Damn, you mean I’ve been thinking the wrong name whenever I see a les paul? Looking at it, I don’t really like the telecaster shape either, but it’s not nearly as bad. I really can’t stand electrics that have the acoustic-style headstocks where the tuners are on both sides - I don’t know why but it just looks wrong.
Most don’t bother me, it’s just that particular shape. I don’t like the headstock, or how the upper part of the body softly curves in to meet the neck at around a right angle like an acoustic, or the sort of boxier acoustic-like body in general. Like the only guitars that I think look worse are weird novelty builds like the machine gun kelly chunky razorblade or an absurd anime waifu cutout that I saw posted as a particularly cursed guitar shape once. I guess there are some variations on the general strat shape that just look off too, like when they’re sort of stretched and warped a little so they get more lopsided and just look blobby.
Everyone’s always ragging on those as being particularly ugly guitars, but I think at worst they just look a little silly. All the really pointy guitars are just sort of a “yeah, I get you’re going for one particular aesthetic and it’s kind of corny, but as long as you get the balance of the shape right and keep some clean lines to it it’s fine,” to me.
That’s making me think of the bespoke johnny silverhand guitars I’ve seen luthiers make as display pieces a few times, except those of course have the body cutout in the wrong place and the tuners placed so the strings have to make a sharp turn at the bridge, making the low strings too long and making the guitar impossible to get good intonation with. You want to see a really cursed looking guitar, look those up.
I really can’t stand electrics that have the acoustic-style headstocks where the tuners are on both sides
They’re actually problematic as all hell! Depending on the size of the headstock, the middle two strings will enter the nut slots at too sharp of an angle and will tend to get stuck in there when you do bends, so your tuning stability will be all over the place without some mods. The only “fixes” are a String Butler (aftermarket piece of plastic with a brass rollers on it to reposition the middle four strings in line with the nut slots) or a special type of nut that has either graphite or Teflon or whatever in it to reduce friction where the strings enter the slots. If you have both, you’re golden. Or if you have a tremolo system with a locking nut, then it doesn’t really matter since there’s no movement on the bit of the string between the nut and the tuning machines.
Damn, you mean I’ve been thinking the wrong name whenever I see a les paul? Looking at it, I don’t really like the telecaster shape either, but it’s not nearly as bad. I really can’t stand electrics that have the acoustic-style headstocks where the tuners are on both sides - I don’t know why but it just looks wrong.
Teles are weird looking proto-Strats
You made the ghost of Les Paul cry. This photo is Les Paul with a Les Paul. I assume it’s from the late 1950s.
What is an electric guitar shape do you like? Explorers? Flying Vs? Or…?
Most don’t bother me, it’s just that particular shape. I don’t like the headstock, or how the upper part of the body softly curves in to meet the neck at around a right angle like an acoustic, or the sort of boxier acoustic-like body in general. Like the only guitars that I think look worse are weird novelty builds like the machine gun kelly chunky razorblade or an absurd anime waifu cutout that I saw posted as a particularly cursed guitar shape once. I guess there are some variations on the general strat shape that just look off too, like when they’re sort of stretched and warped a little so they get more lopsided and just look blobby.
The BC Rich warlock is comfier to play than it looks
Edit: Sitting down, anyway. Standing up, you might put someone’s eye out.
Everyone’s always ragging on those as being particularly ugly guitars, but I think at worst they just look a little silly. All the really pointy guitars are just sort of a “yeah, I get you’re going for one particular aesthetic and it’s kind of corny, but as long as you get the balance of the shape right and keep some clean lines to it it’s fine,” to me.
Steinbergers, probably
What do you think of recent headless guitars? Here’s an example…
That’s making me think of the bespoke johnny silverhand guitars I’ve seen luthiers make as display pieces a few times, except those of course have the body cutout in the wrong place and the tuners placed so the strings have to make a sharp turn at the bridge, making the low strings too long and making the guitar impossible to get good intonation with. You want to see a really cursed looking guitar, look those up.
He’s giving
I’m with you. The Les Paul looks like a snowman, and the Telecaster looks like a piece of toast.
They’re actually problematic as all hell! Depending on the size of the headstock, the middle two strings will enter the nut slots at too sharp of an angle and will tend to get stuck in there when you do bends, so your tuning stability will be all over the place without some mods. The only “fixes” are a String Butler (aftermarket piece of plastic with a brass rollers on it to reposition the middle four strings in line with the nut slots) or a special type of nut that has either graphite or Teflon or whatever in it to reduce friction where the strings enter the slots. If you have both, you’re golden. Or if you have a tremolo system with a locking nut, then it doesn’t really matter since there’s no movement on the bit of the string between the nut and the tuning machines.
As a super amateur guitarist I didn’t know any of this, actually thanks for the info!