How to ENRAGE 10,000 Guitarists in ONE video!

[@frankcarter6427]

try this - tell your buddies you've upgraded your pickups, leave all settings the same, and watch them notice increased 'clarity','articulation' 'bottom end' 'glassy sparkling highs' it always works

[@JesterDyne]

Fiddle with the knobs on your clean Channel while your in the Lead Channel also works :D

[@TenFalconsMusic]

I told my girlfriend I had been taking "enhancement" pills while she was away over the holidays. 🚀 😁 👍

[@keithsquawk]

@@JesterDyne I've 'adusted the bass guitar' on my lighting desk -- that the bass just the cab and nothing else was missed but my adjustments were appreciated.

[@cc5053]

I laugh when people start describing a pickup like it was their breakfast, i.e. warm, buttery, creamy, sweet, hot, etc.

[@frankcarter6427]

@@cc5053 glassy, articulate, revealing, separation, scooped,

[@fletcherchambers7175]

Dude. I'm middle-aged Strat guy, playing alternative rock, blues etc. I NEVER play high gain stuff. And yet you're one of my favorite channels, because... SCIENCE!!!! There are so few BS-free zones, thanks for being one of them.

[@ioodyssey3740]

Pretty much the same... Tele/Strat clean tone guy with occasional 80s metal for nostalgia. Love the brutal honesty.

[@TooPunkToBeAPodcast]

I was so close to buying a new guitar this year to get a tone I wanted. Because of your videos like these I ended up working with what I had and got the tone I wanted from gear I already owned. For that I thank you immensely

[@TitaniusAnglesmith]

Same. Instead I only wasted money on a new guitar to have in a different tuning!

[@chiefchudhunter8797]

Same. Im doing a build, and was ready to drop a lot of cash on pups. Thankfully i tried out my own little test to confirm what hes saying. And yeah, there is no significant difference in tone with pickups when running through high gain like that. At least, i didnt hear any. Thank you Glenn!

[@TheKlaun9]

Don't know if you tune down a lot, and you may be way more knowledgeable than me or already aware, but the most cost effective improvement I ever made to my playing and thus my "sound" by buying something was switching to lighter strings. Everyone always uses 10-46 for some reason. Used to do a lot of blues and jazz and people told me you need thick strings to sound nice. Turns out, they're completely wrong, you need thick strings if you want to suck at guitar. It's just a couple of bucks and perhaps worth trying out at one point

[@TitaniusAnglesmith]

@@TheKlaun9 I personally like heavier strings than most (10-50 for E standard) but only because I like a "tighter" feeling when chugging like a child. My first 7 string also had a terrible nut and the low B would go way out of tune unless it was like 62, so I just got used to that tension. But now I'll experiment with lighter strings

[@TooPunkToBeAPodcast]

@@TheKlaun9 yea I've pretty much switched to 9s now

[@makainwiginton5967]

I've started thinking like this: - My guitar choices are for comfort, durability, stability, and whatever style im playing etc. - My actual tone comes from the SPEAKERS in the amp, my amp settings, and my pedals. It may be simplistic, it may be misguided, but it sure as hell saves me money.

[@christoguichard4311]

100%

[@chosuke02]

100% true. A few years ago I wouldve wasted thousands of bucks on guitars and pickups that would ultimately sound the exact same on my amp and sims. Found a better guitar for almost dirt cheap, decided to invest more into getting better amp sims and ACTUALLY get good at dialing in EQ and production. The older I get the more I realize the only thing getting bigger with expensive gear is the dent in my wallet

[@alrecks619]

eh, not really "misguided" per se. It's actually very profound way to think about it.

[@aldo_mores]

I’ve come to the same exact conclusion over the last few years.

[@jamiefookes1579]

Your thinking is very accurate

[@djennings64]

I "felt" like I could hear some guitars have a SLIGHT bit more of low end than others but I also tried skipping back and forth to compare and honestly the differences are extremely subtle. I really think Glenn is doing the people's work here in shining a light on what really really matters in terms of guitar tone. If your random rig happens to have a smidge less low end than another guitar, just adjust your EQ a little and boom, you've got the sound you want. There's really such diminishing returns on really expensive gear, especially when it comes to the intangible stuff. A high end guitar will feel really nice to play but if you've got a good signal chain it matters so little to the resulting sound. Epic stuff Glenn, keep up the stellar work!

