#1
|
|||
|
|||
Is there really a difference between acoustic guitars? Listen!
Well, of course there is! I thought I would try out my usual 2-mic method (Rode NT1 at 12th fret, angled toward soundhole. MXL LDC at lower bout) with different guitars to hear the difference in them that isn't always as noticeable when playing.
See if you can figure out which is which! I play 3 things on each guitar, only the first's 2nd thing is a little different than the others. Guitars used (not in this order), all with Martin Lifespan strings - but some have older, some newer strings, and all have different gauges): 2020 Taylor 324ce Builders Edition mahogany top/urban ash body grand auditorium cutaway 2012 Taylor 310ce spruce top/sapele body dreadnaught cutaway 2011 Fender CD140sce spruce top/laminated rosewood dreadnaught cutaway 1973 (?) Epiphone 6830 spruce top/laminated rosewood dreadnaught
__________________
Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
Hey Mike, you know your recording is mono? With spaced pairs, you're going to get quite a bit of phase cancellation that way, so the recording isn't going to really capture the sound as well as if you were in stereo. If you want mono, I'd consider using a single mic.
__________________
Music: Spotify, Bandcamp Videos: You Tube Channel Books: Hymns for Fingerstyle Guitar (std tuning), Christmas Carols for Fingerstyle Guitar (std tuning), A DADGAD Christmas, Alternate Tunings book Online Course: Alternate Tunings for Fingerstyle Guitar |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
I don't think there is much of a phase issue with both mics the same distance from the guitar - I just compared the recording switching between panned/mono and only the 'space' changed.
__________________
Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
Ah, ok. That was kind of my thought tho, if I heard them in stereo I might be able to tell them apart. Listening with one ear :-), they kind of sound the same.
__________________
Music: Spotify, Bandcamp Videos: You Tube Channel Books: Hymns for Fingerstyle Guitar (std tuning), Christmas Carols for Fingerstyle Guitar (std tuning), A DADGAD Christmas, Alternate Tunings book Online Course: Alternate Tunings for Fingerstyle Guitar |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Try the other ear! I can distinctly hear differences in each, specially when switching between the same passage on each guitar. Of course, Soundcloud's compression feature does rob some sound.
__________________
Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
They definitely sound different. I don't know the guitars well enough to say which is which, but it's obvious that there are different guitars being played.
__________________
Jim 2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi 2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood 2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar 2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce 2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce 1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos. YouTube |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Epi (10s)
Fender (11s) 324 (12s) 310 (13s)
__________________
Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
It was a happy day when my recordings got clean and clear enough that I could later on tell which of my guitars I had played when listening back to them.
__________________
Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love To be that we hold so dear A voice from heavens above |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
A good guitar player makes all guitars sound good
__________________
Goya g10, Yamaha CN525E, 10string classical, Babilon Lombard N, Ibanez GA5TCE Alvarez a700 F mandolin, Epiphone Mandobird Ovation 12 string 1515 Takamine F349, Takamine g340, Yamaha LL6M '78 Fender Strat Univox Ultra elec12string Lute 13 strings Gibson Les Paul Triumph Bass Piano, Keyboards, Controllers, Marimba, Dusty Strings harp |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Equally good? They all sound the same?
__________________
Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love To be that we hold so dear A voice from heavens above |
#11
|
||||
|
||||
Agreed. How you record may make different things sound the same, the same thing sound different, or with a high degree of 'realism' with the right gear / methods / space.
__________________
Chuck 2012 Carruth 12-fret 000 in Pernambuco and Adi 2010 Poling Sierra in Cuban Mahogany and Lutz 2015 Posch 13-fret 00 in Indian Rosewood and Adi |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
I definitely could tell some differences, but they all sound good.
I felt the last one was the “warmest” but maybe a little less articulation. It did have the thickest strings though. I venture that a well crafted and adjusted guitar will sound good, the difference between such guitars nuance and preference more than better or worse. I suppose within a group of guitars with similar broad tonality, the playability match to a guitarist is the most important thing. |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Rick....obviously not...but if I was listening to an isolated recording with any one of them ....and not doing a sidebyside, it would sound good. It's like video....when the content is important, it makes little difference if it's 4k, 1080p, or even mini dv. I'm a acoustic guitar lover. I like the content. The particular sound source is irrelevant. Give me a good guitarist on a yamaha fg over a average guitarist playing a d28...always. And we're not even into the sphere of re-guitar and IR's yet. I was obviously interested how the fender compared and happy with the results. Thanks /k
__________________
Goya g10, Yamaha CN525E, 10string classical, Babilon Lombard N, Ibanez GA5TCE Alvarez a700 F mandolin, Epiphone Mandobird Ovation 12 string 1515 Takamine F349, Takamine g340, Yamaha LL6M '78 Fender Strat Univox Ultra elec12string Lute 13 strings Gibson Les Paul Triumph Bass Piano, Keyboards, Controllers, Marimba, Dusty Strings harp |
#14
|
||||
|
||||
Yes, obviously not. Yet when conversations about the sound of different guitars begin invariably there is a comment about so and so can make any guitar sound good (like the guitar played does not even matter). Maybe it's just in part that the listener likes that style of music or that particular piece, or the sonority of the tuning the guitar is in. It's really a different topic than the guitar's own goods.
__________________
Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love To be that we hold so dear A voice from heavens above |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
But we are not talking about the “any” guitar here. These are all fine guitars. None on them sound bad. Just different, a little. I would not look at this list of guitars and say they only sound good because of the player. They sound good, and the player sounds good. I could make them sound bad, but that isn’t the guitars fault, and I have heard good players make a $10 Hello Kitty plastic ukulele sound pretty awesome. |