Cheap vs Expensive - Grand Auditorium Acoustic Blindfold Challenge!

[@papersquares]

12:44 Ben just casually hits a 12th fret harmonic while blindfolded.

[@andertons]

He's rather good isn't he!!

[@rowbags3017]

Actually - (having done a quick experiment) hitting the 12th fret harmonic "blind" is about the only bit in all this that even I can manage to do consistently. It's all the rest of Ben's playing that is almost frighteningly good!

[@petestaint8312]

@@rowbags3017 frighteningly good! Well put. 👍

[@petestaint8312]

@@andertons the captain looks at both in awe. 😮

[@dmcarter1512]

compared to the rest of his playing, that isnt particularly hard to do

[@al.virton7809]

That outro jam gotta be one of my favorites !! We need more Ben and Pete acoustic jams !

[@JoshuaC923]

What a jam! Fantastic

[@petestaint8312]

Agreed!!

[@pcsb]

Yep, agree

[@TheFeelButton]

Loving the blindfold challenges! Cheers Ben, Pete and Captain!!

[@andertons]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@nverga]

The Alvarez stood out to me with my headphones on. Mids and lows were noticeable and had a chime the others didn’t. I also Found it to be the best looking!

[@burmy1552]

Agreed. Definitely a great value for the price.

[@dominikl1974]

no one winked when pete sent the captain lick 11:05. im always smiling when i hear that one popping up again

[@JoshuaC923]

Never gets old

[@dadtimejamtime]

I want to see the most expensive laminate (like low/medium end Taylor range) vs the cheapest all solid tone wood. Feels like there’s maybe some overlap there between Alvarez master works or something.

[@TheDawnWillCome]

These two sound amazing. Ben is a monster on acoustic. Would love to see an acoustic travel guitar challenge with them.

[@pCeLobster]

Always had a soft spot for Alvarez. They always sound way better than their price would suggest.

[@andybradshaw5971]

I agree, I thought that Alvarez sounded stunning - despite the fact I think it would sound better with Elixirs on.

[@andrewwatts970]

Also would be cool to see one within just one brand, for example Martin cheapest to most expensive

[@BruceKnouseMusic]

Sometimes the right set of strings and a good setup is all a guitar needs!

[@bardock11]

Before this gets saturated with comments, I'd like to thank whomever uploaded this video and organized the description for exceptional work they're doing! It is incredibly helpful and saves a ton of time when I want to look up the equipment in the videos. Thank you and keep it up! Edit to add a recommendation: I'd love to see a comparison video of affordable acoustic guitars. Somewhere in the beginner price range of up to 200, maybe 250.

[@andertons]

Our man Duncan does all the descriptions, links, Thumbnails and so on. He is a legend and defiantly deserves a shoutout!!

[@bardock11]

@@andertons Good man, Duncan!🙌

[@JoshuaC923]

@@andertons cheers Duncan!

[@petestaint8312]

@@andertons cheers to Duncan! 👍

[@rowbags3017]

Wonderful blindfold playing from both Ben and Pete. It probably wasn't intended to be a competition, but I get the feeling Pete isn't one to ever back down from a challenge. Getting back to the guitars, I was shocked at the price difference. Obviously, KZbin audio could be a big factor, but although I picked out the most expensive and the cheapest while listening "blind" and working on other stuff, I didn't think any of the guitars could be much over £1500. Lee often mentions the law of diminishing returns in reviews - but, even so, Ben's simple "It's nice" reaction to what turned out to be a £2,400+ Taylor was quite a surprise.

[@johnv4866]

Both Ben and Pete are ridiculously good players

[@Gregory-ol7jp]

Nice episode and dig the jamming at the end. I find the Taylor a bit zingy and I was impressed with the Alvarez - but that could be YT sound quality. I’d be interested where the likes of the higher end Corts and some of the Takamines would fare.

