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  #31  
Old 02-03-2020, 07:30 AM
The Bard Rocks The Bard Rocks is offline
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Charles is saying it's objective - for him. His wants may not be the same as yours, but if you know what you want, his test can help you decide in an objective way. You may pick the guitar he rejects or vice versa, but each of you have done it in an objective way.

Remember, this is one of several things that he examines, and is not his sole criterion. When we look at a guitar we want one that works for us, not for Charles Tauber (unless of course we both like the same things). A method such as he uses brings objectivity to a subjective process.
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  #32  
Old 02-03-2020, 07:57 AM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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Being a retired music teacher I suspect that everyone knows I'm not rich. But I do perhaps allocate a higher portion of my spending money toward instruments (because I want to, not because it necessarily makes sense).

I don't seem to have any problem evaluating instruments before they come home, and have never had that kind of buyer's remorse. I'm already playing a nice guitar (see first paragraph), so when I'm shopping it's to replace the nice guitar with a nicer guitar.

I do play as many instruments in my target pool as I can get my hands on and I do take a guitar buddy or two along so I can hear the guitar from the audience perspective.

But I don't have a big collection of guitars and I have very specific wants and needs which no doubt eliminate a lot of guitars from my process, so that makes it all a lot easier.
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  #33  
Old 02-03-2020, 08:37 AM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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When I have evaluated guitars, I have found this guideline useful to add to the mix. I think that probably using a combo of subjective and objective criteria is ideal but I generally have had the best success with using what my ears and hands know is true for me along with a luthier's advice from their experience and perspective.

https://www.premierguitar.com/articl...c_Guitar_Sound

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Jayne
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  #34  
Old 02-03-2020, 08:42 AM
GeneralDreedle GeneralDreedle is offline
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I have three guitars, all dreads and each a little different. I deliberately built up the collection for differences, and I remember before each purchase thinking if the prospective new guitar sounds different enough to buy it. I still like looking and I think now my strategy will change- if I'm getting a new one now I'll will trade one of the ones I have.
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  #35  
Old 02-03-2020, 08:45 AM
Klimski Klimski is offline
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I bought my first acoustic because it was very cool looking (Epiphone PR5E) and my second because it was very cool looking, a cool brand (Guild) and affordable for a US built acoustic. Then I sold them (along with most of my other guitars). Bought a Yairi because of looks and hype, didn't get along with it. And finally picked the guitar I loved both sound and feel of, in a proper guitar store ...for a 'measly' Eur 300 (about 350 dollars). Still really like it! So, my advice is now: play tons of guitars and buy what your ears and fingers suggest.. And don't ignore guitars from around 200 bucks upwards.
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  #36  
Old 02-03-2020, 02:21 PM
Joe Beamish Joe Beamish is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charles Tauber View Post
This is my last shot at it...

I can drop a ball from a height of 10 feet then measure how high it bounces. I can do that with different balls. I can repeat it with the same ball. It produces objective data.

What is subjective is whether or not the ball bounces as high as one desires it to. If one ball bounces 5 feet and I want a minimum bounce height of 6 feet, then that isn't the ball I want: it doesn't achieve what I want. If you want a minimum bounce height of 4 feet, then that same ball will do what you want. The height that ball bounces doesn't change. What changes is one's criteria for pass or fail. The criteria might be subjective: the height that the ball bounces is objective and repeatable.

If you play the E note on the 12th fret, 6th string, you can measure its duration - either qualitatively or quantitatively. That is (for the most part) objective data that is repeatable. If that note has a duration of, say 1 second, you can apply your subjective preference of whether or not that is of sufficient duration.

If you then play the E note of the 5th string, 7th fret, you can measure its duration. Does that note ring as long, longer, or shorter in duration as the 6th string note? That is objective data. You can then apply your subjective preference of whether you want the relative duration of the second note to last as long, longer or shorter in duration than the first.

You can do the same for the E note of the 4th string, 2nd fret.

Ditto for other characteristics or "qualities" of the three notes, including harmonic content, timbre, volume...

I don't know how to more clearly illustrate the difference between obtaining objective data and then applying a subjective criteria for determining if it is "good" or "bad". The point of the test is to provide data that can then be subjectively assessed. To apply the assessment, you have to be aware of your subjective preferences - what you consider "good". "Good" is subjective, the data you obtain is neutral and objective.
Right, you're saying, "have a systematic way of assessing a guitar" instead of just running through a couple chords or songs. What that systematic method happens to be, is up to you the guitarist. The point is consistency. Check. Totally agree.

What other methods do you apply? It seems several of us have expressed interest.
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  #37  
Old 02-04-2020, 09:31 AM
crw crw is offline
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I really like the idea of Tauber's test. It seems like a neat way to possibly add a measure of objectivity to the quite subjective task of evaluating the sound of a particular guitar.

I wanted to note here that pianos are laid out so that each hammer strikes its strings at a point that is about one seventh of their vibrating lengths from the bridge. This is to try to achieve the same ratio of harmonics for each note. Might one want to keep this in mind when plucking the 'E's on the guitar? The effective string lengths in that test are very different.
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