[MF_Dearmond]

So what to you makes the best guitar? The sound, the vintage, the cosmetics or maybe unique features?
I'm hoping that the members here can respond to each person's individual submission and possibly can recommend a guitar that they are not too familiar with but may match their desires. Please think of this thread as just fun, as nobody can really determine the best guitar for someone else.

I'd like to hear from everyone. Here's a list below of specs that I believe is important to many. Hopefully we can give recommendations to others that they were not previously aware of.

Let's try to keep it in this numbered format. I can add more if people feel that I missed something obvious.



#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?

#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?

#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?

#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?

#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?

#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)

#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?

#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?

#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?

#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?

Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?

[MF_Dearmond]

I'll start this one out.

#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?
Yes, Vintage
#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?
I prefer the art guitars from the 60s
#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?
Semi-hollow.
#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?
Single coils, brand name important
#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?
I prefer a fat neck
#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?
I guess I like the standard fret size.
#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)
Brand name hardware is a huge plus
#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?
I like hard-tale or tailpiece
#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?
There are so many nice tonal woods, I suppose that I like a nice firm maple neck
#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?
I like the soft rosewood feel
#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?
Heavy is always nice, but not a must
#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?
USA Only
Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?
No extra odd requests.

[Crooner]

Originally Posted by MF_Dearmond

So what to you makes the best guitar? The sound, the vintage, the cosmetics or maybe unique features?
I'm hoping that the members here can respond to each person's individual submission and possibly can recommend a guitar that they are not too familiar with but may match their desires. Please think of this thread as just fun, as nobody can really determine the best guitar for someone else.

I'd like to hear from everyone. Here's a list below of specs that I believe is important to many. Hopefully we can give recommendations to others that they were not previously aware of.

Let's try to keep it in this numbered format. I can add more if people feel that I missed something obvious.



#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?

#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?

#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?

#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?

#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?

#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)

#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?

#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?

#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?

#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?

Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?

These are all extremely subjective questions, you realize, I’m sure. I’ll take a crack at it, though.

#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?

If you can find a vintage guitar in really good playable condition, that can be magic. However, are you looking for a collector's piece, or a player with some minor cosmetic flaws? This will effect the price greatly. That being said, some of the best guitar are being built right now. I think many members will agree that we are currently experiencing the second golden age of Gretsch guitars.

#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?

I tend to consider resale value when I buy, unless it’s a sentimental thing. The weirder shapes/features can tend to be more of an individual choice for value. Do your research and see what the market value is for used examples of the same model you're looking for.

#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?

Purely personal choice. That being said, semi-hollow or hollow is my preference.

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?

Filter’Trons or DynaSonics are, IMHO, the best two choices for pickups. Best sounding there are.

#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?

I prefer a chunkier V shape, but Gretsches tend not to come with this shape. Some vintage models have a slightly fatter neck, as do some bigger current hollow bodies. Penguins seem to have a bit if a fatter C shape. Again, this comes down to what is comfy for you.

#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?

I prefer average to vintage size. I find that jumbo frets can often cause tuning/intonation issues if you tend to press down hard.

#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)

As long as they're qualify tuners, you should be good to go. Locking tuners will definitely aid in speed of restringing, but they are not the end all in tuning issues. Tuning problems are best addressed by lubing the nut, bridge and tension bar on a Bigsby if so equipped.

#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?

I like a trem. Bigsbys being my fav. Shocking, I know.

#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?

I prefer lighter woods mainly due to the fact that I don’t like heavy guitars. Anything substantially over 8 lbs can be a pain in the shoulder. Under 9 lbs should be fine. Give or take.


#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?
I dig rosewood or ebony. I’ve just never bonded with maple fretboards.

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?

Light.

#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?

USA, Japan, all fine. Korea can be great, too. Other counties I’m not familiar enough with to comment. I can say from personal experience that Gretsch pro line models from the Terada factory seem to be of slightly more consistent quality that those from the Dyna Gakki plant. Again, this is only my experience.


