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  #16  
Old 12-11-2014, 04:14 PM
Neil K Walk Neil K Walk is offline
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I actually like to put a guitar through its paces with actual songs that are in my repertoire and I try to play them is dynamically as I would any other guitar, although of course I am much more careful. Some songs that I like to play include "Stairway to Heaven" (I'm actually serious here), "Pinball Wizard" (minus the windmills and amp bashing of course ;-)) and I hear that the Beatles' "Blackbird" is another good test of intonation along the neck. "Wanted dead or alive" is also another good one, especially on 12 strings. In my opinion all of the songs have a good variety of positioning along the neck and the songs themselves require different levels of effort as the dynamics change throughout the song; they start soft and build, starting with soft arpeggios and building all the way up to aggressive strumming, sometimes all the way up the neck.
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  #17  
Old 12-11-2014, 04:46 PM
Oldguy64 Oldguy64 is offline
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I will play a few openings of songs, like "Wanted Dead or Alive" because it starts at the 14th fret. I'll also play it A, all the way up the neck.
Then I'll see if I can play barre chords with ease.

If it passes all these tests, I start playing some blues licks.
If I bring out a new progression from the jump, or can't bring myself to put the guitar down, I'm pretty much sold at that point.
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  #18  
Old 12-12-2014, 01:36 PM
Indyroamers Indyroamers is offline
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I really appreciate all of the advice and helpful tips. I've saved up to $1500 to get something nice so for the past 4 months I've been nervously looking. I eagerly look forward to finding 'the one'!
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  #19  
Old 12-12-2014, 01:39 PM
amyFB amyFB is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willie Voltaire View Post
One suggestion is to ask the salesperson to play the guitar for you while you listen.
this is a great suggestion - there is a totally different sound depending on which side of the guitar you are listening from!

If you are not already playing 'up the neck' it might be a little harder to assess it, but, the suggestion already made to play an F barre chord is a good place to start.

also, hoping that you can play one or more pentatonic scale forms, just pick four frets up high somewhere and noodle around for the feel under your fingers.

good luck!
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  #20  
Old 12-12-2014, 01:48 PM
Lacks Focus Lacks Focus is offline
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Here you go:



You're welcome.
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  #21  
Old 12-12-2014, 02:11 PM
skitoolong skitoolong is offline
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1. Play a couple of songs I know well that take advantage of some different chords and melody notes.

2. Play each string, and fret all the way up the neck

3. A couple of scales in a couple of positions

4. Visual inspection, all over the guitar; down the neck, across each axis of the body front and back, tuner condition, saddle, ... all of it.

5. Straightedge fretboard, across the body axis, each side, each axis.

6. String height nut, saddle, 12th. Neck angle.

7. Inside visual inspection with mirror and light.
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  #22  
Old 12-12-2014, 03:03 PM
DCannon DCannon is offline
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If and when I find a guitar I'm truly interested in, I spend a lot of time with it, checking the neck/overall setup, getting the feel of the neck, tone, intonation, playability, and how it responds to DADGAD tuning. But most of all, how it sounds and plays when capoed since I play capoed 90% of the time up to the 10th fret. Often, I'll take one of my guitars into the store for comparison. I look for clarity, depth, good balance with nice mids and non-overpowering balanced bass, and overall character of tone. So, I spend time playing things I normally play with my Irish/Celtic band, taking time to play capoed at each fret up to the 10th, both fingerstyle and strummed lightly to aggressively. I look for good, balanced tone and sustain on the higher frets. If a guitar sounds good when played open but begins to fall short when capoed, it's rejected. All of my current guitars were chosen based on the above requirements and all sound consistently excellent when played open or capoed, whether playing fingerstyle or aggressively strummed. I spent at least 2 hours playing each guitar. The Martin OM-16 was picked from three, Guild F-30R picked from four, Guild F-130R picked from three, Gibson J-35 picked from three, and the Wechter TO8418 picked from three.

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  #23  
Old 12-12-2014, 03:34 PM
SongwriterFan SongwriterFan is offline
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There are frets above #5? I don't even really need #5 except for tuning.
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  #24  
Old 12-12-2014, 03:51 PM
Russ C Russ C is offline
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Many guitars can't produce the 6th string below the 5th fret as well as they do the "mid range". There's the big resonance around F# - G there as well as deep tones the body sometimes just isn't up to.

Tuning down a tone will often exaggerate inadequacies down there. That's a staple test of mine.
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  #25  
Old 12-12-2014, 04:35 PM
taylorcc taylorcc is offline
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Different rooms sound different. To evaluate tone, I try to bring along a guitar from home when I'm shopping for a new guitar. It provides a frame of reference for my ears. I play one and then the other.
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  #26  
Old 12-12-2014, 04:46 PM
zombywoof zombywoof is offline
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GIve the side a whack with my thumb and feel how far the vibration travels.
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