[@beovulf7241]

The slight change in lows and highs might be contributed to pickup placement being slightly further forward/back, further/closer to the strings or where the pick is hitting on the strings. In other words, pickups make little to ZERO difference in high gain TONE.

[@DoktrDub]

The most important aspect of tone is the rig your guitar is plugged into, we all know we could make a pretty cheap guitar sound quite nice through a good quality amp.. but you can have a super expensive “metal” guitar and run it through a cheap Chinese amp and it will sound like nails on a chalkboard.

[@DoktrDub]

@@beovulf7241 wise words, it makes more of a difference in non-high gain tones but still usually very subtle sonic differences.

[@titmusspaultpaul5]

Well said.

[@titmusspaultpaul5]

@Star Pillars very true.

[@Jesse19405]

If your metal band is struggling to find success you probably just haven't found the right guitar pickup yet, never give up!!

[@eglide73]

Or tone wood

[@Shaylok]

And finding the right tone wood is also important.

[@bobravenscraft5376]

😆

[@bobravenscraft5376]

Duncan WIDE OPEN

[@Nick-b7b9s]

The tonal impedence of resonant benzene rings in the polyurethane clear coat makes a huge difference too

[@knewman1972]

The tone changes really were negligible and not worth the cost of replacing the pickups. You really do learn something new every day. Thanks dude. You rock

[@arvetemecha]

Honestly, I thought I could hear more subtle differences in clarity/definition within the riffs played twice on the same guitar rather than differences between guitar tones. Psychoacoustics is the placebo effect for guitar/audiophool geeks :-) Greetings from France!

[@Molotov_Milkshake]

So true.

[@electricwhiterabbit]

Totally. Depending on where you are picking the strings will make a tone difference.

[@probusexcogitatoris736]

No, psychoacoustics can be compared to optical illusions. Placebo requires you to believe in something in order to experience the effect. Also, what exactly do you mean by "clarity" and "definition"? I hear these terms being used all the time by audiophiles, but I have no idea what they actually mean. When discussing a mix, I can to some extent relate to such descriptors but what does it mean when describing a guitar tone?

[@vedranb87]

So the tone is in the hands after all? :D

[@Molotov_Milkshake]

@@vedranb87 moreso than the 'wood', at least.

[@mrshaneyt43]

This actually made me feel pretty good . I closed my eyes listening,not even realising each riff was played twice on each instrument. Honestly all sounded so similar to me . So as someone who doesn’t have money to spend on such things and just plays my guitars with the pickups they arrived with I’m not upset in the slightest . Great vid 👍

[@jeffreycervantes3609]

I looked away and thought he changed guitars every time it repeated ...I feel stupid

[@Gubbins_McBumbersnoot]

KZbin compresses audio in videos, so it’s going to be hard to tell the difference unless you’re listening in person.

[@HabAnagarek]

​@@Gubbins_McBumbersnoot lol

[@Hikaeme-od3zq]

@@Gubbins_McBumbersnoot Ok but KZbin doesn't compress audio to the point where you can't tell the differences between the tones he showed in the video. Imo there's no big difference.

[@SKY_DWELLER333]

I love this comment. I saw someone getting made fun of on Facebook a while back about how “real guitarists don’t play with the stock pick ups their instrument came with,“ and it was just the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever read. Typical bullshit failed Musician snobbery.

[@elliebality565]

Yup, I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the guitars, in a mix it would be impossible for me. Thanks to your videos and Jim Lull’s videos I’ve been able to redirect where and how much I’m spending on this stuff. Thanks, keep up the great work!

[@bburritt666]

Couldn’t tell. Been playing for 20 years. Very little changes happen from your guitar. It’s what it’s coming out of the amp and how it’s being recorded that makes the biggest changes. Great video sir. Keep fighting the good fight.

