BLIND Classical Guitar Comparison...Which is your favorite? (Part 1)

[@jennysu1153]

#2 is my favorite. I like the clarity, balance, and note separation of guitar #2. The melody sings and sustains when you play it. The runner up for me would be guitar #1. But it was surprisingly hard to decide. If it turns out you are comparing lattices and double tops with fan braces and solid tops, I'll have to rethink everything I thought I knew, as they were all quite close. I'm listening on a very old Mac laptop, no headphones or external speakers. Thanks for the thought experiment. I think your channel is great! I'm excited to see the big reveal.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thank you for your detailed comment!! Definitely give it a listen on higher quality speakers or headphones. The subtleties in the guitars are worth it. By the way - regardless of your preference, it’s definitely worth rethinking everything you thought you knew about guitar construction styles. In my opinion, none of these construction styles are superior, and even if one was - you wouldn’t be able to know from a bad set of speakers anyways :)

[@jennysu1153]

@@itstheguitarcollection So true! My laptop is old enough that I'm relieved the speakers work at all. :)

[@сергейсолоницкий-м9ь]

@@itstheguitarcollection Yes, you played this guitar: I know that. But did you hear it (the timbre of the sound) when you sat opposite the one who plays it, I don’t know. After all, the impressions in these cases can be MUCH different.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

@@сергейсолоницкий-м9ь Of course I do! It changes dramatically based on who plays the instrument, too. I'm fortunately enough to be surrounded by some incredible guitarists here in Austin, TX and I hear them play on these guitars all the time (more than once a week, actually!) It's worth noting, these days, I have a pretty clear idea of who will sound good on what instruments as well as -why- (nails, playing style, tone production, hand angle, etc). That being said, I am still surprised sometimes! By the way, if you're wondering - the players with cleaner and more consistent tone production almost always sound better on guitars that are more clear and less forgiving. Those with weaker, less consistent tone production almost always gravitate towards the instruments the cover-up some of the sound for you. They will also almost always dislike the extremely clear guitars (and will make them sound terrible!).

[@simonemillimaggi7611]

First of all, congratulations for the beautiful performance. The guitar certainly does its part but sometimes we make a lot of problems without realizing that the guitarist's heart is worth much more than much else and I am convinced of this. I have heard my teacher C. Saggese play even with a cheap guitar and he managed to bring out an incredible sound. Having said that... for this performance without too many turns of phrase I tell you that the 2nd moved me more than the others. I perceived something different. Perhaps I was struck by the clarity, mixed with an excellent balance and separation of the notes during the entire performance. The 3rd and 4th also had a nice particular and full timbre on certain chords but I found them less balanced than the 2nd which managed to make me appreciate everything from beginning to end. Greetings from italy!

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Your teacher is fantastic. Yes, the player, the soul is al much more important than the guitar itself. More often than not, I find the match between player and guitar to be magical, and that "comfort" feeling on a guitar is the most important factor, rather than minute difference between each instrument. And while your teacher, and many great artists can pull great sounds out of even the cheapest guitar, it of course doesn't mean that they wont sound even better on a higher quality instrument!! Cheers and have a great weekend!

[@simonemillimaggi7611]

@@itstheguitarcollection This without a doubt. I was lucky enough to try a Hermann Hauser and also a Friederich. Live they sound incredible and it's not a mere suggestion. Unfortunately they cost a lot. I have a nakade and a yamaha guitar from Ezaki and they are really very nice. Although there are truly great luthiers in Italy, I am a great lover of Japanese guitars. Often at truly affordable prices I have found great guitars in various Japanese masters that is very close to my personal tastes. it would be really interesting to bring Kohno, Nakade, Matsuoka and many others to the channel. Greetings !

[@JonRinneby]

3 for me, listening on laptop with a crying baby in the background :)

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thanks! I'm sorry it wasn't -quite- a lullaby :)

[@JonRinneby]

@@itstheguitarcollection ha :)

[@tylerIsAPerson]

To me, they all have their strengths and weaknesses but are not far off in quality (Listening with Bose 700). # 1 - has the most clarity but falls on the dry side. # 2 - warmest/nicest tone, but a little boring I guess? # 3 - This one carries the fundamentals well with a lot of sustain. # 4 - most resonance and fullness of sound, while also maintaining clarity and power. In this demo, I might prefer #4 for you... I think #3 and #4 are doing more for you musically.