[@karl-wilhelmschreitz8549]

oh yes we need more acoustic`s/and jams

[@c_s_b_9_4]

I love how you guys try to avoid calling anything "cheap." You always go with "most affordable" or "least expensive" lol

[@Lordofbeings]

Everybody was something that is more affordable. Nobody wants something that cheap. Good marketing. 😂

[@colaboytje]

Martin: Martin strings. Taylor: Elixir strings. Dead give-away. Martin: higher action Taylor: low action Martin: bigger low end Taylor: brighter every time

[@glenproctor1999]

Just beautiful closing jam guys, thank you!

[@davidhotson1594]

Ben is a monster acoustic player. Captain meets needs to be resurrected so we can hear Ben’s back story .

[@petestaint8312]

Agreed!!! 👍

[@ericcooper5466]

Lee's note taking as they kept giving multiple, rapid fire descriptions, reminded me of Simon Pegg's character in Hot Fuzz a bit (traffic stop/speeding scene). Got a bit of a laugh out of the scratching pen noises, haha.

[@dxcman1]

Need a Yamaha in there too :-)

[@tonyn9858]

they never put one in I wonder why. maybe the yams sound better, Tony

[@MRxr400]

i was just going to comment, when Pete said it. so impressed with the playing blind folded. really nice playing by both you guys. you're making all the guitars sound amazing, so this tells me, you don't need to spend big to sound good. keep practicing and learning how to play with feeling

[@TheBoboMaker]

These videos make my day. The obvious love for the instrument and the fun everyone has is a pleasure to watch.

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

When I started playing a major issue was cheap guitars were hard to play and hindered developing your playing (unless you consider developing strength an asset). I'm pleasantly surprised cheap guitars enable you to play, sacrificing some depth of the sound, but you can play joyfully for a while on a budget (instead of painfully struggling with high action, fret buzz etc). Life is good 😊

[@StefanGBucher]

If these guys have taught me anything it's that 90% of my money needs to go into lessons.

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

@@StefanGBucher yes, owning a (good/decent) guitar is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one

[@qmano123]

Great work on the EastCoast guys. Pro!

[@Kivencito]

Guys!!!!! you guys rock :D I hope everything is going really well for you! Greetings from Mexico

[@kennethdon3619]

from the number of undampened strings in the room, its surprising it took this long to hear some simpathetic resonance, great playing as always

[@LTDusersince99]

The ending jam was so perfect :) far from me when I press Record button I get so nervous and play bad, and as soon as I press stop and play, man, I'm relax and it sounds good and fun haha that tells me that you are very great musicians :)

[@billallen1594]

You’re not alone. Keep playing 😀

[@jamoe4802]

Ben is a great sport. Pete is hilarious!

[@c_s_b_9_4]

Blindfolded myself, here are my guesses: B: this one sounds open and full, like it's an acoustic guitar, over $25 D: this one rings beautifully. gonna go with acoustic, over $20 E: definitely acoustic, over $35 A: tough one, but I'll go with acoustic, less than $10,000 C: yikes, not sure about this one either. strings sound metal. I'll say acoustic. Over $15.

[@ToddTheJoker]

Love these videos...great to hang out with the dudes from Andertons!!!!!

[@Matt-1d]

I own the Taylor 414ce with ovangkol back and sides. I prefer its better midrange presence to the rosewood version. Stellar instrument. The ovangkol looks stunning as well.

[@moleman1961]

East coast killed it for that sound at that price! The Taylor is in the dream guitar price range.

[@petestaint8312]

Another killer video! Ben and Pete rock. 😎

[@krisrandall3086]

Would have likes to hear the Sire 7 AND/OR the R 3 acoustics included..

[@kauko8124]

Alvarez sounds really good, compares to my always favourite Taylor.

[@andertons]

We were shocked with how great the Alvarez felt compared to the Taylor & Martin. Could be a new favourite...

[@stanislavmigra]

Im on that one here too. I dont know if they accidentaly turned towards microphone or what, but for me Alvarez destroyed the competition here. I was playing this blind too and when Ben strumed the Alvarez I checked what is that, really great sounding guitar.