The main thing is what YOU want. What style do you play? What's your budget? What sound are you looking for? What esthetic sends you? What models are you currently looking at?

I know I'm missing a lot of issues, but I’m sure the others will cover these.

[gray area]

Originally Posted by MF_Dearmond

#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?
I like the idea of vintage woods & finishes that have aged naturally. However my ear isn't good enough to pick up any tonal differences over new wood.
#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?
I like a simple,elegant body, single cut-aways mostly.
#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?
Like em both depends on the job that needs doing- for me its choosing the right tool for the job. At the end of the day I prefer a solid body.
#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?
Bare Knuckle P90s are absolute favorite
#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?
Fairly slim my Gordon Smith is perfect for me, though an Ibanez wizard neck is too slim & gave me wrist ache after about 30 mins playing.
#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?
med jumbo for me though I like frets to be quite low/flat (read usually JUST before the guitar needs refretting is perfect for me!
#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)
So long as they're quality- smooth consistent action & can hold in tune I dont mind
#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?
I like both but really I prefer an over wrapped hard tail
#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?
A traditionalist! Mahogany/maple cap on a LP type & Ash on a tele- its the perfect recipe, why change it!
#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?
Ebony has the best feel to me
#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?
I like the solid reassuring feel of a heavy guitar- but I hate to play em live!
#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?
I think the Korean manufs are capable of producing some pretty good stuff & the Japanese certainly are. Why I still get that made in the UK or USA snobbery beats me!

Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?

I love quirky stuff! I an Instrument or amp has something a little bit different- so long as its intelligent that always scores highly with me!

[jflintmac]

#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?

No. It makes no difference as long as it is at least a year or two old so it has finished settling in.

#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?

Nothing pointy that says "Look at me and my greatness" (oops I made a mistake... Can I start over)

#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?


There is a time and a place for everything. I like them all!

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?


Pickups are really important to me. If there is no name on it then chances are they are not made with any pride or quality. I don't need them falling apart after 100,000 miles just when I am learning to love them.

#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?

Slightly fat - through necessity. I hate when the neck moves around from day to day. I would like them quite thin if they were super solid but unfortunately that just doesn't happen.

#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?

I like tall narrow frets, so I can get them level and still get lots of life from them. However, I can use most anything.

#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)

Perhaps I have had a lot of luck with tuners. I have never had much trouble with stock tuners, but I don't really buy bottom of the line very often...

#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?

I need vibrato! Any kind will do so long as it can return to where it started from.

#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?

Maple with straight non descript, tight grain for stability purposes. Rock Maple? Even better.

#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?

I like them all as long as there are fret markers. (I tend to get lost in my old age)

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?

The lighter the better!

#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?

Don't really care where a guitar comes from. The wood can't tell the difference either!

Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?

At the risk of sounding like a "Poly Snob" I hate poly finishes. I can not stand to see a finish lift away from the surface of the wood and break off in chunks. They might as well be made in a poured mould from epoxy. I don't really have a problem with the paint itself, I guess it is more with the primer not adhereing to the paint. I am sure there are ways to make it work if manufacturer's put their minds to it.
There is just something that seems more natural about a lacquer finish that apeals to me.
What do you know - I am a Poly - Snob!

[calvin lee]

#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?

not really. i like the looks of older guitars better than what's made today, but that's pretty much the only reason i like vintage guitars better.

#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?

this matters very much to me! a bit shallow, i'll admit. but i like to make a statement with my guitars. i want people to do a double take and think "what is that guitar!?". color matters to me waaay more than it should. i have really bad OCD, and because of that, my guitars need to be either black, white, or red. same thing with my clothing, ect. i do have a few exceptions though that break my color rule.

#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?

ideally, id like my guitars to be heavily chambered. (think billybo)

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?

i prefer single coils, but i have some amazing sounding humbucker equipped guitars. it really depends on what im using it for. if i'm playing a blues gig, i'll usually bring a guitar with two single coil pickups. but if i'm playing my original music, i like filtertron style pickups. any jazz stuff, and i'll grab a humbucker equipped guitar. brand of any kind of pickup does not matter to me. a good pickup is a good pickup, no matter what name is on it.

