Tips for buying new guitar - things to look out for?

[scaryfried]

Tommorrow I'm picking up a new guitar - an upgrade from my Tip Shop $20 Samick strat copy that I've had for 6 years. ;)

LTD MH-250NT - played one in store, absolutely beautiful playing, looking and sounding guitar. Perfect.

Cash out, etc... I'm just wondering if there's anything that I should look out for before I commit to the buy. I've checked if the natural harmonics on the 12th and 24th are the same note as the string, etc... need a few more things like this.

Thanks!

[HaloJem]

Look down the neck along the fretboard - is it twisted or does it have a bow/ or need a truss rod adjustment? The twist is bad, m'kay.

Look for cracks or possible repairs to the headstock & back of the neck where the headstock begins.

Plug it in. Do the electronics work? is there any electrical hum?

Inspect the jack plate & be sure all is good (while you are plugging it in).

Play a random single note ALL OVER THE FRETBOARD - see if there are any dead spots/buzz outs - along with what you find with looking down the neck - it may be a sign of neck issues or it just needs a fret dressing & truss rod adjustment.

Look at the fret edges. Are there any loose or pitted frets? This can be fixed, but would be a bargaining point.

Cheers!

[scaryfried]

Thanks - exactly what I'm looking for. :)

[Chuck Carter]

Tommorrow I'm picking up a new guitar - an upgrade from my Tip Shop $20 Samick strat copy that I've had for 6 years. ;)

LTD MH-250NT - played one in store, absolutely beautiful playing, looking and sounding guitar. Perfect.

Cash out, etc... I'm just wondering if there's anything that I should look out for before I commit to the buy. I've checked if the natural harmonics on the 12th and 24th are the same note as the string, etc... need a few more things like this.

Thanks!


Dear ScaryFried,

Here is what I would do. A good guitar should sound good unplugged - try it in a closed room so you can hear its tone not out on the music shop floor where the stereo is at 90db. Check the feel of the neck and body - is it comfortable and easy to play? Site down the neck looking for warping - any buzzing at the 12th fret? I assume you are buying new not used guitar right? OK, plug her in. Single coil pickups vrs humbuckers. Single coils have that more vintage bell like tone whereas the humbuckers have more drive. Alnico magnets put out warmer sweeter vintage sound especailly at higher octaves. Ceramic magnets are brighter sounding with more drive at top and bottom end favored by heavy metal types with nose rings tatoos and other body mutilations. Midrange may be lower with these types.
Guitar wood. Alder is a time proven standard for solid body electrics. Ash is an alternative especially with transparent finishes. Bass wood is lighter and softer and subject to showing wear and tear easier and not as bright sounding in tone. Mahogany, favored by Gibson, is a classic tone wood superior in sustain. Maple veneers add brilliance to the finish and increase top end brightness in sound. Maple necks sound brighter than Rosewood. Ebony fretboards are more costly as are inlays of mother of Pearl or abalone and usually found on more expensive guitars.
Multi-ply necks are more stable and be sure it has a truss rod for stability.
Jumbo frets are supposed to play easier but I'll stack my Mosrite with smaller speed frets up against anything with speed bumps anyday. Neck radius has an effect on what you play. Guys who shred their axe like flatter radii (12 in. and up) and bigger frets for string bending where as those who like to strum chords prefer smaller radii 7 - 9 in) and frets for ease in barring chords.
Check the strings for closeness to the fretboard - The closer they are the easier it will play. Check intonation at the octaves to see if it is in tune and stays in tune at the octaves after playing for a while especially if it has a tremolo bar.
Certain brands have certain features they are noted for especially signature instruments by leading artists - know before hand if this is what you want for your guitar. Those multi colored pickups, 18 toggle switches, and nails comming out of the headstock may appeal to Slash with the orange hair but maybe not so much to you.
Ask about trade in value should you decide someday to upgrade. Not all salesmen are sleaseballs but some will push unpopular makes out the door because they are poor sellers. Do your homework on line and try several stores before buying. You don't want to go home with the feeling, I wish I had not done this.

[John Watt]

scaryfried! With a user name like that you might be too southern scary fried chicken to really get into checking out a guitar in public. I'm thinking of the time I was sitting behind the counter with my friend
Bill Nitransky at Central Music, near Niagara Falls, when those two screw, one allen key adjustable neck Stratocasters first came out, the big new model and innovation for that year.

