Do looks matter?

  • Thread starter Thread starter nate_dennis
  • Start date Start date

How much do looks matter?

  • I won't buy a guitar that I don't like to look at.

    Votes: 35 51.5%

  • Looks are important, but not a deal breaker.

    Votes: 18 26.5%

  • Looks are used as a "tie breaker" between different guitars

    Votes: 6 8.8%

  • I couldn't care less what the guitar looks like

    Votes: 9 13.2%
  • Total voters
    68
nate_dennis

nate_dennis

Well-known member
I'm curious how much affect the looks of a guitar have on your purchase. New or used/vintage . . . I don't care. Thanks for discussing/voting.
 
I like guitar that Look good as well as they sound and play.

I like to be 100% satisfied with my ax ;)
 
I always mock my friends who need a guitar to be pretty in order to buy it, but I'm just as hung up on looks as they are, the only difference is that I want a guitar that looks crazy as opposed to pretty. In fact, I was going to order a guitar from a certain company, but I just couldn't wrap my head around any of the finishes they offered. If there's one finish I hate, it's bursts, and with laminate tops being on tons of guitars these days, bursts abound, and I couldn't be less happy -- bleghh. :mad:
 
Substitute wife / girlfriend <assumption> the only people hanging around here are heterosexual males </assumption> for guitar and ask yourself the same question....

I love my PRS.. it has birds and is shiny and maroon coloured...

I even play it sometimes..

:laughings:
 
Just for fun, go to the BIGGEST Webster's Dictionary you can find.....its okay to use the internet.....Look up 'electric guitar'.

What is it?

And Leo wasnt even a guitar player.

Okay, before the flames start, for many many years, looking up 'electric guitar' in the dictionary produced a picture of a Stratocaster. Nothing else. Now it seems theres been an outcry and the villagers have armed themselves.......
 
it could look like a pile of shit as long as it sounds good and plays good
good craftsmanship, good setup, Good low action with no fret buzz, nice electronics is what I look for.
 
As the proud owner of an Epi Airscreamer with functional side marker lights and clear bobbin windows/pickups, and the Fender So-Cal featuring Brian Wilson Presents Smile sticker, I have to say:



No, looks don't matter, they don't matter at all :o :D
 
For an electric looks matter because you can pretty much make it look however you want.
I close my eyes when playing acoustics.I bought as Seagull twelve string used from a store and it was definitely the worst looking twelve they had,beat up too,but it sounded the best.
 
My decision criteria - in order of importance are:

1) Cost - If I can't afford it, nothing else matters
2) The way it feels in my hands/the way it plays - if I don't enjoy playing it then nothing else matters
3) Overall build quality - if it can't hold a tune, or has a warped neck, etc - then it will never be a joy to own or play (sure you can put some work into it - but there are waaaay too many guitars out there to invest the time, effort and cost)
4) The way it sounds - Unless it is an absolute piece of crap, you can get most guitars to sound acceptable - and if it meets criteria 2 and 3 there is a good chance it can sound good (and some guitars that don't sound "great" still may have a unique sound of their own)
5) The way it looks - while looks are the least important......I would prefer a guitar that I think looks good......but I would not compromise feel or sound simply to achieve looks.
 
Since I'm not a gigging musician, looks shouldn't factor into the equation as much for me, but still they do. Like KingOfPain said above, I want to be 100% satisfied with my guitars. Looks are but one of many factors that go into a decision to buy a guitar, although it isn't the top priority. Tone rules all else, and then playability. But looks are right up there in importance for me.

I say this because I keep my Les Paul on a stand next to my rig in the basement. Every time I walk into the room, even 11 years after purchasing the guitar, I get a smile on my face. My LP makes me happy. I love its honeyburst, I love the cream pickguard. I love the shape, the Les Paul script logo, and I especially love the say it feels slung over my shoulder. It simply makes me happy.

And I find the same to be true about my Martin. It's such a beautiful guitar that I find myself just marveling at it. It makes me happy to look at it, its so astounding an instrument.

And what's even better about both of these instruments is that they sound incredible. I wouldn't own them otherwise. They make me happy when I look at them and they make me happy when I hear them.

So yeah, looks are pretty important to me I guess.
 
I think we all like for our possessions to look good if possible.
I used to be way into bicycles and even there looks had a lot to do with which frames I liked or which gruppos.
Man, a Campy set might not work any better than a Shimano but good lord that was beautiful gear.
Made it seem better whether it was or not.
 
I selected "important but not a deal breaker."

I guess that's my way of saying that I'm interested in function first, but I can't deny that visual appeal is a pretty visceral thing as well.

I'd never buy a guitar for appearance alone. I have, though, owned guitars that looked like they'd been "rode hard and put up wet."
 
of course looks matter. how are you gonna get a hot chick with an ugly guitar?
 
Of course looks matter. Guitars are fuckin' expensive. I'm not going to buy a guitar that I don't like the looks, feel, AND sound of, because for the kind of money a decent guitar goes for, you'd better like everything about it. If not, there are plenty of other options out there.
 
Yes, looks matter. I'll only play a guitar shiny enough to see my own reflection. 'Cuz it's MY looks that matter. ;)
 
An ugly guitar shows that it's been around the block. A pretty virgin guitar hasn't even been broken in yet.
I would want a guitar with experience in the abstract sense of the word for it's the player with the experience the guitar just has to be able to produce.
 
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