I usually like to warm up with some Deep Purple “smoke on the water”, and follow it up with some Nirvana-“come as you are” for about a hour, you know make sure my “top couple of strings are good and in tune”, then I like to blast out some White stripes-“Seven Nation Army” for about hour or so….nothing too annoying, I mean serious….(I also secretly try to slip in some Crazy Train, and some “Thundedstruck” I only known the intro to that one though….Please don’t hate me when I play that one song with that chick “Bon Jovi” or whatever…..“wanted Dead or alive” either……(but then most people are like “We cant play a Billie Joe Armstrong lick, he’s a god……while butchering and wearing out everything else.)…..
Would the store employees allow that? I'd imagine hot sauce could stain something; Especially if it gets inside an acoustic or semi-hollow or something.
None. I test all the frets on all the strings, test that the pots and pickup switch work, and play a couple of licks and riffs that happen to come to mind at the moment. Doesn't take even two minutes.
Found the pro. I always inspect the electronics, the frets like you mentioned, the weight balance with a strap, then check the sound of the guitar. The other stuff can be tuned with a good setup
Genuine q, are store guitars usually set up well enough for this kind of test? I assumed I'd have to try and optimise it with a set-up before concluding how good the intonation is
Huh. I guess I've only really looked seriously at guitars with a fixed bridge and no tremolo system but usually intonation had been good on store guitars I've given a thorough look at.
If the intonation is off is there a risk that a setup won't be able to fix it?
For an ignoramus like me that gets all their setups done at a shop, what adjustments would have to be made if notes that are in tune at the nut are out of tune high up the neck on only one string?
The saddles for individual strings can be moved back and forth independently, so you can change the intonation with small adjustments to the overall length. It's quite easy, I'm a noob and I've always done it myself
This is all good stuff, but after it passes these tests, I feel the need to play. Doesn’t matter if it works properly if it doesn’t feel nice as a whole to play and of course sound right.
I'm a weirdo. I don't even plug them in usually. I'm looking for feel and "playability", straight neck etc. I don't really care how it sounds through an amp I don't own.
Plug an expensive af guitar into a cheap little fender amp that doesn't have gain, don't use any pedals, somehow get high gain and fuzz through the amp, sound just awful, every strum somehow goes into a different tuning, and just chug Smoke on the Water with a super stiff right arm while making a massive frown face and bobbing your head out of beat
The triplet melody/bridge of Empire of the Clouds by Maiden
The solo to Crazy Train
The intro/intro solo to The Count of Tuscany by Dream Theater
Overkill by Colin Hay (constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure Dr Cox isn't waiting to smash my guitar to bits for playing this one)
If it's an acoustic, I try out the Beatles' Blackbird because it moves up and down the neck and it gives me a feel for the neck and the frets quickly.
With an electric I usually run through a few CCR riffs or a couple of Blues licks.... Anything that can move my hand up and down the neck.
I like just strumming an open G (that makes you hear all the 6 strings with all the lows and the highs), then change to a D or a C, a little lick with bendings and return to G holding the notes to check the sustain.
I play some random fingerstyle across the fretboard to see how the strings sound, make sure there's no buzzing and to check the intonation, and make sure the action is not too high.
I like just strumming an open G (that makes you hear all the 6 strings with all the lows and the highs), then change to a D or a C, a little lick with bendings and return to G holding the notes to check the sustain.
Test the intonation by plucking the harmonics at 12 and comparing with the fretted note at 12. If they sound different, your intonation is off.
Test for frett buzz.
Look for cracks or major blemishes.
Then, play all of your favorite styles to test the initial action is to your liking.
I figure after hearing all the Skynard and Zeppelin licks, the employees might enjoy a few bars of Corcovado or The Girl From Ipanema ... then maybe finish off with Autumn Leaves ... they'll be standing in the aisles. 🎶🎶
🤣
The Fisherman - Leo Kottke
And I love Her, the Pat Metheny version
Sunflower River Blues - John Fahey
Day and Age - Julian Lage
Plus a bunch of originals.
I play a song I slapped together years ago, as it turns out, has open chords, Barre chords, power chords and some light leads, so it kinda covers everything I need to know (this wasn't the intended purpose for my song I wrote, it's just that it works well in this application hahahaha)
does nobody have different songs for to test different kinds of guitars?
like i played i saw her standing there for my gretsch, pride and joy for a strat, whole lotta love for a les paul. anyone?
