How Long After Picking Up a New/Used Guitar Do You Know If Its a Keeper?

[Guitar Josh]

I was looking at my guitars today and a thought struck me - the ones that have stayed with me the longest are ones that when I picked them up, they just felt "right." We are talking almost instantaneous, from the first licks played. The ones where I had to almost talk myself into the guitar have come and gone. A sort of weird kizmit.

What about you guys? It is love at first site or does your guitar marriage first grow out of a mutual respect and admiration blossoming?

[coldfingaz]

Depends on the guitar, sometimes, especially with acoustics.

A tech setup can completely change my impression.

My all mahogany Martin was always a keeper because it was a birthday gift from my wife, but my gosh did that thing ever open up and become a sweeter sounding guitar over the first 5- 7 years I owned it.

The Crestons were all love at first sight. They all immediately felt, played & sounded wonderful.

I fell in love all over again with an Historic Jr. I picked up here in the Emporium last year after I got it set up with 11's the other day.

[omfg51]

It can even take years. Usually, you have some form of preference going in, and if it meets those, you buy it. Then once you've used it with your own rig for many hours, you really start to get a feel for it. Usually it sticks, but sometimes it's true colors come out long after purchase and you're out however much you paid.

[MrMagician]

I am one of the strange few that can know what's up by the first chord and first lick.

My fingers used to have quite a few problems with chords. So when I can play a chord and make it ring out nice and sweetly, I know the guitar can do whatever riff I throw at it.

Also if I can play this one lick of mine that involves quite a bit of finger stretching easily, I know it can handle the rest of my playing.


The rest is all about how it feels in my hand and the looks

[Smakutus]

30 seconds or so to see if a guitar is great or just average..

Jeff

[Stringrazor]

I can tell if it feels right almost immediately unless it's badly outbof adjustment. For pups, I usually like to play it at gig vol through a good amp for a while.

[monty]

I usually know in a couple playing hours but I've been wrong before.

[speedemon]

Hmm,

I bought a few guitars expressly for the purpose of getting the crap knocked out of them by the TSA/baggage handlers and other bands at clubs; they did their jobs well and were a compromise, but I don't have them anymore. I recommend them when people are looking for "beaters".

I only bought one used clunker that lasted until I got to my repairman, and one guitar that I bought new and returned (the next day) so like a day or two is your explicit answer. I bought 1 guitar that I kept for a week to try to force on myself, because I loved the look and construction, but it was plain uncomfortable.

The kept guitars needed about 10 min of examination to be bought.

[BEACHBUM]

It varies but I always seem to know if a new guitar is a keeper or not at least one day before GC's 30 day return policy lapses.

[mark norwine]

I know within 5-10 minutes, often without even plugging it in

[newfmp3]

I recently bought a PRS Experience 2011. I knew I loved it right away, but after a few weeks of playing it seemed to really open up, either that or I just learned how to use it better. It just seems to have lost some of it's stiffness and resonates more, just a wonderful instrument so far.

On the flip side, I have a Ibanez I bought on impulse back in 1990. In the store I loved it. It became my least played and least favorite guitar. I honestly have not touched it in 20 years....the good news is that its still mint!

[speedemon]

BEACHBUM gets a "like".

[DGTCrazy]

Yes...................

[bluesjuke]

Originally Posted by Smakutus

30 seconds or so to see if a guitar is great or just average..

Jeff

Pretty much the same for me.

[The REAL Rocker]

Originally Posted by Smakutus

30 seconds or so to see if a guitar is great or just average..

Jeff

-----------------Count me in as well. I can play a few notes, and know immediately If I am buying it, and since I almost never sell anything, once I buy it, it's with me for life.........................The REAL Rocker.