What part of a guitar are you most particular about? (unrealistic poll)

[abracadabra]

so here's the deal, you're showing up for some kind of gig where you will play music of your choice

but...you only get to choose one aspect of the guitar

if you choose pickups, then the body style, strings, pick, neck thickness etc will all have been chosen beforehand by someone else. you might find it's a strat with SSS routing, for example, but at least you could choose any pickups you wanted

or could you just not deal with a wizard neck under any circumstances? so you specify the neck shape to avoid taking that risk, but then you might end up playing a Tele, which you hate..

or are you so particular about brand new strings of a certain gauge, or fret size, or you just have to have your favourite guitar pick?

the other parts will all be of decent, serviceable quality, and the guitar will be set up well

the amp will be a Katana 50. no pedals. and it's just one gig, but it's important!

 

[Buck Woodson]

You missed the most important one. Sound.

Why is the Katana a given? I hate those amps if you can even call it an amp. I consider it a collection of Boss pedals.

I'd get a Vox AC30 or an Orange CR120 or a Friedman Mini Dirty Shirley or a Fender Champ Reissue. And I'd also bring a delay pedal of choice.

 

[RRfireblade]

If it's a gig and my music, then I would probably pick body shape. I wouldn't want to have to seriously play my stuff with like something Prince might play or something that be at home on a disco dance floor or something. LOL.

 

[Bluzeboy]

All of it. It’s a “system” that interplays with all the components. i.e. sum greater than the parts.

 

[poppunk]

If this continues, we'll see if it stays on the same course. But I'm not surprised that seven out of eight people at this point voted neck shape.

There's some people that it doesn't affect much, but I think there's a significant percentage of players who will notice if the neck is seriously out of whack for them, and it's even worse than going from a doublecut body to a singlecut. Whenever I've picked up a guitar with an almost flat radius, thin, wide necks I can barely play anywhere near my normal ability. I can at least bang on the strings with my right hand with something, but fretting is the most complicated thing I do. Priority is always the neck.

After that it's probably the body style for most people, especially if you're used to playing a doublecut and you have to work a single and play at higher frets.

I'd actually have a hard time deciding between the pick and the body style being more important.

For all the talk of TOAN with most guitar players, I'd personally put pickups next to last (strings being the least worrisome thing). I'll just screw with EQ and gain settings on the amp. I can't be worrying about how a guitar sounds if I play it like crap because the ergonomics are a disaster.

 

[sunking101]

Name on the headstock.
Long neck tenon.
Hide glue.

In that order.

 

[bdm]

Set-up and fret/nut work.

I’ll play almost anything. Any kind of shape, any scale length, any kind of pickups... as long as it’s made comfortably playable.

 

[ieso]

Authenticity, Bruh

 

[Daytona57]

The neck and playability, are the most important part of the guiitar, for me.

The rest can of the guitar can be modified.

YMMV

 

[monty]

I picked neck also. Everything else can be dialed in but if I cant get comfortable on the neck I'm in trouble.

 

[David Garner]

All of it. It’s a “system” that interplays with all the components. i.e. sum greater than the parts.

Agree. The part of the guitar that is most important to me for most gigs is "it has to be a Strat or a Les Paul." If it was just one thing, I could drop the Strat pickups in the LP, or the neck, or whatever, and be good. But I wouldn't be good, because when I want a Strat, I want a Strat, and when I want a Les Paul, I want a Les Paul.

I'm pretty simple that way. But I can't just say "oh, the neck has to be thus and such." It's the total package that I'm after.

 

[DiAmoroso]

Honestly I feel like the pick is the most important aspect for me here. I'll play any guitar if I have to, but I would be most comfortable on anything with a thick pick.

 

[Badtone]

I voted neck shape but it doesn't have to be a specific shape, just one that feels right to me. I love fat LP necks, am fine with classic Strat necks, really enjoy the thin flat wide neck of my Charvel, but some just don't work for me.

 

[9fingers]

Other:
Balance and ergonomics. Can't stand neck heavy and there is no good reason for it. It is so easy to design it out. It is also not rocket science to design a guitar that is comfortable both standing and seated.

 

[HTSMetal]

Rosewood fretboards. Anything else that I'm unhappy about I can replace/repair/alter to fit my needs, but if it's a dried out and extremely porous piece of rosewood it will annoy the living crap out of me to absolutely no end. It's a stupid hang up to have and honestly absolutely meaningless, but it's the one OCD factor that I allow myself to have when it comes to these music making tools!

 

[noisebloom]

Of those, I would be pickiest about the pickups. I think I care less about body shape and neck carve and all that. I'm after a particular tone palette from the pickups. I want pickups that will give me a range between crystal cleans and raunchy dirt--moderately high output but with good clarity.

 

[Mad Wombat]

It's a toss up between sound and feel (neck shape/finish/action/etc.). If it's comfortable and easy to play, I can probably make it sound half decent, but only so far. If it nominally sounds great, but is a chore to play then sound will suffer when I play.

 

[Comanche5]

After thinking about this, I'd have to say that I'm totally useless without my 3.0mm stubby picks. It's like an extension of my right hand.

 

[ProfRhino]

If I ever go on stage, it's only with of my own guitars, or one I'm very familiar with and could grab for a few licks backstage before, e.g. the guitar of a bandmate.
I've been on thousands of stages (typically small to medium) and don't feel the urge to jump on any crate of wood anymore, just because it's there.
a Katana would be more than enough to keep me grounded at the bar.

as has been said, a guitar is a system, a good one is more like a piece of art, and many factors work together - for or against you.
ymmv,
Rhino

 

[npappas]

Not fret size, but entire fretboard.

I'm not too picky about fret markers or size, but they must be level and not sticking out anywhere. Beveled is cool! Polished is a plus. The fretboard wood itself has to be good, too. No dark/dry/pitted Rosewood please. IMO Ebony is the best looking and feeling fretboard wood. Maple feels great but doesn't always look the best. Pink Rosewood is beautiful, but can feel a little textured. Sound doesn't matter. You're not going to hear the fretboard over the strings/pickups/body resonance.