[@danboylan2449]

For starters I really appreciate this video. I firmly believe "why would one be enraged when you are presenting proof to back up your statement?" and here you have provided proof. I fell in the mindset where I felt I had to spend more to get a better guitar tone but learned especially through this video that it doesn't work like that in the metal tone world. Instead, I see this as a way you're trying to help the viewers, myself included, from spending money on guitars, pick-ups and other equipment we think we need and instead spend it properly to get what we need. Thank you and brilliantly done!

[@fsuwriter]

Glenn, I don't listen to heavy metal but stumbled on your channel by happy accident. I really enjoy your approach and your style. Your ability to mock those who need mocking and uplift those who are truly curious is a skill and talent not shared by many of your fellow KZbinrs. Thank you for what you do, the honest analysis you provide, and the constant ribbing of bass players. Keep up the good work, and long live Spectre Sound Studios!

[@DoktrDub]

Bass player lives matter!

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

Neither do I, but there's still plenty to learn from Glenn, as most of it is applicable to most styles of music. The mocking is a very welcome added bonus in comedy relief, and valuable in studying psychology!😅

[@WIMPY86]

Don't miss his live mix reviews twice on Monday's :) Everyone gathers to help eachother reach better mixes :)

[@Bob-of-Zoid]

@@WIMPY86 I have watched one of the live mix reviews here and there, but those are the most specific to metal of all, and to someone who isn't into metal it gets annoying real quick. Also: Many channels take on topics live, but also spend a lot of time off topic and explaining stuff to people who don't pay attention well, get things mixed up and what not. The best of both worlds is when they condense a live show down to an edited video afterword where all of the crap is removed, and the focus is on topic. It's a lot of work any which way, and why I don't have a channel, even though many said It would be a good one and urge me to start one: As for the topics (the actual and real sciences and math behind guitars as truly applicable and quantifiable)... It really would be, as for my making it work and doing all the work involved, including not being too dry and technical, so having some entertainment value too, it would be quite the feat I am at a loss how to approach, and with it an atrocious disaster waiting to happen!🥵

[@WIMPY86]

@@Bob-of-Zoid Once in awhile, a jazz or folk singer will grace the show :) He puts as much help into the mix as he can offer lol As for your show... why not try? When I had failed ideas I just deleted them and hoped nobody noticed lol Worth a shot :)

[@jaredberkheimer1971]

I didn’t hear a difference at all. This is a beautiful reminder to find something that sounds good, feels good to play, and start writing some actual music for a change, thank you Glenn.

[@darzik]

Glenn, I mentioned in this in the NK Guitar group on Facebook and you'd think I took a dump in their cereal. The reason for the mention was someone was asking about the stock NK pickups and what they should replace them with. My response was that my NK pickups were just fine and with all the other tone shaping options available that the pickups were the least of my concern. Then I shared your video about pickups and OMGosh.... they friggen lost it! The "gatekeeping" and "Your ears must suck" comments started flooding in. At that point I knew my time was better spent just making music and SAVING MONEY! Great Job Glenn! Keep up the awesome work.

[@cederickforsberg5840]

Dude, the guitar world is so full of delusion it's almost scary. So many things are unnecessary expensive by promising bullshit to easily fooled people.

[@mickhudson]

This is exactly what I've been saying for a long time. Electric guitar isn't about the sound but about the playability. If I'm choosing an instrument I'm going with the one that plays the best regardless of anything else.

[@Betrayedbyreason]

I thought I was the only one!!

[@philparnell757]

Same here dood!

[@kodykindhart5644]

Take these first act pups then 🤣🤣🤣

[@DoktrDub]

Good mentality, best way to think! sound and tone does matter objectively and subjectively, especially in a mix/band/recording, but the pickups won’t make any noticeable difference worth shaking your wallet at, if any😉

[@Cursingminister]

No way bruh, it's gotta be pointy and metal af bruh. Seriously I've used a cheap Schecter as my main for years, it's stable and decently comfortable. ESP has a better neck imo. I want a solar for the nice neck scoop at the body and evertune bridges because I'm lazy and hate tuning before every session. As long as it's playable I'll play it though.

[@raymondjamesrivera]

I REALLY appreciate your vids that are busting all the guitar myths out there. The tone differences were so negligible and for some people this stuff is like a religion so they can't bear to be honest... You and Jim Lill are really doing the guitar community such a great service and saving us thousands in gear and I thank you for it.

