Laying another couple of myths to rest, (again).

[Telenator]

I was at GC today and played two seemingly identical Vintage Hot Rod '52 Telecasters.

The Deluxe Reverb was warming up so I started strumming. The first one had a really big acoustic sound and a nice, snappy feel. Strings were good, guitar was up to pitch, so I threw the standby switch to the "on" position.

The guitar sounded good. The mini-humbucker is a really nice addition to this guitar and doesn't overpower the the bridge p'up.

Then I picked up the second one. While I was tuning it with an electronic tuner, I noticed that it was dull and lifeless sounding. In fact, it didn't seem to have any snap at all. The strings were fair and the set up was decent but it was just dull sounding.

I plugged it in. Va Voooooooom! It sparkled and sang and just plain flattened the one I had previously played!

In the interest of science, I asked a couple of other people what they thought and it was unanimous. The Tele that sounded the worst acoustically, flat out smoked the resonant one.

Oh, and the second myth? "The wood has nothing to do with the sound. It's all in the pickups."

In this case, the wood truly play a HUGE role in the sound. These two guitars sounded like they were made by two different manufacturers to completely different specs. I couldn't believe they were identical guitars!

Anyway, I didn't buy either. I was just shopping around and thought I'd give 'em a rip! There ya have it.

[jwells393]

Your little comparison test definitely proves something that many here seem to have lost sight of ................ Electric guitars are meant to be played through amplifiers.

[surfoverb]

Which wood sounded better?

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by Telenator

In this case, the wood truly play a HUGE role in the sound.

Probably, but they were both ash, right? ...

If one had been ash (great sounding), and one alder (not quite that great sounding) - would your conclusion be that ash is superiour as a body wood?

Originally Posted by jwells393

Your little comparison test definitely proves something that many here seem to have lost sight of ................ Electric guitars are meant to be played through amplifiers.

They definitely are, but it's nice if they also sound good unplugged .

[Telenator]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Your little comparison test definitely proves something that many here seem to have lost sight of ................ Electric guitars are meant to be played through amplifiers.

My thoughts exactly.

I didn't set out to do a test, I was just playing two guitars that were manufactured by Fender to be identical. They were there right next to eachother to I figured, what the heck.

Then I went and played some acoustic guitars, but I didn't judge their acoustic performance by first plugging them in.

[Telenator]

Originally Posted by Telemarkman

Probably, but they were both ash, right? ...

If one had been ash (great sounding), and one alder (not quite that great sounding) - would your conclusion be that ash is superiour as a body wood?

No. I would simply say, "that is one nice sounding ash guitar and for some reason, that alder one doesn't sound as good as I've heard other alder guitars sound."

The point is, two identical guitars sounded completely different acoustically and plugged in. The one with the loudest acoutic resonance was actually the less desirable of the two when plugged in.

People seem to put an awful lot of importance on acoustic resonance when buying a guitar. It would be a shame if they bought the one I played because when you plugged it in, it got smoked by the acoustically dead one.

[Mark Davis]

The species of wood doesnt matter but the way the woods in the neck and body match up is what makes it sound good or bad.

Its hard to make people believe a dead dull lifeless electric solidbody guitar unpluged can sound better plugged in than another one of the same model thats way louder acousticly. But it is the truth.

There are so many people who have bought electric solidbodies just because they played louder than other ones of the same model without ever pluged them in.

To me thats kinda like sitting in a car on the showroom floor and say I'll takr that one without ever driving it to see how it handles.

Its funny how all the things that are true on an acoustic guitar have been added to electric guitar.

Kinda like trying to convince someone that ugly gals kiss better than pretty ones. Its not easy!! LOL

[Telemarkman]

Originally Posted by Telenator

No. I would simply say, "that is one nice sounding ash guitar and for some reason, that alder one doesn't sound as good as I've heard other alder guitars sound."

The point is, two identical guitars sounded completely different acoustically and plugged in. The one with the loudest acoutic resonance was actually the less desirable of the two when plugged in.

People seem to put an awful lot of importance on acoustic resonance when buying a guitar. It would be a shame if they bought the one I played because when you plugged it in, it got smoked by the acoustically dead one.

That's the right answer Hee, hee!

But since I'm playing my guitars mostly acoustically these days , it also matters to me how they sound unplugged ...

[tboy]

I think this lays to rest the myth that a lively sounding unplugged guitar will sound livelier and more resonant than a dull sounding unplugged guitar.

