Who actually looks at the back of their guitar?

[Erithon]

I do. I love the look of beautiful wood. There's something mesmerizing about an unique piece of nature, something developed organically and not artificially. How that piece is then set within the overall aesthetic of a guitar is important to me. I see my guitars as both tools and works of art, and I admire them nearly every time I play. The specs of a guitar influence my purchases, but so do the figuring of the tonewood sets.

[drawshot1975]

I'm a sucker for a nice backside. Many a decision has been made, taking it into serious consideration.

[cotten]

A friend asked me yesterday about Ziricote, both visually and tonally. I told him, "Hey, you're in luck. I just happen to have a very nice one here!" He was impressed with my McKnight.

cotten

[The Bard Rocks]

That's why I use "top and sides woods" and spruce for the back. The drawback is the soundhole on the back doesn't contribute as much as I'd like.

All seriousness aside, I derive great pleasure in looking at the back. But I don't when I play, just at other times. And knowing they are there kindles my memory. On stage, the audience gets a clear view of the back of any instrument I am not playing at the moment. I have received many comments that way.

Granted pretty wood does not sound better, but it adds a dimension to my love of the instrument that I would not otherwise have.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

I look at the back of my guitar after every playing session, while wiping it down.

Yup, same here.

[mr. beaumont]

All the time, it's where I tape the setlist.

[N+1]

I look at the back of my 214ce-QM-DLX every time I take it out of the case to play it. It always makes me pause and think 'My goodness ... is it going to sound as bedazzling as it looks?' It does, pretty much.

[Ed66]

Originally Posted by drawshot1975

I'm a sucker for a nice backside.

I'll second that. All kidding aside, while tone is the ultimate consideration for me, I'm a huge fan of beautiful wood in general. While I don't build guitars, I do quite a bit of woodwork and the beauty of an attractive and well finished piece of wood regardless of its use is something I appreciate. So yes I look at the back and sides of all my guitars and the look does matter.

[madhat]

Depends on the guitar right?

My Bourgeois LDBO has an amazing looking figured cherry back- so yes - I can’t help but look

madhat.

[Wade Hampton]

Truthfully, I rarely gaze at or admire the wood in my musical instruments. But my koa instruments (two guitars, two mountain dulcimers) and one Madagascar rosewood guitar are so outlandishly gorgeous that sometimes their beauty quite literally catches me by surprise. When that happens I have to take a quick breath, and hold them up and shift them in the light for a few seconds just so I can look at them.

I get ambushed like that every so often. But most of the time I'm very matter of fact and focused on the music I'm going to play, rather than the instruments I'm going to play it on. So those "ambushed by beauty" moments are not as frequent as you might assume.


Wade Hampton Miller

[airborne1]

Originally Posted by drawshot1975

I'm a sucker for a nice backside. Many a decision has been made, taking it into serious consideration.

Most men are a sucker for a nice backside!

[printer2]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

That's shy I use "top and sides woods" and spruce for the back. The drawback is the soundhole on the back doesn't contribute as much as I'd like.

Tried that once, didn't work out all that well.

[Tnfiddler]

I still look at my new to me 2008 Fall Ltd Koa/Cocobolo GS and can’t get over how amazing it is!!

[GuitarFundi]

A guitar is functional art. Tone and playability are must haves, but if you can have beauty in the materials and workmanship why wouldn't you want that too? A J-45 with back and sides almost black looks like quite awful to me, but a J-45 with a light red stain and great grain is beautiful. The wood doesn't have to be tricolor Koa to be beautiful and appreciated. I like beautiful backsides too!

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

To be honest, not much. I think beauty of the back of the guitar is overrated. You don't see it when you play, and you don't see it when it's hanging or on a stand.

I would much prefer to obsess over the front of the guitar.

Same here. I'll have a quick glance when picking up one of my guitars but that's about it. I'm much more likely to look at the back of a guitar in a store than at home. Love looking at pics though.