Query failed: connection to localhost:9312 failed (errno=111, msg=Connection refused). Guitar design elements that make your eye twitch uncomfortably? - Guitar Discussions on The Fretboard
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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45

Guitar design elements that make your eye twitch uncomfortably?

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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 10961
    Big headstocks on Strats

    The Tyler headstock

    Ridiculous relicing

    Those PRS guitars with the colour changing over the length of the body:


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  • HAL9000HAL9000 Frets: 9107
    Large headstock Strats
    Strat headstocks on Teles 
    G&L headstock 
    FretKing ‘bat wing’ headstock and scratchplate 
    3 tone sunburst (2TSB just looks so much better)
    +1 for bird inlays
    Any more than 6 strings
    Pickup rings that are a different colour from the other plastic parts
    I play guitar because I enjoy it rather than because I’m any good at it
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  • DontgiveupyourdayjobDontgiveupyourdayjob Frets: 3493
    Asymmetric tuning key configurations, a la Musicman:



    Not only does it look 'wrong', I'd be constantly twisting the wrong key when tuning the G and B strings. 
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  • elstoofelstoof Frets: 1583
    crunchman said:



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  • carloscarlos Frets: 3252
    crunchman said:
    Big headstocks on Strats

    The Tyler headstock

    Ridiculous relicing

    Those PRS guitars with the colour changing over the length of the body:


    For Al it's always Pride Month!
    My feedback thread - https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/107730/carlos
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  • TanninTannin Frets: 4394
    crunchman said:
    Ridiculous relicing

    There is another sort?
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  • carloscarlos Frets: 3252
    Lots of good ones in this thread already @Nightswan ; @Dontgiveupyourdayjob @Tannin ;
    I'll add anything that is bad design but we've always done it this way and it's traditional. For example, those awful vibrato bridges on some of the offset models. It was a bad design to start with, it's been improved and fixed, yet the manufacturers will still ship them. "You can always change it later to Mastery bridge". That's stupid.
    My feedback thread - https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/107730/carlos
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  • TanninTannin Frets: 4394
    Asymmetric tuning key configurations, a la Musicman Not only does it look 'wrong', I'd be constantly twisting the wrong key when tuning the G and B strings. 
    I rather like that look. On an electric anyway. 

    No danger of getting the keys mixed up, the top 4 keys do the wound strings, the bottom ones do the two plain strings.

    And if I ever get a 7-string (which I may well do) it will be 4-3. (Not much choice there!)
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  • elstoofelstoof Frets: 1583
    I can’t imagine there’s many musicmans strung with a wound G
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 10961
    Tannin said:
    crunchman said:
    Ridiculous relicing

    There is another sort?

    You got me there.

    Some are worse than others though.  Those ones where a maple fretboard has "wear" on every string in every position are the worst.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 27656
    @Tannin As the thread starter, glad I could help you get all that off your chest.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 69426
    Lots of things mentioned so far that I detest, and lots I love (eg three-humbucker Les Paul Customs, Fender acoustics with the *right* headstock), but here’s a big one that hasn’t been mentioned yet...

    Wooden hardware/trim on electric guitars. Knobs, pickup surrounds, pickguards, binding - VILE, the lot of it. Makes the guitar look like a 1970s woodwork class project. In fact overly ‘woody’ electric guitars in general are pretty horrible even with normal hardware. Wood is for acoustics. Electric guitars are meant to be modern and shiny even if they’re actually still made of wood.

    And angled pointy headstocks, I can’t stand those either. Stupid and - ironically - pointless!

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 27656
    ICBM said:


    Wooden hardware/trim on electric guitars. Knobs, pickup surrounds, pickguards, binding - VILE, the lot of it. Makes the guitar look like a 1970s woodwork class project. In fact overly ‘woody’ electric guitars in general are pretty horrible even with normal hardware. Wood is for acoustics. Electric guitars are meant to be modern and shiny even if they’re actually still made of wood.