[@aytahnbenavi]

Can’t say I agree about the tone of 2, but other than that I think you are 100% spot on. Brilliant descriptions and analysis

[@clebozer]

3, 2, 4, 1. 1= too metallic, 3 = very full and engaging. Listened with high-end headphones

[@jinbyun]

I like guitar 2 the best. Compared to other guitars, it was the most dynamic and one with widest range of eq.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thank you for your comment!!

[@smile4Jack]

I wish you would do the same blurred out video with tarrega prelude 11

[@donncunningham585]

Bose Soundlink Mini Guitar 3 - bass clarity in the opening phrase, clarity in the troublesome minor second intervals and sustain and vibrato on held notes.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thanks for saying what you listened out, and the thoughtful comment!

[@MichaelNeverisky]

Google Home Audio casting from my phone! Guitar 3 had the most presence and maybe more fundamental tone, which I prefer. Guitar 1 was my second choice. Guitar 4 had a bit of the nasal quality I associate with the few lattice guitars I've played which is not what I look for. The playing was excellent on each instrument! Looking forward to the reveal, thanks for the fun.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thanks Michael!! Great observations!

[@neilmc250]

Fantastic video ! Number 1 for me ❤

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thank you so much!

[@johnrangel4338]

#3,#4,#2,#1 in that order. Close call between #4 and #2. #3 warm sound, even across all strings, resonance is beautiful, great sustain. Don’t know about playability. Using cheap plug in headphones on my iPad.

[@AlGuitarist]

Listening with a decent Beyerdynamic headphone. It’s so hard to choose! In terms of listening from audience perspective, guitars 3 and 4 might be most clear and possibly project best. But for playing, I think I might enjoy playing guitar 1 or 2 more. I feel they have little more intimate personality. Great comparison video!

[@alejandromontoyacastano7990]

Evan, great video and playing! I listened to the video with headphones. My favorite guitar was #2, I find its tone very calming, rounded, and with great resonance. It sounds to me a little different from the other three guitars. However, when you strum the guitar playing all or most strings, the sound to me is a little bit harsh and I cannot differentiate all the notes, which I do not find on the other guitars. It could be due to the compression on YT, who knows. I also enjoyed the depth and clarity of guitar #1, particularly on the basses. I think you cannot go wrong with any of these guitars. Looking forward to seeing the guitars revealed!

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thanks for such a thoughtful comment and for listening!!

[@droneblake8968]

2/3 were rounder and more mellow, but lacked as interesting overtones in comparison to 1/4. 1/4 had marginally worse bass, and clearly more stuck. Listening on AirPod pros. Probable favorite is 4, but I liked 2 also.

[@fabricioorrego5783]

It's the firts time I hear a comparison like that. I'm listening through google earbuds, and so far I like guitar #3 the best, but #4 is a runner up! I'm really curious about the results!

[@itstheguitarcollection]

I'm so glad you enjoyed! Results soon!

[@guitarmute]

🔥🔥🔥video 👍👍from Australia

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thank you!

[@chupie]

#1 seems super balanced. #2 is more …forward? The tone is way out front. Probably really nice for multiple environments. #3 This has a really nice “fatness” in the lower positions that I really like and is still not muddy. Super full. #4 another very balanced sound. Chordal work is especially nice here. Listening on iPhone 15+ no earphones just the phone sound. I really think I’d pick 3 based on sound because I love the lower register and position lushness without muddiness but the chords on 4 are lovely. But I think I’d edge it to 3 because I like the low stuff so much. They are all nice.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Great observations!!! Thanks for commenting and for your details thoughts :)

[@shivanastudioartcenter4033]

All is good but I prefer no 4

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thank you!!

[@ThiagoCP]

GUITAR 3 1 and 2 sounds like they have a very fresh set of strings. I don't like this sound, there's too much mid frequencies. Guitar 3 has a velvet sound. 4 has a similar sound to 3, but 3 sounds better. Judging based only after hearing this short piece is hard. Maybe the other guitars will sound better with a different piece / style. Maybe you can play short pieces from different eras next time! Thanks for the video!

