How many of you compare your guitars, back to back?
 

While practicing for an upcoming gig, last night. I decided to play my Bourgeois AT Vintage D Banjo Killer and my Reimagined D41 back to back to see how they compare. I was playing along to the same song, using the same pick, they have the same strings, I was sitting in the exact same position, well trying to do everything the same. Folks, it's CLOSE! Looks-wise isn't a competition at all, because the Ambertone finish combined with the Style 40 abalone is a combination that I think is one of the most beautiful guitars I've ever seen. Overall Fit and finish is extremely close and I'll give the edge to Bourgeois since their finish is more rugged and doesn't haze and mar up like the Martin does. The D41 has a little more bottom end but it's extremely close due to the Bourgeois have double scalloped torreried bracing. The Bourgeois has more overall volume, but it's closer than I would've thought it would be. I'm going to say that tone is a VERY CLOSE tie! They both sound amazing with little subletities that make each one unique and different. The Bourgeois has a little more balance and more of what I would call a sparkle to the tone that gives it more clarity and note separation. I can't take away anything from the 41 though, because it's so smooth and is a phenomenal guitar for playing country rhythm on. If a person were trying to decide between these guitars for a purchase, they'd have to go back and forth playing them and it would be a tough decision. I'm going to try to find a way to get both of them recorded with good equipment and get some sound samples on so I can do a blind test and let you decide which one you like the best.

Every time I receive a new guitar, or am trying to decide whether to let one go, I do this very thing for several hours over several days.

I'd tell you to save time on the recording, and just play a couple feet away from a wall in a sitting position so the guitars are making little contact with your body. This will give you a more true picture of their tonal characteristics.

I've heard your Bourgeois and despite the banjo killer bracing, it's very similar to mine in many ways. The biggest differences between the D-Vintage and a Martin Rosewood dread to me are:

-- Bourgeois has a clear and clean reverby lower register. The Martin bass goes boom and overpowers everything else.
-- Bourgeois is more fundamental sounding, despite being Rosewood. A Martin is much more chimey.
-- Bourgeois upper mids and highs decay quicker. Martin highs ring longer and hang in the air longer too.

So they sound nothing alike to me, personally.

Also!
 

Funny enough I did this just last night with my 00's, one rosewood and one mahogany and they are very different!

I often play my guitars back to back, but never to compare them. Each of the guitars I own are purposely very different (size/woods/scale length/brand). They each have their individual strengths and weaknesses, and there is very little similarity in how they sound or how I use them. For me, I see no need to have two guitars that are quite similar as my old ears probably aren't keen enough to parse subtle differences.

Mine has super secret ultra torrifed
Space age scalloped,broken in with a 19 foot high
Experimental tonerite developed by NASA
But it seems the b string is a little weak!

Every time I get a new guitar, I play it daily for a while, change strings and may even make some string trials.
Then I would often time take two guitars side by side and play "pieces of the day" alternating the guitars.
It helps me refine my ear and appreciate sound characteristics of each guitar.
Ultimately, it helps deciding whether I keep or let go a guitar.

My problem (if you want to call it that?) is I always seem to be thinking of a different guitar than the one currently in my lap. Maybe that's a sign that I've reached saturation point? :D

I never A/B/C/D/E/F/G my guitars. For me it gets in the way of productive practicing and being musical. And since my guitars are all so different, some guitar(s) comes out seeming like the loser due to an unfair comparison. I don't need to be thinking that way. YMMV.

Whenever I try out something new and consider purchasing it, I always compare it against something that I know well. Although I'm quick to notice if something seems better or worse than what I'm used to, it is difficult for me personally to realize how much difference there is in the absence of a known comparator. When I picked up my RainSong last week, I immediately noticed an improvement in the fullness of tone in the treble register - but it wasn't until I compared it with a couple of my instruments that I realized how big of an improvement that it was (realizing that this fullness of tone in trebles would not be a good thing if you like zingy brighter sounding trebles with strumming, etc.).

I do once in a while... did last night a bit, but it's not a regular occurrence.

I wonder if you'd think they were so close if you were sitting out in front listening to them.

Admittedly I do it too much. For instance, this Iris DF has me rethinking if I really am the rosewood dread kind of guy I thought I was :)

I do it with picks all the time. 4 bluechips, 2 charmed life, 1 casein, and a dunlop 207. And that's not even counting the 3 bluechips I sent to my dad to try out!

I’m with you here. I might drag a couple out to play, but not to compare. I really think back and forth comparing means the goal is comparing guitars and not finding out what music you can play with each of them. Find guitars you like, then enjoy them - is my motto.

I have 2 or 3 out all the time and am constantly switching back and forth. I don’t really think of it as a competition to see which is best. The guitars are pretty different and I like to see how they sound on everything I play. It’s just part of the fun.

Jeff

Of my three acoustic guitars, I've only compared my HD-28 and J-45 since they're both similarly sized. They each have their own tonal thing going which is why I have both. My 00-18 is for fingerpickiing and I feel there is no need to compare it with the others.

For about four months last year I had both my 00-18 and a 000-18. I was only going to keep one as I felt it was quite extravagant (at least for me) to have both. I did compare them quite extensively and ended up keeping the 00-18 as I felt the tone for fingerpicking was more of what I wanted to hear.