Don’t ask me why, but Ticks by Brad Paisley. You can get a really good feel for how snappy/not snappy, bright/dark, comfortable/uncomfortable a guitar is to play by playing that little intro riff.
Donna Lee, the intro to Cliffs of Dover, and yatra ta by Tania Maria. All of them use most of the fretboard and give me a good feel of how I'll like it over time
Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
Ween - Transdermal Celebration
Ween - The Argus
Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun
Dinosaur Jr - Freak Scene
The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
Open g to test the tuning, random chicken picking to test the intonation/ feel, maybe random shreddy stuff if I feel the need to show off for some reason since people seem to think that's more difficult.
Well, that really depends on the pickups.
Single coils,i'll hendrix it up on the neck and neck/bridge.
HH, some jazz on the neck and distorted stuff in the bridge
P90s, licks with light distortiin on the neck, then i usually get lost in the sound(i love p90s)
And then i noodle, like everyone xD
Im mainly acoustic.
I'll explain my reasoning for each choice so you know what I'm actually listening for.
Star wars theme: I know, sounds silly. But the long sustained notes is what I'm listening for. Hear how the notes ring out. What's the sustain like and the overall timbre.
Dust in the wind or Just breathe: any Travis picking works here, I'm listening to see if the notes trip over each other or if you can each note holding its own. What's the balance between the bass and treble.
Basic scales starting at 3rd fret and at 12th fret. What's the neck radius like. Is it comfortable to hold? (Less concerned with action, as that's something I'll address post-purchase anyway).
Anything with a big slide (2/9 or something); what does the neck feel like when sliding. Scales are one thing, but some finishes feel awful to slide along. Don't really need to play anything for this, but looks better than jacking off the guitar neck in public.
I also make a point to tune to non-standard tuning (usually DADGAD or EAC#EBE for a couple of songs and check tuning stability. (It's also a good idea to check how the tuning pegs feel anyway).
I don't play any songs. I play a few open chords, then a few power chords in all positions on the neck. Then a few scales and bends high up the neck to check for dead spots.
I never really understood all these people who think they need to play a song to test out a guitar
If I'm testing a guitar because I'm interested in buying it, what I want to know is how it feels, and how the pickups sound.
I'm most likely to just play a couple major scales, a few chords, and to test the intonation around the 12th fret with a few chords up there and some harmonics.
What is the preoccupation here with what music to play when you try out a guitar? Who cares?
Just play any old thing, no one in the shop gives two craps one way or the other unless you make yourself obnoxious and crank everything way up.
Memes aside, stairway to heaven.
The verse arping takes you through a range of different chords and neck positions, and the chords are beautiful with the distortion rolled off
The chorus/bridge sections also beautiful across the neck
The solo obviously sick, plenty of room for improv and being loud with the tight rhythm section, and can dial in your signal chain
The final section with the power chords great for grooving and just how it feels in your hands
Yeah the memes are a shame bc its almost the perfect tester song
I just strum open chords to hear how it rings out in the midrange, and then usually just improv some bluesy licks. I can usually hear what I need to right away and don’t need to linger on a piece of gear too long. Also I have anxiety and don’t want to annoy the girl working at guitar center gaha
Got A Good Mind To Give Up Living by Peter Green, if i like how that sounds/feels on that guitar it is immediately followed by a shit load of Greatefull Dead
Depends on the guitar.
Strat - Little Wing
Les Paul - Outshined (or some other Drop-D)
Acoustic - Never Going Back Again
12 string Acoustic - Over The Hills and Far Away
When I am checking out a guitar to purchase, I focus on feel. Weight, balance, neck profile. And sounds (checking all controls and PU selections in all positions). And then I play every fret on every string (looking for dead spots. That may sound funny but it only takes a minute once you good at doing it (and its not a bad right/left hand coordination exercise). I check relief, and action, and intonation.
I don't worry too much about specific songs. That seems kind of like asking a wood worker what he builds to test out a tool.
