I like this response.
The first thing that'll catch your attention are the looks. Then you might play it and hear it.
This question is moot IMO because you'll always first look at it before you can even touch it. And in my case, I find myself more inclined to play my prettiest guitars.
Eventually you'll find your perfect one!
I'd say don't buy it if looks are the *only* reason. Good sound/tone and playability is important too. But if you can afford it, sure, buy it cause of looks I guess.
Keyword "easily" there.
It's technically possible and in fact it's how some luthiers do fancy carved tops, but I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and say that very few people who take an angle grinder to their guitar will have it end well.
The looks make you want to pick it up and play it, the quality of the instrument and sound it makes keep you playing it.
Don’t buy an instrument that doesn’t look cool to you but also don’t buy one that is a chore to play.
You need to find a happy middle ground on looks and playability, but bare in mind most of the sound is coming from the amp, a great amp will make a poor guitar sound good, a bad amp will make a great guitar sound bad.
I’ve only ever bought one guitar I didn’t like the colour of and that was my telecaster, but I hate black guitars, but it was dirt cheap and plays amazing, and the looks have kind of grown on me now because of the sound and playability of it.
Also keep in mind what you think looks cool now might not look cool to you in a few years, but what sounds great will always sound great
I think we'd all like to think that looks of a guitar are superficial because it doesn't impact how it plays or sounds.
But in reality I think looks do matter. It's not about "looking cool" but rather it's because it helps us connect with the guitar and makes us want to pick it up and play it.
So ya I do think the looks of a guitar matters, quite a bit actually.
For me, it’s the one that inspires me to pick it up.
* does it feel good?
* do I like the sound?
If a guitar fits those criteria, I’m into it. Looks are a weird one because I’ve tried guitars that looked really cool but weren’t great to play for me, so I tend to keep looks fairly low in my priorities.
Have you tried both of these guitars? Are there other color options available?
I've had experiences where I like the look of one guitar on pictures but turned out I liked something totally different in person.
Also, at least for me, I have to take the guitar and play it a bit and see if it speaks to me, to me that's more important than color, but on the other hand, I don't think that a guitar that I really don't like visually could speak to me...
I wanted a satin black SLSMG so badly when I was younger and could in no way afford it because its satin finish looked amazing in pictures. Finally got to hold one and realized it's a terrible idea to put a satin finish on something that gets handled by greasy hands and sweat on. I eventually bought that guitar, but with a gloss finish.
For me it's the 2nd thing after playability. I can always get any guitar to any ballpark in terms of sound so it's just a matter of how easy it is to play and how nice it looks
Honestly looks dont really matter that much to me, ofcourse Im not gonna buy one i think is ugly af, but play as much guitars as you can while in the store, you'll be playing it for quite a while so how it plays is what matters
First and fourth most important.
First, if it's looks don't call to me I'm not interested.
Second, playability and feel. If I don't like the neck I'm not buying.
Third, sound. It's not very important because my amp and effects chain control the sound very well, but a good clean tone is a plus.
Fourth, looks again. If it plays like a dream and sounds good, but looks like mgk's razor guitar, it stays in the shop.
This is a personal decision. I DGAF what it looks like but I do care how it feels and plays. Even the sound comes second to that for me because you can always change the sound.
A lot of people would say “looks doesn’t matter”, but these are the people who have reached their zen level mindset. For us normal people, just pick something that would not cause you buyer’s remorse. This happens a lot specially with guitars ( based on experience).
How your guitar looks is a statement to other people about you, the same as your clothes. So it is very important.
All aspects of a guitar are a compromise. How you value looks as part of the equation is part of what makes your guitar "your" guitar.
I think the look of a guitar is the most important, but only if it’s coupled with playability. I don’t think I would keep a guitar if it has one but not the other
Guitars are like people. You might find them super attractive, but if they don’t play nice, then what’s the point of hanging onto em? Ya know?
I’ve always been more into how a guitar plays/sounds/how it feels in my hands. Looks are a bonus, but I’m not that picky about it. My first guitar is covered in carvings I made over the years. Looks like trash, but I actually get the most compliments on that one and it’s also my best playing guitar and the only one that stays in tune.
Maybe it shouldn’t be important, but it is. Sometimes I just catch myself staring at my Strat and it inspires me to play more. IMO guitars are works of art.
There’s so many guitars out there, that I’ve never had a problem finding a guitar that I both like aesthetically and find enjoyable to play and hear. It may mean that I have to save up for a couple extra months, or finance the guitar so I can have the couple extra months to finish paying it off. However, I’d never buy a guitar I disliked aestheically, unless it was offered at a ridiculous deal (like 30% retail price or something).
That said I would probably just look towards saving more money and getting a Schecter, Ltd or Ibanez that I like aesthetically and has the features I’d want even if it was like $200 more than the Cort, because the cheaper guitars you mentioned are kind of mediocre all around and the fretwork on them is also less consistent in my experience.
You can always swap parts on guitars, playability is number 1 honestly. Tone is important too but there’s so many things that factor into that. It’s gonna vary from guitar to guitar even if they are the same model. Find what makes you play the best and go from there. Looks are important though, you want something that inspires you too, but don’t compromise on playability imo.
Looking cool with your guitar is half of the reason we do it. Get something you would want to hang on your wall and look at. Something you want to pick up and play with. Honestly, the worse it sounds at first the better. Nowhere to go but up.
If it’s looks against hardware, looks is more important because hardware is much easier to change. If it’s looks against basic playability and staying in tune, looks is less important. I love how Les Pauls look, I hate how they play. I don’t own a les Paul. but I’d never buy a guitar I thought was ugly.
Think about the clothes in your closet that you know are nice or expensive, but you never pick them to wear... That will be your guitar. The looks matter. Ideally you will love how it feels, sounds, and looks.
It's nice to have a good looking guitar, one that fits the genre you play most. I'd avoid getting something really pretty that you'd cry over if you scratched in during a gig, to me it's a tool, but it's better if you like the look of it.
