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Here is one solo, played on 3 guitars, broken into segments of 4-7 seconds each, interchanging in the same sequence for about a minute. The guitars, not in order of appearance, are an Epiphone Elitist Broadway, a Gibson L5ces, and an Aria Pro II PE180. The amp is a Yamaha G100-210, flat EQ. Microphone is a Bluebird, set about 3 feet from the amp, going into a ProSonus Audiobox iTwo, and from there via USB/Lightning port to my iPhone 6s.
No tweaking except input levels to prevent clipping. No additional EQ, reverb, whatever.
As the clip plays, a picture of the 3 guitars with the numbers 1, 2, or 3 displays so you know which guitar is playing.
I will be most interested in what distinctions you all hear in the tone.
I also want to say I really hate playing "gotcha" with people. For me, this is just fun, just mind-broadening. I'm not trying to prove the Gibson is obviously better or worse, not interested in whether the clones are identical to the Gibson or to each other. I am just interested in how the tone of each is characterized, and how close you think they are, and of course, how well as a group we can identify which guitar is playing.
So this is offered in the spirit of fun conversation, not antagonism or conflict.
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04-04-2017 12:23 PM
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If I weren't watching the screen as you switched guitars, I wouldn't know there was more than one guitar!
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Agreed, I don't think I would have noticed if it wasn't spelled out and the slight audio jumps weren't there. The difference is certainly less than what could be appreciated on a gig. I suppose the real difference in how you like the feel of each guitar.
Seeing as Mark locked the last thread on this subject here's to hoping it remains civil.
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I'm with Klatu. I wouldn't have known you were switching guitars. I did like the tone in the very first lick best but I would just chalk that up to playing and the advantage of being first. My initial reaction as that it was pretty much what I think of as perfect L5-type tone right out of the gate.
EDIT: This time I actually watched the numbers as the video went by. My preferences were 1,3,2 but the differences were REALLY small.Last edited by Jim Soloway; 04-04-2017 at 01:01 PM.
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Same hope here. I hesitated to post because of that concern.
Originally Posted by drbhrb
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Many thanks for that. I tried very hard to capture each guitar's sound as fairly as I could. That was why I went with the Yamaha amp instead of the Polytone. Sometimes I actually think the Polytone was designed for a certain kind of sound, whereas the Yamaha seems to me to be a little more transparent. Everything I play through it is at once a little more crisp and a little warmer. Originally Posted by ScoopTheMids
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BTW the audio jumps I actually introduced by adding a 0.1 second space between each clip. Otherwise, I wasn't sure anyone would believe there was a different instrument being played because the transition itself was much smoother than normal. Originally Posted by drbhrb
For what it's worth, I used an Aebersold backing track for "Out of Nowhere" and played note-for-note the solo by Jimmy Raney that's on the Aebersold Vol. 20 set. That uniformity, plus the visible wave-forms in my software, made sync'ing up the sound pretty straightforward. This was unusually close, though, so I inserted the .1 second space just to be sure.
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Most importantly, nice playing Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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Thank you for that. Late in life here, trying to improve a bit on my chops, and letting Jimmy Raney choose the notes for me is working out pretty nicely! Originally Posted by drbhrb
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Great work. Could not tell the difference. Best of all, I enjoyed your solo.
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you too, can play that solo! Aebersold Vol. 20 is devoted to Jimmy Raney and this solo is in there, note for note! We're working on it in the Jimmy Raney study group on this forum. It made sense to use it since I knew I could play it 3 times more or less the same. Originally Posted by pilotony
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Thanks for the info. Whether you read it or not, it was well played. I'm also trying to improve my playing late in life. I'm sure I speak for many when I say you make a significant contribution to this group.
Anthony Darienzo
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That's very kind. Some here can tell you from time to time I am way too "in touch" with my inner A$$hole, but I'm seriously in recovery and trying to be a better person every day. Originally Posted by pilotony
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Your chops are pretty darn nice, an inspiration to many others of us trying to puzzle this complex and complicated music out "late" in the grand scheme. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
Also ... I do a lot of pro advising in video post production, editing & some colorist. I deal daily with people who set up tests to show "X" is happening because the software is "wrong". 98% have little enough knowledge of video codecs, software, or the hardware used so all they show is typically a strong stubborn streak of their own Utter Ignorance. (I do have to be nice anyway ...)
