Taking a bit of a cue, from another thread about what songs you play in a music store, I thought I'd start a separte one.

(Copied and pasted from the other thread.)

The first thing I do in a music store when I pick up a guitar, is tune it, and then check the intonation of all strings, using harmonics on the 12th fret. If it passes this quick check, I play it. If it doesn't I put it back on the shelf, and grab other guitars, and repeat this process till it does. Then it's a round of several first position chords strummed like E, C, D, G, to see if the guitar remains in tune with itself. Then, a Liz Cotten tune, followed by Deep River Blues, and then some Travis things. If the instrument doesn't capture my interest within 4-5 minutes, I put it back. Usually with these things, I know instinctively within the first couple of minutes, by the feel of the neck and the tone. Only after it's captured my interest, do I start looking at it cosmetically for cracks, overspray, binding chips, neck angle, bridge, height of the saddle, height of strings in the nut, flatness of the top, etc.etc.

(But because I am a recovering G.A.S.-oholic, I don't go to stores anymore just to play guitars. I only set foot in one if I've come on a purchasing mission looking for something specific.)

So what's your routine when you're in a store checking out a guitar? What things do you check, and look for? What are the things you can and can't live with? Turn ons? Turn offs?..etc.etc.