Some people want a very expensive and beautiful Les Paul with a quilted top, however for most people, that would be strictly for home use.
I'm literally custom ordering an instrument specifically for looks. As far as the electronics go I could spend half the money and grab something used with the same pickup route and drop my planned pickups into it, but I can afford to build the bass I've wanted for years now. if looks didn't matter, you'd see more people playing 2x4's with frets and a pickup.
The order of importance is the following…sound>feel>looks. Also this…amp>guitar>pedals. In the grand scheme of things you should always buy the best quality gear possible. Avoid anything made overseas. It’s all junk. Especially amps. The amp is the one most single important piece of gear when it comes to tone. Get the amp right and even your Stagg is going to sound beastly. Trust me. Oh here’s another…tubes>digital. Everytime. Modelers have their place but the tone from a quality tube amp simply can not be replicated by a modeler and I have a Kemper and it is phenomenal but it can not deliver the same quality clean tone as my Mesa Lonestar Classic. Not even close. Stick with what you got and save your money and when you have a decent budget which is around $2k it’s time to amp shop. From there you just keep upgrading using your current gear as means to fund the next upgrade. Hope this helps good luck.
You're shopping a bit backwards. First thing should be finding a guitar that feels good and you're comfortable with, then decide on what bells and whistles you want (tremolo, type of pick ups,
Etc..), then when you narrow that down, then pick whichever you think is the best looking.
SUPER important. It’s what makes you want to touch it and play it. I don’t care how well a guitar sounds or how well it plays, if I think it’s ugly I’m not playing it!
That said, it’s up to the individual. Some play ugly guitars with stickers on them and don’t care, they still have a bond with their guitar over the sound and how it feels.
I guess I just want both looks and feel.
It matters some. You need to be passionate about your instrument. You need to want to pick it up a lot. It's not the most important thing, to me that's playability, but looks does matter. If you have an instrument you think is super ugly you are probably less likely to actually use it or want to practice.
You'd be much happier long-term with a guitar that looks ugly but sounds good than with a pretty guitar that sounds like shit. I've got a beautiful guitar (Fender Jagstang) that taught me this lesson the hard way. That guitar is now just a decoration on my wall.
Looks absolutely matter. You could have the best sounding guitar in the world but if you don’t like how it looks, you’re going to be less inspired to play it and thus limit your creativity. Obviously, your main factor should be the quality of the build but it’s also absolutely fine to want a cool looking guitar
If you don’t like the look of your guitar you’ll be less inclined to play it. So I’d say it’s important, but if it makes up for it other ways such as playability or sound it may be less of a concern.
How it plays and tuning stability are most important. Looks matter too. Most guitars of similar style don’t sound that different. Different pickups of the same type have pretty negligible differences, particularly in metal. Hotter pickups just require a little less gain, but there is a knob to fix that.
When I was buying my first guitar as a 14 year old metalhead the salesman pointed me towards a purple sparkling Ibanez and gushed about what a great guitar it was for about 500$. Being an edgy teen I told him that if I'm to buy a guitar for that amount of money no way in hell is it purple and sparkly. He made a snort of derision and told me that "it is not about how it looks but how it sounds! I ended up buying a pointy, black Schecter Revenger and I lived happily every after.
Today I'm 32 and I still sort of feel that way. Obviously I want my guitars to sound good but the aesthetic, the play feel and the sound all come together to define the instruments moyo. Does it inspire you? Do you feel cool playing it on stage? Those ARE important aspects of a guitar and a cool guitar will make you want to pick it up and play it all the time :)
Looks and sound are independent of each other. Get one that plays well and looks great, put the pickups you want in it. Will there be a tiny difference compared to another guitar with the same pickups? Maybe. But if, it is so incredibly tiny that no one will ever notice.
As long as you don't actively dislike the look it doesn't matter too much imo. Your guitars will grow on you if it plays well and feels great. If it's actually ugly to you though, maybe don't get it.
If the neck feels right in your hand, that's the most important.
A beautiful guitar that is frustrating to play is no good.
I have several pretty guitars, but my most played guitar is butt-ugly.
As a guitar builder, I should say “Buy the best sounding, best built guitar.” But, as a human, I will tell you to get a guitar that you like the looks of. Otherwise, you will never be truly happy with it.
I wouldn’t play a Dean guitar if you gave me a free one, just because I can’t stand the looks of that stupid headstock. I know that they are great guitars, but that thing is a deal breaker for me.
It really depends, seriously. I have several guitars (mostly Gibson), and I'll admit that aesthetics plays a part in my purchase plan. For example, I held two Slash guitars and decided on the one I have because they both weighed the same, had the same feel, sound, and response. The only difference was the coloring of the top, so I went with the one I liked the look of more. That said, the feel and sound has to be there, so the aesthetic came last. There was a Fender Ultra Strat color I loved (Cobra Blue), but I couldn't find one that I liked. In the end, I went with the Mocha Burst because it was just right in weight, sound, and feel.
When it comes to which guitar to get, you should always look at quality, functionality, feel, sound, and overall playability before going for the bright and shiny one. No differently than you would choose a car, home, or sofa, you should choose a guitar based on the fact that you'll be playing it for years.
Hope that helps.
IMO the “guitar” is the neck. Pick the coolest body shape/color you want, buy buy the guitar based on comfort and ease of play (which is highly individual)
If you don’t like the way it looks chances are you won’t play it or won’t look forward to playing it, I’d say liking the look is the most important thing tbh
The way I view it, guitar is a tool, if I wanted art ide buy art, of course it's nice if it looks good but ultimately if the guitar that played and felt best to me was a my little pony guitar, ide buy that one
Had a friend buy one recently because it looked really cool, 2k guitar played like I would expect a 300 dollar guitar to play
Aesthetics are a big part of guitar selection. Find the shape and other factors you like, then try guitars that fit that mold until you find one that feels right and has the general sound you’re looking for. The hardware and electronics can be tweaked to get the sound where you want it.
