Which one of these is the higher-end guitar? (BLIND TEST)

S_Spruce · #1 03-13-2016, 05:43 PM

NOTE: The Guitars are revealed on post #48

I just made a blind test video hoping to get some feedback from the community about which guitar most people here find having a more desirable sound. I'm not a professional but I played a few random passages (Should have asked someone who knows how to play, I know...) on two nylon string guitars (both have brand new EJ45 strings on them) and recorded myself with a pair of Line Audio CM3 microphones going into H4n, in a well treated room. I did no processing to the files other than normalize everything to -3 db.

People keep talking about diminishing returns when it comes to guitars, saying lots of cheap guitars can compete with expensive ones easily in a blind test. Well, I didn't find too many such tests and decided to create my own. Please, tell me about your preference, A or B, and if you care, comment about what kind of quality/price range these guitars you think belong to... Maybe mention the materials you think they're made of (maple, spruce, solid-top, all-solid, laminated, etc.). Take a guess about whatever sounds familiar to you. Should be fun!

I will identify the guitars really soon - once we have enough votes to make this worthwhile.

https://youtu.be/ET4fthCG5-Y

Imbler · #2 03-13-2016, 07:01 PM

I'm not an audio guy, so I have to ask what is meant by normalizing to -3db.

Does that raise both guitars to the same sound level, or does that normalize the dead air, so the volume of the guitars is what we would hear relatively if we were in the same room comparing them?

Guitar B sounds kind of amped up to me, and I don't know if that is a characteristic of the guitar, or it was raised to be the same volume as guitar A.
thanks,
Mike

Paraclete · #3 03-13-2016, 11:53 PM

There are more factors than just price in comparing classical guitars. Some guitars sound like crap with certain strings. For example, anything less than high tension on mine is horrible....muddy and muted.

Generally, A sounds warmer but less articulate than B. But again...strings. I put Pro Artes on my Ramirez once, and it made it sound like a $500 guitar.

I've done fairly blind tests on classical guitars, sitting in a music shop, playing guitar after guitar with a friend, not looking at any labels or price tags. Let's just say there is a difference that is more noticeable playing than listening.

Norman2 · #4 03-14-2016, 05:00 AM

Hi, I like the sound and clearness on guitar B. A to my ears has less volume and sustain,
sounds muted. My two cents worth. Definitely guitar B. Regards
Norman2

ZippyChip · #5 03-14-2016, 07:14 AM

I would choose B

YamaYairi · #6 03-14-2016, 07:30 AM

A sounds more pleasing to me. B has more mid range and treble than I care for. I will not guess which is more expensive because I have found that price is a poor predictor of sound. I have played some pretty expensive classical guitars that I didn't like as much as my Yamaha GC-3D.

sirwhale · #7 03-14-2016, 08:15 AM

They sound very different.

A has less definition but more bass

B has less bass but has much more clarity and note separation. It also performs better on the trebles.

Which is the higher end guitar? ... I'd say B.

rdeane · #8 03-14-2016, 10:10 AM

Each had its strengths, but I liked B better overall. Won't guess on which is pricier since it isn't necessarily what equals "better".

S_Spruce · #9 03-14-2016, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imbler

I'm not an audio guy, so I have to ask what is meant by normalizing to -3db.

Mike

That means raising the volume of both recordings so that -3db is the absolute highest peak the sound can ever reach. This insures that we get a relatively equal volume on the tracks.

S_Spruce · #10 03-14-2016, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YamaYairi

A sounds more pleasing to me. B has more mid range and treble than I care for. I will not guess which is more expensive because I have found that price is a poor predictor of sound. I have played some pretty expensive classical guitars that I didn't like as much as my Yamaha GC-3D.

Should we take that as a vote for A then?

Your GC-3D, by the way, is wonderful instrument and isn't cheap either. At or above that price level, it's all about colors and preferences, I think.

riffmeister · #11 03-14-2016, 11:43 AM

B sounds more boxy and has more midrange. A sounds more mid-scooped and is a bit more mellow overall.

OP, were you playing with a plectrum, or fingers flesh only, or fingers with nails?

S_Spruce · #12 03-14-2016, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riffmeister

B sounds more boxy and has more midrange. A sounds more mid-scooped and is a bit more mellow overall.

OP, were you playing with a plectrum, or fingers flesh only, or fingers with nails?

Chords with finger, passages with a plectrum.

Any guess at what is the higher-end guitar?

riffmeister · #13 03-14-2016, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by S_Spruce

Chords with finger, passages with a plectrum.

Any guess at what is the higher-end guitar?

I couldn't say which is more expensive. But I do hear differences in their sound as noted above.

charles Tauber · #14 03-14-2016, 12:05 PM

A.

Though I'd bet that neither are "high-end" instruments. That is, neither has the tonal characteristics that I would describe as "high-end", regardless of price. Price isn't the only indicator of tonal "quality", however "quality" is defined by the individual listener.

S_Spruce · #15 03-14-2016, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

A.

Though I'd bet that neither are "high-end" instruments. That is, neither has the tonal characteristics that I would describe as "high-end", regardless of price. Price isn't the only indicator of tonal "quality", however "quality" is defined by the individual listener.

Fair enough. In this kind of situation, it would be interesting to get your rough estimate about what price range these might possibly belong to, in your opinion.