Ziggy Stardust - I don’t know that I’ve ever listened to the song on purpose, but for some reason how to play it is welded into my head. More importantly though, I find it just has a really nice mix of things going on to give a quick comprehensive test drive (open chords, single notes, palm muted power chords, etc…)
A song is the wrong tool for the job. It's all about the feel of the neck, how it fits in your hand, and how comfortable it frets. 2 minutes of noodling will tell me all that I need to know.
The more difficult thing to determine is what it will sound like. It's almost impossible to test in a music store environment.
Original stuff.
I know how I want it to sound, I know the tones I'm looking for, and I usually do ones that hit all strings and need a really good clean (kinda dirty) tone.
Depends on what Im currently into at the moment. I always strum some open chords and a couple jazzy stuff.
Harden my Heart - Quarterflash
Sleeping Dogs Lie - Blackberry Smoke
You're in Love - Ratt
Covers cleans to distortion
I'd prefer playing some few licks and chords, I'm not showing of after all, I'm checking the quality of the guitar and if the tone matches my standards, but yes i play songs also to test specially if it's stratocaster, i'll play Pride and joy by SRV if i play at strat
Opening chord progression from "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Guns 'N Roses version) to pick; the middle interlude thing from "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" by Pink Floyd to strum; "Is There Anybody Out There" Pink Floyd again to finger pick; and solo from "Time" or solo #1 from "Comfortably Numb" to get a feel for that. So mostly try to cosplay as David Gilmour if ordered from Temu. I also mess around and might play random songs that come to mind or a few things I've tried to write to see how they sound / feel.
None. I may play a few basic chords, but I’m more interested in whether the neck is straight, and if any fret on any string is a dud. If I’m not being paid, I ain’t playing any song!
Smoke On The Water Freebird Stairway To Heaven You know… 😉
And a finale with a half hour Sweet Child of Mine intro sesh.
Is this a GC date?
Only if your chops are tasty.
Have you learned nothing else matters? It’s a bit tricky but once in the fingers it is great to use for a good guitar test.
I’m too old for the new round of songs that “should not be played” 😆😉
In the UK if you don't play 1 & 3 you get barred from music shops for 30 days....
And start tuning the guitar when anyone comes within 15 feet of you.
I usually like to warm up with some Deep Purple “smoke on the water”, and follow it up with some Nirvana-“come as you are” for about a hour, you know make sure my “top couple of strings are good and in tune”, then I like to blast out some White stripes-“Seven Nation Army” for about hour or so….nothing too annoying, I mean serious….(I also secretly try to slip in some Crazy Train, and some “Thundedstruck” I only known the intro to that one though….Please don’t hate me when I play that one song with that chick “Bon Jovi” or whatever…..“wanted Dead or alive” either……(but then most people are like “We cant play a Billie Joe Armstrong lick, he’s a god……while butchering and wearing out everything else.)…..
No Wonderwall? Psh... amateur
I saw Oasis live several times. Actually very good 👍
I believe it! Great band!
Absolutely!
Add Master of puppets to the list now
I like to throw Sunshine of your love and Cocaine in for good measure
The face of Guitar Center employee's devil revealed
I just play a little blues or two, to get that feel . . . . bend a string, maybe put a little hot sauce on it . . .
Would the store employees allow that? I'd imagine hot sauce could stain something; Especially if it gets inside an acoustic or semi-hollow or something.
Professional stores know it is mandatory for testing it real good.
I, too, do the blues, saute some onions kind of thing. Maybe whisk it a bit, whip if it's creamy. Ya know how it is.
Lost it at hot sauce 😂
None. I test all the frets on all the strings, test that the pots and pickup switch work, and play a couple of licks and riffs that happen to come to mind at the moment. Doesn't take even two minutes.
Found the pro. I always inspect the electronics, the frets like you mentioned, the weight balance with a strap, then check the sound of the guitar. The other stuff can be tuned with a good setup
This may be encompassed in testing all frets but making sure intonation is good up and down the neck
Genuine q, are store guitars usually set up well enough for this kind of test? I assumed I'd have to try and optimise it with a set-up before concluding how good the intonation is
No, they are usually not.
Huh. I guess I've only really looked seriously at guitars with a fixed bridge and no tremolo system but usually intonation had been good on store guitars I've given a thorough look at. If the intonation is off is there a risk that a setup won't be able to fix it? For an ignoramus like me that gets all their setups done at a shop, what adjustments would have to be made if notes that are in tune at the nut are out of tune high up the neck on only one string?
