favourite-sounding guitars are very loud acoustically and exhibit this trait. Those that I feel lack sustain and just are more of a fight to play have less of a vibration transfer and sound dull acoustically. However, please note it can also be detrimental; really lively guitars won't mask any mistakes or sloppy playing, the same way really dynamic amps won't. For this reason alone, I really have to up my game when playing my James Tyler Studio Elite HD, which is hollow and is by far the loudest and most resonant of my guitars acoustically!

  • I worked Protection for Guitar shows all over the U.S. and saw Eric Johnson about twice a year for 26 years.

    Whenever he picked up a guitar checked it and walked away, five guys would run over and do the same.

    We teased him about getting a commission from the dealers.8)

    Great story ! What the Protection for Guitar show ? A trade show ?

  • Guitar dealers from all over the country set up booths in convention centers to buy and sell to each other and the public.

    External Content www.youtube.com
    Content embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.
    Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.

  • Muddy is right. If the guitar is hanging on the wall, try plucking the B string and place your other hand on the bottom edge of the guitar, near the strap stud. You should feel the vibration through the wood. The stronger the vibration, the more resonant the wood. This points to there being a good tight neck pocket and well-joined body pieces (obviously in two- or three-piece bodied strats), but also how well seasoned the wood is. As someone else said, the better a guitar sounds acoustically, the better it will sound plugged in (unless the pickups are really bad, but those can be swapped). This quick test can help you to not waste time playing every dud in the shop.

    I have this OCD way to check out the vibrations of a guitar. I can't remember where I heard it but I do it still till this day.. Lol. I will rest my front teeth on the corner of a guitar body and pluck the strings. Doing so, you can hear a tonal frequency of said guitar. Lol. Sounds nuts, probably is but it's a habit I have done for years. Lol

  • Is it the trick with body vibrations ( is it B or G string to play unplugged and feel vibrations near guitar body plug - one with strongest vibrations is best) ?

    a friend that knows a lot more about guitars and their construction once pointed this out to me:

    - a common guitar pickup has no way of picking up anything else then the strings vibrating in it's magnetic window (unless it's so microphonic that it is hardly of any practical use


    the 'play the guitar acoustically' trope has been around forever, but honestly I've seen it confirmed just as many times as I've seen (heard) it being not true.


    I have a Italia Maranello Speedster with a thick metal flake finish - played acoustically it's a'right, nothing special, but when connected to an amp it's a totally different beast and simply a great guitar. The Lace Sensor Alumitone made it even better, but it was a great guitar before.


    All I'm saying is that there is A LOT of 'guitar wisdom' being recycled for decades (like the one that the neck pickup on 24 fret guitars doesn't sound good because it's not underneath the location of the harmonic - which really makes no sense, since a harmonic node has significantly less vibrations that any other place.) a LOT can be changed with a decent setup and pickups, but where in real estate it's location, location, location, to me it's neck, neck, neck with guitars.

    Find a guitar with a comfortable neck and go from there.


    Don't let any advice (including mine) stop you from trusting your instincts. ;)

  • I'd just play every guitar I could get my hands on - custom shops, American Standards, MIMs, anything.


    a friend that knows a lot more about guitars and their construction once pointed this out to me:

    - a common guitar pickup has no way of picking up anything else then the strings vibrating in it's magnetic window (unless it's so microphonic that it is hardly of any practical use


    the 'play the guitar acoustically' trope has been around forever, but honestly I've seen it confirmed just as many times as I've seen (heard) it being not true.


    That's interesting, and does ring true. After all, why would the vibration anywhere else in the body matter to a pickup mounted along the neck?


    Got to ask though, does your friend also subscribe to the view that tone wood makes no difference?


    And as a rule of thumb, I'd still say that an electric guitar that resonates in a pleasing way will sound better than one with inferior tone woods and construction. At least 9/10 times.