# Guitarists - how foolish does this look to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747 "2009-02-20T17:53:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/21 "2009-02-20T23:17:28Z")
Or how about that Reverse Explorer? Blech. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/22 "2009-02-21T00:01:59Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Or how about that Reverse Explorer? Blech. Take a chunk off the back end of that reverse Explorer and you get the same basic body shape of the [Dimebag signature Dean](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/216BZQWP99L.jpg), which is a tone monster and playable as hell as long as you don’t let go of the neck. Those headstocks weigh like 5lbs… ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/23 "2009-02-21T00:17:49Z")
Then there’s also the [Holy Flying V](http://www.gear-vault.com/gibson-holy-v-guitar-only-1000-being-made/)… S^G ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/24 "2009-02-21T01:04:13Z")
As a guitarist, I don’t have an opinion without playing it. As a designer/artist guy I think it looks pretty nice. It really screams “made of wood” more than any other guitar I can think of… even acoustics. And I’ve got professional respect for the way the designer was able to put two **eye-like** holes in the body and then arrange the angles so that the guitar doesn’t look like a strange Pokeman critter. The human mind really wants to turn those sort of holes into eyeballs and then build a creature around them. It’s can be a tough design struggle to frustrate that instinct. (Of course the designer could have just left out those holes, and side-stepped the problem.) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/25 "2009-02-21T01:07:55Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > The human mind really wants to turn those sort of holes into eyeballs and then build a creature around them. It’s can be a tough design struggle to frustrate that instinct. (Of course the designer could have just left out those holes, and side-stepped the problem.) It does kinda look like a skull, but it looks even more like the cowcatcher on a choo-choo train. _Rawk and rollll, dudes!_ ---
**Author:** ![mambocrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@mambocrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mambocrow)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/26 "2009-02-21T01:49:43Z")
I think the Holy Explorer looks better than the standard Explorer (there’s less of it to look at). They’re both the ugliest guitars I’ve ever seen from a top shelf guitar company. I’ve never had the opportunity to play one. ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/27 "2009-02-21T01:53:58Z")
I’m no guitar player but I saw this mentioned on New Inventors recently and thought ‘Huh, that sounds like a sensible sort of idea!’. Looks more than a little odd though. [Stereo Acoustic Guitar](http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2486561.htm) ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/28 "2009-02-21T02:31:21Z")
I would want to play it, and then decide how it sounds. Call me an empiricist if you want, but that’s what I would do. Or if I hit the lotto numbers I’d buy all 350 of them and let them out, 1 at a time, for like, $10,000 each. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/29 "2009-02-21T03:41:19Z")
That is one ugly guitar. I looks like a bar pretzel. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/30 "2009-02-21T12:49:07Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > As a guitarist, I don’t have an opinion without playing it. > > As a designer/artist guy I think it looks pretty nice. It really screams “made of wood” more than any other guitar I can think of… even acoustics. ``` As a guitar player, I agree with you. As woodworker/luthier, that construction, unless laminated, plied, veneered core or some other workaround, has serious short grain problems. An energetic youngster or Geritol Pete will shortly find him/herself with a Bo Diddley. ``` WordMan, I’m gonna make you an axe covered in Astroturf, or if you’re a true Green, LonGuyland sod. Getting rather crotchety, you are. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/31 "2009-02-21T16:27:44Z")
> [@NoCoolUserName](#): > > I would want to play it, and then decide how it sounds. Call me an empiricist if you want, but that’s what I would do. Hey, Mr. Scientific Method, don’t get all Aristotelian on me; it doesn’t conform to _my_ Platonic ideal, and therefore _it must go_. QED :D:D Of course you are right, and I would love the opportunity to do the same. Every guitar-playing fiber of my being thinks that thing will bark like a dog, but what the heck do I know without playing it? I am just snarking without a license in the echo-chamber that is the internet. Hey, does that make me a Guitar Pundit™?? :smack: And \*\*Carson \*\*- yep, although I am in the NYC area now, I am a Californian born and bred. But an Astroturf-covered guitar sounds about right - being crotchety, I can take it away from anyone who wants to try it by saying “now get off my lawn!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/32 "2009-02-21T22:26:15Z")
I think it looks cool. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/33 "2009-02-21T22:43:48Z")
I only play guitars that have enough firepower to take on a guerilla outpost or terrorist training camp. [LINK](http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/frethand2/KaneRobertsGunGuitar.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/34 "2009-02-22T00:06:16Z")
> [@Carson\_O\_Genic](#): > > … > As woodworker/luthier, that construction, unless laminated, plied, veneered core or some other workaround, has serious short grain problems. An energetic youngster or Geritol Pete will shortly find him/herself with a Bo Diddley. > … Yeah I noticed that, too. I think that’s one of the reasons it “screams” _made of wood_. Sucker looks like parts of it are ready to snap off. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747/35 "2009-02-22T00:27:09Z")
> [@Carson\_O\_Genic](#): > > …that construction, unless laminated, plied, veneered core or some other workaround, has serious short grain problems. An energetic youngster or Geritol Pete will shortly find him/herself with a Bo Diddley… Now that, my friends, is a wondr’us post. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitarists-how-foolish-does-this-look-to-you/486747.md?page=1)