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→Aesthetics
== Aesthetics ==
Aesthetics typically refers to the body/headstock shape, fretboard wood, inlays, finish, hardware color/finish, control layout, and binding.
===Body/Headstock Shape===
Besides the sillouhette, also pay attention to the "top". This is really the ''face'' of the body - the part facing the audience. Some bodies use a rounded top to give the guitar a more 3-D look, which I find appealing.
===Fretboard Wood===
Fretboards typically come in 3 types of wood:
* Maple (Tan)
* Rosewood (Dark Red/Brown)
* Ebony (Black)
Maple can also be quilted, birdseye, or some other special kind of maple, where the woodgrain presents different patterns.
Rosewood has various shades of color and woodgrain patterns depending on the exact kind of rosewood used.
Ebony typically has no noticeable woodgrain pattern that is visible at a distance. It just looks black.
===Inlays===
The fretboard typically has mother of pearl or black (for maple fretboards) inlays. Usually these are simple dots; however, some manufacturers use different designs such as shark tooth, shark fin, skull & crossbones, rectangles, trapezoids, or custom shapes/designs. Some even use no inlays for a very clean look, or only put one inlay on the 12th fret. It's worth taking the time to view the different variations to determine if one really strikes a chord with you.
===Finish===
Most finishes are glossy - they reflect light very well and tend to shine, like a new car. The finish might be a simple clear-coat, so the natural color and wood-grain of the body wood is visible. Or the wood may be stained and then clear-coated. Traditionally, this is a ''hot'' color like red that still has a natural wood feel; but it doesn't have to be - there are blue, green, purple, and other staining options available. Another option is a flat color. And yet another is a sparkle option, which can range from an exorbitant glittery look to a suble sandy look.
Within all these options, the guitar may be sunbursted, where the color fades darker towards the edges. Or the guitar may have two colors, with one color masked, so there's stripes or a similar pattern from one color on top the other.
Some finishes are ''flat'' - as in, not glossy.
== Features ==
== Pickups ==
== Hardware ==