#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?

i fell in love with classical guitar about a year ago, so i've gotten real used to wide, fat necks. i have reeeaaally long hands and fingers, so it just feels more natural.

#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?

average frets for humbucker guitars, small frets for single coil guitars. the smaller frets seem to add a little spank, and i like that.

#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)

if they stay in tune, i'll use em. dont care about brand names.

#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?

i prefer a hardtail, because i absolutely HATE strat tremolos, and all similar trems (floyd rose, mustang trem, jaguar trem, yuck). as far as i'm concerned, they dont work. i have one guitar with a trem, and it is my swingster with a b3 bigsby, and chet wire arm, combined with roller saddles. in my opinion, it's the best trem in the world.

#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?

i got into some hot water a while ago, talking about tone woods on this forum. so let's just say that i don't care what wood my guitar is made out of.

#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?

i think rosewood fingerboards look better than maple ones, with the exception of duo-sonics. i love duo-sonics and i think they should have maple fingerboards. it just looks right to me.

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?

i know i'm a younger guy, but i have really severe back problems. so weight is extremely important. the lighter, the better.

#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?

i have a soft-spot for vintage japanese guitars, (love me some teiscos) but where my guitar was built doesnt matter to me at all. wherever you are, people are people. no race/country is inherently bad at making guitars, and none are inherently good. ive played american stinkers, and chinese masterpieces. it's not about where your guitar comes from, in my opinion.

this was a very cool little survey! it really made me think about what i like most in a guitar. thanks for posting this!

[pilgrim]

You can skip the list. 62 Fender Strat, Les Paul or a new Gretsch Falcon they are all great

[ishtar]

Originally Posted by Crooner

...I think many members will agree that we are currently experiencing the second golden age of Gretsch guitars....

Are we fortunate or what? Getting all these great instruments, fresh from Terada and other exotic global places, including the US Custom Shop.

But, Darin, there was a glitch in the database which records the historical evolution of Gretsch guitars, and by accident, they saved the document and started a new one. So, you are absolutely correct that this is the second golden age, but we're all going to have to call it the 8th golden age because of a typo made when saving the most recent version.

So, everyone, when we refer to the 8th golden age, we're really referring to the second part of the second golden age. At least until they can fix this.

You'd think with computers they'd be able to do it like- snap- it's done....

But, just like online purchases to some businesses will withdraw funds from my bank account instantaneously, while it still may take 10-14 days for the return refund to show up on my statement...

Last, I have to mention David Mead's mantra again, as it has more to do with our musical success and satisfaction than any guitar component- what we need most is to take time to practice, be patient with ourselves, and be persistent in getting things right. The 3 P's...

Compton bridge might go on a list too...

[pilgrim]

Well said ishtar !

[Tony65x55]

Ok, I'll play.

#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?

Not to me. Good is good. My new Gretsch guitars are better made than my 1960 Anni. Old is not the same as good.

#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?

I love 'em all but I confess I prefer the smooth, womanly curves of a classic design to the spiky kid-metal types. I have enough different colours that walking into my guitar room is like being thrown into a giant Smarties package. Lately, green Gretsches have made me tingle but I don't really care.

#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?

Yes! Blondes, brunettes and redheads!

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?

I'm mostly a single coil guy but I have a number of great guitars with humbuckers too. Filter'trons bridge the gap and in many ways, are the best of all solutions. I don't care who makes them as long as they're good. I have a number of guitars with Craig Vineham or Jon Moore hand-wound pickups because these guys will hand-wind a phenomenal pickup for less than an ordinary Duncan. It's money well spent. Curiously, the Chinese pickups in my Hagstroms are really excellent.

#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?

Thin to medium neck. I'm an old Fender guy.

#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?

Average. I really don't find it makes that much difference to the crappy way I play.