It's always been my opinion that acoustically dead sounding elec guits sound better through an amp because there's nothing on the guitar resonating with the strings, eating up string energy. More volume, sustain and depth.
Lively sounding unplugged electrics sound "deader" through an amp because that resonance you're hearing is caused by energy absorbed from the string vibes, and being re-voiced through the guit body. That resonance does not get "heard" by the pups, but it subtracts substantially from the total amount of string vibration energy available to be heard by the pups.

Highly microphonic pups change the equation.

[gibsonjunkie]

Welcome Back Bob! Cool story...

[Jake D]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Your little comparison test definitely proves something that many here seem to have lost sight of ................ Electric guitars are meant to be played through amplifiers.

LOL! This is great. I guess it begs the question why we care so much about how our electric guitars sound unplugged. The only time I play a tele unplugged is when my girlfriend is trying to tell me something.

[Mark Davis]

Would anyone here buy a new TV set without plugging it in to see the picture?

Thats the same as playing an electric guitar unplugged to see how it sounds.

Does anyone buy a new pair of shoes without trying them on first?

ELECTRIC guitar needs to be hooked up to see how it sounds.

Johnny Cochran might have said the way an electric guitar acousticly rings doesnt mean a thing. LOL

[gibsonjunkie]

I don't even trust my ears - I bring Telenator with me and get him to check them out with me - we've done good so far!

[surfoverb]

Perhaps one had Alpha pots and the other CTS?

[Durtdog]

Originally Posted by surfoverb

Perhaps one had Alpha pots and the other CTS?

Or one had a thinner finish and was able to "breath" better.

[BroadMaster]

Were the pups the same height? Was the set up to the same specs? There's two questions that makes a HUGE difference when they're PLUGGED in......

[getbent]

I think the myth that this dispels is that you can't have fun at Guitar Center. You disproved that! And maybe that everyone's opinion at Guitar Center is bad...

The other part.... doesn't work for me...

First, I have no bias or opinion about wood or pickups... I don't care... I play'em, if they sound good, cool.

But, here you have several variables still... the first guitar didn't sound good acoustically, but sounded best plugged in. The second, sounded good acoustically and sounded not nearly as good plugged in.

This proves precisely nothing about wood. The acoustic-ness of the two guitars could have been from a whole range of variables and likely had zero to do with the slab of dead tree.

I'm all for dispelling myths but not by using non science... I do think it is awesome that you liked the hot rod... I think those are pretty good guitars!

[Skrik]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Your little comparison test definitely proves something that many here seem to have lost sight of ................ Electric guitars are meant to be played through amplifiers.

It is nice to feel the notes in the instrument, though.

[boris bubbanov]

I think the amp and the two guitars were in league together, conspiring to mess with the minds of any hapless human that walked in to the shop that day.

or

The resonant guitar and the DRRI were made of incompatible materials, and thus did not sound good together. The resonant one happens to sound great through the AC30.

[Durtdog]

Originally Posted by Skrik

It is nice to feel the notes in the instrument, though.

With a full band and a cranked Twin, feeling notes coming through the body of my Telecaster ain't happening.

[freddie]

Cool info, I wondered why I have been seeing in recent eBay ads that a Les Paul or Stratocaster is smonking acoustically. I thought "what the heck" , now I know what they mean. I'll stick to plugging mine in.

This myth can along with the 90's one that Gibson uses Lion piss for the glue in their cases.




freddie

[Telenator]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

I think the amp and the two guitars were in league together, conspiring to mess with the minds of any hapless human that walked in to the shop that day.

or

The resonant guitar and the DRRI were made of incompatible materials, and thus did not sound good together. The resonant one happens to sound great through the AC30.

In fact, once I had A - B'ed the two guitars a bit, I did twiddle the knobs to see just what I could get out of them. The acoustically dead one responded beautifully filling out it's tone while the acoustically resonant one didn't much care what you did to it. If I turned up one tone, the guitar suffered in other areas. If I compensated the other way, it suffered yet again in the opposite direction.

[Dan German]

Originally Posted by Jake D

The only time I play a tele unplugged is when my girlfriend is trying to tell me something.

I can't decide which is the better response to this post. TDPRIers, you decide:

1) That's funny, the only time I play a tele unplugged is when your girlfriend is trying to tell me something.

2) Yeah, I know what you mean. At least my wife waits till I finish the song.