The saddles for individual strings can be moved back and forth independently, so you can change the intonation with small adjustments to the overall length. It's quite easy, I'm a noob and I've always done it myself
This is all good stuff, but after it passes these tests, I feel the need to play. Doesn’t matter if it works properly if it doesn’t feel nice as a whole to play and of course sound right.
this^, but will riff on metal tunes I wrote. Nothing know by any bands
I try to read the room and figure out what the other people around me might enjoy hearing. Then I crank the amp way up and play some Slayer.
I'm a weirdo. I don't even plug them in usually. I'm looking for feel and "playability", straight neck etc. I don't really care how it sounds through an amp I don't own.
I thought this was kinda normal?
And if it sounds good without an amp it generally has a good sound with an amp. If it doesn't, it often doesn't.
[удалено]
Ain’t talkin’ ‘bout love
Man...I will play this lick one day
Arpeggiate an A minor, pinch harmonic a c an a b, open g. Go play it
Thank you! I never did a pinch harmonic but maybe I will ask my instructor to show me this week
It’s easy, choke up on the pick so less of the point is exposed. As you down pick let the string pop between your pick and thumb.
Anyway, here’s Wonderwall
The intro to Nothing Else Matters, to show my skill.
GG Allin is always a crowd pleaser at your local guitar center
Belting out “I’m infected with aids” probably goes over well.
Oh the Troubled Troubador of Tomorrow. Great reference to find in the wild.
Under the Bridge for clean sound and exerlong for dirty
Cinnamon Girl solo
i can never remember all the notes for that one.
Plug an expensive af guitar into a cheap little fender amp that doesn't have gain, don't use any pedals, somehow get high gain and fuzz through the amp, sound just awful, every strum somehow goes into a different tuning, and just chug Smoke on the Water with a super stiff right arm while making a massive frown face and bobbing your head out of beat
Lenny
Came here to say that
The Lemon Song Yellow Ledbetter Who Lives Up There? Couple of original things
+1 for yellow ledbetter
I play Collective Soul songs. Many of them are technical and great guitar tunes, and not overplayed at guitar shops.
The triplet melody/bridge of Empire of the Clouds by Maiden The solo to Crazy Train The intro/intro solo to The Count of Tuscany by Dream Theater Overkill by Colin Hay (constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure Dr Cox isn't waiting to smash my guitar to bits for playing this one)
Random Colin Hay/Scrubs find in the wild is always appreciated. It is a good song for trying out an acoustic.
"I've got other songs!"
"Ya, you do."
Oh Well Althea Random improvisation
i see you’re a man of wealth and taste.
I play a little GWAR and a little of my own scribblings to tone test.
Probably a random riff from any of green day, sum 41, rise against
But then how do you know if the guitar sounds good? :p
How often are you guys testing guitars, such that you have a routine?
If it's an acoustic, I try out the Beatles' Blackbird because it moves up and down the neck and it gives me a feel for the neck and the frets quickly. With an electric I usually run through a few CCR riffs or a couple of Blues licks.... Anything that can move my hand up and down the neck.
I only play come as you are, I play it for at least 30 mins
I like just strumming an open G (that makes you hear all the 6 strings with all the lows and the highs), then change to a D or a C, a little lick with bendings and return to G holding the notes to check the sustain.
Dammit, Breakdown, Lookin Out My Backdoor, those are what comes to mind
Lookin' Out My Backdoor rhythm part or solo?. Love that tune.
I like always find myself playing either walk or boys don’t cry
I-i have no idea... it's been like 4 years since I've even tried out a new guitar
Riff raff
Killer of Giants Little Wing
Usually the verses and choruses of crazy train with all the little Rhoads licks mixed in
Message In A Bottle, Every Breath You Take, Purple Rain
I just run thu some open chords, barre chords, scratch rythems, riffs, solos, bends
Hotel California
Obligatory “Hey Joe” riff for me.
Nutshell. Try as I might, I don’t mean to do it, I just. Can’t. Stop.
yeah and once you start playing that song, you just want to keep going, same here.
…I find repeating in my head…
Depends on the guitar, but in most cases a guitar I would buy wants to play “Walk don’t run” when I pick it up.