Bill had eight, and sent back six. He could grab a neck and pull it sideways back and forth over half an inch. He'd always put a guitar down and push his hand on the middle of the neck, pulling up on the headstock, seeing if it would move. But then, Bill was the kind of music store owner who valued each instrument for what it offered, always taking a trade-in if he sold it.

These other postings are almost scientific about it, and that's all good. But your guitar is a physical, stand up instrument, so you should get physical with it too. I've been playing electric guitar for a long time, always having just the one guitar I love. But if I had another guitar to expand my playing ability, it would be an old '60-64 S.G. just so I could hold it up and wave it around, so the very weak neck would move and give you some strange sound effects. Just playing barre chords, pulling a little, put them out of tune. So if you're too reluctant to really try a neck out, that's another way to see what you've got.

And as so many experienced players are now finding out on other threads here,
if you're too scared to swat a pillow with a guitar, don't buy it.

Charles D. Carter, R.A.! If you see this, how about some pics of your Mosrite, my fave until Stratocasters.
When I had my first custom neck made in '77, I talked about liking Mosrites and got thinner frets.
Pipeline. Walk, Don't Run. Telstar. Yeah, the theme from Hawaii 5-0.

as always, John Watt

[Chuck Carter]

Good point John. By comparison, I'm a rank ametuer that played back in the 60's with a garage band picking up a few bucks for college. Along the way I learned that your instrument must not only be roadworthy but that also you must care for it. Personally, I don't abuse my guitars and think little about those wanting a 'Relic" instrument - to me that shows disrespect for the lutheir that made it. Each to his own I suspect. My concern with this posting was the cheap counterfeits invading the market under the guise of being the genuine article, and, what to look for in picking out a decent guitar. What i liked about your post makes perfect sense and most local shops are very good in making recommendations but doing some homework up front lessons your chances of being taken advantage of too. Some of the old Tele's had the string bender neck mechanism that allowed the player to purposely distort the neck while playing for effect and Stewart MacDonald still sells these. You could also add a Bixby Trem unit and get a similar sound on that Telecaster. Best six string guitar I ever owned and wish I had back today was my Ventures Model Mosrite. Nothing else I have played to date is as good. Best 12 string was my Rickenbacker 360-12 also now long gone. My current Fender 12 Strat is ok but it is no RIC by any means nor is my 6 string strat as far as finish and playability. Sounds like Scaryfried needs to do more homework and make a few more shop visits before deciding. With the Mosrite, I knew the minute I picked it up - no question. The RIC took a little longer because of the wider neck and extra strings but you just cannot beat the sound out of that stereo 12 string guitar.

[scaryfried]

Thanks for the advice John and Chuck!

I actually bought the guitar about 5 months ago, absolutely love it. Fantastic playing guitar, and very versatile.

PS: I'm not Southern at all - my name comes from the song Scarified by Racer X (a band I was way into at the time of registering) :p

[John Watt]

Charles D. Carter, R.A.! So you're still into your 12-string Ricky!
When I took my custom made neck in to have the fretboard changed to ebony with 24 frets,
I talked about a stereo 12-string Ricky with slanted frets I tried in the early 70's, and Paul Saunders, international luthier, said he could do it. Others say he's probably the only person in Ontario who could.
The scale is slightly smaller than a full-scale Les Paul, but thinner frets make it seem bigger.
Slanted frets is a big help with such big necks as guitars. I can play a six-string second octave Bm chord,
and I'm working on getting even higher. Why did I like Rickys?
"On a Carousel", "Bus Stop", "Ruby Tuesday", "Turn, Turn, Turn", and those slashes instead of f-holes.
And Chuck, please, don't call yourself an amateur compared to anyone. Music is it's own reward,
and too many times it's the band or the gig that burns you out, not personal enthusiasm, your own spirit.