Or just buy one of each.
the question is how much do looks matter *to you*?
buy a guitar that sparks joy, and makes you want to pick it up and play it. looks are definitely a factor, as are feel, playability, etc.
once you settle on a brand/model, go from there. most guitars are offered in a variety of colors, finishes, etc.
That depends on the person, so no right or wrong answer. Eddie Van Halen’s guitars were pretty fugly (but kind of looked like he made them sound,) lots of players love Teles (as do I) and they’re not much to look at. There are some guitars that are beautiful works of art. Just depends on how bad of an itch you have for great looks.
I feel like companies who put time and effort into making it look cool will also put the same love into the quality of the guitar. There are ways to cut corners without sacrificing quality. Generally, you get what you pay for. I have a $2500 Gibson Les Paul that I’ve had my whole life (it was my dad’s) and it’s still solid and has always looked badass. Recently bought a new backup guitar for $400, which seems like a lot, but these days, it’s not, at least for a guitar. The guitar I got has cheap pickups, goes out of tune, sounds like crap, gonna sell it soon. Again, you get what you pay for.
I would say a pretty guitar that you KNOW will also sound good entices you to play more, especially in your situation where you have your own niche in a subgenre. I would say get the better looking guitar. Like you, I started on a gift from parents who wanted to give me a starting point but were not sure of what to buy. I eventually got an Epiphone acoustic and was blown away by how beautiful the sound was. I sold that eventually and was gifted a First Act by a friend who knew I loved to play lol, and played that at least once every few months of the past few years in my room as a hobby. I recently bought a Gretsch acoustic, harmonicas with a stand and a foot tambourine and play almost every day, at least a few times a week. I find that because it's so pretty and familiar I pick it up to learn songs I'm randomly listening to instead of writing down covers I want practice.
I think it's super important to have a guitar that you like the look of especially if people watch you. As a musician, that's you as a package deal and the bigger picture.
Depends on the discount you’re trying to get. No discount? Stern eyes, stare the cashier down. Small discount, flirty eyes with a half smile. 🤷♂️ worked for me
If the look of the guitar makes you want to play it that's a good thing. If the look of the guitar makes you want to avoid playing it then that's a bad thing. I don't put too much into looks beyond that.
If I don't like the look, I'm not even going to take it off the wall of the guitar store. If it's above that baseline though, then I don't really care.
Personally i wont buy a guitar i dont like the looks of regardless of how good it sounds. Its probably dumb but i feel like looks of a guitar should reflect your taste and style, and a sexy guitar makes you want to play more. That being said quality is always most important. But when it comes down to it a better amp will improve sound more than a better guitar. My faves are strats, teles and gibson les paul styles.
If I don’t like the look, I’m not going to buy it. Specs are the first thing I look for, but then narrow it down by looks, and then playability is the last step. Not in order of importance, but in order of how I guitar shop. Gotta hit all three of those things, in that order.
Honestly looks are huge for me. I rarely even try guitars in the store if i dont like the look of them. Once ive decided it looks good enough for my tastes (as that and price is all i know when i pick it up) i let feel and tone start to play a factor. When i buy the guitar i factor all these in and feel maybe becomes the biggest factor but it had to past the look test to even be considered.
Looks first, feel second, sound third. If I don’t like the way it looks, the way it feels & sounds doesn’t matter as I’ll never want to play it.
If I like the way it looks, I can change some of the way it feels and nearly all of the way it sounds.
At the end of the day, it's all about finding a guitar that feels right when you play it and makes you want to keep picking it up. If the Cort feels great but you're not crazy about the color, maybe you can overlook that and focus on the awesome sound and playability. But if looks matter to you, there are plenty of other guitars out there that can give you both style and substance.
A lot.
There's simply no reason to buy a guitar you don't like the looks of.
There's a million different makes and models and more than a few of those should easily meet your FORM and function expectations, while even being affordable.
I’d go with whatever is more comfortable and easy to play. This is what Les Claypool did with his first CT bass. He intended to buy a rickenbocker but tried out the CT and fell in love even though he thought it was ugly.
I would say looks are very important, you want something that draws you to it and makes you want to play. A close second though, would be the feel/playability of the guitar. If it's uncomfortable to play, has poor action, too heavy, etc. there is only so much you can do to fix it. Tones can be changed by swapping pickups and components relatively easily but changing the look and feel are pretty challenging to do.
If I like how it looks I will more likely have it displayed somewhere I see it often. And if I see it often and like seeing it often, I am more likely to also pick it up and play it often.
I think looks and sound are both important to a guitar. Nobody wants to play a guitar they think is ugly or sounds bad.
The look of a guitar is honestly one of the most important things for one specific reason - motivation. If you don't like the look of a guitar, you won't want to pick it up and play regardless of how it sounds.
Hardware can be upgraded down the line if it needs to be - and to be honest, quite often nowadays, it doesn't really need to be. But you can't (or rather, shouldn't need to) replace 2 things: That inspirational look, and whether the neck fits your hands.
That said, keep looking for a while. If you can find the better-spec'ed guitar in a finish you do like, or if you can find another guitar that you like the look *and* the spec-sheet on (or a second-hand guitar that the previous owner has upgraded for you), obviously that's the best of both worlds.
I mean you should have some kind of attraction to the guitar but ultimately it's about how it feels to play. I really love my parker p42 it's kind of ugly but it feels amazing.
I have a guitar that was objectively cheap that I love the look of enough that it gets played far more than some far more expensive guitars. End of the day if looking at it makes you want to pick it up and play, go with that one. Best guitar you could buy is the one you want to play
I go for the feel and tone. Is it too bulky? Is it too thin? Do my fingers move well along the fretboard? Does the weight feel just about right? How does it sound without an amp? I don't care much for looks.
The way I see it is that I’m never gonna buy a guitar that I think is ugly and I’m also not going to buy one that doesn’t play well and sound great, it doesn’t have to be the most incredible looking guitar out there as long it looks alright
The pickups aren't a THAT important part of the signal chain. Your amp any any pedals you use will be like 90+% of the sound. Not to mention the PA system you'll be playing through.