[@JohnDawson]

I heard a discernable shift in #8. It wasn't really better or worse, just different. I think this kind of comparison proves what I call the "wall of TVs syndrome". You can only see (hear) a difference if the other options are in close proximity. Each on its own with no immediate direct comparison sounds exactly as the others. Nice work!

[@tob564]

I think it's because #7 had very little mids and #8 had lots of, and quite tight low end. Maybe #8 was the EMG loaded one? I don't know, I don't really know how certain pickups are "supposed" to sound, but I guess EMG 81 has been popular in the metal scene for a reason.

[@JFTB-i8y]

I kind of see what you mean. but i dont think it would be possible to hear the difference in a mix.

[@zmiller93]

I typically find that recording any instrument is an accumulation of subtleties. I don't think Glenn is saying that there isn't a difference. His point is that the differences are so subtle that your money is better spent elsewhere when recording metal guitars, especially when on a budget.

[@MrJingles021]

This was brilliantly done. You clearly said what the objective was, what tools you would use, and how you would do it. They are so damn identical. The only one I felt sounded a little different was guitar 4, I thought it sounded a little more "fizzy" but not unusable, and it could be a desired tone. I can't wait for the reveal.

[@Folk661]

Couldn’t hear a difference between 1 2 or 3 really. 2 maybe had a bit more compressed low end but the harmonics were the same. 4 was slightly more saturated which made the top sound a bit fizzy. 5 and 6 I couldn’t hear a difference but 7 had a low harmonic that was more prevalent and a bit more dynamic on the palm mutes. By contrast 8 sounded tight on the low and crisp in the mids, probably the pickup I would have chosen. 9 had a bit more low than 8 again and 10 even more bass harmonics… but only ever so slightly in my headphones. I think a few things to note : 1 it seems like you are trying to confirm your point by doing this test, rather than doing the test properly and asking the actual important questions and being open to the possibility that there is some validity to the other side. 2 The playing and palm muting is sloppy and inconsistent. 3 the tone is… once again overly distorted (and don’t tell me metal guitarists don’t need cleans… ever heard of Opeth… or Akercocke, or Animals as Leaders…? etc) 4. (And this could be my bias…) But I’d suspicious that several of those pickups were actually made in the same factory and rebranded with a different name. A few of the guitars actually have the same pickup… and after all that. I still hear differences that would affect my decision. I’ll have to do a test of my own and get back to you on this.

[@richardvonreichestein6920]

We have the same ear brother. I thought 8 was the best and definitely the one i would choose for my Axe.@@Folk661

[@lennyramon622]

There were definitely slight differences, not too difficult to hear, but the sound did not overwhelmingly change. You could hear that some had more boost but I bet those were the actives, but I could be dead wrong

[@brice2225]

Same i only heard a different with 4 i thought there was a bit more high end but i would never notice if it wasnt back to back

[@MrJingles021]

@@brice2225 but number 4 was not a bad or unusable tone by any means. In a mix, it would never be noticed.

[@tomrelf]

Hey Glenn! I’d do one thing extra! Add an additional guitar in there with in is another take of one of the guitar’s previously used. See if people could match up its twin! On a serious note, really looking forward to the results. I noticed a tiny difference between 1&2 and then all the rest kinda blended in to each other and I gave up. I’ll grab some popcorn as soon as I see the next video out with the results.

[@silas0403]

Matching up guitars sounds like a great Idea!! Like recording 2 takes of each guitar. I think it will be almost impossible to match them.

[@jhrace2]

Glenn's true recording accomplishment is finding a way to record and produce these videos without clipping his own screaming! Love the content as always 🤘 Oh, and to answer the question, some of the guitars were imperceptibly different... and the ones that were different felt like they were nothing more than a slight Bass/Treble EQ bump away from equality.

[@resound7]

Actually, funny you say that because I thought I noticed a few plosives going on in this video; true, not clipping but it was the first time I noticed anything like that. We audio guys are such pricks, eh?!

[@ronaldmalcolm5609]

As far as my non-magical ears could discern, there were minor treble/bass differences, but certainly nothing to talk me into dropping a lot of money into expensive pickups or a new guitar. Good video, Glenn.

