What do you play and what are you looking for when trying out a new guitar?

[river]

I personally play the same songs I go back to over and over so I can compare to what I've heard many times before.

My M.O. goes something like this:

1) Some Metallica rhythm to test out low end and 'chug' (Master of Puppets, just about any other song)
2) Clean Led Zep (Tangerine, Ramble on, Over the hills). Little Wing and random chording to listen for richness
3) Pink Floyd (Comfortably Numb solo), Cream (Sunshine of your Love) and Since I've been Loving You to hear that breathy human voice tone
4) Unchained and Give me Steps for rock tone
5) And if I like it enough to go on, whatever the guitar inspires me to play and stuff I've been into lately.


I'm wondering what songs you find useful for getting to know a guitar and and your mindset in making a decision when you only have a few minutes with it and can't bring it home. And is this any different with a new guitar build?

 

[musicispeace]

For me I usually do a blues inprov in A and then in E. I like to explore the south half of the fretboard the most anyway (between the nut and about the 8th fret) and like to hear some open B and E strings and double stops ringing to see what I think. I look for the wound strings sounding lively and touch sensitive rather than just bassy. I'll pluck harder to see what that results in although I am usually in between what I would refer to as timid on one end or SRV like on the other end. I like what I would describe as texture in the sound and I like a chunkier neck feel wise. Definately would rather dial down a bright guitar than have to deal with a dark sounding one. For a build, I think this process translates into sort of a dialing in and adjustment phase. But essentially I am looking for and doing the same thing. That's just me.

 

[Logrinn]

I don't think I have ever used any particular song when trying out a guitar. I just play and listen to it. But what I usually do though, is try out a guitar without an amp. If it sounds good "acoustically", then I'll take it to the next step and try it on an amp.
A badly set up guitar is a turn off, so picking up a guitar and fingering my left hand on the fretboard - without any actual playing - can more often than not make me hang the guitar back on the wall and try another instead. 

I like to explore the south half of the fretboard the most anyway (between the nut and about the 8th fret) ...

Isn't that the north half?  ???

 

[Ace Flibble]

Unplugged, the first thing I do when I pick up any guitar, new or old:
- check tuning
- open G chord
- quick single verse + chorus run through of Lights' Cactus In The Valley (all chords)
- Run down the G major scale with a couple of bends thrown in randomly
- check tuning

That's mostly to make sure the thing is going to stay in tune and isn't plagued with horrific rattles. If it passes that basic test, I'll give a few more random G major/E minor runs and repeat the same open chords—maybe throw in a bit of Knockin' On Heaven's Door—and I'm set.

I don't bother to test guitars plugged in, because I've never been in a situation where the available amps include whatever I've been using myself at the time, making tone tests irrelevant. At most I plug the guitar into a solid state amp just so I can quickly check the pots and switches work without popping and stuttering, and I'm done.

At this point I've completely lost count of how many guitars I've had, let alone tried, and I have a very clear picture of what suits me. It's been a good seven or eight years since I've felt the need to sit and play a guitar for a few songs' worth before buying it or not. A couple of chords and a major scale, unplugged, is enough to confirm whether the guitar is a good example of the type and whether I want to buy it or not.


edit: I will add that if I am testing an amp, I do have a much longer and very specific order of songs I play through, looking for specific sounds. Guitars though, eh.