Archtop Guitar Comparison - 18inch and 15 inch

A comparison of 15 inch and 18 inch lower bout Archtop guitars, both made by the same luthier: Paul Carnell at Rialto Guitars: / 100057038427226
The recording is just an iPhone with no sound editing.
Both guitars have solid spruce carved tops; solid maple back and sides, and share the same neck profile, being maple with ebony boards.
The 18 inch has a floating bridge whereas the 15 inch has a solid ebony bridge..
THOUGHTS??????

[@bananafist1]

Both sound nice, but the 15" sounds just as good (if not quite as loud,) as the 18". I have back and neck problems so 18", or even 17",would be just too big for me now. Is Paul still building currently, do you happen to know? Thanks for the demo👍👍👍

[@Rods52]

The 15 inch is incredibly comfortable to play both sitting and standing because of its size and the fact its very light...sadly Paul passed away in March.

[@dleeway]

Thanks for the comparison. Do you ever play with pick/fingers or fingerstyle? That changes the response a lot for me because it brings out the sound of a guitar when it's not driven as hard as a pick alone does; it gives me a better idea of the range of an instrument and the nuance it can project. Have you considered placing the phone in front of the instrument, so the sound captured is more from the total of the guitar as it projects forward? I'd be curious to hear it from "out front". Again, thanks for the comparison. Why do you have such different sized instruments? They're very opposite ends of the spectrum in playing ease and even sitting and playing position. I'm curious as to your choice in having two such different guitars.

[@Rods52]

I am just a pick player, and use a heavy pick at that, I do play a little finger style and the 15 inch responds the better of the two but neither are as good as a flattop would be. On the video the phone was "in front" but about 3 feet away, so I guess closer would give a better response, when recording I use a DPA mic pointed towards the treble side f hole which works really well. As to why I have the two different sized guitars, I bought the 18 inch first and then when that was back with the maker for a few tweaks he had had a commission to build a 15 inch and built two, while he had the jigs etc made, and offered me a very good deal on the second one, which I kind of fell in love with......the only guitar that, when I brought it home, my wife called "pretty" :) Thanks for your interest etc 👍