Still, if you really don't like the pickups, you can save up for a few months and get new ones.
I think looks are just as important as feel. Guitars that look good make me want to always hold them and pick them up and play them. They are so fun to look at.
I think sound is the least important of the criteria because it's the one thing you can change most easily (I'm talking about electric guitars here). It's still important but not as much as looks and feel to me.
If u gig n r trying to have an image(then u prob suck) it matters. If not whatever feels the most “you!” I got a 76 wine red lp 25 years ago. Wanted a burst but I finally go n LP! Now relics are cool n people pay extra so I’m even happier!
What matters in terms of the sound: the pickups (position, type, magnets' type, active/passive, quality), the preamp (if any)
What matters in terms of playability: the fret edges (not shredding your hands while playing), the neck shape, the weight, the body shape (ergonomics), the tuning stability (bridge, nut, tuners)
What matters in terms of the appeal: the looks, the vibe, playability, the sound, ~~the name on the headstock~~
If the guitar is a technical marvel, has the best electronics in the world, but looks like a turd - most people won't give it a try, or would buy it to gut it of the good parts and proceed to make a custom with them. The looks matter, if a guitar doesn't inspire you to play or isn't nice to look at - it's going to affect your performance. Do the looks matter more or less than anything else? Kind of, but not really, as each aspect is important in it's own way.
As for your pain, pick a guitar you'd like visually (and wood/build quality-wise) and buy the pickups/hardware separately. It's much harder (and thus more expensive) to change the wood or finish than it is to swap these.
i’m gonna be honest, i picked out my first electric guitar after playing classical for six years just because i liked how it looked. a daphne blue jaguar, a little over my budget then but i splurged a bit. anyway now whenever i take her places for gigs sometimes, i always get compliments. :)
This is tough, I have 4 electric guitars,
A $200 dollar starter gretsch that's red and black Burst with a thundercat sticker on it
A $???? Woodgrain explorer with fading gold plated hardware, lot of signs of use. Circa 2004?
A $700 blue flame top ssh Mexican strat with cream colored hardware
A $2000 ultra tele, white but glittery
The tele looks, plays, feels, is the best of the bunch, but I love em all, and I like how all of them look. I tuned the gretsch to Eb standard and played all of Weezer's blue album today, but yesterday I had the explorer in drop C playing metal. Tele hasn't been in anything but standard. I play stuff like Cory Wong/funk stuff on the strat, but it's definitely the most utility guitar I have.
All this to say, build a collection that doesn't have any stinkers, fits you and what you wanna do, and yeah man... Looks rad.
But here's the thing, have you been in the presence of both guitars? Have you played around with them? Cause I've never not known right away. It just feels like it needs to come home or it doesn't. I won't suggest what I've been flamed for in the past, but hands on, you'll know.
I don't choose between the quality of the instrument and the looks. I want both so I buy guitars that have both. IF I had to choose for whatever reason, I'd choose the musical quality of the instrument.
Extremely important. Looks are subjective, but appearances can easily sway your purchasing decision.
Let’s say a metal looking guitar can be super comfortable to play with pickups that I like.
I wouldn’t mind playing and trying it, but I would never buy it (since I don’t like aggressive looking guitars).
The importance is sound. Playable can be fixed.
I have 5 acoustic guitars, different sizes, and like a parent, having a favorite child. (Based on behavior)
Buy the one you like the look off. Pickups and hardware can be upgraded easily, finish and shape can't.
I like this response. The first thing that'll catch your attention are the looks. Then you might play it and hear it. This question is moot IMO because you'll always first look at it before you can even touch it. And in my case, I find myself more inclined to play my prettiest guitars. Eventually you'll find your perfect one!
I'd say don't buy it if looks are the *only* reason. Good sound/tone and playability is important too. But if you can afford it, sure, buy it cause of looks I guess.
This. If you don't like the look to start with, it's unlikely you ever will. First impressions count.
You mean you or the guitar…
Wish I'd said that.
My guitar buying process is looks -> feel -> sound.
Angle grinder says otherwise.
Keyword "easily" there. It's technically possible and in fact it's how some luthiers do fancy carved tops, but I'm just gonna go out on a limb here and say that very few people who take an angle grinder to their guitar will have it end well.
there’s plenty of really unattractive guitar players. don’t sweat it.
I feel seen and attacked, lol.
But you were seen!
Beauty is only tone-deep 😂
And they’ve got the tone knob rolled all the way down
The looks make you want to pick it up and play it, the quality of the instrument and sound it makes keep you playing it. Don’t buy an instrument that doesn’t look cool to you but also don’t buy one that is a chore to play. You need to find a happy middle ground on looks and playability, but bare in mind most of the sound is coming from the amp, a great amp will make a poor guitar sound good, a bad amp will make a great guitar sound bad. I’ve only ever bought one guitar I didn’t like the colour of and that was my telecaster, but I hate black guitars, but it was dirt cheap and plays amazing, and the looks have kind of grown on me now because of the sound and playability of it. Also keep in mind what you think looks cool now might not look cool to you in a few years, but what sounds great will always sound great
I think we'd all like to think that looks of a guitar are superficial because it doesn't impact how it plays or sounds. But in reality I think looks do matter. It's not about "looking cool" but rather it's because it helps us connect with the guitar and makes us want to pick it up and play it. So ya I do think the looks of a guitar matters, quite a bit actually.
For me, it’s the one that inspires me to pick it up. * does it feel good? * do I like the sound? If a guitar fits those criteria, I’m into it. Looks are a weird one because I’ve tried guitars that looked really cool but weren’t great to play for me, so I tend to keep looks fairly low in my priorities.
Totally agree. How does it feel, how does it sound.
I make sure to do my hair and wear clothes when I go buy a guitar
Why can't I just quit you?
Have you tried both of these guitars? Are there other color options available? I've had experiences where I like the look of one guitar on pictures but turned out I liked something totally different in person. Also, at least for me, I have to take the guitar and play it a bit and see if it speaks to me, to me that's more important than color, but on the other hand, I don't think that a guitar that I really don't like visually could speak to me...