#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)

If they hold tune, I'm happy. I don't care if they're made by elves in a hollow tree.

#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?

I have a bunch of hard tails but truthfully, I prefer a vibrato. The Strat vibrato is much maligned and not well understood but properly set op, it is as good as any of them. The operative part of that sentence was "properly set up." I love Bigsby's. A Gretsch without a Bigsby is like Aunt Jemima's with no syrup. Not so big on Floyd Rose. Too many moving parts.

#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?

Maple, or whatever else. Maple is good because it's hard enough to beat a bar drunk without breaking (or even denting!)

#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?

I like hard fretboards. Maple, then ebony, then rosewood. The Hagstrom Resinator fretboards are great too, giving the look and feel of ebony with the stability of a synthetic. Really well done.

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?

Medium is about right. I have a few really light guitars and they're great to wear but I find them a wee bit lacking in tone. I use them though as sometimes, light weight is better. I don't like HEAVY. I've sold two Les Pauls and a beautiful Hagstrom Swede because they weighed so much they hurt your back. My ES-335 suffers from excess poundage too but sounds so good I'm keeping it.

#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?

Good is good. I prefer to buy Canadian or American because my neighbours need the work too, but the quality of a guitar doesn't have as much to do with where it is made, but how it was made. Some of the new Chinese axes are surprisingly good. I'm old enough to remember when I bought my first Strat in 1973, we had to try out thirty of them before you found that really good one. I still have her. The quality of older American made instruments could be pretty spotty. Gibson's still can be iffy. The new CNC guitars are pretty much all good if they're done right.

Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?

I have to bond with it. A guitar is a communications device for my soul and if I don't feel the connection, I lose interest in it. I don't care where it is made or how much it cost.

Did I ever tell you about my Double Green Anni, the world's greatest guitar?

[Synchro]

#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?
Not a bit. Wood varies from tree to tree, cut to cut. It's entirely possible to build a guitar today every bit as good as any built in the past. Actually, having owned any number of vintage guitars when they were new, I would say that today's guitars are of more consistent quality.

#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?
Cosmetic styling does not a guitar make. Most designs popular today are over 50 years old at this point. I do see a certain value in "looking the part". If I played Surf exclusively I'd probably play a Surf green '57 Strat RI and use only amps with white tolex but that has no more effect upon the music itself than does the color of the shirt I am wearing.

#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow? Horses for courses. I play virtually everything on my Gretsch guitars, all but one of which are fully hollow. If I were playing very high-gain music at loud volumes perhaps I'd switch to a shredder axe.

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK? Pickups cannot be judged independently from the guitar they are mounted upon. In general single coils tend to have a more focused sound and many single coils are brighter but that's only part of the equation. I love Filtertrons because they are a smaller humbucker, therefore more focused sounding. I have four Filtertron Gretsch guitars and all sound somewhat similar to one another but all four have their unique qualities as well. My favorite Filtertron type pickup combo is the Supertron (neck) and Open Topped Classic + (bridge) in my Country Gent. This gives me an amazing range from soft and Jazzy to nearly Telecaster levels of spank.

#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck? I tend to like medium necks with a rounded back. Soft Vs are OK with me too.

#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets? I tend to like medium jumbos but . . . I have a 6120 DC and a Caddy Green Duo Jet with vintage style frets and love the feel of both guitars.

#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines) IMHO, any decent machine head is up to the task. I like Grovers but can live with durn'd near anything. Locking the tail of the string under the first wind adds more to tuning stability than anything else I can think of.

#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type? I'm in level five Bigsby addiction. In the 7 years that I've been playing Gretsch guitars I have assimilated the Bigsby into my playing style completely using it even in Jazz guitar. I also like the original Strat trem'.

