# which of these guitars just look cooler to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 21, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891 "2014-02-21T17:05:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Natural](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mr.Natural](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Natural)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/1 "2014-02-21T17:05:07Z")
I’m most curious about the opinions of NON guitar players, but anybody can…errr…play. Just please note if you’re a player. edit: and as noted, I’m really just interested in what you think looks better, and not what you think may be a better guitar. Darn. I forgot you guys don’t do images on this forum. Ok. I’ll link the images… A [http://i43.tinypic.com/2u8gfmc.jpg](http://i43.tinypic.com/2u8gfmc.jpg) B [http://i57.tinypic.com/zv520x.jpg](http://i57.tinypic.com/zv520x.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/2 "2014-02-21T17:12:19Z")
B, the Les Paul. It’s the “Slash” factor for me. Though Gretsch makes outstanding instruments. If I could afford one, I’d own one. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/3 "2014-02-21T17:15:26Z")
On merit, A, but I also thought of the “Slash factor”. I play _Guitar Hero_ if that counts. 😉 Even have an aftermarket Flying V controller. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/4 "2014-02-21T17:35:59Z")
For what kind of music? The Les Paul will look more appropriate for blues or rock, the Gretsch for swing or rockabilly. “Slash factor” VS “Setzer factor” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Natural](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mr.Natural](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Natural)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/5 "2014-02-21T17:39:28Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > For what kind of music? > > The Les Paul will look more appropriate for blues or rock, the Gretsch for swing or rockabilly. > > “Slash factor” VS “Setzer factor” Not what is better, for whatever genre. Just what looks cooler in your opinion. edit: if you must qualify it, lets say an average bar band which will cover blues, rock, country, rockabilly, and whatever else. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/6 "2014-02-21T18:07:20Z")
> [@Mr.Natural](#): > > Not what is better, for whatever genre. Just what looks cooler in your opinion. > > edit: if you must qualify it, lets say an average bar band which will cover blues, rock, country, rockabilly, and whatever else. But I am talking about what looks cooler. It depends on what you’re playing. Funny you should mention average bar bands. I’ve played bass in that type of average bar band. I’ve played with guitar players who used Les Paul, Gretsch Country Gentleman, and even [this](http://www.vintagesynth.com/roland/gr700.php) plugged directly into an amp without the synth. During most of that time I played a Kramer Duke. In that type of band the only thing that I think would look “bad” would be maybe something pointy or too flashy. The Roland was maybe pushing it, but the guy who had it only played it in a couple of gigs to see how it worked as just a guitar. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/7 "2014-02-21T18:28:53Z")
I play guitar (although the wife and neighbors may strongly disagree with that) The Les Paul looks better. I would take the Gretsch myself for no other reason than I already have a similar Gibson guitar (SG) and I’m more into exploring the tone of a guitar over it’s looks. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/8 "2014-02-21T18:36:41Z")
I know nothing about the various qualities of the two guitars, so I will go for A, based on it having more sparkly bits. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/9 "2014-02-21T18:40:11Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > For what kind of music? > > The Les Paul will look more appropriate for blues or rock, the Gretsch for swing or rockabilly. > > “Slash factor” VS “Setzer factor” My thoughts excatly. > [@Mr.Natural](#): > > Not what is better, for whatever genre. Just what looks cooler in your opinion. > > edit: if you must qualify it, lets say an average bar band which will cover blues, rock, country, rockabilly, and whatever else. If there’s rockabilly in the set, then its the Gretsch. (“Coolness” needs an environment. Shades never looks cool a pitch dark winter night; a cowboy outfit won’t work on a teacher; the Gretsch will never look good on Eddie van Halen doing _Jump_, etc, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/10 "2014-02-21T19:29:14Z")
I favor the Gretsch. I’m not big on red guitars. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/11 "2014-02-21T19:32:07Z")
The Les Paul – it’s the same color scheme as the Les that I own. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/12 "2014-02-21T19:37:26Z")
