Conference napalm::guitar

    Body weight.  I can't say that all light guitars play well, some
    are too light.  But there seems to be an optimal combination of
    light weight and resonance (I'm talking solid bodies here).
    This is why I'm partial to old Strats and Fender basses; a lot of
    them have this characteristic.  The only way I can think to describe
    it is the guitar feels "alive".

    /rick

    If you are interested in buying string singles rather than sets,
    try this setup sometime. I find that it gives a good, punchy
    low-end for rhythm work and a solid high-end for solos. It also
    gives my fretting hand a good workout(especially that pinkie!)
    
    	.010	.012	.017	.028w	.038	.050
    
    Substitute a .009 for the .010 if you really dislike bending the
    heavier string.
    
    This setup also seems to stay in tune quite nicely.
    
    rick

    In terms of "feel", it definitely the design of the neck and the
    frets for me.  I definitely don't like:
    
    	o Varnished maple necks
    	o Curved necks
    	o Scalloped fingerboards
    	o small frets
    
    I'm still undecided about action and string gauges.  I've been
    experimenting with both (which is probably how I screwed up the
    neck on my Carvin).
    
    One thing's for sure is that how well I play is more a function
    of how much I like the sound of both the guitar and what it's connected
    to, rather than a function of how the guitar feels.
    
    Most of the time I'm playing, I'm constantly aware of imperfections 
    (intonation, unwanted distortion, bad tone, etc.) and those always
    throw me off.  When the guitar and amp are producing stuff I like,
    I sometimes amaze myself.
    
    I've spent a lot of time the last 3 weeks trying to record one
    pathetically simple guitar track but haven't had any success due
    to various problems I'm having with my guitar and my amp (and I
    suppose the limitations of my recording equipment AND my lack of
    experience in engineering recordings).
    
    	db

Playability......

RE: .3, I can relate to your comments about "when its good its real good".
        My last Boogie was giving me some terrible distortion problems 
        (it sounded like a mediocre Peavey) and I just couldn't "get in"
        to the sound or the feel. But when it screams (and sometimes I'm
        lucky enough to get it on tape) I have my moments. 

        I'm really just a self-taught hacker, but I have fun. But to me,
        the *SOUND* is everything (Santana is my favorite) and I'm not
        happy (don't get my musical rocks off) unless it's there. Can you
        relate to that ??

As far as the playability of an instrument goes, here are my pet points/pieves:

 *Thin neck (strat-like)

 *Good weight distrubution (I shouldn't have to keep adjusting it).

 *The guitar should have a voice of its own - *without* an amplifier.
   - what I mean here is, some guitars just seem to sing and ring when
     you play them (solid bodies) so you can almost *tell* they will play
     and sound like a dream when you plug them in.

 *I dislike small frets.

-BAP

    
    
    A few things I can't stand:
    
    Skinny necks.  I studied classical guitar before making the switch
                   to electric, so I find I have a hard time on a guitar
                   with a real narrow neck.
    
    Varnished maple fretboard.  Or any maple fretboard for that matter.
                   Thats one thing I've always hated about any strat
                   I've tried.  They've all had that kind of neck.
                   Rosewood is my favorite.
    
    Heavy guage strings.  I use fairly light strings, although they
                   aren't the lightest.  9, 11, 16, 24, 32, 42
    
    High action.   When I set up my action, I usually lower it until
                   it starts to buzz.  Then I back off as little as
                   possible.
    
    ralph
    

This may  be  a  little  different  than  other people's replies, but that's
because I play the bass and some of the constraints are different.

Playability:

1. WEIGHT
This  is  a  factor  primarily  for gigging. When sitting, weight is not too
important  to  me.  I  own  a  Peavey  bass  which  I  find  very  heavy and
uncomfortable  to  play  all  night.  I  didn't really mind until I bought a
Fender which only weighed about half as much!

2. NECK  THICKNESS
People have already mentioned neck width as a factor but I am also concerned
about  the thickness (i.e. the depth from the fingerboard to the back of the
neck).  I find that many Fenders built in the 70's and 80's and their clones
have  thick  necks....."club  necks" I call 'em. I like the thinner necks of
the  models  from the 60's. Rickenbackers and Gibsons also usually have very
thin necks.

