Neck Binding: Yay or Nay

[lex666]

If you had the choice of 2 similar guitars, one with neck binding - the other without, which would you choose?

[uOpt]

Strong dislike. I want my frets fresh and the binding gets in the way.

[ImmortalSix]

Bound fretboards everywhere!!!!!!!


Even looks good on Fenders:

[TheProphet]

Depends on the guitar.

[jake_xms3_punk]

im with I6 on this one!

[jrbowen81]

Depends on the guitar, but I highly favor guitars that typically have it.

[blueman335]

Depends on the guitar.

+1. Looks great on LP Stds and Customs, not so much on SG Stds or Specials. An LPC has to have binding on everything...but an LP Special shouldn't have any. In general, the fancier and more upscale a model is, the better neck binding looks on it.

[Varg]

Yes, I prefer it on pretty much every guitar (at least the ones I like). But I own quite a few guitars that dont have it and I love them.

[JOLLY]

I love binding on guitars, but it's not a requirement. By no means is it a deal breaker to me if a guitar doesn't have binding.

[rumblebox]

i think binding always looks good depending on the color or material of the binding. for example: my LTD's look great with creme binding. the higher end models look like hammered **** with excessive abalone binding.

[Andrew Lamprecht]

I don't know... I like the way it looks... I just hate how it gets in the way sometimes.

[TheLivingDead]

Depends on the guitar. But, with that said, I don't prefer it.

[JOLLY]

I don't understand what a couple of you mean by saying the binding gets in the way. I've never had any binding get in the way of my playing or anything else.

[uOpt]

I don't understand what a couple of you mean by saying the binding gets in the way. I've never had any binding get in the way of my playing or anything else.

Of a refret.

[ex-250]

Almost always "yay"

[Jessie's ghost]

Depends on the guitar.

+1 It didn't take me long to get over the prejudice that "binding is always better". It doesn't correlate strongly with a superior instrument, and it doesn't always look better.

Given two guitars that appear to be very similar except for one having neck binding, I'll find another difference that means more to me. Better still, I'll pick the one that feels and sounds better to me.

[80's_Metal]

looks great but doesn't mean spit for how good it plays or sounds..... I'm on the fence...

[Ayrton]

which would you choose?

The one that sounds better.

[Andrew Lamprecht]

I don't understand what a couple of you mean by saying the binding gets in the way. I've never had any binding get in the way of my playing or anything else.

If I am playing sometimes I'll get a dead note because the string being over the binding. It's rare but I'd rather have it not happen at all.

[bluesbend]

Got some with, most without.