What do you or don't you look for in an instrument?

[bassist_25]

This can be for any instrument, whether it's a geetar, bass, drum kit, microphone, keyboard, whatever. What are certain attributes that you look for in an instrument and what attributes are a deal breaker for you?

What I choose may be easily defined in what I don't like in a bass.

- "Pointy" basses - It's cool if people dig their Warlocks or thier Icemen, but it's not for me. That's not to say that I dislike the more contemporary rock-oriented instruments. I really like a lot of the designs put out by Ibanez, Schecter, and ESP. I just don't dig the instruments that look like medieval weapons.

- Less than five strings - Obviously, a lot of people are going to disagree on this one, and that's cool. For me personally, though, a four string just isn't the right tool for the job. An average gig has me playing everything from a low C to an E three octaves about open E.

- Overly showy natural wood finishes - My all-time favorite natural wood is figured Walnut. I also dig a tasteful flamed Maple or a tung-oiled Mahogony or Koa. However, I can't get into stuff like spalted Maple and burled Walnut. You see these types of woods on boutique stuff like Ritters and Jerzy Drodzes. Again, it's cool if you dig that type of thing, but it's not for me.

- Neck dive - The instrument has to balance with a strap on if I'm not holding the neck. The Thunderbird is a cool bass, but its coolness will never override its propensity for neck dive.

- Overly "thumpy sounding basses - Strings, amp, and playing technique have a lot to do with this, but some basses (e.g., a Hofner Beatles bass) just have a naturally thumpy attack. I like punch.

- Noisy electronics - I hate any extra noise coming from an instrument or an amp. Preamps that sound like sizzling bacon are a deal-breaker. Traditional J pickups will always get ripped out and replaced with hum-cancelling designs with me.

As far as what I like...that's pretty simple

- A bass that sounds good - Good is subjective. I think that a Warwick Streamer, a Fender Jazz Bass, a Rickenbacker 4003, and a Schecter Stilleto all sound good. They also sound different. I like a bass that has a good balance between punch and solid fundemental and an overall three dimensonal sound. I like the low-end to be solid, the mids to be present and full-bodied without being nasally, and the highs to be smooth and add the right amount of presence without creating a ton of string noise. I can dig a more colored sounding bass, such a Precision or Stingray or a more transparent bass like a Carvin of Stilleto.

- Asethtics - This is basically the opposite of everything I said I didn't like in a bass. Basically, I have no preference as far as paint or natural finishes as long as it's well done. I hate cheap looking paint jobs (think of those $200 Kramers to get an idea of what I mean). I can be pretty open-minded about body shapes as long as long as they are the pointy designs mentioned about and it looks like the company/luthier gave some thought to symetry. Sadly, many of the expensive boutiques that look very symetrical to my eyes.

- Necks - The neck has to be comfortable. I can play on tight string-spacing or wide-spacing. I generally prefer a medium string-spacing though. I like a comfortable neck heel. I believe that many bolt-ons are way too much money. I don't have a problem with bolt-ons, per say. I own a number of them. I just start to expect neck-through construction once the instrument hits the $1500 price range.

Anyways, how about you?

[DrumAndDestroy]

i look for anything will take abuse when it comes to drums.

gigging a lot and just the general abuse of moving stuff around a lot had taught me that things need to be sturdy.

[old Skool]

Body wise I prefer a strat style. Never was very comfortable with Les Pauls, SGs, Vs, etc. Les Pauls have great tone but that single cut out always messed me up. Also don't care for the placement of the pickup selector on the Pauls. Never understood why when your pick hand is at the bridge you would want to reach up across the body to switch pickups. Can't argue too much with that though cause millions of people play them and love 'em.

Neck wise I like neck through but honestly as long as the profile is comfortable bolt on or set necks are cool too. Jumbo frets for sure. Either scale is fine but the 25-1/2" is more comfortable for me, especially beyond the 12th fret. Those frets get pretty close on a 24-3/4" scale with 24 frets. I just got my first all maple neck and really dig that. Never cared much for those super skinny Ibanez necks.

As far as pickups passive Duncans hands down, especially JBs in the bridge and 59s in the neck. I have a few EMGs and they are a great pickup but lack the color and character of a passive. Also really dig the Duncan Custom and Custom 5 pickups.

Bridge- Floyd Rose or string thru depending on the application.

