Do your guitars really sound different than each other?

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by TBman

I don't mean the Dread vs the Parlor, I mean similar sized guitars. I'm listening to a few online that I am interested in and I realize that I am drawn to the same tone that I already have. That makes sense, but where's the sense in buying yet another guitar then?

Perhaps you are drawn to the same tone that you already have because it is familiar...

[LakewoodM32Fan]

I have a personal theory that differences in sound from the player's perspective is very different than from out front. And I'm not simply talking about the thought of "oh a player is listening for more nuanced differences whereas an audience member is more likely just a normal non-player".

I'm talking about the same person (presumably the owner of the guitars) playing vs. listening.

For example: when I play my guitars I'm confident even blindfolded, and holding my arms out a bit so that I am not "cheating" by feeling the body size and type, I could pick out my guitars with a high degree of accuracy. Maybe 80-90% of the time.

But if you were to seat me in the audience and have someone else play them to me, my rate of accuracy would drop noticeably. I haven't been able to test this yet as I generally don't have a group of friends I invite over to play my guitars for me (I'm one of the very few players in my circle of friends). But I've invested in some pretty decent mid-fi (sE8 SDC pencil mics and AKG c214 LDC mics > MOTU M2 > Logic Pro) recording equipment, and I can tell you when I record and play back my guitars, the differences in tone are less pronounced in those recordings than they are when I was playing them.

When I flew for my shopping trip to Down Home Guitars in Chicago, Steve played a handful of guitars that I was interested in and they all sounded very similar out front (that's part of my buying process is to listen to prospective purchases as an audience member, including walking around to hear off-axis sound quality) but they all had more pronounced differences in tone when I was playing them.

That's just my own personal experience, YMMV.

[J Patrick]

My tone quest has gone through a number of phases….early on I gravitated to a certain type of tone and was generally in pursuit of that specific sound……when I started playing a lot in ensembles and as a side man I became obsessed with assembling a collection of guitars that varied greatly so that I could use them like different colors on a palette…experimenting with different combinations of tones…. it’s a concept I still use but I’ve also entered a period where my needs and desires are simplified….

….these days I pretty much rely on three distinctly different guitars…a small one….a medium sized one and a large one….and even though I may replace one I never try to acquire a guitar that sounds like something I own or have previously owned….

[Tycobb73]

Yes. I have a Taylor, gibson, Martin, and s yairi. They all sound different. My ears are fickle. What sounded awesome 2 hours ago now sounds like crap.

[dilver]

It’s always interesting to me to understand why certain models are considered “classics”. Martin D28 and D18. Gibson J200 and J45. Guild F412. There’s usually something that’s distinctive about the tone associated with certain models. While it might not appeal to you at first, there must be a reason why they’re popular. I never got the appeal of a Gibson acoustic until recently because I was always comparing it to Martins. When I stopped making the comparison and started to appreciate Gibson acoustics for what they do best, AND owning both Gibsons and Martins, I get it now.

[Aspiring]

I have some that are more and some less different.

I have some that I have for things that I do differently.

I have some that are extremely varied in how they respond in differences in playing.


For example my BlackBird El Capitan is great to leave out and my go to if I'm going to take a full size guitar to go play somewhere else. It does everything well and is more rugged but it doesn't stand out to me in any one area so it usually isn't the first guitar I grab when I am at home unless it is from something quick and I dont want to open a case. My Emerald X7 used to be my go-to guitar to take for lessons as I could leave it in the car or wherever with no worries and the small size made it a lot easier to carry around.

My J. Kinnaird West Coast has by far the most variation in tone depending on where in the string I play so it's my go-to when I am experimenting with figuring out how I want to change the tone on each note in a piece and often for recording if I want to make use of that variety. My Avalon D300 has the least and is the most forgiving so the most likely for me to grab when I want to sound good playing for someone live.

My Furch Little Jane or my Thompson T2 are the easiest to use to learn a new song as the small body means it is easier to move music around on a computer while still holding the guitar and the shorter scale in the Little Jane makes it easier to learn pieces with large stretches.

I also tend to leave a couple in different tunings and have some that suit different tunings better. The mutli scales on a couple also make something easier to play just by the way they change the fret positioning.

Some of the guitars are a lot more comfortable for longer play (including lighter weight) so they sound very different after a longer period of playing

[EZYPIKINS]

You bet. Not only do they sound different.

They make me play different too.

[blews]

Originally Posted by lowrider

I think that to the player, they all sound and feel different. To the person sitting there listening, they all sound like accoustic guitars.

Here's Jackson Brown's on stage guitar rack.



All those guitars mean a lot to him, but I doubt that to 99% of the audience, it makes any difference.

I remember seeing Jackson Browne with David Lindley in 2010….Browne used a different guitar on every song…..crazy…

And yes, all my guitars sound different….and they feel different…..

[darylcrisp]

yes, i've reached a place where the 6 that i have are totally different in tone, but can work in just about any type of music-based on the player-of course.

Martin: 00-18 reimagined series (sitka/mahogany)
Yamaha: LS-36 (sitka/EIR)
Larrivee: T-40 (sitka/mahogany)
Taylor: GT 811 (sitka/EIR)
GT 21e (all koa)
Gibson: LG2 AE (sitka/mahogany)

the sitka/mahogany models are different in size and brand and definitely sound very different to each other.

likewise the sitka/EIR, behind a wall i think anyone could hear a difference and easily be able to distinguish each time that it was in fact a different guitar.

the koa is all about itself and totally different than any of them.

[rstaight]

Each of my guitars has it's own sound. Some are closer than others bit still their own.

Kind of like children. Each one has their own personality.

[Zissou Intern]

I only have two guitars, and they are very different from each other, despite both being built from mahogany and red spruce. My D18GE is warm and dry and round with a full bass…classic D18. The Guild 12 fretter is deep and powerful and very punchy with a lyrical tone. They also feel and play quite differently.

[Rockysdad]

My group of guitars includes 4 L bodied Larrivée's, different back & sides, 3 with Sitka tops, and they do sound different, otherwise they'd be gone.

[RodB]

Originally Posted by EZYPIKINS

You bet. Not only do they sound different.

They make me play different too.

Agreed. For instance I have 2 McIlroys - same except wood. One needs to be played strongly to bring out clear bell like trebles, the other much more complexe and responsive needing a lighter approach.

On the other hand, as others have said you will have a characteristic style of play that will not only be heard in the music but also the tone produced.

So a contant search for a guitar that makes you sound like somebody else would be a bit futile...

[b1j]

To me it seems it will take me years to coax out the different tones possible from my three guitars. I will say, though, that with the J-45 in my hands for the past two months, I play differently than ever before. I suppose if I continued to acquire guitars with distinct timbres and personalities, I too could become one of those who own 6 dreads. But I'll never do it. I feel like I have enough to play with for my needs.

At the other extreme, Jackson Browne uses different tunings for each of several different songs; hence the need for so many guitars on stage. For example, for Something Fine he tunes the A string down to G. For My Opening Farewell it's simple drop D. Plus, he's obsessed.

[mrjop1975]

my Koa top Taylor 224 ce Koa deluxe is the same size as my Taylor 314 ce but has a different sound. Maybe the Koa vs Spruce top but they are the same size.