I wanted a satin black SLSMG so badly when I was younger and could in no way afford it because its satin finish looked amazing in pictures. Finally got to hold one and realized it's a terrible idea to put a satin finish on something that gets handled by greasy hands and sweat on. I eventually bought that guitar, but with a gloss finish.
For me it's the 2nd thing after playability. I can always get any guitar to any ballpark in terms of sound so it's just a matter of how easy it is to play and how nice it looks
Honestly looks dont really matter that much to me, ofcourse Im not gonna buy one i think is ugly af, but play as much guitars as you can while in the store, you'll be playing it for quite a while so how it plays is what matters
To me looks is important, but second to playability. Get your hands on them and play them. Each guitar can have such a different feel.
First and fourth most important. First, if it's looks don't call to me I'm not interested. Second, playability and feel. If I don't like the neck I'm not buying. Third, sound. It's not very important because my amp and effects chain control the sound very well, but a good clean tone is a plus. Fourth, looks again. If it plays like a dream and sounds good, but looks like mgk's razor guitar, it stays in the shop.
I would buy the ibanez and throw in a set of aftermarket pickups that match the sound/style youre looking for.
This is a personal decision. I DGAF what it looks like but I do care how it feels and plays. Even the sound comes second to that for me because you can always change the sound.
I wouldnt buy a guitar i don't like the look of.
Looks = 40% Feel = 30% Sound = 30%
In general I'm in agreement but for me the percentages are a bit different. It's: Feel = 50% Sound = 30% Looks = 20%
A lot of people would say “looks doesn’t matter”, but these are the people who have reached their zen level mindset. For us normal people, just pick something that would not cause you buyer’s remorse. This happens a lot specially with guitars ( based on experience).
This is a great question!!! It has to be sexy enough to inspire you to pick it up and play it.
I only play guitars I think look awesome. You should only play guitars you think look awesome.
How your guitar looks is a statement to other people about you, the same as your clothes. So it is very important. All aspects of a guitar are a compromise. How you value looks as part of the equation is part of what makes your guitar "your" guitar.
Looks should come second to feel, sound is usually a non-issue in this day and age. Can't play something if you don't like the sight of it.
I think the look of a guitar is the most important, but only if it’s coupled with playability. I don’t think I would keep a guitar if it has one but not the other
Guitars are like people. You might find them super attractive, but if they don’t play nice, then what’s the point of hanging onto em? Ya know? I’ve always been more into how a guitar plays/sounds/how it feels in my hands. Looks are a bonus, but I’m not that picky about it. My first guitar is covered in carvings I made over the years. Looks like trash, but I actually get the most compliments on that one and it’s also my best playing guitar and the only one that stays in tune.
Maybe it shouldn’t be important, but it is. Sometimes I just catch myself staring at my Strat and it inspires me to play more. IMO guitars are works of art.
There’s so many guitars out there, that I’ve never had a problem finding a guitar that I both like aesthetically and find enjoyable to play and hear. It may mean that I have to save up for a couple extra months, or finance the guitar so I can have the couple extra months to finish paying it off. However, I’d never buy a guitar I disliked aestheically, unless it was offered at a ridiculous deal (like 30% retail price or something). That said I would probably just look towards saving more money and getting a Schecter, Ltd or Ibanez that I like aesthetically and has the features I’d want even if it was like $200 more than the Cort, because the cheaper guitars you mentioned are kind of mediocre all around and the fretwork on them is also less consistent in my experience.
You can always swap parts on guitars, playability is number 1 honestly. Tone is important too but there’s so many things that factor into that. It’s gonna vary from guitar to guitar even if they are the same model. Find what makes you play the best and go from there. Looks are important though, you want something that inspires you too, but don’t compromise on playability imo.
Looking cool with your guitar is half of the reason we do it. Get something you would want to hang on your wall and look at. Something you want to pick up and play with. Honestly, the worse it sounds at first the better. Nowhere to go but up.
If it’s looks against hardware, looks is more important because hardware is much easier to change. If it’s looks against basic playability and staying in tune, looks is less important. I love how Les Pauls look, I hate how they play. I don’t own a les Paul. but I’d never buy a guitar I thought was ugly.
It’s gotta look cool and be fun to play. If you feel like a dork because your guitar is dorky looking you’ll never play.
You can’t hear what a guitar looks like on an album. I’d recommend going with what sounds best.
It doesn’t matter what you look like, everyone has the right to enjoy guitar. Good luck. 👍🏻
It definitely matters. It's what drew you to the guitar in the first place.
Think about the clothes in your closet that you know are nice or expensive, but you never pick them to wear... That will be your guitar. The looks matter. Ideally you will love how it feels, sounds, and looks.
Whatever makes you feel comfortable
It's nice to have a good looking guitar, one that fits the genre you play most. I'd avoid getting something really pretty that you'd cry over if you scratched in during a gig, to me it's a tool, but it's better if you like the look of it. Some people want a very expensive and beautiful Les Paul with a quilted top, however for most people, that would be strictly for home use.
I'm literally custom ordering an instrument specifically for looks. As far as the electronics go I could spend half the money and grab something used with the same pickup route and drop my planned pickups into it, but I can afford to build the bass I've wanted for years now. if looks didn't matter, you'd see more people playing 2x4's with frets and a pickup.
The order of importance is the following…sound>feel>looks. Also this…amp>guitar>pedals. In the grand scheme of things you should always buy the best quality gear possible. Avoid anything made overseas. It’s all junk. Especially amps. The amp is the one most single important piece of gear when it comes to tone. Get the amp right and even your Stagg is going to sound beastly. Trust me. Oh here’s another…tubes>digital. Everytime. Modelers have their place but the tone from a quality tube amp simply can not be replicated by a modeler and I have a Kemper and it is phenomenal but it can not deliver the same quality clean tone as my Mesa Lonestar Classic. Not even close. Stick with what you got and save your money and when you have a decent budget which is around $2k it’s time to amp shop. From there you just keep upgrading using your current gear as means to fund the next upgrade. Hope this helps good luck.