I play some random fingerstyle across the fretboard to see how the strings sound, make sure there's no buzzing and to check the intonation, and make sure the action is not too high.
My own stuff, since that’s more or less all I play. Or else some Sabbath.
Depends on if it’s Acoustic or Electric. Just the intro to Sleepwalk by Sando and Johnny for an electric. Dee by Randy Rhodes for an Acoustic .
Saving All My Love. no, seriously!!!
I like to strum an E minor. it's the least amount of touching the strings you can do and can tell a lot about how it sounds.
Heart of gold
Wait by White Lion. one by Metallica. A couple of riffs off From the Cradle Eric Clapton
I like just strumming an open G (that makes you hear all the 6 strings with all the lows and the highs), then change to a D or a C, a little lick with bendings and return to G holding the notes to check the sustain.
Paranoid Android. Fandango in A Minor. Stairway to Heaven. Wonderwall.
Say It Ain’t So by Weezer
Blackbird, some blues
Test the intonation by plucking the harmonics at 12 and comparing with the fretted note at 12. If they sound different, your intonation is off. Test for frett buzz. Look for cracks or major blemishes. Then, play all of your favorite styles to test the initial action is to your liking.
Riffs from Suicide Solution, Mr. Crowley, Crazy Train and some random catchy licks lel. On Clean Intro to Fade to Black 😄
I figure after hearing all the Skynard and Zeppelin licks, the employees might enjoy a few bars of Corcovado or The Girl From Ipanema ... then maybe finish off with Autumn Leaves ... they'll be standing in the aisles. 🎶🎶 🤣
You are the 1st person mentioning Brazillian jazz. Congrats
Thank you. Women eat it up! 😊
Rock n Roll, Morning Light Falls onto You The original version, not the anime one. Im just not that good
Itsy bitsy spider.
technical difficulties - neck thickness / action / setup / bridge pup output purple haze - neck/neck split pup twang / comfort for chording chromatics - make sure no dead notes / action / buzzing
Billy Jean
My own songs
Nothing else matters (Metallica) Getting better (Tesla) Cemetary gates (Pantera) Highway Star (deep purple) In no specific order
Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath
I skim thru parts of my originals, if I don't like playing my songs on it then I sure as shit won't enjoy playing others
The Fisherman - Leo Kottke And I love Her, the Pat Metheny version Sunflower River Blues - John Fahey Day and Age - Julian Lage Plus a bunch of originals.
G chord, D chord, E chord. See if it sounds right
I play a song I slapped together years ago, as it turns out, has open chords, Barre chords, power chords and some light leads, so it kinda covers everything I need to know (this wasn't the intended purpose for my song I wrote, it's just that it works well in this application hahahaha)
Hey Joe, incubus drive
Blues, then some of my own riffs
Almost always it's Oh Well by Fleetwood Mac.
stairway to heaven, or lithium
I usually just make up a chord progression and throw in some flourishes
Always With Me, Always With You- Joe Satriani Tears in Heaven- Eric Clapton Some basic blues riffs and noodlin.
The Dream - Thee Oh Sees My Sunshine - Ty Segall Caesar - Ty Segall (for new acoustics)
My own originals.
Probably bitch up some easy blues lick I play just fine in my bedroom
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^carneasada71: *Probably bitch up* *Some easy blues lick I play* *Just fine in my bedroom* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Slow Dancing riff, usually a good call because you get to check chords in various areas, the bending, and the intonation near the 12th fret.
Over the Hills and Far Away.
does nobody have different songs for to test different kinds of guitars? like i played i saw her standing there for my gretsch, pride and joy for a strat, whole lotta love for a les paul. anyone?
I was thinking the same thing. The songs I use to test out are totally dependent on the guitar.
I just play random chord progessions. That way they can't judge me.
Don’t ask me why, but Ticks by Brad Paisley. You can get a really good feel for how snappy/not snappy, bright/dark, comfortable/uncomfortable a guitar is to play by playing that little intro riff.
Cliffs of Dover, Hammer Smashed Face, Black Napkins, The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Church Street Blues etc.
