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→Comfort
== Comfort ==
Playability above refers to the ease of playing the guitar (action, fretwork) and tonal issues (fretting out, buzz). Comfort is more about the irritations you will experience when playing.
A common complaint about a guitar is the bridge. Some bridges have protruding metal that can irritate or even cut your hand. Some are oddly shaped and feel strange when resting the side of your palm against it. Companies that specialize in bridges definitely take this concern into account in their design process. Cheap knock-off companies that produce every part in the guitar in-house don't. It may not seem like a big deal when playing for 5 minutes in a store, but it definitely is a huge concern when you play for an hour or more, day after day.
Body shape definitely has a huge impact on comfort. It affects the ease of balancing the guitar when sitting down and whether the neck will dip or not when standing up. The Fender Stratocaster is really the archetype of 80-90% of all electric guitars. Its curves are shaped to easily rest on your right thigh, but can also rest in between both thighs comfortably. The next-most iconic shape, the Gibson Les Paul I find a little less comfortable - it's curves are a little sharper and its body a bit thicker. Then there are the crazier shapes like Explorers, Flying V's, Warlocks, etc. I suggest you try these out and gauge if that special look is worth any discomfort associated with the shape.
Another concern is weight. Some guitars feel like a sheet of paper, while others feel like a log. This depends not only on the thickness of the body, but the wood type. Some guitars are even made of plastic or carbon fiber and are super light. Super heavy can be a concern when you have to gig or practice standing up - imagine holding up a dumbbell tied to a rope around your neck for an hour! Similarly, super light can also be an issue, if for any other reason than it feeling wimpy.
== Tone ==
== Aesthetics ==