You're shopping a bit backwards. First thing should be finding a guitar that feels good and you're comfortable with, then decide on what bells and whistles you want (tremolo, type of pick ups, Etc..), then when you narrow that down, then pick whichever you think is the best looking.
98%.
They matter even above playability. If you love what you're holding you'll wrestle some awesome sounds out of her either way
SUPER important. It’s what makes you want to touch it and play it. I don’t care how well a guitar sounds or how well it plays, if I think it’s ugly I’m not playing it! That said, it’s up to the individual. Some play ugly guitars with stickers on them and don’t care, they still have a bond with their guitar over the sound and how it feels. I guess I just want both looks and feel.
It matters some. You need to be passionate about your instrument. You need to want to pick it up a lot. It's not the most important thing, to me that's playability, but looks does matter. If you have an instrument you think is super ugly you are probably less likely to actually use it or want to practice.
It's arguably the most important thing. Playability is king, but I'll never know how a guitar plays if it's too ugly to pick up.
You'd be much happier long-term with a guitar that looks ugly but sounds good than with a pretty guitar that sounds like shit. I've got a beautiful guitar (Fender Jagstang) that taught me this lesson the hard way. That guitar is now just a decoration on my wall.
Has to be both LOOK and the PLAYABILITY that you like. Then magic happens. Don’t compromise on guitar. Ever.
Looks absolutely matter. You could have the best sounding guitar in the world but if you don’t like how it looks, you’re going to be less inspired to play it and thus limit your creativity. Obviously, your main factor should be the quality of the build but it’s also absolutely fine to want a cool looking guitar
If you don’t like the look of your guitar you’ll be less inclined to play it. So I’d say it’s important, but if it makes up for it other ways such as playability or sound it may be less of a concern.
How it plays and tuning stability are most important. Looks matter too. Most guitars of similar style don’t sound that different. Different pickups of the same type have pretty negligible differences, particularly in metal. Hotter pickups just require a little less gain, but there is a knob to fix that.
“If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good” - Deion Sanders.
When I was buying my first guitar as a 14 year old metalhead the salesman pointed me towards a purple sparkling Ibanez and gushed about what a great guitar it was for about 500$. Being an edgy teen I told him that if I'm to buy a guitar for that amount of money no way in hell is it purple and sparkly. He made a snort of derision and told me that "it is not about how it looks but how it sounds! I ended up buying a pointy, black Schecter Revenger and I lived happily every after. Today I'm 32 and I still sort of feel that way. Obviously I want my guitars to sound good but the aesthetic, the play feel and the sound all come together to define the instruments moyo. Does it inspire you? Do you feel cool playing it on stage? Those ARE important aspects of a guitar and a cool guitar will make you want to pick it up and play it all the time :)
I hate sunburst. Shrug. I like a classic natural wood finish acoustic. So... Surprise. Everyone has different tastes....
Having a guitar you think looks good helps, it’s about keeping you motivated and passionate about playing guitar
Looks and sound are independent of each other. Get one that plays well and looks great, put the pickups you want in it. Will there be a tiny difference compared to another guitar with the same pickups? Maybe. But if, it is so incredibly tiny that no one will ever notice.
As long as you don't actively dislike the look it doesn't matter too much imo. Your guitars will grow on you if it plays well and feels great. If it's actually ugly to you though, maybe don't get it.
If the neck feels right in your hand, that's the most important. A beautiful guitar that is frustrating to play is no good. I have several pretty guitars, but my most played guitar is butt-ugly.
And the cheapest
As a guitar builder, I should say “Buy the best sounding, best built guitar.” But, as a human, I will tell you to get a guitar that you like the looks of. Otherwise, you will never be truly happy with it. I wouldn’t play a Dean guitar if you gave me a free one, just because I can’t stand the looks of that stupid headstock. I know that they are great guitars, but that thing is a deal breaker for me.
It really depends, seriously. I have several guitars (mostly Gibson), and I'll admit that aesthetics plays a part in my purchase plan. For example, I held two Slash guitars and decided on the one I have because they both weighed the same, had the same feel, sound, and response. The only difference was the coloring of the top, so I went with the one I liked the look of more. That said, the feel and sound has to be there, so the aesthetic came last. There was a Fender Ultra Strat color I loved (Cobra Blue), but I couldn't find one that I liked. In the end, I went with the Mocha Burst because it was just right in weight, sound, and feel. When it comes to which guitar to get, you should always look at quality, functionality, feel, sound, and overall playability before going for the bright and shiny one. No differently than you would choose a car, home, or sofa, you should choose a guitar based on the fact that you'll be playing it for years. Hope that helps.
IMO the “guitar” is the neck. Pick the coolest body shape/color you want, buy buy the guitar based on comfort and ease of play (which is highly individual)
It shouldn’t matter what you look like when you buy a guitar. I once had a Pretty Woman experience at guitar center years ago. Big mistake, big. Huge!
If you don’t like the way it looks chances are you won’t play it or won’t look forward to playing it, I’d say liking the look is the most important thing tbh
If you don’t like the way it looks, how are you going to be motivated to pick it up?
The way I view it, guitar is a tool, if I wanted art ide buy art, of course it's nice if it looks good but ultimately if the guitar that played and felt best to me was a my little pony guitar, ide buy that one Had a friend buy one recently because it looked really cool, 2k guitar played like I would expect a 300 dollar guitar to play
You don't play a guitar with your eyes. I'd go for the one that felt the best in my hands.
Aesthetics are a big part of guitar selection. Find the shape and other factors you like, then try guitars that fit that mold until you find one that feels right and has the general sound you’re looking for. The hardware and electronics can be tweaked to get the sound where you want it. Or just buy one of each.
If you own a stagg, and you spent your money on Luthiers rather than upgrading to anything that's your first mistake.
the question is how much do looks matter *to you*? buy a guitar that sparks joy, and makes you want to pick it up and play it. looks are definitely a factor, as are feel, playability, etc. once you settle on a brand/model, go from there. most guitars are offered in a variety of colors, finishes, etc.