[@chloescat]

That Álvarez sounded awesome! Still happy with my Jim Dandy! 🙂

[@AKnowledgeSeeker]

Thanks! That was fun while I had my morning coffee. 👍🏻

[@krfrench55]

Love the bonus jam session at the end

[@rscotthopson]

You guys caught magic with that outro jam!

[@StefanGBucher]

Any chance to hear Pete and Ben play acoustic is a pleasure! If I may, I'd love a bit more commentary on the feel of the guitars-what strikes them about he sound, the finish, the playability, how it feels ergonomically-instead of ranking them by price, which is kind of meaningless to me. They do it here somewhat, but there is so much emphasis on "This feels expensive" vs "This feels less expensive." Why is that? What makes it so? Maybe you've already done this video, but I'd love to see a "How to buy an acoustic at various price points" and "How to custom-order a high end acoustic." Anyway, always so great to see your guys pop up in my feed!

[@renealarcon3970]

Clearly Ben and Pete can make any guitar sound amazing, however I'm shocked at how good Pete makes the most inexpensive sound. Cheers.

[@christopherwatkins9729]

So glad I found this 'presentation ! Good fun and enjoyment... and yet informative as well... As usual... Pete is in a league of his own making... but it took three musketeers to put a great 'challenge' together... Having said (????) am not jealous of anybody with my CRAFTER Auditorium 😄 and always learning from you fellas... (FYI: Have 4 types, Brands, tones, sizes, acoustic/electric, electric guitars and 3 AMPs)... and follow your comments on all Guitars / AMPs / Pedals / Pick-ups... closely too... Thanks... Good Cheer and Cheers ! ☘☘☘ ...

[@joetheman74]

I own almost that same Alverez guitar and I love it. It's one model down without the beveled arm rest but the color and inlays are the same. I only paid $400 US shipped. It was the beautiful look that drew me to it and being a solid top with bone nut and saddle for the price. The tone of those Alverez models even down to the lower priced model like mine are amazing. I also own a more budget Alverez model from the 90's that sits around my living room and is my quick pick up and play guitar. It was $199 when new and is a laminate top. Still a nice sound for what it is and I've upgraded the nut, saddle and bridge pins. Alverez acoustics are great guitars.

[@jasonhe6947]

The outro is just precious

[@melvoid01]

Nice to see they both thought the East Coast model was twice its real price, gives good confidence for there other models.

[@DavidSchilter]

Haha - it wouldn't be a Pete video without a cheeky John Mayer lick thrown in :)

[@thebigeasy8609]

When Danish Pete and Ben play ANYTHING it's sounds like the dearest!

[@petestaint8312]

Agreed! 👍

[@lucasscism1346]

i could use another whole 30 minute video of the outro!! that was great!

[@petestaint8312]

Agreed! 👍

[@TheSingingDoctor325]

Love the jam session at the end.

[@lance134679]

Fun having two guessers. Thanks!

[@Doug5524]

Ben had to learn guitar in the dark as he had no electricity when he was young that is why he is so good Great fun love it all more please I also think that the Faith guitar is excellent for the price

[@stuartmorton662]

Brilliant blind test guys 😊

[@GabrielVelasco]

I just did a PICK shootout with a friend of mine. We were surprised that in some cases it was actually easy to tell when we were using a "dearer" pick. Some can get quite "dear."

[@disco4535]

Needs some "this is an expensive one, with a Michigan spruce top, an Indian ebony fretboard with a Swedish Mahogany back" from Chappers 😂

[@sundaynightdrunk]

Not enough gain for Chappers.

[@veyuslavic2590]

This affirms my decision to put that Taylor on my Sweetwater wishlist.

[@mikeorr7567]

I got a 414CE (no cutaway) ... from Sweetwater. It’s amazing. Do it.

[@sundaynightdrunk]

I have never played a Taylor that sounds anything but stellar. I was a Martin man for many years, and still love that darker sound, but there's just something about Taylors that seems to have both low-end power and high-end sparkle that I just love. Martin for Neil Young songs though, always. Nothing else sounds right.

