5 guitars 4 Pickups, Same Riff -> Ground Zero MOAB

[scottosan]

I’ve seen a lot of recent videos were people demonstrate that guitar wood and construction doesn’t matter that much. I think some things are notice more in room that by a mic’d speaker. In room, I think some nuances are accentuated.

Here’s 4 guitars, same riff, same setting. Nothing else is changed.

Guitar 1: Alder body, nitro finish, Roasted birdseye Maple Neck, Floyd Rose with Fat Brass block. ToneNerd Wicked 8 Pickup

Guitar 2: Roasted Alder body, nitro finish, birdseye Maple Neck, Floyd Rose with Fat Brass block. ToneNerd Roxy

Guitar 3: Alder body poly finish, quartersawn maple neck, brass trem, saddles and block. ToneNerd Wicked 8

Guitar 4: Mahogany with maple cap, poly finish, maple neck, Gotoh 510 trem, Suhr SSH+



Guitar 5: this one I kept deepest because it’s tuned down a half step.

Poplar body squier. Poly finish, zinc allow trem maple neck and ToneNerd Sunset

 

[JackBootedThug]

Number 1 is the purple metal flake....Kage told me years ago that purple=tone....sounded killer bro...my number 2 is the squier...the rest were all great....

 

[Emg77]

All I know is I need some of your pickups! Sound great!

 

[Nolly]

Cool tones, but these don't really prove much. The variables aren't isolated to any meaningful degree, and the camera mic position appears to be changing with each guitar so that's probably causing the vast majority of the audible difference.
Also, have you measured the pickup distance along the string? That non-standardised measurement alone is responsible for much of the differences people hear between guitars, and makes a big difference to the sound.

 

[scottosan]

Cool tones, but these don't really prove much. The variables aren't isolated to any meaningful degree, and the camera mic position appears to be changing with each guitar so that's probably causing the vast majority of the audible difference.
Also, have you measured the pickup distance along the string? That non-standardised measurement alone is responsible for much of the differences people hear between guitars, and makes a big difference to the sound.

The differences were obvious in the room. The camera captures those differences. I edited out the comments that @LPMojoGL made after playing each.

 

[LPMojoGL]

Cool tones, but these don't really prove much. The variables aren't isolated to any meaningful degree, and the camera mic position appears to be changing with each guitar so that's probably causing the vast majority of the audible difference.
Also, have you measured the pickup distance along the string? That non-standardised measurement alone is responsible for much of the differences people hear between guitars, and makes a big difference to the sound.

Def isn't a scientific comparison, but there is no denying the inherent differences between each guitar, and how those differences affect the sound.
The yellow guitar with nitro finish has a lighter, more resonant body compared to the more solid feeling purple guitar with poly finish. The difference is felt and heard while playing. The roasted alder guitar is mid heavy. Changing from a JB to the Roxy helped balance the sound, but it's still the middiest guitar in the collection. Super tempted to slap a Wicked 8 in there.
The Suhr sounds big and thick because of the mahogany/maple wood combo, and burly SSH+.
And finally, the Squier with poplar body, vintage trem, hss set mounted on a pickguard feels and sounds quite different than all of them.
Having the exact same pickups at the exact same height wouldn't nullify these differences.
So while the clip may not prove anything, it does capture the nuances of different guitars playing the same riff thru the same amp.

Number 1 is the purple metal flake....Kage told me years ago that purple=tone....sounded killer bro...my number 2 is the squier...the rest were all great....

Yeah the Squier with the Sunset is so good. That guitar has more of a classic strat feel compared to the other modern sounding and feeling guitars. I enjoy it every time I play it, never let's me down.
The purple guitar is as good as it gets. Sounds big and balanced, plays ez and fast. Looks killer. Greatness.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

What would work best for a Les Paul style guitar? I like tight and defined but need a bit more beef. Have a 36 anni in there now and while I like it, the highs are a little brittle and weak. I need some meat. First thing that comes to mind would be the Roxy based on your clips.

 

[Nolly]

The differences were obvious in the room. The camera captures those differences. I edited out the comments that @LPMojoGL made after playing each.

Def isn't a scientific comparison, but there is no denying the inherent differences between each guitar, and how those differences affect the sound.
The yellow guitar with nitro finish has a lighter, more resonant body compared to the more solid feeling purple guitar with poly finish. The difference is felt and heard while playing. The roasted alder guitar is mid heavy. Changing from a JB to the Roxy helped balance the sound, but it's still the middiest guitar in the collection. Super tempted to slap a Wicked 8 in there.
The Suhr sounds big and thick because of the mahogany/maple wood combo, and burly SSH+.
And finally, the Squier with poplar body, vintage trem, hss set mounted on a pickguard feels and sounds quite different than all of them.
Having the exact same pickups at the exact same height wouldn't nullify these differences.
So while the clip may not prove anything, it does capture the nuances of different guitars playing the same riff thru the same amp.

