Blindfold test - 14" carved set vs 16" laminated set vs 17" carved floater

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I've spent several hours over the last 3 weeks dialing in my newly acquired Fuchs ODH110 and learning how to get the best tone from it for each of my guitars. I've used it on 5 gigs, and it's amazingly versatile. Now I wanted to answer three questions:

• How good is the ODH110 as a straight ahead jazz amplifier?
• Are the major differences in guitar materials and construction audible when amplified?
• Can we consistently tell them apart?

The guitars (all 7 strings) are a 14" solid carved Eastman El Rey archtop (spruce top over mahogany body) with a set KA HW 14 pole, a 16" laminated Benedetto Bravo with a set KA HW 14 pole, and a 17" carved Eastman 810CE7 (spruce top over maple body) with a floating KA. All 3 have TI flats (112s on the El Rey and Bravo, 113s on the 810) plus a 75 thou Chrome 7th. The pick is a Dunlop Jazztone 204, and there's some hybrid picking but no pure fingerstyle. All were recorded on Audacity with my TASCAM DR40x as a DAI, close mic'ed with the onboard crossed cardioids on the DR40x. The amp is an open back combo with 10" Celestion neo. I used the clean channel with flat EQ, a hint of reverb, and the depth trim pot about halfway up.

I tried to play these as alike as I could, taking some liberties just to keep it spontaneous. See if you can identify which is which:







I was a bit surprised at how really close they all sounded despite the major differences in size, design, materials, and construction. I could get them to sound even more alike with EQ tweaking, but I thought the way the ODH amplified them each with flat EQ was instructive as well. Along with the similarities, you can definitely hear the differences among them (some of which are very subtle). I love them all, and I love this amplifier !!

[Archie]

Well for laughs because I don't believe you can hear a guitar through a pickup.

1) The small one
2) The bigger one
3) The 7 string one.

Great playing though.

[joe2758]

Just want to say nice playing!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Well for laughs because I don't believe you can hear a guitar through a pickup.

1) The small one
2) The bigger one
3) The 7 string one.

Great playing though.

Thanks! They’re all 7s - I switched from 6 over 30 years ago. Your observation addresses one of the questions I wanted to answer. I agree (and this little test strongly suggests) that the differences among small, large, maple, mahogany, carved, laminated, set, floater etc are nowhere near as big through an amp as they are acoustically.

Pickups also have identifiable characteristics. All 3 of these guitars have KA humbuckers. The 17” carved box has a floater and there are set 14 pole HWs in the 14” carved and 16” laminate. I think they all share a general sonic personality, and (fortunately enough) it’s one I really love.

I’ll break the code after we get enough responses to make analysis statistically significant

[Audioguy5]

I've spent several hours over the last 3 weeks dialing in my newly acquired Fuchs ODH110 and learning how to get the best tone from it for each of my guitars. I've used it on 5 gigs, and it's amazingly versatile. Now I wanted to answer three questions:

• How good is the ODH110 as a straight ahead jazz amplifier?
• Are the major differences in guitar materials and construction audible when amplified?
• Can we consistently tell them apart?

The guitars (all 7 strings) are a 14" solid carved Eastman El Rey archtop (spruce top over mahogany body) with a set KA HW 14 pole, a 16" laminated Benedetto Bravo with a set KA HW 14 pole, and a 17" carved Eastman 810CE7 (spruce top over maple body) with a floating KA. All 3 have TI flats (112s on the El Rey and Bravo, 113s on the 810) plus a 75 thou Chrome 7th. The pick is a Dunlop Jazztone 204, and there's some hybrid picking but no pure fingerstyle. All were recorded on Audacity with my TASCAM DR40x as a DAI, close mic'ed with the onboard crossed cardioids on the DR40x. The amp is an open back combo with 10" Celestion neo. I used the clean channel with flat EQ, a hint of reverb, and the depth trim pot about halfway up.

I tried to play these as alike as I could, taking some liberties just to keep it spontaneous. See if you can identify which is which:







I was a bit surprised at how really close they all sounded despite the major differences in size, design, materials, and construction. I could get them to sound even more alike with EQ tweaking, but I thought the way the ODH amplified them each with flat EQ was instructive as well. Along with the similarities, you can definitely hear the differences among them (some of which are very subtle). I love them all, and I love this amplifier !!

1. 17 inch carved
2. 14 inch El Rey
3. 16 inch Bravo

[John A.]

They sound slightly different, but if you told me they're the same guitar with different amp settings I'd believe you. Here are my guesses
1. 810 with a floater
2. Bravo
3. El Rey

Pretty sure none of them is a strat on one of the in-between settings.

[deacon Mark]

I agree they all could be the same guitar. In that case I believe the Benedetto is the most expensive by far and therefore I would say going for sound only don't buy a Benny.

[mr. beaumont]

I think the third sample is the El Rey.

Maybe.

[rpjazzguitar]

I heard them as progressively slightly warmer.

Without knowing anything about the guitars or their components, I'd say smaller to bigger body.

But I wouldn't bet anything on that.

[WilliamScott]

in the order you introduced them, small to large. But it is a guess.

[Rob MacKillop]

I can’t say which guitars are used in order, but I can say I like the first track the most. There’s something about it which brings to mind 1950s sounds, but I might be way off.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I can’t say which guitars are used in order, but I can say I like the first track the most. There’s something about it which brings to mind 1950s sounds, but I might be way off.

Wow - that's old!! Even Hogan's Heroes didn't come along until the mid '60s, and I haven't seen my fifties in many years

[Sigmund451]

Nice, I like 1 and 3.

I think the second is the laminate. Its nice and more even but a tad more electric sounding.

Im gonna say 1 is the 17 inch carved and 3 is the 14 inch carved. The very high notes on 3 are a little thinner.

I could be totally wrong but thats my guess.

[213Cobra]

All three guitars sound pretty distinctly different to me, though within a jazzguitar.be accepted tonal family. I have no familiarity with the El Rey or the Bravo. I know the Eastman.

Just guessing since I don't know two out of three, but:

1/ Bravo
2/ El Rey
3/ Eastman 810

Phil