#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question? You'll probably wish that you hadn't asked . . . I actually wrote a webpage devoted to the question of solid vs laminates in archtop guitars. For the last 40 years I've been hearing how solid woods are superior and that the "real" guitars of the past were all laminate. Wrong! Laminates indeed have been used to produce entry level instruments but laminates are also useful in making archtops that are playable at gig volume without excessive feedback. Many, if not most of the classic Jazz guitar recordings of the '50s & '60s were recorded on ES-175s, basically an L-4 with a laminate top and a pickup. Were I to hit the jackpot today and buy my dream Jazz guitar it would probably be laminate.

BTW, the laminate used in quality guitars is not rightly called plywood. It's much more carefully made than what a home handyman would think of as plywood.

Neck material influences sound. I tend to like maple, preferably with some lamination (such as a Gibson L-5 neck) for stability and strength. Mahogany is great for a more mellow sound.

#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else? The mythology surrounding fretboard material runs pretty deep into guitar culture. I've seen discussions of Maple fingerboards being brighter than rosewood escalate to near violence. The thinking is that Maple is very hard and that makes for a brighter sound. The problem with that reasoning is this . . . maple is considerably softer than rosewood which is, in turn, considerably softer than ebony.

For my money ebony is best but rosewood is just fine as long as it's densely grained.

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar? My dream guitar would need to be tethered to its stand.

#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc? As long as the workmanship is good I don't care a bit. I have a custom shop Warwick made in Germany that is astounding. I think that MIJ Gretsch guitars are some of the best I've ever seen and the Korean Gretsch guitars seem just as carefully made.

Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?

IMHO, a menu of features doesn't really add up to the recipe for the perfect guitar. I love Filtertrons on a Gretsch but that same pickup doesn't sound much like a Gretsch when installed in a Cabronita Tele. What counts for me is the overall package; the sound and feel of the guitar. I've seen guitars of identical specification that were quite different from one another in sound. I've played White Falcons that were all but impossible to play and Electromatics that were stellar. No matter what the specs, each guitar is individual.

[cybermgk]

Different approach. Will rank them as far as importance, for me.

#1: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?

#1B: Fit/Finish/Quality

#2: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?

#3: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?

#4 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?

#5: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?

#6: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?

#7: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?

#8: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?

#9 Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?

#10: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)

#11: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?

#12: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?

[Crooner]

HEAVY EDIT:

Originally Posted by Synchro

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?
My dream guitar would need to be tethered to its stand.

Brilliant.

[dobro]

No guitar DESIGN that I love is less than 40 years old. Most evolutionary loops were closed by 1960. A blackguard Tele is perfect, A dot is perfect. a slab Strat is perfect. Most of our beloved Gretsches have binding cancer, so I like my '06 White Falcon, but the design is old as Kelsey's nuts. Mahog 24 3/4" P90 is right for Les Paul Juniors. Maple 25 1/5" is right for Teles. You jack with one of these recipes too much, the chili ain't gonna come out right. Now can we talk about what really matters? AMPS are handwired pine boxes. I wouldn't take anything else. Oh, alright, my mint 1962 Silvertone 1474 is particle board, but that was a dumb decision.

[calvin lee]

Originally Posted by dobro

Oh, alright, my mint 1962 Silvertone 1474 is particle board, but that was a dumb decision.

interested in selling perhaps...?

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by dobro

No guitar DESIGN that I love is less than 40 years old. Most evolutionary loops were closed by 1960. A blackguard Tele is perfect, A dot is perfect. a slab Strat is perfect. Most of our beloved Gretsches have binding cancer, so I like my '06 White Falcon, but the design is old as Kelsey's nuts. Mahog 24 3/4" P90 is right for Les Paul Juniors. Maple 25 1/5" is right for Teles. You jack with one of these recipes too much, the chili ain't gonna come out right. Now can we talk about what really matters? AMPS are handwired pine boxes. I wouldn't take anything else. Oh, alright, my mint 1962 Silvertone 1474 is particle board, but that was a dumb decision.

I was in a music store the other day and talking to one of the employees about this very thing. The subject came up because of the Cabronita Tele, a melding of a 60+ year-old guitar design with a 50+ year-old pickup design . . . and it was probably the newest design in the store. OK, a shredder's Super Strat might be considered newer but then again, are they really guitars?

