Sound Vs. The Intangibles...

[Shades of Blue]

Another thread got me thinking about what makes us fall in love with a guitar. Is it purely sound? Is it playability? Or, could it simply be the way the guitar makes us feel when we play?

I think just about any Martin sounds better than my J-45 to my ears side by side, but nothing gives me the feeling that the J-45 does. The J-45 turns me into a guitar playing madman. My foot starts tapping and I just lose myself. Yes, it sounds great, but it doesn't sound better than a good HD-28, or even a D-18.

Does anyone else have a guitar that they know isn't necessarily the best sounding guitar ever, but is their favorite nonetheless?

[golfreggie]

For years for me I was really poor and had only 1 guitar, therefore I always felt good when I played it. When I became able to move up in quality and price, it was a progression, and the guitar I had at the time made me feel good when I played it. I now have 3 guitars and they all make me feel good when I play. I have never had a guitar that did not make me feel good when I played. I guess I just love the look, feel, and sound of guitars

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I think just about any Martin sounds better than my J-45 to my ears side by side, but nothing gives me the feeling that the J-45 does.
Does anyone else have a guitar that they know isn't necessarily the best sounding guitar ever, but is their favorite nonetheless?

You bring up more questions than answers I think. The side-by-side thing is really really important. You could be totally happy with the sound of your J-45 too... until you play it next to something else. In fact, a lot of what we hear in these comparisons are based on what our ear has adapted to in the previous moments. Our ears adapt to the sounds around us as to your eyes adapting to colors and our noses loosing sensitivity to odors once exposed long enough.

But yeah, the feeling can bring a sense of exhilaration too. Perhaps that's why I love my D35 with the Sunbeam strings. The sound just resonates through my entire body. But it sounds pretty darn amazing as well. And perhaps that's what I've been chasing in my Taylors. The feel that a tsunami of sound is coming from them (as well as great sound). That's what I loved about the Gibson SJ-200 that I played several months back. It made the Taylor 814ce sound like a toy (and sorry I let that one slip through my fingers).

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

You bring up more questions than answers I think. The side-by-side thing is really really important. You could be totally happy with the sound of your J-45 too... until you play it next to something else. In fact, a lot of what we hear in these comparisons are based on what our ear has adapted to in the previous moments. Our ears adapt to the sounds around us as to your eyes adapting to colors and our noses loosing sensitivity to odors once exposed long enough.

But yeah, the feeling can bring a sense of exhilaration too. Perhaps that's why I love my D35 with the Sunbeam strings. The sound just resonates through my entire body. But it sounds pretty darn amazing as well. And perhaps that's what I've been chasing in my Taylors. The feel that a tsunami of sound is coming from them (as well as great sound). That's what I loved about the Gibson SJ-200 that I played several months back. It made the Taylor 814ce sound like a toy (and sorry I let that one slip through my fingers).

Excellent point! I think the only guitar that has ever floored me with it's sound has been the D-45 I played at a local shop. I'd sell everything for that guitar without a doubt, but that isn't a wise decision I think. I've grown to like my 000-28, and the J-45 just has attitude. I think that a LOT of guitars sound good, great even. I just have only played one that was noticeably better than everything else so far.

[brencat]

It's the whole package, Shades. A guitar that sounds great but is challenging to play is no more satisfying than a great playing guitar that is sterile sounding or missing something.

We all hear and feel things differently and it's totally subjective. I think I'm (finally) at the end of my guitar buying and selling journey, but had to go through the guitars I did to get where I am now, and regret nothing. It was fun, I learned a lot, and my evolution as a player helped shape my current stable of guitars. There will always be something better out there. The question is, at what point do we stop caring to find out ? That's an individual decision.

[Orfeas]

I see instruments as unique and not as better or worst. Its how I bond with the instrument and has nothing to do with the maker/model etc. I love my OM because of many factors including what I feel when I play.

[Pnewsom]

I think that there comes a point in a player's development were they know pretty much how they want to sound and know how to achieve it through their hands.

Then guitar selection becomes more down to what gives up that sound most easily, and what really makes you have to work for it. This seems to hold true for both acoustic and electric instruments.

I've come to think that it is mostly down to how the notes bloom and decay, not so much the "tone" per se. I've played guitars that created notes like hitting a hammer, very fatiguing to listen to for any length of time. Other guitars can be most expressive through just the opposite situation were you draw the notes out with texture and sweetness.