[@jimhenrynilsson]

I listened on Bose QC 35 overear headphones. All 4 guitars sounds very good so it’s hard to tell which one I would have chosen. Maybe nr 4.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thank you!!

[@LeonardoGarciaguitar]

Interesting. I used to do this with a friend, and it was always surprising to find out how biased we were. I'm sort of embarrassed to admit that it is sometimes hard to tell, even if you are playing the guitars! My ear votes for #4. It sounds the most organic to me. #3 is perhaps 2nd. I think they all have carbon strings which makes them all sound a bit too edgy. But maybe not. : )

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thanks Leonardo! Yes, we can be biased for sooo many reasons! They all have carbon 3rd and 2nd and nylon 1st. I think part of the edginess is that there is no reverb and on top of that it's a tiny, carpeted room. We are quite often used to hearing professional recordings (both on youtube, and elsewhere) all souped up with reverb, in a church, large room, etc. I think reverb (even a minuscule amount) does take the edge off, but it's definitely worse for the purpose of comparing guitars. Can I ask what you listened on?

[@LeonardoGarciaguitar]

@@itstheguitarcollection I listened on Apple ear buds and then on KRK monitors. Good point about the room and reverb.

[@SeanSamimiGuitarist]

1&4 for me, one is spruce (maybe no.1?) and both sound like they could be newer or recently built.

[@SeanSamimiGuitarist]

2 sounds like a Frienderich or a great traditional fan brace to me. Speed of decay is hard to hear over this medium

[@сергейсолоницкий-м9ь]

All guitars are good, of course, but as for my ear, and as for sound perception, Guitar 2 has a magnificent sound timbre !! 😍Who is the master who created it? Top deck: cedar or spruce?

[@itstheguitarcollection]

I will be revealing in the next video! I'm so glad you enjoyed!!

[@сергейсолоницкий-м9ь]

@@itstheguitarcollection Yes, you have intrigued me.

[@user-fx2wq7if7n]

RME Adi2 DAC/Focal Clear: #2 and #3 were quite similar to me, 2 came out on top due to imo greater balance, more natural projection and evenness, good tone colors and modulation. #1 appears to me as a more modern-build guitar, less balanced; #4 was reminding me of a Picardo guitar I own, mainly due to a unique e string sound, besides, it did not match #2 in projection, timbre and colors. Just my two cents...

[@mleonganem]

Number 3 seems that it is a spruce top guitar. Number 4 may be cedar double top guitar

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Great guesses, but I'll tell you at least one of your guesses is wrong :)

[@tomasriquelmeleroy1716]

n°4, i liked the resonance, laptop

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Thanks! Try on another set of speakers/headphones too! There are more nuances to be discovered.

[@Paul_Rich]

I prefer the sound of the blurred out guitar.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

🤣

[@jlarson1040]

It would have been helpful if you had played a piece that had a wider range. All of them to my ear sound very similar. I'm listening on the computer speaker so maybe headphones would have made a difference.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Next time! I think the piece serves a nice purpose. But wait, speaking of range, you can’t make that comment and then end it with admitting you’re listening on speakers with no range 🤣. Listen on headphones or nicer speakers and get back to me 😀

[@johnnyrochaguitar]

Guitar #1 🤐

[@davidsugars2705]

listening on my apple lap top, guitar 3 by a nose, with guitar 2 a close second. #3 holds it's tone better in the individual bass note section and the melody seems slightly rounder and clearer than #2. but only slightly. #1 in third and #4 in a very distant 4th place.

[@JoeThibodeau]

There isn't enough variation here to make this a proper comparison. I seriously doubt anyone in an audience would notice the difference. They are listening to music not subtle differences in response and timbre of an instrument. Also the passages must be duplicated in each demo. This is to account for the tonal and amplitude variations in the piece.

[@itstheguitarcollection]

Hi Joe. Maybe you didn’t make it past the intro before making your comment? The entire piece is played on each guitar later in the video. These 4 guitars are all world class instruments, and believe it or not - there is plenty of variation to make a comparison. Put headphones on and listen closely! And yes, audiences can hear a difference, and you will be able to hear differences in the video as well. It’s all nuanced, and we love nuance in this world!! Also, if you dont want to participate in the comparison, or think it’s silly, that’s okay too, but that’s kinda what this channel is about :)