Which guitar sounds the best? Martin, Taylor, Seagull, etc

[thestubbyone]

So many of us have opinionated ideas on what guitar sounds the best and is subjectively to their liking, including me. Listen to this video and see if you can ID which guitar is which and also which sounds the best to you. see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgPYPNvg3AI

[Winkyplayer]

*Listens to youtube-compressed guitar demos on phone using crappy external speaker. Definitively claims that guitar A is much better sounding than B.

*Views compressed digitized photograph/scan of analogue photograph on computer screen. Definitively claims the warmth and quality of film-based photography over digital.

*Listens to MP3 version of digital recording of vinyl record (made from digital master). Definitely claims than analogue vinyl sounds better than digital recordings.

Nah, I'm just kidding. Good luck with your quest. I'll only really comment on the sound of guitars I hear in-person, with known-to-be newish strings.

[Railroad Bum]

It's impossible to judge an acoustic's actual sound from any sort of video. You have got to hear it for yourself in person. Play it yourself, then have someone else play it. That is how you will know.

[Robin, Wales]

I love these blind tests because they blow apart all the rubbish we talk about guitars. You'll get very few folks taking a punt on what's what because no one wants to make a mistake.

It is true that you don't get a true impression from a sound clip..... But if guitars are recorded side by side then we can hear relative differences in that particular setting.

All the guitars sounded like you playing guitar...... If I played those same guitars they would sound very different to your recording. And that's the same for anyone.

I have to say that I did find it a very difficult listen. Your playing timing and accuracy was all over the shop (possibly red light syndrome) and that threw me as a listener. So my initial reaction was that all the guitars sounded bloody awful. And that's more to do with the choice and execution of your chosen demonstration piece of music than the guitars themselves.

Anyway, I'm going to go for 4 and 5 being larger bodied guitars, so perhaps the Martin if it was a dread and the Seagull if it was an S6 size. The Lag and 2 Taylor guitars being in 1 - 3, assuming that they were slightly smaller bodied models.

[A Scot in Otley]

Originally Posted by thestubbyone

So many of us have opinionated ideas on what guitar sounds the best and is subjectively to their liking, including me. Listen to this video and see if you can ID which guitar is which and also which sounds the best to you. see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgPYPNvg3AI

A cynic might suggest you're poking the AGF bear with this innocent wee question. I admit I haven't looked at your video (my laptop is running out of electricity) but in the spirit of honest debate, and ignoring the obvious 'the answer is in the question' reply, I would add the following to the sum of subjective opinion filling up our atmosphere.

On the basis that all guitars are properly constructed and finished, my view is that they all have their own voices: and they will all do a job. One may prefer one type of sound to another, but that is of course subjective depending on influences and styles.

I recently played a very expensive guitar by a luthier in UK, which was made of Elvish wood, and strings made in the smelting furnaces of Mordor. ... and it was nice. I've reduced my number of guitars to two - both different (one deeper tone, t'other more middlish) and they do me just dandy. No less nice than the magical one - but I prefer mine to that one. Subjective? Of course. Although two different (annoyingly good) guitarists at a local open mic prefer one to the other and have claimed first dibs on them.

My wife's first ever guitar (£20 in the early 70s - and overpriced at that)
- plywood everywhere and no fretboard all worn to buggery - , has a strong mid to high sound base which still makes a **** fine fingerpicker for blues, and other stuff. Not worth tuppence, but cannot be removed from the loft without fear of Chaos ruling the Earth.

I like the sound of my mate's old D28 - he's a 1930-50 s style flatpicker and that guitar just works fab for that. But it isn't 'better' than my guitars for the type of stuff I play. I've tried loads of guitars at shops, all the usual suspects (Martins/Gibsons/Taylors/Yamahas etc etc) and most are okay. One or two jumped out at me as suiting me just great - one was a wee 12 fret blingful Taylor, and a D45 Martin. But the Auden I have jumped out at me too. The Eastman does a job - it has an insanely low action (lower than my electric), but it works for me.

Anyway, I've subjectively blethered enough. I shall put my tin helmet on and withdraw.

[Stonehauler]

Even if things were not distorted by bad speakers and compression, sound is very subjective.

The properties I like about Taylor might not be in a Martin, so I might favor them, while others might favor the qualities a Martin might bring to the table. Some might favor the slope shoulder dreadnaught (Jumbo for the Gibson fanatics), while others might favor the square shoulder dread sound of a Martin. Some might like the sound of Mahogany like the Hummingbird, while others prefer the maple sound of the Dove.

When I asked for opinions of my F-512 and thoughts about Rosewood vs Maple, I got a variety of opinions. Most seemed to prefer the rosewood version, but I am very glad I got my maple version.

Just get what sounds good to YOU, and don't worry about what everyone else thinks.

[jmagill]

Which ice cream tastes best, Tillamook, Haagen Dazs, or Ben & Jerry's?
.

[PassingThru]

Originally Posted by jmagill

Which ice cream tastes best, Tillamook, Haagen Dazs, or Ben & Jerry's?
.

Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla

[Sadie-f]

For starts, playing anything by the Eagles guarantees I probably won't like any of the recordings (/snark)

A little more seriously, for the test to be double blind, the person playing needs to not know what guitar they are holding, I'm taking it you didn't blindfold yourself and have someone hand you the guitars, and I'd also say that your approach to the hotel California opening isn't the same in all the guitars played. I think it's basically not possible to blind effectively with instruments you know well (I can pick out my own guitars easily).