[@dahdyingdutchman]

Theres like minimal changes but they're bound to get lost in a mix anyways so it doesnt matter, informative. Great vid

[@jefft7085]

A few sounded a bit muddy, but it was really subtle. Considering that some were cheap guitars with off-brand pickups and others were expensive with high-end pickups, the difference in sound wasn't even in the ballpark of the difference in price.

[@mikefoster5423]

That was my take as well on my first listen - I thought I could detect some very subtle differences and a couple of the guitars I would have said were slightly bassier or muddier than the rest. I went back and jumped around randomly in the shootout portion again and I really couldn't make out a difference at all. Any subtlety or small difference that might be present would vanish in a mix.

[@Blucifr]

$200 guitar vs $250 pickups in a $1000 guitar.

[@trolsen-verlag8153]

Quite impressive demonstration, Glenn. I think you have just saved me from spending money on any further pick-ups (or maybe guitars in general). So ta for that 🙂

[@werewolfmedialv]

same!

[@scourge34]

It's absolutely amazing how little difference there was between all of them.

[@S_Groff]

Dude, I love science. The ride I've taken with you over these past few years has really opened my eyes. I have a budget setup for recording at home as a hobby. All the money I've wasted over shiny things for the past 10 years is astonishing. All I needed was to upgrade the speakers in my crappy Blue Voodoo 4 x 12 cab and got some amazing tones. We live and learn for sure. Good stuff man!

[@vidbergs]

Glenn, I would really be interested if you compared expensive name brand pickups to ones you can buy from amazon for like $20 (for example Yibuy Model HOC-BK-TMB).

[@everrime]

I actually tested those fake Invaders because I wanted to know how far $10/pickup will get you. Turns out in a full metal mix I can bearly hear a difference between the cheap Yibuy and expensive Seymour Duncan Black Winter Humbuckers. They are super microphonic tho... so maybe don't use them on stage/with a loud amp.

[@paulemillevasseur7622]

VERY YES!~ I was asking for something like this too. I want to hear him record with a set of anemic and objectively terrible pickups.

[@alexeypolevoybass]

I personally don't think it's a good idea since they're cheap for a reason. Most likely, you'll experience too much of microphonic effect, like @EVERRIME already told you. And the signal to noise ratio on these could be worse than on something cheap-but-usable like Seymour Duncans.

[@paulemillevasseur7622]

@@alexeypolevoybass I think it would be a great comparison, particularly because it would demonstrate that having high quality pickups is important, so long as they are high quality and appropriately voiced for metal; criterion that ALL the pickups in this guitar demo possessed.

[@nicreven]

@@everrime I mean, aren't pickups just magnets? How different can they really be?

[@JustinNogle]

Some sounded clearer and less dark/muffled, but overall astonishing how close they sounded! Enlightening! 😎🎸🤘

[@fyimediaworld]

Huge differences in all 10 guitars!!! Let me summarize each sound for everyone here: #1 - sounded like dandelions in a blender #2 - sounded like shoelaces scraping against eyeballs #3 - sounded like anal paper cuts #4 - sounded like teeth on a cheese grater #5 - sounded like barbed wire toilet swirlies #6 - sounded like pork sundaes #7 - sounded like an iguana licking a squirrel scrotum #8 - sounded like King Diamond's wet farts #9 - sounded like half an erection #10 - sounded like moist hiccups My ears are beyond golden, so don't feel bad none of ya'll heard these huge differences in tone.

[@kenerb8249]

Perfect!

[@PhillipMiaz]

I LOL'd

[@mattbauckman9907]

I swear I did hear a queef in there.

[@keithzibrat5721]

I just smell the pick ups😂

[@rockinguitarist1]

You heard all of that too? I thought it was just me...

[@soundcityguitars]

I remember Keith Richards once saying “it doesn’t matter what guitar I play - put me in a room with any set of guitars and give me five minutes, I’ll make them all sound the same.” I try to come back to this statement any time I’m jonesing for new gear, and your videos have definitely backed up his mindset. Kudos, Glenn, you magnificent bastard. 😎

[@davius1911]

I remember this quote too- It means I need a set of guitars not just one at any given moment

[@TheOuterDrive]

Keith Richard's plays sloppy blues / rock .. He obviously doesn't need a guitar that stays in tune...