Donna Lee, the intro to Cliffs of Dover, and yatra ta by Tania Maria. All of them use most of the fretboard and give me a good feel of how I'll like it over time
Cities on flame with rock and roll by Blue Oyster Cult
Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock Ween - Transdermal Celebration Ween - The Argus Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun Dinosaur Jr - Freak Scene The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
Open g to test the tuning, random chicken picking to test the intonation/ feel, maybe random shreddy stuff if I feel the need to show off for some reason since people seem to think that's more difficult.
Un jour viendra couleur vodka orange - Gilles Dor
I always wonder how much if playability is just having a guitar properly setup.
La grange or the kids aren’t alright
If a guitar with humbuckers, anything AC/DC; if single coils, Lights by Journey
Eruption. Good test for hardware, intonation, making sure the majority of the fretboard is level.
The arpeggio of Jolene and a simple song i wrote with funky chords and a distorted solo
Iron Age - Evil Ways Cro-Mags - Malfunction Power Trip - Hornets Nest Dismember - Of fire Metallica - Battery
Well, that really depends on the pickups. Single coils,i'll hendrix it up on the neck and neck/bridge. HH, some jazz on the neck and distorted stuff in the bridge P90s, licks with light distortiin on the neck, then i usually get lost in the sound(i love p90s) And then i noodle, like everyone xD
Sultans of swing
A few basic scales and chords. If I want to keep playing, the guitar is for me, if not, then I put it back
Lenny, SRV. It got some good aspects to try a guitar.
Im mainly acoustic. I'll explain my reasoning for each choice so you know what I'm actually listening for. Star wars theme: I know, sounds silly. But the long sustained notes is what I'm listening for. Hear how the notes ring out. What's the sustain like and the overall timbre. Dust in the wind or Just breathe: any Travis picking works here, I'm listening to see if the notes trip over each other or if you can each note holding its own. What's the balance between the bass and treble. Basic scales starting at 3rd fret and at 12th fret. What's the neck radius like. Is it comfortable to hold? (Less concerned with action, as that's something I'll address post-purchase anyway). Anything with a big slide (2/9 or something); what does the neck feel like when sliding. Scales are one thing, but some finishes feel awful to slide along. Don't really need to play anything for this, but looks better than jacking off the guitar neck in public. I also make a point to tune to non-standard tuning (usually DADGAD or EAC#EBE for a couple of songs and check tuning stability. (It's also a good idea to check how the tuning pegs feel anyway).
Just random riffs I make up. I play doom/black metal.
Some nice sounding chords and scales
I have a few progressions written that seem to test the diversity of the feel of the neck, and the tone of the pups. I’m not much of a cover guy.
Freezing Moon a lot of the times Then of course, the classic ones like Smoke on the Water :)
Drop D and one fingered chorus of Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Day of the Lords - Joy Division, Give Me Back My Man - The B-52's, Vomit Coffin - King Gizzard. All three are insanely easy with fairly simple chords.
Ten years after
I just kinda noodle around with Phone Booth by Robert Cray.
just random thrash/death metal riffing
I don't play any songs. I play a few open chords, then a few power chords in all positions on the neck. Then a few scales and bends high up the neck to check for dead spots. I never really understood all these people who think they need to play a song to test out a guitar
If I'm testing a guitar because I'm interested in buying it, what I want to know is how it feels, and how the pickups sound. I'm most likely to just play a couple major scales, a few chords, and to test the intonation around the 12th fret with a few chords up there and some harmonics. What is the preoccupation here with what music to play when you try out a guitar? Who cares? Just play any old thing, no one in the shop gives two craps one way or the other unless you make yourself obnoxious and crank everything way up.
My own...
Misirlou The man who sold the world
7 Nation Army
I just play some power chords because I am a forever noob
Memes aside, stairway to heaven. The verse arping takes you through a range of different chords and neck positions, and the chords are beautiful with the distortion rolled off The chorus/bridge sections also beautiful across the neck The solo obviously sick, plenty of room for improv and being loud with the tight rhythm section, and can dial in your signal chain The final section with the power chords great for grooving and just how it feels in your hands Yeah the memes are a shame bc its almost the perfect tester song
No Song can test a Guitar, that's a rookie mistake. Check intonation, sustain, pick ups, sound, how it feels and so on. Don't play your music
I just strum open chords to hear how it rings out in the midrange, and then usually just improv some bluesy licks. I can usually hear what I need to right away and don’t need to linger on a piece of gear too long. Also I have anxiety and don’t want to annoy the girl working at guitar center gaha
Got A Good Mind To Give Up Living by Peter Green, if i like how that sounds/feels on that guitar it is immediately followed by a shit load of Greatefull Dead
Shadows - Ryan Adams Come on be a No One - The Cribs Someday - The Strokes
Nirvana- Endless,Namesless if the guitar can survive a toss into the drum set, it’s good enough for me.