I am tempted.to say you played them in the order in your text explanation on the YT video, I'm also tempted to say you personally like #4 best, as you seem to be playing .. more thoughtfully? ..

I more or less agree with your sister Maryann on rating ;-)

[Charlie Bernstein]

I have no idea. I can often recognize Telecasters and Stratocasters in recordings. That's about it.

In fairness to other people who flunked this test, I remember a many-page argument on the Telecaster forum about whether Grady Martin was playing steel or nylon strings on "El Paso," and over a dozen experienced guitarists couldn't agree — even after someone came in with an informed answer.

And that's steel versus nylon, for heaven's sake! Ears are funny that way. Here's another psychoacoustics example:

Q: How do you make a Telecaster guitar and Supro amp sound exactly like a Les Paul plugged into a Marshall stack?

A: Use a Tele and Supro on the first Led Zep album and put out a lot of publicity photos of Jimmy Page playing a Les through a Marshall. Voila! The signature Jimmy Page Les/Marshall sound!

[abn556]

I’ve learned through many errant purchases, that you cannot buy guitars or amps solely off demo videos on Youtube. It can give you an idea of what it “could” sound like, given Pro Tools and some creative PC work, but it rarely sounds at like what you end up with if you purchase something basely solely on video comparisons.

Best bet is to go play them in person. One of the better comparison video guys on Youtube is Ian Meadows if you have to do online comparisons.

The best sounding acoustics I have played in person over the last couple of years were:

Gibson SJ-200 Western with Rosewood B&S.
Gibson Hummingbird Custom Koa
Gibson J-45 Custom Shop
Martin 000-18
Martin 0M-45

[rollypolly]

it's also not just the sound a guitar puts out that matters. I have an s6 that I swear sounds an awful lot like a few Martin dreads I've owned, but the s6 is very obviously not built to the same standard as the Martins. There's a special feel and connect that can be made with a well made guitar. Nothing against the Seagull though, I actually really like it and connect with it as well, it's just different.

[FrankHudson]

Haven't listened yet. The thread title's question indicates that sound is a hierarchy. Sound isn't, and when that sound it intentional musical, no more so.

I have some Seagull guitars. Do they sound better or worse than my Martin guitars? No, they sound (and play, and respond to my playing) a little different and that's why I have them.

You may not mean it that way, you could have just written the thread title casually and are more at "can you tell each guitar's voice in a blind test?" As someone mentioned above, I can sometime think I can tell which guitar I played on an older recording I made -- but oftentimes I cannot. So many things impact the sound you hear on a recording, and the construction of the particular guitar is only one of them.

Sitting in a room, just playing one of my guitars and then another, I enjoy how they sound different, and how they respond and play differently. That's a joy of being able to have more than one.

I hope to have time to listen to your test later.

[thestubbyone]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

I love these blind tests because they blow apart all the rubbish we talk about guitars. You'll get very few folks taking a punt on what's what because no one wants to make a mistake.

It is true that you don't get a true impression from a sound clip..... But if guitars are recorded side by side then we can hear relative differences in that particular setting.

All the guitars sounded like you playing guitar...... If I played those same guitars they would sound very different to your recording. And that's the same for anyone.

I have to say that I did find it a very difficult listen. Your playing timing and accuracy was all over the shop (possibly red light syndrome) and that threw me as a listener. So my initial reaction was that all the guitars sounded bloody awful. And that's more to do with the choice and execution of your chosen demonstration piece of music than the guitars themselves.

Anyway, I'm going to go for 4 and 5 being larger bodied guitars, so perhaps the Martin if it was a dread and the Seagull if it was an S6 size. The Lag and 2 Taylor guitars being in 1 - 3, assuming that they were slightly smaller bodied models.

I was going to re record these clips of the different guitars to more make them exactly the same but, then I thought about it. If a slight change in style timing makes it impossible to determine which is which, then how different are these guitars really? Are some worth paying $5K for? And I think you are right, no body wants to stick their neck out and make a guess, lis their on line reputation they risk. Very subtle differences in sound occur, although after recording I could tell some difference in sound. I shared my recording via email to find out what just listeners, not players, thought about the sound and hardly anybody was certain which one they liked the best. So the morale of the story is, its the guitar player not the guitar that makes the show. And the real difference in deciding which guitar to purchase, once a decent sound has been accepted, is the playability, cost, and reliability of the guitar. And if it costs $500, dont be ashamed. Here's a video of an incredible guitar player playing an electric guitar worth $250. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHqX...9A9mHG&index=2

[kizz]

Originally Posted by thestubbyone

I was going to re record these clips of the different guitars to more make them exactly the same but, then I thought about it. If a slight change in style timing makes it impossible to determine which is which, then how different are these guitars really? Are some worth paying $5K for? And I think you are right, no body wants to stick their neck out and make a guess, lis their on line reputation they risk. Very subtle differences in sound occur, although after recording I could tell some difference in sound. I shared my recording via email to find out what just listeners, not players, thought about the sound and hardly anybody was certain which one they liked the best. So the morale of the story is, its the guitar player not the guitar that makes the show. And the real difference in deciding which guitar to purchase, once a decent sound has been accepted, is the playability, cost, and reliability of the guitar. And if it costs $500, dont be ashamed. Here's a video of an incredible guitar player playing an electric guitar worth $250. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHqX...9A9mHG&index=2

Just like guitars sound different, there are different reasons why people choose the instruments they play whether the price is $500 or $4000 or more, a blind test can't change that, people buy what they do anyway. But one thing is for sure, a well-written song doesn't care what guitar it was written on.