How much does a perfect finish matter to you?

The only reason I would care is if I was worried about resale. If it feels and sounds right, and there isn't anything terribly bad with the finish, I am fine with it. However, when the time come to potentially sell it, it might hurt the value.
 
I expect a new guitar to have a quality finish. Pay more, get more, and all that, but even a cheap guitar should have a nice paint job. I have no problem buying a guitar with some minor finish flaws if I am paying a B stock price, but if I am paying regular retail, I want it to be good.
 
I probably have bought more used guitars than new guitars, and the most expensive guitars I've bought have been used. When I do this, there is no psychic shock from getting the first ding -- someone else already did it for me!
 
On the one hand, I have an Alvarez with a dented finish on the top. It's not big, and it didn't come that way. It happened when I lent it to a guy during a band rehearsal. He turned around and smacked it into a post (square support post in the basement). He never even said he was sorry. After the rehearsal, I saw the ding, and was just sick about it because I try to keep my guitars in good shape. Now as to buying perfection, I have a couple of Epiphones (LP and SG Custom) that are stamped "used." These are seconds, and in both cases, it took me a long time to find the imperfections. In the end, they both play well, and since I'm not looking to sell them any time soon, I really don't care about the tiny imperfections.
 
USian Pie said:
Honestly, I'm not sure I would even know overspray or orange peel if I saw it.

What's your take?
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Ignorance is bliss.

Orange peel looks like crap, google it. Makes my think of Krylon. Overspray all depends on the affected area, but would you buy a new guitar with a drip or run dried into the finish?

Either one would be a no-go on a new guitar for me. If companies can put a smooth finish on a $150 guitar, they should be should be able to on a $2500 guitar. But I am conscious that nitro over shrinks over time and settles into the grain, so I don't expect a used guitar with nitro to give a mirror finish.

Typically this seems a problem with a company culture. One company in particular rely on unskilled labor hired off the street for jobs that have low wages and high turnover...but they sell like hotcakes despite inflated prices.
 
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For me a guitar has to first sound great and second play great. I don't have a problem with minor imperfections in the finish. So long as I'm not getting a brand new guitar with a big ding in it I'd be fine. Worse for me is a guitar that has a beautiful, flawless finish....and sounds flat and lifeless. Gimme orange peel or overspray on a great sounding guitar any day over pretty and blah.
 
Guitar Heel said:
This. If I'm paying $250, then all I really care about is playability for that price. If I'm spending $2500+, then it better be damn near perfect.
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Yep. It's about expectations. I don't expect a $250 guitar to be perfect, but if you're taking thousands of dollars of my money, you'd better get it right.
 
There's an old saying amongst finishers that a great painter is measured not by how many mistakes he makes but by how well he hides them.
I like my finishes to be nice but I'm also realistic about what you're gonna get in a given price range. On a $400 guitar, I probably wouldn't complain about some paint bleed into the binding but I'd want it corrected if I was spending $4k on something new.
On used, it is what it is. If I can get a discount because of finish issues, I'll take it. Money trumps orange peel.
 
finish condition (or cosmetics in general) doesn't bother me, unless they are obvious/apparent and aren't disclosed by the seller. i don't mind a few "rough edges" as long as i know they're there going into a deal. I just don't like surprises.
 
I saw an Ãgile hanging on the wall used at GC today. I honestly think that's the first time I've seen one in person but based on the one minute I looked at it, comparing to a Gibson (or even an Epiphone) is 100% laughable.
 
Elias Graves said:
I saw an Ãgile hanging on the wall used at GC today. I honestly think that's the first time I've seen one in person but based on the one minute I looked at it, comparing to a Gibson (or even an Epiphone) is 100% laughable.
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You know... My 3100 is sweet though. I love it. The guitar sounds and plays well. There is nothing laughably about it and... I own some great Gibson Les Paul models.

Just saying...

Agile_3100_HSB_1800_01.jpg


Everything about my 3100 is fantastic... Except for the original non linear pots and dead pickups... Once I changed those I would put it up against any Gibson LP
 
Here's another thing: Do you care that finish flaws might affect the resale value?

The odds of me selling a guitar are really, really low. It's just not something I do much. When I do buy, I expect it to be mine for life.

If you think you might sell the guitar later, does that cause you to raise your standard?
 
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