What $2500 buys you

[jpd]

My SO is tone deaf Thankfully, I am not.

[j3ffr0]

First one has more low end. Perhaps it has more resonance, and that's the type of thing people pay for in guitars. I'm going to guess that one is the $2,500.

However, it does not mean that the "best guitar" is the best recording guitar... particularly with the identical mic placement as every guitar speaks a little differently. With noticeably less lows and low mids, the melody sings a little better in the second clip to my ear.

I'm sure a lot could be done with mic placement and a bit of eq on either one not to mention whatever is going on in the room and my teeny little laptop speakers.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by jpd

My SO is tone deaf Thankfully, I am not.

Hey JPD, wouldn't you prefer to be the one who was tone deaf? It might save you thousands of $!

[ChuckS]

I'd say the 2nd recording is the more expensive guitar. I think my SO would be able to pick this out as well, assuming a good playback system.

I also agree with others that a recording of two guitars doesn't tell the whole story, unless all you care about is the recording. As a player, things like playability and feedback are so important, and to some extent we may also appreciate the aesthetics and construction details of a nicer instrument. Also, with a recording, the recording and playback chains will impart their own tone and limitations on the tone of each of the guitars, which may mask some differences.

What the player hears, while playing, is not limited by an electronic recording or playback system.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by TBman

One of these guitars was $400 new (with hsc, lol), the other $2,500 more. It's pretty obvious which is which, but would your SO or non-playing friends notice?

What doesn't help is that I didn't use nails on certain parts that needed them out of laziness, but still....

I love posts like this, and wish there were more of them.

Both guitars sound good on my Presonus E4.5 speakers. It's absolutely fascinating that some will prefer one sound, some will like the other, and that we can't all agree on which is which. For sure a non-player couldn't tell, and might not even be able to tell they are different guitars.

Is the second one just a tad louder? I preferred it. Especially in this solo application.

[J Patrick]

....well I guess it’s proof that we all hear things differently but I thought guitar number one had a more sophisticated tone with less midrange response and was more “expensive” sounding....

[247hoopsfan]

When I listen to most any guitar that has been recorded with microphones they all sound very similar. Like listening to Al Pettaway play the same tune on all those guitars, you can hardly tell the difference. Yet when I listen to a guitar played acoustically with no mic or pickup i can easily tell the difference. Sound amplification causes the bass to stand out a little more and makes all guitars sound like they have more overtones and sustain.

[jcpharm]

i prefer #2 (it is the guitar i would choose between the two) and because i prefer #2 i say it is the more expensive one (haha!) =).
#1 sounded good but had less clarity to the notes and sounded a bit more muddy to me.
if i find out #2 can be had for $400, i am getting my wallet out.

[KevinH]

I much prefer the sustain and richness of the second guitar. But I know that more expensive doesn't always mean a better sound to my ear. So I don't know which is the $2500 guitar, but I prefer #2 over #1, at least from that sound clip, which was very nice by the way.

[tbeltrans]

My sage advice here is to just pay $2500 for whatever guitar you buy and be done with it. Life should be simple.

Tony

[mercy]

For solo guitar I think the 2nd one was better or at least what I look for in a guitar. The first recording was very nice but it just didnt have as much.

[CASD57]

I agreed #2 has more ..Overtones Rosewood ?

[mawmow]

I would say Seagull first, Avalon second.

[BadWithNames]

Listening through headphones the difference was striking. As another poster suggested- it sounds like you applied reverb. I’ll guess that’s the $2500 guitar.

[zoopeda]

#1 Seagull, #2 Avalon.

The seagull is mahogany and cedar and Avalon Indian rosewood and spruce? That’s the difference right there. More shimmer, reverb, overtone in two (I think the cork sniffers call that “complexity.”). Is the Avalon bigger too?