[@SuicidalGrind]

@@TheOuterDrive And what does this have to do with tone?

[@TheOuterDrive]

@SuicidalGrind more about intonation and pitch I guess..

[@ronnierazor4302]

I found myself searching for exact the same sound everytime I buy a new peace of gear.

[@hellskreamer]

Im pretty sure i heard some type of difference between some of the guitars, but the difference was so small it was more or less negligable. thought i heard microscopically more bass on guitar #9 and #7 than #8, but that could just aswell be technique differences. Would be interesting to see an EQ spectrum comparison!

[@JV-rx3ov]

The differences are mainly in output (passive being a bit quieter & active being a bit louder), clarity (note definition on a few was better than the others) and fidelity (how the output & clarity help to deliver better dynamics overall).

[@GoeatPancakes23]

Couldn't tell a difference between most of them. Guitar 8 might have sounded a little different, but the change was smaller than just switching from neck to bridge pickup. Thank you for your efforts, love to learn and you present it easy enough for me to understand. Keep it up \m/ (Edit: Listened to it on my Kali LP-8s)

[@LJB...]

I also agree on 8 but when I went back and listened to it a second time, I got a different tone shift again. The first time it seemed fatter or Wider if you will but the second time it came off as a bit hollow/tinny but with the same width as the other played riffs. It was a weird thing to hear and experience. Brain playing tricks maybe? But 8 is a bit different but nothing overt.

[@sxty8goats]

The only one that stood out at all for me was #5. It was subtle but it did seem to be 'colored' a bit different. The difference between a Fire Truck Red and that Fire Truck Red that the next town over uses. Only noticeable when they are parked next to each other. All tones were good tones. Or it was all in my head.

[@redorc77]

Whatever slight variations there might be between the different guitars, there is no way anyone could tell once those guitars are in a mix.

[@PippPriss]

SUPER small jump between Guitar 5 and Guitar 6. However, the difference was SO miniscule, having a bad or a good day on the guitar would yield in way greater differences, and maybe they were in fact due to playing. Very interesting, since when I recorded for myself, I "felt and heard" a huge difference between different guitars. I guess it's mainly a haptic feedback thing which was tricking me into thinking there is a major difference. Super interesting. Thanks for the great content!

[@billzade8158]

Alright, so it's not just me. I caught a difference with guitar 5 too, but I couldn't tell what was what. I wonder if maybe there was a slight bump in the settings? I wasn't expecting to hear a difference, they all sounded great to me

[@GuyXVIII]

Right? number 6 sounded a little more... stingy, scorching, punchy, or some other hype word. all other 9 sounded the same.

[@kevin_lanthier]

Agreed. When I switch between active and passive humbucker guitars, in particular, I’m sure I can feel a difference while playing - the actives feel more defined, more staccato in the chugs, less bass. Then I play back a recording and can’t hear the difference at all.

[@Eliphas_Elric]

@@kevin_lanthier Which just goes to show that you should pickups in your guitar that feel best for your style of playing. Pickup selection is largely for the player, not the audience.

[@divisiona3974]

@@Eliphas_Elric or rather, you should pick the guitar which gives you you’re desired tone the easiest...

[@primitiveT]

You are completely 95% right! I can only hear a difference, after completely shutting ut all influence, that the highends and bottomed have some slight difference. That could be string tension too, tho. So I don't know.

[@bassplayer137]

Not just string tension, where you play on the string effect the sound aswell

[@JenLee66]

So many things

[@mmengitaar]

Thank you for this video. Some people told me to record for guitar tracks with (2 left, 2 right) with all different guitars. At home i just use 1 guitar and the re amping process is done with different heads and cabs. Great results in the mix.

[@GhostPoetCrow]

Almost identical! Some with hints of gain difference. The most interesting fact was for guitars 7 and 9, when the low end and midrange were somehow pronounced respectively. Interesting stuff!

[@ChrisRash]

#7 was about the only one I thought that had a noticeable difference with more low end. Any of those would sound identical in a mix.