3. NECK WIDTH
The  spacing  on  a  Precision bass is OK to me, the tapered Jazz bass type
neck is OK too.  Some are too narrow: VOX immediately comes to mind.

4. STRINGS
I  like  medium or medium/light gauge strings. If roundwound, I prefer those
that  are  not  overly  rough  (i.e.,  no  Rotosounds). Once I even had some
roundwounds saw themselves in half at the bridge they were so abrasive....
I'm using Fender medium roundwounds right now. Others I've liked in the past
are  D'Addario  Half-Rounds  and GHS Pressurewounds. I avoid Rotos and Markley
roundwounds  like  the plague. I prefer my G string to be .045 or larger.

5. BALANCE
Some  basses  balance  differently than others. I find most are OK. Headless
ones  like  the  Steinberger are so light they feel odd but that is probably
due  to not spending enough time with them. The balance when sitting is just
as  important  as  when standing (a problem with Steinbergers, Thunderbirds,
Flying  V's  and  other  oddball shapes). I find that as the years go by, the
further  up onto my chest I like to have the bass hang....no Dee Dee Ramone
"hang the bass on your knee" for me....

6. MISCELLANEOUS
Because I  play with my fingers most of the time, I need a thumbrest of some
sort. Often  this is the pickup. I appreciate my Precision Elite because the
pickup covers  are  scooped  out  to  acommodate  your thumb. A friend has a
Peavey T-20 with a pickup cover which has a nice integral thumbrest. The way
the neck mounts to the body helps when reaching above the twelfth fret. Most
bolt-on basses  are  terrible  in  this regard. My B.C. Rich has a thru-body
neck  and  the curvature of the back of the neck becomes asymmetrical at the
end  of  the  neck  where  it meets the body. Form a "V" with your thumb and
forefinger  and you will see why this is very comfortable...Steve K. you may
want  to  comment on this. As a result for high register playing the Rich is
my   favorite.   A   last  note  about  headless  basses,which  is  probably
psychological.  Because  there  is no headstock, I find that I reach for the
wrong frets all the time!!! For instance, when I want a G I may grab an A or
a  Bb.  This  probably  has  to  do with eye-hand coordination. Any headless
guitarists/bassists care to comment?

    
    Why do most hate Varnished Maple Necks?  Do you folks find them
    to slippery (like for string bending on higher strings?).  I'm
    a bit naive about this.  DB mentioned "varnished", is there a
    decent alternative to varnish for a maple strat necks?...
    
    Long_time_maple_neck_1973_strat_player
                               
    

    Hmm why don't I like maple necks?
    
    They are both slippery and at the same time seem stiffer than a
    comparable rosewood neck. I've got a strat with rosewood that I
    love, I had a strat with maple that I sold....I still own a tele
    with maple neck but rarely play it.
    
    
    dave

    My Ibanez had a maple varnished neck when I first got it, but after
    playing axes without the varnish, i could never go back.  I sanded
    it right off, it feels like heaven on earth, I can play faster,
    my hands don't get stuck and i'll never get a varnished neck again.
    Phew.
    
    		

    
    re . 9   you sanded the varnish off?!?  i didn't think that was
    recommended for maple necks.  a guitar repair man told me if i did
    that, i'd be in there every week having the neck straightened....
    
    but if there's really no harm, in removing the finish, it might
    be worth it....
    
    prc
    

    re: 9 
    		I thought I was the only one who felt like this, after
    all so many Strat owners *couldn't* be wrong about varnished maple
    necks. My hands sweat a lot when I play and a varnished fingerboard
    becomes like glue in spots and slippery in others when I try to slide
    from one position to another.
    	Rosewood doesn't seem to have this problem, nor does ebony.
    						Tom T.

    re.10
    
    	The properties of wood would allow the finish to be removed
    in such a case, as the main entry point of moisture (the element
    which would cause distortion) in a given piece of wood is the end
    grain. This is why acoustic guitars have bindings (purfling) around
    the edges, to protect the soundboard (top) and the back. These are
    high wear areas, and if moisture is allowed to enter, warping and
    seperation will occur. Very little moisture (2:4% ? & this may be a
    high guess) can penetrate through the surface grain. The end grain on 
    a guitar neck is protected at one end by the nut, and the other end by
    some binding or some such trim work. (Or by a heavy coat(s) of
    finish). As long as the end is protected, all should remain well. 

    dep.