Bottom line though is that the guitar must have a good tone and resonance unplugged. If it doesn't ring well chances are it's not going to sound good amplified either. Oh and it should have a wicked cool paint job ha, ha!

[VENTGtr]

Preferably, if it looks like someone tied it to the back of a truck and
drove down rock road, then set it on fire and put the flames out with
a bike chain...I'll prolly love it (Think Hendrix/Zappa & Rory Gallagher
Strats).

I, too, prefer the strat shape, though I do love Teles. I also dig Les'
and would like to have a nice tobacco sunburst.

Been saying for years that for my 40th birthday I'd get myself a nice
Les Paul. Now it's a coupl'a months away and I'm think I should use
that money for a week's worth of gas.

Besides, as Justin alluded, taking it to play out...mmm...dunno. Then
again, maybe having it out and wearing down would add some
character. Just that set-neck thing. Also like Firebirds.

Feel-wise, starts with the neck. I actually sand the backs of mine down
a bit to get rid of the slick finish feel and rough things up. Like more of a
soft C shape. Fret-wise, don't really care as far as the feel, but I hit pretty
hard and string is goin' to hit wood, so high frets aren't preferable.

Used to only like Rosewood fingerboards, but my backup strat has a
Maple and I like it just as much nowadays,

Sound-wise...

Bottom line though is that the guitar must have
a good tone and resonance unplugged.

Yep. Starts right there. A nice resonance that sounds good and is
relatively loud when it's unplugged. Unless we're playing a show or
I'm lucky enough to get some recording time in, there's not amp
involved.

Prefer a mid-rangey kind of pickup. Something between a Single-coil
and a P90 in the bridge, SCs in the mid and neck. Not big on HBs and
under NO circumstance do I want a blaze-o-matic-sextuplet-bucker.
Some folk like the sound, I'm jes not one of them. I prefer a sort of "grainy/
ratty" kind of sound anyway. I like the feel and sound of the instrument to
come across as much as possible more than what the electronic component
dictates. Again, not knocking what anyone uses, just not for me.

Bridge-wise, I went for years with Floyd Roses and never really used
the things. Was a glorified hand rest. Coupl'a years ago went back
to standard Strat trems (Main one actually has what Wiggus calls the
"Tone-sucker bridges"...but I like it. I only use the trem to shimmer
chords on the rare occasion as it is.

Basically, what I like is a tough, pretty low maintenance instrument that's
more like a useful, comfortable tool that can take things. Somethin' "bad"
happens and whatever part is involved can be swapped out and it'll be
working again quick rather than a pile of "Man, that used to be a nice guitar".

[metalchurch]

This is a cool topic, and it will be interesting to read everyone's comments, because we all look for something different in our instruments.

#1 for me is that it CANNOT be a Fender Stratocaster. hahaha!


I like the Jackson King V body style, because they feel so comfortable to me.

I prefer bolt on bodies, because I can fit a Jackson neck onto it, which brings me to my next thing;

The neck has to be super thin, and bare on the back with no finish.

Also the neck has to have 22 Jumbo frets, I do not like small fret wire, and I don't really care for 24 fret necks.

I prefer 1 Volume and 1 humbucker and definitely a double locking Floyd Rose

Other than those few things, everything else can be modded to suit my tastes.

[VENTGtr]

#1 for me is that it CANNOT be a Fender Stratocaster. hahaha!

BLASPHEMER!

[MeYatch]

I've been thinking about this, and its funny because I have almost no criteria at all.

its gotten to the point where I buy things almost soley based on their resale value, and I keeps what I likes and sells what I don't.

a couple things that make me more likely to keep something:

it should balance on a strap. I don't give a rats ass if it falls all over the place sitting down, as long as I can play it comfortably at a gig.

It should sound good with all the knobs at max, or if its active, with the EQ flat.

I'm not big on fancy wood tops, but I don't mind them, as long as they are incorperated in the actual design of the instrument, like the warmoth gecko basses with the contrasting wood inlay. I like an instrument that looks good based on the design, not based on the window dressing.

I shouldn't feel like I have to baby it.

Other than that I'm pretty much good to go. I like traditional designs, and modern ones. I like neck through or bolt on construction, I've never owned a set neck instrument, but I doubt I'd have any issues with it. I like any kind of frets, or lack thereof. And I don't really have a stipulation on the number of them.

[Colton]

I look for this.