Over time a player's opinion of what sounds good can change though, especially when playing in group situations.

[ManyMartinMan]

For me it’s the total package. First impression is the looks. Like a first date, you initially like what you see, or you don’t. Next it’s the handshake. How does it feel, smell. This can enhance your opinion of the looks or could make you forget about the looks for a while, while you get the sense of how it feels in your hands.

Next comes the conversation. How does she sound? Witty? Smooth? Complicated with a strong vocabulary? Or dense and hard to figure out? In the end if she can’t speak to you in the quiet, intimate moments, it really doesn’t matter what she looks like. You’ll tire of her and move on to another 000 or OM. It’s the total package.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Another thread got me thinking about what makes us fall in love with a guitar. Is it purely sound? Is it playability? Or, could it simply be the way the guitar makes us feel when we play?

I think just about any Martin sounds better than my J-45 to my ears side by side, but nothing gives me the feeling that the J-45 does. The J-45 turns me into a guitar playing madman. My foot starts tapping and I just lose myself. Yes, it sounds great, but it doesn't sound better than a good HD-28, or even a D-18.

Does anyone else have a guitar that they know isn't necessarily the best sounding guitar ever, but is their favorite nonetheless?

Well that's kinda like saying you like Carol best, but take out Sandra all the time instead

Not sure if Carol would think you like her best,

[Goodallboy]

No. Sound is everything in my guitar world.

[Placida]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

I think just about any Martin sounds better than my J-45 to my ears side by side, but nothing gives me the feeling that the J-45 does. The J-45 turns me into a guitar playing madman. My foot starts tapping and I just lose myself.

Sounds like your Martin is the girl you bring home to meet Mom & Dad; your J-45 is the gal in the next neighborhood that you've been sewing some wild oats with. he hehe

Yes, I have one like that. Guitar that is .....

[muscmp]

no, i don't have a favorite and no brand loyalty. i do have to say that my 0015m is my songwriting partner since it doesn't get in the way of my singing as it is quite balanced. still no favorites.

play music!

[51 Relic]

For me with my Martin OODB was the size and neck shape and the amount of volume and tone that came out of such a small body just love it . But I have a real soft spot for my Yamaha’s . The LLTA is simply amazing , not just on price but the whole package . My SLG200S I couldn’t be without for leading worship in church the NTX is great for nylon string use . But for a plugged in folk gig it’s got to be the J45 , the look and sound and simple nature of the guitar just works . But the winner for me .The LLTA Yamaha , when I first played it my wife said straight away “what guitars that, it looks and sounds really expensive “ she didn’t believe me when I told her the price she wouldn’t let me leave the shop without it

[Quebec Picker]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Does anyone else have a guitar that they know isn't necessarily the best sounding guitar ever, but is their favorite nonetheless?

Lately I've been playing my Guild OM-120 almost exclusively, and haven't picked up my Gibson J-15 in a while. Even though, every time I play them back to back, my feeling is, "wow, the Gibson sounds way deeper and lusher and better." Obviously the size (OM vs. Dread) and the woods (Spruce/Walnut vs. All mahogany) just make them very different sounding guitars. But, when I play them back to back I'm conscious of how much better the Gibson sounds. Then I immediately go back to playing the Guild.

Part of this for me has to do with a change in playing style. I used to almost exclusively play fingerstyle blues. In the past few months I've been strumming and singing more. And the Guild seems to inspire my singing more, for whatever reason.

But I guess at the end of the day it comes down to this: qualifiers like "better" or "best" are ultimately meaningless. "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so" (Willy Shakespeare). I remember reading a study they did with 18 year olds where they played the same song on a CD and then a compressed MP3 version. The youngters mostly said the the compressed MP3's sounded better. Which makes sense, cuz that's what they grew up hearing. I grew up with CD's, so those would always sound better to me. We know what folks who grew up listening to records would say.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by Placida

Sounds like your Martin is the girl you bring home to meet Mom & Dad; your J-45 is the gal in the next neighborhood that you've been sewing some wild oats with. he hehe

Yes, I have one like that. Guitar that is .....

Great analogy!
I will repeat what I said elsewhere.
My D18 sounds wonderful but it doesn't "rock".
The J45 rocks!