scaryfried! Why you been playin' us man? And Australian?
Everyone I've met from Australia, and I got friends, has always been up front about everything,
right on about the world around us. No diggereedo for you!
But if you're aboriginal, or close, getting into civilization to upgrade your guitar, I don't blame you.
Something tells me if you're into Racer X you're suburban, especially with a Samick, ubiquitous around the world.
I've you've had a $20 guitar for six years, you look like someone just happy to be playing,
but if I can recommend one thing, try mixing up your pickups, going for single coil and humbucker sound.
If your new guitar lasts as long or longer, you'll be very happy when you get a chance to be loud,
because depending on the amp, one of those pickups will come through for you the way you want.
Australia! Between dodging that parrot poop, stepping over rabbits and all those snakes,
I don't know if I'd have time to play, especially watching the sunset on Ayer's Rock,
or those rolling clouds coming in from the ocean over the cliffs.
You've got a lot of inspiration for songs all over the place, just don't tie your kangaroo down any more,
people are more humane towards animals now and it's been done already.
"Ghosts Appear and Fade Away", one of my favorite songs to sing and play one summer,
and you should know who did that, unless you're not into days long cricket games. Keep posting!
I appreciate your thanks, but don't forget HaloJem. It was him typing look down the neck that got me going.
as always, John Watt

[scaryfried]

Hahaha, your posts are probably the most fun to read out of anyones on any forum I'm a member on.

I haven't been playing you guys at all, just didn't bother replying to the thread. After all, I didn't have time. Had to mow the lawn on Ayers Rock ;)
I'm not into Racer X anymore, got over the shred phase ages ago (and before my join date says, too). And yes, I am into guitar for the playing, not for the owning of fancy gear.

Also, are you talking about the Men at Work song? :p

[Chuck Carter]

Charles D. Carter, R.A.! So you're still into your 12-string Ricky!
When I took my custom made neck in to have the fretboard changed to ebony with 24 frets,
I talked about a stereo 12-string Ricky with slanted frets I tried in the early 70's, and Paul Saunders, international luthier, said he could do it. Others say he's probably the only person in Ontario who could.
The scale is slightly smaller than a full-scale Les Paul, but thinner frets make it seem bigger.
Slanted frets is a big help with such big necks as guitars. I can play a six-string second octave Bm chord,
and I'm working on getting even higher. Why did I like Rickys?
"On a Carousel", "Bus Stop", "Ruby Tuesday", "Turn, Turn, Turn", and those slashes instead of f-holes.
And Chuck, please, don't call yourself an amateur compared to anyone. Music is it's own reward,
and too many times it's the band or the gig that burns you out, not personal enthusiasm, your own spirit.

scaryfried! Why you been playin' us man? And Australian?
Everyone I've met from Australia, and I got friends, has always been up front about everything,
right on about the world around us. No diggereedo for you!
But if you're aboriginal, or close, getting into civilization to upgrade your guitar, I don't blame you.
Something tells me if you're into Racer X you're suburban, especially with a Samick, ubiquitous around the world.
I've you've had a $20 guitar for six years, you look like someone just happy to be playing,
but if I can recommend one thing, try mixing up your pickups, going for single coil and humbucker sound.
If your new guitar lasts as long or longer, you'll be very happy when you get a chance to be loud,
because depending on the amp, one of those pickups will come through for you the way you want.
Australia! Between dodging that parrot poop, stepping over rabbits and all those snakes,
I don't know if I'd have time to play, especially watching the sunset on Ayer's Rock,
or those rolling clouds coming in from the ocean over the cliffs.
You've got a lot of inspiration for songs all over the place, just don't tie your kangaroo down any more,
people are more humane towards animals now and it's been done already.
"Ghosts Appear and Fade Away", one of my favorite songs to sing and play one summer,
and you should know who did that, unless you're not into days long cricket games. Keep posting!
I appreciate your thanks, but don't forget HaloJem. It was him typing look down the neck that got me going.
as always, John Watt

Another consideration is just like John said - if you are happy with your present guitar, perhaps just a pickup upgrade will make it better without actually replacing it. I upgraded my Fender Mexican Stratocaster with a prewired pickguard with Carvin pickups in a H-S-S profile and can tell you it was a tremendous improvement in sound quality. I went from 5 way switching to 7 way switching for increased tonal options and also improved the appearance of my instrument. As originally purcchased, it had an arctic white body with white pickguard and white pickups - now, I have a white guitar with red tortoise pickguard and cream colored pickups and controls. The appearance upgrade alone was worth it. The cost? around $150 but a lot cheaper than a higher priced Strat.
Carvin has a kit guitar based on a Fender stratocaster that is all scredriver assembly for under $300 and the quality is first rate - you might check into building one if you feel comfortable using hand tools. Instructions are provided - go to www.carvin.com.