My point is this, a guitarist that went into a coma in the late '50s would be able to pick up any of my guitars and be able to take advantage of its features without any instructions. Or, alternately, I could pull a guitar that hadn't seen light in 50 years out from under a bed and plug it into a new amp and wail away. In essence, that is what I am doing when I play most of my Gretsch guitars. Most of them are accurate replicas of guitars made over 50 years ago.

That's remarkable! Imagine driving a 50 - 60 year old car every day. There aren't many things in the world that are not obsolete by the time they are 50 years old. Even more remarkable is that as musical instruments go, the electric guitar is a newcomer. The string family has been stable far longer than electric guitars. A 500 year old violin is not much different from one made last week. I have a friend that has gigged with a double bass over 200 years old.

[dobro]

Originally Posted by calvin lee

interested in selling perhaps...?

I'm using it at shows; PERFECT club amp.Everything has a price, but what a risk shipping this 2x12 beaut would be. Twin Reverb baffle boards often die in transit, and they're built like battleship anchors. I don't even carry this thing by the handle, I'm so scared of the particle board letting go of the screws.

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by dobro

I'm using it at shows; PERFECT club amp.Everything has a price, but what a risk shipping this 2x12 beaut would be. Twin Reverb baffle boards often die in transit, and they're built like battleship anchors. I don't even carry this thing by the handle, I'm so scared of the particle board letting go of the screws.

You could build a new cabinet and store the original for safe keeping.

[WATThouse]

#1: Age - Does it matter if it is Vintage or modern?
No. If it sounds great to ME and plays well to ME age is not an issue.

#2: Body Design - Are you looking for a memorable classic design, something artsy, something with exclusively sharp curves(metal) etc. Does cosmetic styling matter at all? Any specific color?

Simple and classic. It just can't be overly pointy. Flashy colors okay but never pastels. A classic tux will make you look good in pictures for years no matter how the styles change.

#3: Body style - Solid, Semi-Hollow or Hollow?
Semi hollow covers so many sounds and sounds big without being flabby. Though I do love Les Paul Juniors and Gretsch Duo Jets

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?
Filtertrons forever. They make other types of pickups?

#5: Neck Shape - Are you looking for a fat thick neck, an average medium sized neck, a super fast slim neck or a V-Shaped Neck?
Average medium sized because I am average medium sized.

#6 Fret Size - Do you like giant jumbo frets, average frets, or tiny frets?
Average frets because I am average.

#7: Tuning machines - Do brand names matter? Does quality matter? (Some cool instruments came stock with less than desirable tuning machines)
Are they working? Great! I'll use those.

#8: Hard-tail, tailpiece or vibrato - How do these fit into your playing style? If vibrato, any specific type?
Like a Hard-tail but I LOVE my Bigsby more.

#9: Body/Neck material - Do you have a specific wood in mind for your ideal body or neck? Are composite materials out of the question?

Maple neck and maple on the body somewhere.

#10: Fretboard material - Do you prefer Rosewood, Maple or Ebony? Something else?
Rosewood.

#11: Weight - Do you desire a heavy or light guitar?
Substantial but not over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder Les Paul weight.

#12: Country of Origin - Do you strongly prefer guitars made or manufactured in a specific country such as the USA, Italy, etc?
I'm globaly free market. Make it good at the right price and I will buy it.

Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?
The wiring must get to the output jack with minimum gadgets, switches and knobs. My Gretsch has a master volume and a pickup switch.

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by WATThouse

#4: Pickups - Are you solely interested in single coil or humbucker pickups? Any particular brand or style important to you, or are no-name brands OK?
Filtertrons forever. They make other types of pickups?

I love it.

Originally Posted by WATThouse

Qualifier: Any specific or odd requests that are a must or may be out of the ordinary? Any of the above request a must?
The wiring must get to the output jack with minimum gadgets, switches and knobs. My Gretsch has a master volume and a pickup switch.

This too.