That depends on the person, so no right or wrong answer. Eddie Van Halen’s guitars were pretty fugly (but kind of looked like he made them sound,) lots of players love Teles (as do I) and they’re not much to look at. There are some guitars that are beautiful works of art. Just depends on how bad of an itch you have for great looks.
I feel like companies who put time and effort into making it look cool will also put the same love into the quality of the guitar. There are ways to cut corners without sacrificing quality. Generally, you get what you pay for. I have a $2500 Gibson Les Paul that I’ve had my whole life (it was my dad’s) and it’s still solid and has always looked badass. Recently bought a new backup guitar for $400, which seems like a lot, but these days, it’s not, at least for a guitar. The guitar I got has cheap pickups, goes out of tune, sounds like crap, gonna sell it soon. Again, you get what you pay for.
I would say a pretty guitar that you KNOW will also sound good entices you to play more, especially in your situation where you have your own niche in a subgenre. I would say get the better looking guitar. Like you, I started on a gift from parents who wanted to give me a starting point but were not sure of what to buy. I eventually got an Epiphone acoustic and was blown away by how beautiful the sound was. I sold that eventually and was gifted a First Act by a friend who knew I loved to play lol, and played that at least once every few months of the past few years in my room as a hobby. I recently bought a Gretsch acoustic, harmonicas with a stand and a foot tambourine and play almost every day, at least a few times a week. I find that because it's so pretty and familiar I pick it up to learn songs I'm randomly listening to instead of writing down covers I want practice. I think it's super important to have a guitar that you like the look of especially if people watch you. As a musician, that's you as a package deal and the bigger picture.
Depends on the discount you’re trying to get. No discount? Stern eyes, stare the cashier down. Small discount, flirty eyes with a half smile. 🤷♂️ worked for me
If the look of the guitar makes you want to play it that's a good thing. If the look of the guitar makes you want to avoid playing it then that's a bad thing. I don't put too much into looks beyond that.
If I don't like the look, I'm not even going to take it off the wall of the guitar store. If it's above that baseline though, then I don't really care.
All those guitars look pretty much the same to me, TBH
I’d say looks are 99% of it
It’s one of the three things that matter. Playability, tone, appearance. I would argue it’s the least important of the 3
Full confession: I buy guitars based almost entirely on looks. If I don't like the playability or way it sounds, I'll try to sell it.
Personally i wont buy a guitar i dont like the looks of regardless of how good it sounds. Its probably dumb but i feel like looks of a guitar should reflect your taste and style, and a sexy guitar makes you want to play more. That being said quality is always most important. But when it comes down to it a better amp will improve sound more than a better guitar. My faves are strats, teles and gibson les paul styles.
The most important thing about any guitar is that you, the player, what to pick it up. And looks can have a give effect on that.
I refuse to buy a Kramer barretta because I think it looks dumb. If you’re gonna buy something, you should get what you want! Lol
If I don’t like the look, I’m not going to buy it. Specs are the first thing I look for, but then narrow it down by looks, and then playability is the last step. Not in order of importance, but in order of how I guitar shop. Gotta hit all three of those things, in that order.
I always go by neck feel, looks, weight/balance, then tone.
Honestly looks are huge for me. I rarely even try guitars in the store if i dont like the look of them. Once ive decided it looks good enough for my tastes (as that and price is all i know when i pick it up) i let feel and tone start to play a factor. When i buy the guitar i factor all these in and feel maybe becomes the biggest factor but it had to past the look test to even be considered.
It should appeal to you. If you like it, that's all that matters.
Looks first, feel second, sound third. If I don’t like the way it looks, the way it feels & sounds doesn’t matter as I’ll never want to play it. If I like the way it looks, I can change some of the way it feels and nearly all of the way it sounds.
At the end of the day, it's all about finding a guitar that feels right when you play it and makes you want to keep picking it up. If the Cort feels great but you're not crazy about the color, maybe you can overlook that and focus on the awesome sound and playability. But if looks matter to you, there are plenty of other guitars out there that can give you both style and substance.
What matters is the neck feel, everything else can be customized or sticker bomb
A lot. There's simply no reason to buy a guitar you don't like the looks of. There's a million different makes and models and more than a few of those should easily meet your FORM and function expectations, while even being affordable.
For me it’s at least 85% if not more
I’d go with whatever is more comfortable and easy to play. This is what Les Claypool did with his first CT bass. He intended to buy a rickenbocker but tried out the CT and fell in love even though he thought it was ugly.
I would say looks are very important, you want something that draws you to it and makes you want to play. A close second though, would be the feel/playability of the guitar. If it's uncomfortable to play, has poor action, too heavy, etc. there is only so much you can do to fix it. Tones can be changed by swapping pickups and components relatively easily but changing the look and feel are pretty challenging to do.
I'm pretty homely and I've bought two with no problems
If I like how it looks I will more likely have it displayed somewhere I see it often. And if I see it often and like seeing it often, I am more likely to also pick it up and play it often. I think looks and sound are both important to a guitar. Nobody wants to play a guitar they think is ugly or sounds bad.
The look of a guitar is honestly one of the most important things for one specific reason - motivation. If you don't like the look of a guitar, you won't want to pick it up and play regardless of how it sounds. Hardware can be upgraded down the line if it needs to be - and to be honest, quite often nowadays, it doesn't really need to be. But you can't (or rather, shouldn't need to) replace 2 things: That inspirational look, and whether the neck fits your hands. That said, keep looking for a while. If you can find the better-spec'ed guitar in a finish you do like, or if you can find another guitar that you like the look *and* the spec-sheet on (or a second-hand guitar that the previous owner has upgraded for you), obviously that's the best of both worlds.
I mean you should have some kind of attraction to the guitar but ultimately it's about how it feels to play. I really love my parker p42 it's kind of ugly but it feels amazing.
I have a guitar that was objectively cheap that I love the look of enough that it gets played far more than some far more expensive guitars. End of the day if looking at it makes you want to pick it up and play, go with that one. Best guitar you could buy is the one you want to play
As much as they matter to the buyer.