I dislike the look of A less than I dislike the look of B. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/13 "2014-02-21T19:41:48Z")
I like the black and white in A, although the middle is a tad too orange for me. They’re both nice, though. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/14 "2014-02-21T19:49:24Z")
Using the criteria of looks alone, I prefer the Gretsch hollow body with the whammy bar. In fact, I would probably prefer it in most other ways too. I used to play guitar a lot, but I’m a ukulele guy now. I have probably the only [solid body electric baritone ukulele](http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/0c/81/5c/0c815cd90c9f9d34af1429f8fa82e17f.jpg)in Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/15 "2014-02-21T20:09:00Z")
I own a [hollow-body bass guitar](http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f295/bedgyro/Art%20Photography/Ibanez_Bass.jpg) that looks and sounds beautiful, but alas I have not yet learned to play well enough to do her justice. Although I can play a smidgen of bass, on a guitar I’m pretty lost. I do think guitars are one of the more beautiful instruments. Just hanging on the wall my bass is a work of art. In the OP’s pictures, they both are nice, both classic and clean. Neither would look out of place on almost any guitarist playing almost any type of music. The hollow body just looks like it sounds better. The Les Paul looks fine, but I’ve seen cooler ones, IMHO. It does have a better body size-to-neck length ratio. I also wonder if perceptions are affected by the vertical/horizontal orientation of the guitar in their respective picture. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/16 "2014-02-21T20:23:57Z")
On cool scale only (I am not a musician or know anything whatsoever about musical instruments) they look the same to me, pretty much. I just kind of did a double take on one having the holes cut in it and one not. You don’t see holes often, so A if you want to look hipster cool and B if you just want to be plain cool. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/17 "2014-02-21T20:41:46Z")
Warning: I’m a guitar player. You’re comparing a sunburst hollow body electric with a single venetian cutaway to a sunburst solid body electric with a single florentine cutaway. I’ll break it down by looks only. 1. The sunburst on the Gibson is subtler than that on the Gretsch. I’m not a fan of sunbursts, so on that alone, I’d lean towards the Gibson. B- I like the looks of a venetian single cutaway better than the looks of a florentine single cutaway. So, Gretch wins. III) The hollow body is bigger than the solid body. I like that look. And it goes with the venetian cutaway. So, Gretch wins again. But B and III sort of blend together, yanno? So it’s close. Since we’re judging on looks only, not sound or playability, I’d rather have the Gretsch hanging on my wall on display than the Gibson. **Mr. Natural** , is that what you wanted? Hey… you’re not [THE Mr. Natural](http://www.joetheprogrammer.net/images/mrnatural.jpg), are you? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Natural](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mr.Natural](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Natural)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/18 "2014-02-21T21:17:35Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Warning: I’m a guitar player. > > You’re comparing a sunburst hollow body electric with a single venetian cutaway to a sunburst solid body electric with a single florentine cutaway. I’ll break it down by looks only. > > 1. The sunburst on the Gibson is subtler than that on the Gretsch. I’m not a fan of sunbursts, so on that alone, I’d lean towards the Gibson. > > B- I like the looks of a venetian single cutaway better than the looks of a florentine single cutaway. So, Gretch wins. > > III) The hollow body is bigger than the solid body. I like that look. And it goes with the venetian cutaway. So, Gretch wins again. > > But B and III sort of blend together, yanno? So it’s close. Since we’re judging on looks only, not sound or playability, I’d rather have the Gretsch hanging on my wall on display than the Gibson. > > **Mr. Natural** , is that what you wanted? Hey… you’re not [THE Mr. Natural](http://www.joetheprogrammer.net/images/mrnatural.jpg), are you? [http://www.comicartcommunity.com/gallery/data/media/122/NATURAL2.jpg](http://www.comicartcommunity.com/gallery/data/media/122/NATURAL2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/19 "2014-02-21T21:33:45Z")
If the purpose of a guitar is to get babes, and it mostly is, then ‘looks cooler’ means ‘gets the kind of babes you’re after.’ For me, that would be the Gretsch. Hollow-body every time. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891/20 "2014-02-21T21:43:32Z")
Moving to Cafe Society, as an aesthetics-oriented music discussion. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-of-these-guitars-just-look-cooler-to-you/681891.md?page=2)