[@fleurimontscorner3382]

The only difference I heard was guitar No.8 seemed to have a lil' more bite than the others but the difference was minuscule and not worth a new set of pick-ups. I couldn't tell one guitar from the others. Great experiment Glenn.

[@24tysont]

I noticed 8 was definitely brighter or something

[@mikeonis]

I kinda heard that too, but to me 8 was just more nasally than the others

[@casadelosperrosstudio200]

8 sounded different... more clear? Maybe because 7 and 9 had a tiny bit less high end in comparison... hard to be sure on my phone. 10 seemed a little clearer than 9, but less so than 8. I would not spend money for that small difference in sound that I could emulate with the turn of a knob. Maybe for different looks, though... but I have no idea which one was which to choose one by appearance either.

[@FelixHureau]

Somewhere on this planet, Paul Reed Smith is watching this video ... crying

[@tayzonday]

KZbin: New ad rules: less swearing! Glenn: 🖕

[@JaredNash13]

Guys, he’s back again!

[@mehAudio]

Hard to say if your muting technique varied between takes, but 6 and 9 were the examples that sounded the most balanced to me. In other examples there was some boomieness, the muting was too loose or too tight. For the next round, the sustain and higher notes would be interesting.

[@zeropointpower]

In the context of high gain, so close as to not matter AT ALL. Having skill, a neck that and weight that feels comfortable to you and a guitar that stay safe in tune are far more important. This is an excellent demonstration, thanks Glenn.

[@dominicrossitto5890]

I love Corrosion of Conformity and BLIND is the album that got me hooked on them. Great tone and they are one of my favorite bands. But I still love Hendrix and Clapton. And thanks for another great video.

[@Traumglanz]

He should make a series about clean sound as well, 5% of my playing still matters! Especially if there is no difference at all for the 95% … guess I should buy my next guitar based on it's clean tone for sure. ;-)

[@jordanhillis1315]

I genuinely have no idea what I’m hearing. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s using the same guitar they’re so close. There’s no way you could tell someone shelled out the money for fishmans or bare knuckles in a mix. Thanks Glenn. You just saved me money.

[@TheGeeJ]

Glen, does scale length affect tone?

[@tsttrewes]

Love this video! Listening a few times I zoned in on #s 2, 6 and 9 as the ones that tickled my eardrums the most but the overall differences were pretty freaking minute. As others have said, in a mix, I wouldn't bet that I could tell the difference. Definitely, most assuredly not worth dropping big money on the difference. Great comparison, Glenn!

[@sergeantslowpoke1550]

there are some differences in the resonances between the different pickups, which i think is about what you should be expecting from pickups. They mainly affect the pick response and resonant frequencies. The overwhelming majority of your tone will be coming from your amp and cab. But if you've been watching Glenn for more than a week, you probably already knew that!

[@Jason31256]

Well done, Glen. You really did a good job of making them all sound the same but too bad there are hundreds of other pickup comparison videos on youtube that prove the opposite

[@greevar]

When you realize that tone requires relative differences between bass treble and mids, it's kind of hard for those things to have relative differences if they're all pushed to their peaks and clipped off.

[@216trixie]

Yes this. Gain and distortion mask pickup tonal differences.

[@bobbykoalaproductions]

I’ve been asking Glenn for the pickup shootout DI tracks for 3 episodes now and I doubt he’s gonna give them up even though he’s an engineer who loves to preach Science.

[@RequiemWraith]

@@bobbykoalaproductions What's that going to prove with respect to a recorded metal POV where you never hear DI'd pick-ups?

[@bobbykoalaproductions]

@@RequiemWraith I’m not saying to compare just the raw DI’s. Metal players CAN AND WILL make different tones than Glenn. Have you ever used a fuzz pedal with different guitars? Or put a DI track through a different amp or speaker?? So what is it gonna prove? That the beginning of the chain actually makes a difference depending on how you dial the end of your chain? Who would’ve thought.

