Hello,
One thing I would never do is buy an expensive acoustic without trying it as tone and sustain can be so different from one another even of the same model.
It depends too much on the wood grade , brace thickness etc ..
I think most everyone will agree with this.
For an electric, to what degree can the sustain ,tone etc... play on different guitars; same model? How much safer is it to buy an electric by mail order ( strat in my case) and still get a fairly good one . I would think that it is different than an acoustic.
Ronald

What I meant to say is .
Are electric guitars more consistent than acoutics and therefore safer to buy sight unseen.
Ronald

I think the answer is "it depends".

Yes, I have found more variability in acoustics than electrics. At some point, with an electric, you're hearing a a lot of the amp and pickups where with an acoustic, all you're hearing are the strings, pick (or fingers) and the wood.

With that said, I've played some real dog electrics and some of them were quite high priced models. I've played some outstanding electrics that were quite moderately priced (played a Squirer CV ot sure which specific model that was simply outstanding). My Epiphone Les Paul is equal to every LP I've ever played with the exception of a friend's 1959. I've played other Epiphone LP's that were truly horrid.

I have 2 strats, an MIA that is decent but overall pretty mediocre. I have an MIM Strat that plays significantly better.

So, the short answer is, yes, there is some variability in guitars, but with electrics, I think the risks are lower than buying an acoustic sight unseen.

Just my opinion.

Jeff

thanks for the reply Jeff
Ronald

Flatpicker - interesting name. Do you play a lot of bluegrass or flatpicking fiddle tunes?

That's how I got into the whole guitar thing. My first love is flatpicking fiddle tunes on a flat top acoustic. My number 1 acoustic is my Martin HD-28V.

Jeff

I played guitar from the age of nine till about 25.
I taught myself with a book of chords.
Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot were the ones that I learned the most from their albums.
I learned to play with a pick and middle finger in order to emalute them.
Only last year did I learn that it was actually called hybrid picking.
Bought a classical a few years back in getting back to guitar after all these years but never could handle the neck playing angle... just too different.
Bought a D28 last year and started to learn straight flatpicking, however; I tend to regress and want to hybrid pick more than anything as it is bread in the bone for me.
I really want an American standard strat, but have to mail order, so...
I have discovered in the process of learning flatpicking people like Tony Rice and David Grier, among others.
They certainly tantamount to the Beck and Clapton in their respective musical style.
Fantastic flatpickers. Legends.
Cheers,
Ronald
Canada

I have found that the tonal variations in acoustics of the same model are far more dramatic and prononced than those of electrics.Having said that there can be pretty profound tonal variations among Strats for instance but all in all the overall sound will no doubt identifaible as a Strat.In acoustics though you may buy a Gibson J-160 that sounds more like a Dove than the J-160 right next to it.I'd have no problem buying a new Strat sight unseen because I know that the overall tone would be unmistakeably Strat and any tonal variations can be dealt with bit of EQ.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

What about the contrast in sustain and responsiveness?
Is it true that if you cannot feel the vibration when holding it with your hand at the heel next to the plug hole and strumming it unplugged that it may not be an ideal instrument?
Ronald

I haven't heard that one before and don't take much creedence in it.Sustain etc. is something that you do take a chance on buying sight unseen but generally with Strats, most have more than adequate sustain anyway.Dead sounding Strats are few and far between. anyway most retailers give you an exchange option if you are not satisfied with your purchase.That may be a hassle having to wait for a replacement but at least that option is there.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Hello Guitslinger,
When it is referred to as being dead sounding, what is usually the cause?
Is it wood or pickups or combination of things?
And how do you know? Is it because of a thin sound or a sound that does not show a lot of character on the different settings and/or you have to turn the volume up way too much that you normally should .
Ronald