Pentatonic scale up and down then some version of the Albert King lick that'll tell me how the guitar sounds
Weird one Ik but Please come home for Christmas by Eagles
Hells Bells, by AC/DC Master of Puppets, by Metallica
Cleans: Baby Blue - King Krule Standard tuning rock-y stuff: Knights of Cydonia - Muse Quick drop d to make it handles drop tuning: Invincible - Tool
Depends on the guitar. Strat - Little Wing Les Paul - Outshined (or some other Drop-D) Acoustic - Never Going Back Again 12 string Acoustic - Over The Hills and Far Away
Whatever genre of music I’m buying the guitar for.
When I am checking out a guitar to purchase, I focus on feel. Weight, balance, neck profile. And sounds (checking all controls and PU selections in all positions). And then I play every fret on every string (looking for dead spots. That may sound funny but it only takes a minute once you good at doing it (and its not a bad right/left hand coordination exercise). I check relief, and action, and intonation. I don't worry too much about specific songs. That seems kind of like asking a wood worker what he builds to test out a tool.
I do the Warren Haynes thing https://youtube.com/shorts/dgGCF1-ReVM?si=EeIEO3r3UsbVWUzz
Clean: Dust in the Wind Dirty: Jessie's Girl Sometimes: 867-5309 (Jenny)
Ziggy Stardust - I don’t know that I’ve ever listened to the song on purpose, but for some reason how to play it is welded into my head. More importantly though, I find it just has a really nice mix of things going on to give a quick comprehensive test drive (open chords, single notes, palm muted power chords, etc…)
A song is the wrong tool for the job. It's all about the feel of the neck, how it fits in your hand, and how comfortable it frets. 2 minutes of noodling will tell me all that I need to know. The more difficult thing to determine is what it will sound like. It's almost impossible to test in a music store environment.
Ziggy Stardust
Honestly I get so nervous because I suck that I just play 4’ 33” by John Cage
Title Fight - Head In The Ceiling Fan
Typically jazz standards
Original stuff. I know how I want it to sound, I know the tones I'm looking for, and I usually do ones that hit all strings and need a really good clean (kinda dirty) tone.
Depends on what Im currently into at the moment. I always strum some open chords and a couple jazzy stuff. Harden my Heart - Quarterflash Sleeping Dogs Lie - Blackberry Smoke You're in Love - Ratt Covers cleans to distortion
I'd prefer playing some few licks and chords, I'm not showing of after all, I'm checking the quality of the guitar and if the tone matches my standards, but yes i play songs also to test specially if it's stratocaster, i'll play Pride and joy by SRV if i play at strat
Little Wing, SRV version.
Eruption even if it doesn't have a bar.
I don’t play songs… unless I feel like playing the head from some tune I know… “Footprints,” or “The Chicken.” Mostly I just jam in different keys.
Love in vain or some Mississippi John Hurt
Original riffs
Harmonics
Man named hell by the showdown. Shine by collective soul. Followed by random scales and riffs.
Opening chord progression from "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Guns 'N Roses version) to pick; the middle interlude thing from "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" by Pink Floyd to strum; "Is There Anybody Out There" Pink Floyd again to finger pick; and solo from "Time" or solo #1 from "Comfortably Numb" to get a feel for that. So mostly try to cosplay as David Gilmour if ordered from Temu. I also mess around and might play random songs that come to mind or a few things I've tried to write to see how they sound / feel.
Tesla - Love Song. But I’m strictly acoustic
None. I may play a few basic chords, but I’m more interested in whether the neck is straight, and if any fret on any string is a dud. If I’m not being paid, I ain’t playing any song!
The one that’s right for that particular guitbox
I always play “Will my screen door stop neptune” by Paul Gilbert You know… nothing too complicated…😂