I’m a fan of visually attractive guitars. Guitars with glossy finishes that sparkle on stage when light reflects on them always have my attention.

Using a visually eye catching guitar can be great in a live situation. It can add to the image you want to portray for yourself as a performing musician. You can also brand yourself in a specific way by using stunning guitars. Take a look at the guitars in the pictures found in this article on how famous guitar players dress.

Using an attractive guitar can, however, cost you quite a lot of money. In most cases boutique instruments are the ones that look the best. There is another option however. You can simply modify an existing guitar. Nothing is stopping you from replacing the scratch plate with something visually appealing, like a pearl pickguard. You can even go as far as to replace the bridge and tuning keys with gold ones.

It’s true that everyone has their tastes when it comes to guitars so what I find appealing may not necessarily work for you. In this post I’d like to highlight some of the guitars I find the most visually appealing. Here are some of my favorite guitars from a visual perspective…

Music Man Guitars

I think Ernie Ball hits the nail on the head when it comes to appearance. To me they out do all other guitar manufacturers. Music Man mainly specializes in signature guitar model for some incredible guitar players like Joe Bonamassa.

I also like the Ball Family Reserve guitars. These guitars go the extra mile on the finish. They do, however, cost slightly more than the regular colors.

Red Fender with White Pearl Pickguard

I don’t know why, but I love the combination of a pearl pickguard on a red Fender guitar, particulary a Strat.

Ibanez Guitars

I don’t like all Ibanez models, but I think some of them are very attractive. The Jem (Steve Vai’s signature model) is definitely eye candy if you see it in real life. I also like some of the glossy finishes I see on Satriani’s signature model.

I’v always thought the Mich Thomson Ibanez is a great looking guitar even though I’m not heavily (pun not intended) into his music.