[@petestaint8312]

The taylor is amazing! I need one too. 👍

[@petestaint8312]

@@sundaynightdrunk never realized just how good Taylor is before this video. Amazing!

[@sundaynightdrunk]

@@petestaint8312 They're expensive for a reason. Really well-designed bracing that produces a really unique sound. Nothing else sounds like them, which is why a lot of pros play them.

[@DylanJLIVE]

could you do one of these for orchestra models?

[@bennelson7958]

I bet they immediately knew the Taylor was a Taylor when they played it lol

[@shelaghjordan9441]

I love these challenges 😊

[@mariedre2090]

I really loved that outro😍

[@xguitar123]

Ben did a great job. Need more videos with Ben

[@petestaint8312]

Agreed! He's awesome. 😎

[@padrejohnruffle]

Law of diminishing returns, but in general, a massive sonic difference between guitars in the sub-£300 price-point, and £700 - £1,000 mark. Some manufacturers are selling cheap guitars on the back of boasting a solid top, but there's so much more to a guitar than the top. So..... B, D: We all expect the Martin (D) and Taylor (B) to be up there; I preferred the Martin, but it is down to preference at that price point. E: I was very impressed with the Faith - I would seriously consider a Faith, having heard a few recently. C: The Álvarez sounds like an Álvarez, - I own 2, and this one has more bottom end. For me, it's time for a change however. A: As for the Eastcoast - forget it, even if it does have a solid top. (....unless Pete is playing it of course!)

[@zdvxgf]

Hello! Just asking for advice. I'm looking for my first budget high quality guitar. I'm stuck between Faith and Alvarez. Both of them sound and look good to me but I'm desperate to try both of them first, but sadly there are no dealers around my area.

[@rogeliojayarflores7511]

Hope you feature our own guitars from the Philippines. Elegee and Alama. So great guitars!

[@jamoe4802]

Pete made that $150 guitar sound pretty damn good. I think the Alvarez with better strings and setup ends up getting 1st or 2nd dearest.

[@nickwebb9290]

Very entertaining, cheers guys.

[@susanroycroft89]

Hi Guys Don here from Hamilton NZ on my Wife's tablet SUSAN Roycroft, great video I'd like the Martin first Taylor next the faith and Alvarez sounded the same 😊😊😊

[@TraneFrancks]

Lovely to see the Martin Road Series is still trooping along. I have an OG 2001 DR that has been a marvellous companion. Huge value, the Road Series.

[@telekon8066]

Cheers Guys Fantastic fun 👍🏻🎸

[@Arfonfree]

My acoustic was bought in 1965... in inflated dollars, about $1100 today. At the time, it was bought to impress a girl who was into folk music... Can't remember her name, but I still have the guitar.

[@petestaint8312]

😄😄😄 love the story. 👍

[@mikechivy]

You remember her name…

[@Arfonfree]

@@mikechivy Depends on which 'who'... the one I remember is Harmony Sovereign. But I never call her fat... she's Jumbo.

[@spmartin]

Enjoyed the video! Do you think you could include the full name of Ben in the description? I’d like to look him up and listen to more of his music.

[@petestaint8312]

I believe its Ben Smith.

[@bensmithguitar]

It is - I'm Ben Smith, my main musical project is my duo - @smithandbrewer :-)

[@bensmithguitar]

That's Smith And Brewer

[@sequel91]

Love that the Captain played Joseph once upon a time.

[@IndigoJo]

I came into your shop in early 2020 having seen a Martin 00-28 on sale for £2,000 and tried one out and it was a bit flat. Perhaps because the strings were dead. A bit quiet (maybe the room was noisy, I don't know). The only guitar in the posh guitar room that sang was a Taylor 314. But ... the biggest competition to Taylor in GA size guitars is from Furch and no comparison is complete without a Furch Blue series guitar. It's all-solid, half the cost or less of that Taylor, made in Europe (their Green series has spruce/rosewood at several hundred off Taylor's prices, though without a pickup). It didn't surprise me when your guys said the Taylor "feels pricey"; I bet they knew that's what it was.

