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Location: Flahdaw | I am new to the forum,although I have recently made a few smart-alecky comments to other posts (which I instantly regretted ;) )
But it seems the proper thing to do is say hi, then ask a question that the veterans have heard a million times and are sick of seeing in this forum, but dutifully answer anyway cause they're such great guys. So here goes.....
I bought my '99 collectors edition new in '99. I chose it after trying nearly every guitar in the store (even Martins) and thought it sounded best, great action, great tone, plus it was georgeous.
Back to the present...so I recently got my latest Acoustic Guitar magazine and I see that the Martin D-28 won Guitar of the Year. (what a surprise, huh?) Anyway, it got me wondering...does anyone know of any blind tests, where they take a group of people, blindfold them, then ask them to then pick out the best sounding guitar after hearing them? My guess is that Martin may not win THAT test. But, does anyone have an answer to this question? Has there been such a test? Thanks. |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Having a Martin win "Guitar of the Year" in Acoustic Guitar Magazine is kinda like having a Harley win "Motorcycle of the Year" in Easyrider Magazine...
('nuff said... :rolleyes: )
And it is alittle late but, Welcome. |
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Posts: 489
| Originally posted by Old Man Arthur:
Having a Martin win "Guitar of the Year" in Acoustic Guitar Magazine is kinda like having a Harley win "Motorcycle of the Year" in Easyrider Magazine...
Not unless it was straddled by a model in a thong bikini. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | That could be arranged............. |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | My point being, Easyrider is not gonna choose a Yamaha, even if it could easily outrun the Harley.
Nor would Acoustic Guitar choose an Ovation or Adamas over a Martin...
But Ovation could help it's chances with a minor image change...
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Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Okay, keep the pictures coming, but remember my question...? Are there any unbiased, blind tests/reviews out there that show any particular guitar as superior sounding. |
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Posts: 7210
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | There have not been any blind tests that I know of, and I think it would be hard pressed to get similar models together, especially adding Ovation.
Speaking ONLY of tone.. there are two distinct camps. Ones that believe a guitar, while rich in tone, should accentuate that mid-range area very indicative of wood, while the other camp (mostly Ovation players) think that tone should be rich, but full and equal in the widest range as possible. Ovation also adds to the "full" range by designing so that sound remains consistent in tone and volume all up'n down the neck.
So, I guess the blind test would have to start out with guitars that sounded similar already rather then just pitting a price range, model range, or best sounding of each brand against each other. |
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Posts: 489
| Originally posted by darkbarguitar:
Are there any unbiased, blind tests/reviews out there that show any particular guitar as superior sounding. Sure - your ears and your hands. No one else's matter. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I did a blind test per se about a month ago with an unbiased(?) audience (the lovely lady stonebobbo). It involved playing the same song on approximately twenty different guitars including highly regarded Ovations, and Adamas OFC Ding-O, a couple of Martins, a Braz Tak and a BG Tak, a rosewood Lakewood, and a Cole Clark. Sorry, no Collings. ;) . The field was narrowed down to three for a play-off. The winner? Ovation 2007 BCS. |
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Location: Flahdaw | If I played the same song 20 times to my wife on 20 different guitars, by about the 9th guitar she'd smash me over the head with it and "declare" that one the winner.
It sounds like lady Stonebobbo is a saint. |
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Posts: 4809
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by darkbarguitar:
...although I have recently made a few smart-alecky comments to other posts So you know by now you fit right in. :p
Doesn't matter who does the test and what sort of criteria is used. 67.3% of all guitars players reading the result will disagree with the findings.
(keeping in mind that 85.2% of all statistics are made up on the spot, 3 times out of 5.) |
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Location: Flahdaw | You sound like another Todd Snyder fan. |
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Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | dbg,
I also live in Bradenton. Just got back from G8R Bowl II in Gainesville and need to settle back in to 'home' mode. I'll get in touch with ya shortly.
There are others that will chime in on your question that are more qualified than myself.
Later...  |
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Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by darkbarguitar:
It sounds like lady Stonebobbo is a saint. Indeed. Although most times I think of her as an Angel.
The important thing to remember is her likes are hers. Yours are yours and others are others. That's why there are so many flavors, with new ones all the time. |
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Location: Texas | You sound like another Todd Snyder fan. Only a Todd Snider fan would understand that reference… |
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January 2009
Posts: 379
Location: Alagoas, Brazil | I´m honored that your first post was in the topic I started. I just arrived, but, even so, be welcome.
Best regards, from Brazil,
Miguel |
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Posts: 6992
Location: Jet City | Musicmishka did a sound test a while back with O's and non-O's. Maybe search his posts
And welcome to the Club! |
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Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by standing:
Only a Todd Snider fan would understand that reference… OK, before I asked "Who in Gehenna is Todd Snider", I looked... So I will share this.
Actually a pretty entertaining fella... |
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Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Dave and I have also both posted sound clips of guitars so that members could pick their favorite.
Obviously blind testing since you could only hear but not see the guitars. The pitfall of those tests is that they depended on the speakers that each listener had at their disposal.
Someone with good quality monitors would hear the clips differently than someone listening through laptop speakers or headphones.
Still they were fun exercises and might be available in the archives through a search. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | Strictly acoustically speaking, a good Martin, Collings, Larrivee, etc...will sound better to most ears than an O or an A. Sorry, I love Ovations and Adamas' as much as any of you, but I believe most people that have had experience with both fiberglass/plastic back guitars and wood boxes will agree. Plugged in, the results shift, as a good O is hard to beat. Ovation has designed a total package with their pickup system and bowl design to be superior plugged in. Wood boxes need aftermarket pickup systems that are designed to be a compromise for different depths, body sizes and shapes.
OK, fire away.... :rolleyes: |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | You need to sit in front of an Ovation to get the full effect... Which I never do either. |
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Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by Miguel - BR:
I´m honored that your first post was in the topic I started. I just arrived, but, even so, be welcome.
Best regards, from Brazil,
Miguel [/QUOTE
Thanks "Boy from Ipanema", it's because of you that my smart-aleckyness has now gone international. Welcome to you also, and I look forward to the long-distance repartee. |
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Posts: 379
Location: Alagoas, Brazil | Oh, I was almost uploading some pictures of the subject of our conversation, then I remembered the forum rules and decided to let it be...
Anyway, Ipanema is in Rio and not everybody comes from there. Nice song, though. |
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| Originally posted by Trader Jim:
OK, fire away.... :rolleyes: No argument from me on any of your points, TJ. That's why I have almost as many wood boxes as O's/A's. |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by Miguel - BR:
[QB] Oh, I was almost uploading some pictures of the subject of our conversation, then I remembered the forum rules and decided to let it be... God, I hope they weren't pictures of you.....that we don't need to see here on the forum. :eek: |
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New to the forum (kind of)
