Playability vs. tone

[D-utim]

If both factors couldn’t be accomplished in one guitar, which one do you prefer?

[mawmow]

Playability !
I would not play any great guitar with bad action or uncomfortable neck.

[1Charlie]

For me, I go hunting for tone, and then correct for any playability issues as needed. A lot of playability issues can be fixed, but tone is forever.

I do draw the line at skinny necks, regardless of the tone the guitar has. I just can't do what I want to do on them.

[BluesBelly]

Originally Posted by D-utim

If both factors couldn’t be accomplished in one guitar, which one do you prefer?

If you keep looking that very guitar With both factors (and more) will find you, unless you find it first. Keep on searching.

Blues

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by D-utim

If both factors couldn’t be accomplished in one guitar, which one do you prefer?

Sorry, I gotta have both, and am unwilling to compromise on either.

[gadgetfreak]

Interesting this has come up, me personally am in a situation where I have 2016 Martin Hd28 I bought brand new. Tone is amazing and playability I'll give 6/10, I brought it to my luthier who is very good at what he does but tells me she's right where she should be and I just have a hard time playing anything other than straight barre chords and open chords.

I can play bluegrass runs well, but my biggest problem is doing any kind of barre chord and using other fingers to grabs notes, she chokes out. I use Martin 12-54 strings, I really don't know what else I could do to the guitar. My luthier tells me that the neck angle is perfect and the same with relief, he then tells me that's what makes certain guitars the one because they sound amazing and play 10/10 and that's why I should play as many guitars until I find that one.

I'm starting to believe in that just because it seems these days nothing in new production is perfect but you may get lucky and get one of the better ones that slips through. Just a player and gear lover. Never have had this issue with my electrics where my luthier couldn't fix my issue only acoustics. So for what I actually play on my Hd28 I keep it because of the tone, 6/10 is pretty good still I tell myself.

When I go to most music stores and play acoustics, they play so bad and have awfully old strings and my guitar smokes most of them but I'm limited to big box stores and only 1 boutique which still wasn't impressed with playability for cost. Just my humble opinion, can I make em work heck yeah but it would be nice some day to have that tone and the plays like butter action to. Thanks

[JTFoote]

Tone. Playability issues can often be corrected, but if the guitar doesn't sound good, who cares if it's easy to play?

The easiest playing accoustic guitar I've ever encountered was a an exquisite custom Gibson, personally built by Ren Ferguson back in the day. Beautiful guitar. But, IMHO, not really a good sounding instrument. I was intrigued by the wonderful playability ... literally no fight with the strings at all. But the sound didn't command the same attention. It's because of this, that I remember the guitar, out of many I sampled that particular day, at a guitar Expo.

... JT

[hubcapsc]

When I was down at the shop trying out my new-to-me 1957 Country Western,
I also played a 1937 d-18. Both play really well, but the Country Western
doesn't have the tone of the d-18, it was magical. There was more than
one d-18 there that I played, the 1937 one was the magical one.

The d-18 was an order of magnitude more costly than the Country Western,
and it's not like the Country Western has poor tone...

-Mike "does that count as versus?"

[brencat]

Great playability and great tone are not mutually exclusive, but in this hypothetical scenario, it's playability first and always.

[palsed]

Playability for me. If I can't play it or don't want to because it hurts or whatnot, the tone won't even be heard.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by D-utim

If both factors couldn’t be accomplished in one guitar, which one do you prefer?

Virtually any guitar can be setup to play great. Some may need a few more adjustments than others, but unless there is a major problem with the guitar (in which case don’t buy it) ultimately playability shouldn’t be a problem.

So tone trumps everything for me...

[AgedPassion]

Hello D-utim,.

To Me, your Topic of – Playability vs Tone, is Very Important and quite Relevant..

HowEver,
Your Question at the end or your statement - … “If both factors couldn’t be accomplished in one guitar, “… which ONE do you Prefer?”..

...Is Not Fitting, or Appropriate, or Relevant.. At least to Me, or My View, on these two Very Important Matters of ‘Playability vs Tone’.


To Answer your Most RELEVANT Question (to me).. “If both factors couldn’t be accomplished in one guitar”…
I would Keep Looking and Playing MORE Examples of Fine Guitars, to Find a Guitar that has BOTH of these Attributes..

… of course, Sure, ‘Some’ aspects of Playability, CAN be ‘Adjusted’ by Changing String-Height.. ..and Adjusting Saddle-Height and Material.. And adjusting Nut-Height (or Nut REPLACEMENT) depending on FretBoard Condition, (and Relevance of SoundBoard to Fret-Height)...
... I believe vast majority Agree these days, a Correct Experienced 'Set-Up' of Guitar Parameters, is 'Paramount' to ones Particular Playing-Style.. ... ...(Including a CAREFUL Examination of Guitars Condition, to Start with,,, by a preferably Experienced Person, or Luthier.. imo...


I have found, in My Experience, Nut-Replacement, WAS Necessary in Several of My Guitars over the years, w/ Low original Frets, and Especially One guitar, where I needed to Replace Nut, when Changing-out Low Frets, w/ EVO-Gold, ordered from JESCAR.


For Me, “Playability vs Tone” go Hand-in-Hand for me, and One CANNOT be Compromised for Another!.


All the Best, Earl
__________________________________________________ __________

[RP]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

Sorry, I gotta have both, and am unwilling to compromise on either.

I agree. These Sophie's Choice scenarios can get a little silly. Would I rather have a guitar that's terribly difficult to play or just sounds terrible??? Like bufflehead, I'll pass...

[wguitar]

I'm with the "both are essential" crowd, but there sometimes is a need for give and take (on one or both) to achieve what's best for YOU !
For example, I sometimes use 11's vs 12's because the playability is so much better, understanding that some tone and projection may be "sacrificed". It all comes down to what works best for YOU! And if you tweek one, the other WILL be impacted, so the question presented is really a false choice. Just my humble perspective. Cheers!

[Christian Reno]

This question has come up before and I imagine the answers will be much the same as before. There is no mention of the price range of this hypothetical guitar or whether it is used or new etc. I don’t believe all guitars can be easily set up to play wonderfully. Some could require a lot of work and still be marginal, but the question states that both playability and tone are not possible in this hypothetical. Given that restriction, playability is my preference. Much of the tone comes from the player. I’ve heard many good players make an instrument lacking in a well-rounded tonal response sound great.

I was at a show in Nashville about 10 years ago where a very well respected fingerstyle player had to play a last minute donated guitar because his was smashed by the airline and he didn’t have time before the show to bring in another of his instruments. He made this donated guitar sound good, but he had a tough time playing it. He apologized several times during the show because he was not able to give the performance he wanted to deliver with this guitar. The playability was the issue.