[@kyleanderson9004]

Almost ordered that exact Alvarez and this scared me, now I’m stutter stepping.

[@nelsonc6173]

I like the Taylor and the Alvarez! They sounded the best! The Martin was disappointing.And you guys are the best love your videos! After this stupid pandemic is over I'm checking you guys out in England! Dying to go!

[@fritsvanzanten3573]

Sadly, at 2:50 the video already goes astray. Instead of judging the guitar (which is about the guitar) it becomes 'guess the brand', which is about Pete (his only flaw). Another improvement would be to separate judging the sound from judging the playability, so let Ben play a first round, where he judges both the playability (in first instance only in rating, not 'Martin-like'), and Pete only judges the sound, and only then the other way around. We, the potential buyers, want to know, of course, whether we should spend over, say, 500 or a 1000 bucks for decent sound and playability (which means not buying this or next year while saving), or we can run to the shop already for a more affordable purchase that will satisfy us for that time.

[@AndyInTheUK]

No!!!! Why did you have to end that outro jam!!!?? I could have listened to that for hours!

[@petestaint8312]

Same here! Keep listening to the outro over and over. 👍

[@aaronwebb1548]

I love these blind shoot-outs, and especially when we get more Ben

[@davereichert]

To me, the Alvarez was the best sounding - but it needs a bit of a setup.

[@tbeau6663]

Ben and Pete........best pairing for blindfold tests

[@BJJandBS]

The Alvarez with the truss rod adjustment might have won for sure

[@KaosII1968]

Wow have prices gone up ... that alverez is a grand in the US today.

[@davidyoung1962]

149 for that eastcoast guitar is Amazing

[@hectormontalvo7663]

I'm listening with good speaker and with the exception of the rattle in the Alvares they all sound the same in the recording. They may fill very different in person.

[@troyking4787]

im so curious. what is the alarm clock looking thing over petes shoulder that is constantly changing

[@paulcollingridge8387]

Here's my blindfold challenge.... get the guys from drums and keys in Andertons to listen blindfold and repeat this price challenge!

[@vincelesur5434]

would have been nice to put a big big brand on acoustic , like Lowden !! nice vid ! cheers guys !

[@padrejohnruffle]

I agree; Martin is a bit of an up-start brand. Well, it was 175 years ago anyway ;-)

[@R.L.Humpert]

CAn you do a blind strings challenge? Like elixir vs. D addario etc.

[@johngraydon506]

Nice to see you all

[@GabrielVelasco]

Cheap vs. expensive STRINGS might be another good one.

[@Nikoo033]

Confirms a bit how I ended up buying my Taylor. I hesitated a lot with a Martin. I loved the Martin’s sound (mids and bass), but preferred the clarity and ease of play of the Taylor. Added slightly thicker strings to regain some bass and mids, and got myself a great playing and sounding Taylor. 🥳 EDIT: I prefer Ben with glasses 🙈 not that it matters 😂.

[@Hickeroar]

I wish we could get a blindfold challenge every week. They're my favorite. I love that Alvarez. The pau ferro fretboard is gorgeous.

[@SirSneakerPimp]

At 9:20 Ben tunes the guitar!

[@DaringDan]

these blindfolds are great. cheers all.

[@calumsherwood8323]

Ben is looking slim. Great job him

[@thejeffersonlee]

I just want to say that Taylor has such a distinctive tone. Similar, but to a lesser degree, with Martin. I can hear a Taylor from a mile away, no Martin followup necessary. It's hard to make a Taylor sound bad, which is as much a fault as it is a boon.

[@NikkenMagboy]

Martin Road series vs gibson modern studio collection next?

[@naMnivraM]

Nice! I wish he would've given the guitars in Alpha order. Mix up the prices more. It kinda went best to worst almost. Taylor in the Middle. Everyone is a critic. Nice demo!

[@JP1AO]

It figures that during an acoustic challenge that you get to see the DB meter. :)

[@tom5216]

These guys could make elastic bands on a broom handle sound good.

[@creationinspired200]

Wow that alverez though 😮