Are all guitar reviews too positive?

[slooky]

Originally Posted by Jack Orion

I present some video reviews for a site called www.acousticreview.co.uk (Mods: I hope it's ok to mention the site but take down the link if it's an issue).

We're not affiliated to any brands but we do receive money from advertisers.

My approach is to be fair and I prefer to review from a positive viewpoint - ie I'm looking for the good stuff rather than the bad stuff. I was explaining myself to the videographer the other say and I came to conclusion that I'd rather '**** with faint praise' than out and out criticise something!

I like to think I point out things that aren't good enough, such as finish flaws or glue spill, or mention if the factory setup could be better, but I wouldn't say something like 'this guitar sounds bad'.

I might say 'it lacks detail' or 'it doesn't have lots of sustain' or 'it's a bit bright for my liking' but, having worked in guitar retail for 12 years previously, I can recall hundreds of times where I thought a guitar was 'bad' and then a customer loved it and thought it was the best thing ever.

It's a tough line to walk - being honest but not just putting things down because I don't like them and keeping in mind that my opinion, although valid, is not the be all and end all of opinions on the matter.

I checked out your site. I did enjoy looking at your videos.

[agfsteve]

Originally Posted by Jack Orion

I present some video reviews for a site called www.acousticreview.co.uk (Mods: I hope it's ok to mention the site but take down the link if it's an issue).

We're not affiliated to any brands but we do receive money from advertisers.

My approach is to be fair and I prefer to review from a positive viewpoint - ie I'm looking for the good stuff rather than the bad stuff. I was explaining myself to the videographer the other say and I came to conclusion that I'd rather '**** with faint praise' than out and out criticise something!

I like to think I point out things that aren't good enough, such as finish flaws or glue spill, or mention if the factory setup could be better, but I wouldn't say something like 'this guitar sounds bad'.

I might say 'it lacks detail' or 'it doesn't have lots of sustain' or 'it's a bit bright for my liking' but, having worked in guitar retail for 12 years previously, I can recall hundreds of times where I thought a guitar was 'bad' and then a customer loved it and thought it was the best thing ever.

It's a tough line to walk - being honest but not just putting things down because I don't like them and keeping in mind that my opinion, although valid, is not the be all and end all of opinions on the matter.

Excellent reviews, some of the best I've seen.

[mawmow]

I wrote some "reviews" and committed some writings about personal experiences and some guitar comparisons : As I had nothing to sell I could write my actual findings and appreciations.

I read and watched a bunch of "reviews" from professionals as well as brick and mortar stores based reviews : I would not say reviewers polished the products, but they may not point to least interesting aspects, while they would put the item in the level where it belongs as an entry level instrument would not compare to a mid-range exceptional one, at least as price is concerned.

[Tnfiddler]

Ok, here’s a not-online, non-professional review of my D41 that isn’t all positive! I LOVE this guitar overall, BUT one thing I’ve noticed is that it’s so loud and has so much bottom end, it can become overpowering when you’re singing and if it’s being mic’ed onstage, if you get to close to the mic, that big bass can really roar in your monitor! I never thought that a guitar could be too loud.

[jaymarsch]

The problem with reviews, both good and bad, is that there are so many variables and personal preferences that many times, reviews just are not helpful no matter which side they fall on. I have tried out guitars based on good reviews, went and played a few and I didn't concur with the reviewer at all.

Best,
Jayne

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Turp

...I do think with careful examination you can find some retailers and buyers who provide more critical reviews.

I'd be happy to post a detailed, no-holds-barred critique of the post-2008 MIC Epiphone electrics vs. their Korean predecessors, but Forum guidelines dictate otherwise...

[personatech]

I seem to remember seeing a review of two guitars (Guild Memoir P240 parlor and Guild Memoir D240 dread) where it was obvious that the reviewer(Acoustic Guitar mag, perhaps?) much preferred the dread and stated why.

I tend to prefer "shootout" reviews - 2 or more comparable guitars compared with each other in a similar setting. You can learn a lot there.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by Tnfiddler

Ok, here’s a not-online, non-professional review of my D41 that isn’t all positive! I LOVE this guitar overall, BUT one thing I’ve noticed is that it’s so loud and has so much bottom end, it can become overpowering when you’re singing and if it’s being mic’ed onstage, if you get to close to the mic, that big bass can really roar in your monitor! I never thought that a guitar could be too loud.

I appreciated reading this. When searching for reviews of a particular guitar I’ve run into long lists of overwhelming positive reports most of which are often new purchases in the honeymoon phase - sometimes it’s like trying to find a needle in the haystack to come upon a write up that reveals just a little more about the guitar in question that makes it more realistic, helpful and more fully dimensional.

[bufflehead]

I instinctively distrust reviews. All reviews. If one tells me that a given guitar has great tone and playability, it forgets to mention that the guitar weighs twice as much as it ought to. If another review praises a guitar's volume, it fails to mention its lack of sustain.

The only rational way to appraise a guitar is to play it.

[Silly Moustache]

Regardless of the motivations of reviewers, What product "sucks" for one person, might "blow" or whatever the modern parlance is.

In my experience most of us develop an "ear" and an "eye" for tonal and build quality over the years.

The only "beginners" guitars that I really think are "bad" are the laminated jumbos cutaways with photographed grain or colours and "built in" electronics, sulied with a "free" strap, gig back and two freepicks!