I guess I should ask for clarification: is the point of the video to convey the differences in the room? Or are you simply demoing 5 guitars and noting there were audible differences in the room that aren't conveyed in the videos?
Again, cool tones, and you'll hear no argument from me that different guitars sound different. I just understood the video to be making a point about how wood and construction affect guitar tone, and given the wide variables in the video I don't see how it shows that, specifically.

 

[scottosan]

I guess I should ask for clarification: is the point of the video to convey the differences in the room? Or are you simply demoing 5 guitars and noting there were audible differences in the room that aren't conveyed in the videos?
Again, cool tones, and you'll hear no argument from me that different guitars sound different. I just understood the video to be making a point about how wood and construction affect guitar tone, and given the wide variables in the video I don't see how it shows that, specifically.

Are you saying you cant’t easily hear the differences? If not, are you listen through full range speakers?

 

[LPMojoGL]

What would work best for a Les Paul style guitar? I like tight and defined but need a bit more beef. Have a 36 anni in there now and while I like it, the highs are a little brittle and weak. I need some meat. First thing that comes to mind would be the Roxy based on your clips.

Talk to @scottosan, he'll steer you to the right one.

I'd say the Wicked 8 has the broadest frequency spread and is probably the beefiest, tight and articulate. Most modern choice, here.
The Roxy is not unlike the Suhr SSH+, but a bit tighter in the lows. Probably between the Sunset and Wicked 8. Hot, but not overbearing.
The Sunset is so good. I think it may get overlooked. Probably the safest do-it-all choice.

I could see any of these working in an LP. All would be beefier than the 36 Anniv. The Sunset and Roxy are on par with my Motor City Detroiter and Wagner Godwood. Either would do the trick, I think. The Wicked 8 would be a step beyond those, more of a modern sounding pup.
That's all imo. Scott has a couple of LPs and has flipped pups through em, so he can tell you better than me.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Talk to @scottosan, he'll steer you to the right one.

I'd say the Wicked 8 has the broadest frequency spread and is probably the beefiest, tight and articulate. Most modern choice, here.
The Roxy is not unlike the Suhr SSH+, but a bit tighter in the lows. Probably between the Sunset and Wicked 8. Hot, but not overbearing.
The Sunset is so good. I think it may get overlooked. Probably the safest do-it-all choice.

I could see any of these working in an LP. All would be beefier than the 36 Anniv. The Sunset and Roxy are on par with my Motor City Detroiter and Wagner Godwood. Either would do the trick, I think. The Wicked 8 would be a step beyond those, more of a modern sounding pup.
That's all imo. Scott has a couple of LPs and has flipped pups through em, so he can tell you better than me.

I have his unrefined Wicked 8 in my strat, might be worth a swap over to the LP style but then it's out of an axe I'm digging and I have to find a new dance partner for that one. Sunset intrigues me too. I've also got a few spare pups kicking around like the Pariah Patina, SH-11, Dimarzio AT-4 , Air Zone, and Gibson 496T so I could throw one of those in there too. The 36 anni neck is my fave neck humbucker. But the bridge comes up a bit short.

 

[LPMojoGL]

I have his unrefined Wicked 8 in my strat, might be worth a swap over to the LP style but then it's out of an axe I'm digging and I have to find a new dance partner for that one. Sunset intrigues me too. I've also got a few spare pups kicking around like the Pariah Patina, SH-11, Dimarzio AT-4 , Air Zone, and Gibson 496T so I could throw one of those in there too. The 36 anni neck is my fave neck humbucker. But the bridge comes up a bit short.

Since you already have the W8, can't hurt to get the Sunset or Roxy. The price is right, and they're great pups.
I bet the Air Zone would be cool in the LP.
I like a hotter than PAF style pickup in the bridge of an LP. Burstbucker 3 was pretty good in my LP Classic. The Slashbuckers are pretty nice.
Thinking like that, I bet the Sunset would cure your blues.

 

[scottosan]

I guess I should ask for clarification: is the point of the video to convey the differences in the room? Or are you simply demoing 5 guitars and noting there were audible differences in the room that aren't conveyed in the videos?
Again, cool tones, and you'll hear no argument from me that different guitars sound different. I just understood the video to be making a point about how wood and construction affect guitar tone, and given the wide variables in the video I don't see how it shows that, specifically.

I should have have context. When I made it, this video was in mind

 

[Nolly]

Are you saying you cant’t easily hear the differences? If not, are you listen through full range speakers?

I should have have context. When I made it, this video was in mind

Oh there are plenty of differences, there is just nothing that can point conclusively to any causation related to construction or wood.
I'm actually in agreement with you that there are differences to be heard, and that they are often more audible to the player. I certainly disagree with the "wood doesn't matter" position you see being thrown around a lot online. However, I've gone down this rabbit hole to quite an extent and the amount that the wood and construction is contributing is often small and frequently overshadowed by other aspects that people don't control for, especially bridge type/material, which is one of the single largest ways you can change the acoustic sound of a guitar.
While Jim Lill's video are thorough and one can draw some conclusions from them, they don't isolate all factors nor provide examples where the differences might be more audible.

I think Warmoth’s videos are the best I’ve seen and do show some (appropriately small) differences, such as