    100% right! You see it even more on bass guitars for some reason, even wooden pickup covers!!! Yuk!
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  • tone1tone1 Frets: 4930
    Dimple on a Les Paul-a-like headstock 
    Non split post tuning pegs on a Fender
    Chunky type wrap over tailpiece with overly long screws 
    http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59137/tone1#latest
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  • TTBZTTBZ Frets: 2775
    Bird inlays are the biggest offender for me. I really like PRS guitars but don't think I'd buy one with birds on it. Just too tacky. 

    I also don't like the normal Tele pickguard shape. A more curvy one like the Bolt Guitars kits come with looks a lot nicer to me. 

    White plastics on anything, it's ugly and looks like household appliances.

    Black uncovered pickups always look cheap and nasty.
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  • ewalewal Frets: 2359
    I agree with a lot of these - triple humbuckers, etc.

    One not mentioned yet - the sound or f hole in just about any semi-hollow when you can see in to the guitar.
    The Scrambler-EE Walk soundcloud experience
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  • RocknRollDaveRocknRollDave Frets: 6075
    Vibrato bars (aka tremolos)

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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30022
    Humbuckers.
    Offsets.
    Those Floyd Rose monstrosity type trems.
    Bound fretboards.
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  • digitalkettledigitalkettle Frets: 2587
    Tannin said:
    scrumhalf said:
    Non-functional fingerboard inlays, closely followed by no fingerboard inlays at all. 

    All fingerboard inlays are non-functional.

    (If you can see them you are not holding it right.)
    'Copping licks' would be a lot harder!
    SoundCloud - Transcriptions - Trading Feedback
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 11457
    Any flaming. Anything pointy. 
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  • RocknRollDaveRocknRollDave Frets: 6075
    I’m with @scrumhalf on the fingerboard markers, especially no fingerboard markers. 

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  • carloscarlos Frets: 3252
    Tannin said:
    scrumhalf said:
    Non-functional fingerboard inlays, closely followed by no fingerboard inlays at all. 

    All fingerboard inlays are non-functional.

    (If you can see them you are not holding it right.)
    Correct! only useful for teaching others, I guess. I'm big on no inlays at all, and the bigger and more garish they are, the worst, e.g. big mop inlays.
    My feedback thread - https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/107730/carlos
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  • TanninTannin Frets: 4394
    carlos said:
    Tannin said:
    scrumhalf said:
    Non-functional fingerboard inlays, closely followed by no fingerboard inlays at all. 

    All fingerboard inlays are non-functional.

    (If you can see them you are not holding it right.)
    Correct! only useful for teaching others, I guess. I'm big on no inlays at all, and the bigger and more garish they are, the worst, e.g. big mop inlays.
    Indeed. As @digitalkettle says, copping licks is hard without markers. There is one chap who does You-tube lessons (rather good ones too) who used to use his no-visible-markers Furch and that did make it hard to follow. I think he's using a different guitar for the lessons now!
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  • FezFez Frets: 472
    Relics
    Don't touch that dial.
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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    Bigsby's

    Trapezoidal String "holders"
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • BigsbyBigsby Frets: 2770
    There are plenty of things I don't really like, but the only thing that fits with this topic title would be tortoiseshell scratch plates. 
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  • elstoofelstoof Frets: 1583
    edited June 2023
    String Butler, a solution looking for a problem
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  • CHRISB50CHRISB50 Frets: 4001
    Parker Fly(s) - simply horrific 

    Gibson Dove / Hummingbird - the scratch plate / sunburst finish (on an acoustic)

    The ESP abalone 12th fret marker - unnecessary

    Bird inlays - unnecessary 

    Fender Electric 12 - that headstock

    3 HB guitars - looks too crowded 

    H/S/S configuration - functional but I like symmetry

    Non-reverse Firebirds - look shit

    BILT guitars - that headstock 

    I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin

    But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to

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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    elstoof said:
    String Butler, a solution looking for a problem
    they do work,  if you have a classic "G string"  problem (oo er mrs)

    I had one for a guitar with G and B stability issues  -   but at the end of the day,  yeah a new nut IS the answer, but it did work
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • dazzajldazzajl Frets: 5092
    Love the variety of largely irrational prejudices in this thread. Mine are gold hardware and LP pickguards. 
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