"There you are sir/madam - everything you'll ever need and all for £150!"

I run a music club and occasionally visit others by request, and someone might turn up with a guitar which has a tone (or more like it absence of tone) that really offends my ears.

I don't even have to see it - I can tell that it is bad by the first couple of chords or plinks.

There is a group of youngsters in my town that are puting themselves about all the clubs and open mics and jams.
They are tolerably good musicians, but one of them plays "Vintage" brand guitar, which I doubt had ever seen a new set of strings and it sounds like an accident in a barbed wire factory.

Yes, of course we all have to start somewhere and for most of us we have to start at the bottom.

[Brent Hahn]

"Suck" is a verb, and I hear it used by Brits all the time. While Her Majesty might use "disappoint," at least in public, I bet William and Harry say "suck."

[ChrisN]

Video "reviews" anymore are promotional, not critical. 90% of "reviewers" omit reference to specs critical to guitar players ("go to the wholly inadequate website for more info").

I don't want to hear subjective and hyperbolized assessments of aesthetics - I can see those for myself. What's the neck profile? Thickness at 1st and 12th frets? Nut width? Fretboard radius? What's the fretboard made of? What size frets are on it, and what are they made of? What string gauge does it come with? Don't tell me the tuners seem to hold their tune, or that it's (obviously) got strap buttons, tell me the string spacing at the bridge. Tell me about the stuff I can't easily change, like whether the fretboard feels too wide at the 12th fret, the compositional wood(s), and whether it's all solid or part laminate.

Fit and finish quality is fair game, but tell me how it came set up from the maker. How is playability? Fret ends OK? Does it buzz anywhere? Relief was within spec (some makers add excess relief to avoid buzzes caused by weak fret work)? Is the truss rod single or double-action? Where does it adjust? Soundhole? Headstock?

Then play it the way a buyer might. If it's an acoustic, don't just strum, add some fingerstyle so we can hear that. If it's an electric, play each pickup alone and combined, going from clean to heavier distortion, and tell us what amp and/or pedal you're using. Sound/tone are subjective, so use good quality recording and production gear, then tell us what was used. If it's an acoustic with a pickup, play it with, and without, the pickup turned on so we can hear how it sounds without the assist.

Finally, you're in the room, and you're the player. Tell us what it's like to play and to hear, as the player. If it sounds like a cheap plywood box, say so, so we don't make a $$$ error. If it's got great bass response, but weak elsewhere, tell us that. Leaving out the bad stuff could lead us to make a mistake, but leaving it in won't get you paid, I understand.

Promoters promote, which is fine so long as it's clear, but true reviewers should review the entire experience. After watching hundreds, I have quickly learned who I can go back to for solid info (too few), and who I shouldn't waste time on (too many).

Today, everything (not just guitar stuff) on video's about the "clicks" and monetizing for revenue - that will be our downfall. That's my "review" video rant.

I've been a loyal reader of guitar magazines for almost 35 years so I've read my fair share of gear reviews. Most are glowing to the point of being uninformative. I wouldn't say reviewers are being deliberately dishonest but you almost never see a negative comment anymore. I avoid review videos. I actually find them even worse than the magazine reviews.

[Bob Womack]

You raise an interesting point. There may be another angle to the whole thing as well. I run a website with over 100 articles on it, including many reviews, that have built-up over eighteen years. I actually started the site while I was on staff for the TGF, later the AGF, as something of a FAQ to answer questions that repeatedly came up here. When I first started the site in 2001, it was hosted on a hosting service that automatically inserted banner ads at the top and bottom of each page. Somewhere in the first couple of years of its existence, a couple of AGF readers emailed me and said they didn't like advertising and felt it detracted from my site. So, when the AGF was formed and migrated to a new service and I became the administrator for a while, founder J.R. Rogers graciously offered to move my little site onto the AGF server with no ads. Later he purchased a dedicated server for the forum and I moved out on my own.

All of that to say, I don't have ads and I don't receive compensation, loaners, freebees, or considerations from manufacturers. I am absolutely independent and have no pressure to slant my reviews any particular direction. There are limitations to my scope, partially based up my particular tastes and emphases in guitar playing and partially based upon the fact that I am a good shopper. What? Yes, I indeed spend an inordinate amount of time before I throw down my hard-earned coin for a product. As a result I have a lot of background information on my gear and rarely encounter a dud.

So, my reviews are necessarily about useful items. I do give suggestions for improvement but doubt many manufacturers notice. Well, I have had a couple of my reviews picked up by manufacturers for use on their sites but none have reimbursed me or given anything except a "thanks" after the fact. But the basis for my reviews is to help others make up their minds when looking for similar gear, to educate, and to entertain. Hopefully I accomplish that goal.

Bob

[rgregg48]

As mentioned many of the guitar reviews are by compensated endorsers. Others are strongly influenced buy the relationship with the manufacturer. Any objective review will reveal both positive and not so positive features of the instrument.

"Beautiful but you are paying for bling

"Weak tone and volume. Very affordable and great beginner guitar.

Top shelf luthier made guitar. best of the best if you have the 10k and can wait 10 years.

A Taylor is a Taylor

Bottom line trust your ears. Hands and budget
And take the reviews as vague guidelines.