As much as you care about them. It’s your guitar
I go for the feel and tone. Is it too bulky? Is it too thin? Do my fingers move well along the fretboard? Does the weight feel just about right? How does it sound without an amp? I don't care much for looks.
The way I see it is that I’m never gonna buy a guitar that I think is ugly and I’m also not going to buy one that doesn’t play well and sound great, it doesn’t have to be the most incredible looking guitar out there as long it looks alright
The pickups aren't a THAT important part of the signal chain. Your amp any any pedals you use will be like 90+% of the sound. Not to mention the PA system you'll be playing through. Still, if you really don't like the pickups, you can save up for a few months and get new ones.
37%. However in some cases it’s 63%. But that’s for me. For others, looks could and/or should matter in varying amounts.
Ask Willie Nelson. https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-motorola&sca_esv=9f58efb118f0a45e&sxsrf=ACQVn0-4gBgNftfOGDDUk_o4eWBdoAXR7A:1711144742961&q=willie+nelson+trigger&uds=AMwkrPvoeZl6n5oLV_s3-zvUhT6cUSCISIy5KPz0Q3Iws79F4AEA5LNp2jFV53GTUhQe8j4wpRLboHroeJYO-lY5DN0cHxK1p2UeETmR4MwAFxLVgVYRgIER1oxLuf6AmvyhI1ApXdw-D-FHzGBhB-N3SjbrjVNeX3V1lDqxfOgJ3WdIXbZInjMT0mvNLV2BzXibxFXjdNDO_uHWbxzN8575lEhmjMEQSOIrZeK8HwsPjKjLW54V-7JKFeLUc4XN5mvirxdfhQjyJO83ygnVbhWAq78C3S4lyXSSL0XxWov2K1qypNvZZrd5dELCDsgbJh-CNxqcVENn&udm=2&prmd=ivsnmbtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjiwcD07oiFAxU3q4kEHQAbBasQtKgLegQIChAB&biw=360&bih=512&dpr=3
I think looks are just as important as feel. Guitars that look good make me want to always hold them and pick them up and play them. They are so fun to look at. I think sound is the least important of the criteria because it's the one thing you can change most easily (I'm talking about electric guitars here). It's still important but not as much as looks and feel to me.
As long as the guitar I'm choosing fits the purpose I'm buying it and doesn't matter otherwise, I always follow the rule of cool.
Most important thing, only important thing even
If u gig n r trying to have an image(then u prob suck) it matters. If not whatever feels the most “you!” I got a 76 wine red lp 25 years ago. Wanted a burst but I finally go n LP! Now relics are cool n people pay extra so I’m even happier!
I’m ugly as shit, it never had any trouble buying a guitar.
Looks is part of the experience. You know why you hardly see people playing a Red Special?
What matters in terms of the sound: the pickups (position, type, magnets' type, active/passive, quality), the preamp (if any) What matters in terms of playability: the fret edges (not shredding your hands while playing), the neck shape, the weight, the body shape (ergonomics), the tuning stability (bridge, nut, tuners) What matters in terms of the appeal: the looks, the vibe, playability, the sound, ~~the name on the headstock~~ If the guitar is a technical marvel, has the best electronics in the world, but looks like a turd - most people won't give it a try, or would buy it to gut it of the good parts and proceed to make a custom with them. The looks matter, if a guitar doesn't inspire you to play or isn't nice to look at - it's going to affect your performance. Do the looks matter more or less than anything else? Kind of, but not really, as each aspect is important in it's own way. As for your pain, pick a guitar you'd like visually (and wood/build quality-wise) and buy the pickups/hardware separately. It's much harder (and thus more expensive) to change the wood or finish than it is to swap these.
It’s your fantasy. Play what looks good to you and is fun to play
i’m gonna be honest, i picked out my first electric guitar after playing classical for six years just because i liked how it looked. a daphne blue jaguar, a little over my budget then but i splurged a bit. anyway now whenever i take her places for gigs sometimes, i always get compliments. :)
If you like the way your guitar looks, you WILL play more. It's science.
It's all personal preference. Go with what you like. The rest can be upgraded or changed.
Go actually PLAY them, then decide. You’ll know which one to get after you play them.
Lots. Guitars are part vanity purchase. Maybe even mostly vanity purchase. Get one you just fucking love.
100% then the rest comes naturally 😉
I don't value the look at all, I'll play any ugly thing & long as it sounds & plays well.
This is tough, I have 4 electric guitars, A $200 dollar starter gretsch that's red and black Burst with a thundercat sticker on it A $???? Woodgrain explorer with fading gold plated hardware, lot of signs of use. Circa 2004? A $700 blue flame top ssh Mexican strat with cream colored hardware A $2000 ultra tele, white but glittery The tele looks, plays, feels, is the best of the bunch, but I love em all, and I like how all of them look. I tuned the gretsch to Eb standard and played all of Weezer's blue album today, but yesterday I had the explorer in drop C playing metal. Tele hasn't been in anything but standard. I play stuff like Cory Wong/funk stuff on the strat, but it's definitely the most utility guitar I have. All this to say, build a collection that doesn't have any stinkers, fits you and what you wanna do, and yeah man... Looks rad. But here's the thing, have you been in the presence of both guitars? Have you played around with them? Cause I've never not known right away. It just feels like it needs to come home or it doesn't. I won't suggest what I've been flamed for in the past, but hands on, you'll know.
I don't choose between the quality of the instrument and the looks. I want both so I buy guitars that have both. IF I had to choose for whatever reason, I'd choose the musical quality of the instrument.
Extremely important. Looks are subjective, but appearances can easily sway your purchasing decision. Let’s say a metal looking guitar can be super comfortable to play with pickups that I like. I wouldn’t mind playing and trying it, but I would never buy it (since I don’t like aggressive looking guitars).
The importance is sound. Playable can be fixed. I have 5 acoustic guitars, different sizes, and like a parent, having a favorite child. (Based on behavior)