Occasionally of course someone actually does a beautiful job of trapping out an issue. Beautifully thought out, technically perfect test, and explained simply and clearly.
Like yours ... keeping all volumes and tones at 10 avoids the changes that different wiring harnesses would induce. Playing to that stable backing with the solo you chose shows the basic tone of each guitar, and as the backing and lead are very easy to distinguish, aid without getting in the way.
After listening to this, it's apparent many of us would enjoy listening to a fine player on any of the three rigs. To determine which we each might prefer would be down to the feel in the hands and in playing with the tone harness, what each can do there.
Those are very difficult to determine except in person. But that we should consider all of these ... is very clear.
Stumbling fingers still need love ...Last edited by R Neil; 04-04-2017 at 01:48 PM.
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I didn't look at the screen, I listened to it on a good audio setup and if I didn't know you were switching guitars, I would think it was all the same guitar.
I have 4 hollow body archtops including a 77' Aria PE-190 and the differences between them when amplified and when adjustments to amp EQ are made i.e. two guitars don't have tone controls, the differences are slight. Acoustically and feel wise, they are worlds apart. In my case, the PE190 is a floater (KA Handwound) and the guitar is heavy with a pressed spruce top. The acoustic tone is surprisingly loud but one dimensional. My GBAA is a much lighter guitar especially when considers that big Guild tailpiece and big honking headstock The acoustic sound is not as loud as the Aria but the acoustic tone is very 3 dimensional if you will. Amplified and played with pick not so much.
One reason, why I have become a fan of soundports on my classical and acoustic guitars is the nuances and subtleties of tone that are lost during the amplification process (and muddled in the face of incoming sound) are increased at the player level.
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Lawson --
Deep thanks for all your time and work.
Those differences are truly minute. With a band, in a club, at gig volume, and no peeking I would never be able to tell which one was which.
Could there be a better promo for the Aria than this? They ought to pay you!
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The overall sensory experience of playing individual instruments (typically acoustic archtop guitars) is what I tend to focus on these days. IMO, the sound performance quality of most decent electric and electrified guitars is pretty good, and is easy enough to adjust. FWIW, I can't tell which is which of the three guitars while listening through my computer. Originally Posted by drbhrb
Last edited by Hammertone; 04-05-2017 at 12:27 AM.
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Look out Dutchbopper here comes Kentuckybopper.
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Well done.
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One thing this did for me was separate out two different things. One was, which guitar do I want to listen to? The other is, which guitar do I want to play? Then i suppose one could ask what the interplay between those might be.
Ironically, as I was making this recording, I noticed that the guitars tended to sound more distinct to me as I played. I have been honestly surprised at the outcome, even though as many of you know, I use video clips every day as part of my practice routine. I expected more difference than I could hear on the resulting recording. But the recording doesn't lie. This solo, played through this amp, with this (very nice) microphone has all three guitars sounding more like each other than different from each other. Maybe tomorrow I'll post the clip without the obscuring numbered pictures and you can see which is which.
I think it does speak to just how good the Aria and Epiphone Elitist really are. That's not a surprise to me, having played each guitar daily for a long time now. Still, I expected the Gibson to stand out; whether it does nor not is still for viewers and listeners to determine!
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This test reminds me of this test!
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They all sound alike to me. And if I'm perceiving any tiny differences, they are such that still doesn't make one sound better than the other at least to me.
Great job on the comparison. I've heard other side by side tests where the levels weren't probably matched which completely ruins the test. On your video the level matching is really good.
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So I'm getting the feeling that nobody feels confident trying to ID which guitar is which? Some slight preferences for some sounds, but generally, sounds like they strike you as too close to differentiate.
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I want to try to id them but I am still out and listening through my phone speaker. Tonight when I get home I will see if I can tell - I have some guesses but the phone is just not good enough to judge right now. It is very interesting how similar they sound though!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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Yes, I know which is which, but just using the speaker in my computer or phone, i can't hear it. With headphones, I (think I) can hear some differences, but it's also possible I'm just superimposing my recollection on the recording. Originally Posted by rio
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