[@LucaJanota]

@@216trixie A complete DI Signal would be too sterile though. I think Crunch to slightly gained up tones are the best to hear the differences in Pickups. You notice the output much more, you have headroom for all the frequencies to evolve and not getting clipped of by too much gain. The tone in this video has way too much gain.. Metal channel here metal channel there. Listen to the Multitracks of Metallice, Judas Priest, etc. etc. Not soo much gain as you would think, it's more in the layering to make it sound huge, rather then compressing the shit out of your guitar and make it sound like a big rumbling mess, anyway.. drifting off here

[@johnpatitucci7919]

I listened to them all with my eyes closed (Which helps me) and only opened them when I noticed a difference. To me, guitars 7 and 9 have a slightly thicker low end, like to tone knob was rolled back a bit. But they all sounded great in my opinion, no real significant difference was heard.

[@jamiehorton6565]

For me, guitar 7 had just a slightly more bass tone. Guitar 10 sounded a tad more gritty. But overall, they all sounded the same. I love the honesty you are giving people and enjoy your show! Thank you for being real and telling it how it is. It’s a great help! Keep doing what your doing. 🤘🏻

[@RPSchonherr]

O.o Define "gritty"

[@JakeTerch]

One of the biggest takeaways I got from Jim Lill’s video where he ended up building the table guitar was that pickup height has a prominent effect on the output. I can hear slight differences in saturation between some of these examples, but all it takes is a few turns of a screwdriver to fine tune!

[@DudeMcGuybro]

I still accuse Jim of clamping that guitar to a pure tonewood table...😂

[@vorpalblades]

I've never even met another person who has ever adjusted their pick-ups. After speaker choice, that's the largest variable.

[@AvACyberSecurity]

@vorpal blade 1st thing I do is play with my pickup height. But I'm a Frusciante fan and I know that's a key to his tone. Jim's video has huge differences at the star until........ he matched the pickups! Anything after that didn't make a difference in that video. I think that blows tone Wood etc out the window rather than pickups because he was using the same.

[@JakeTerch]

@@vorpalblades when I first got my Stratocaster, the previous owner had lowered the middle pickup to where it was closer to the pickguard than the strings. I guess he wasn’t a fan of the quacky position 2 or 4. I brought it back up to where the output was balanced in all positions.

[@vorpalblades]

The actual placement of the pickup itself also is a large factor. Neck pickups on longer scale lengths ( Over 25") or 24 frets just get too washed out and woofy with humbuckers for me. I would rather switch channels at that point.

[@RyanNutick]

The only guitar that sounded different from the others to me was guitar #3, it seemed to have a little (and I do mean little) bit more trebble in the distortion. Thank you for this and your previous video. I've just recently discovered that changing the pickup height will do more for tone than putting in new pickups and couldn't be more thrilled about saving some of my hard earned cash.

[@Laurence-TD]

So I am not the only one that heard something strange with #3

[@tiagoguinhos]

Yeah, I also felt that.. especially when it changes to guitar #4

[@thecatwiththegat5187]

Exactly! Only #3 stood out to me but what difference it had between the other guitars was negligible at best.

[@xDieHuman]

Sounds very ola/solar'ish to me tbh

[@finsantos4630]

Same here #3

[@TIGHTENmetal]

Well done, within this context I agree with the premise. The differences were very subtle if any at all. Some seemed a little brighter & some a little fatter, but super splitting hairs. ALL THAT SAID, I really want to know what the signal chain was. If there were plugins or DIs involved, or hell even a 5150, they really have a tendency to uniform all inputs like we're seeing here. IF THIS WERE THE CASE I would very much like to see the test repeated with the 10 guitars, your Soldano head, your greenback or blackback cab, a mic, and that's it. If people really can't hear a difference then it truly is STFU time.

[@augur_munin]

This is fantastic. I couldn't really hear a difference at all. Please, keep these videos up. I love watching you smash all of the nonsensical guitar myths with facts and scientific tests. I really wish I had your content back when I first started playing guitar in the early 2000's. I wouldn't have wasted money on the wrong things and bought the things that mattered instead of listening to the salesmen selling me their snake oil.

[@primroseproductionsmusic]

Guitar 7 was the only one I thought was noticeably different (but still only minimally), other than minor differences that seemed to just be overall volume output/slight compression which I assume was when there were active pickups hitting the amp slightly harder. Couldn’t begin to tell you which was which tho.

[@ThistleThings]

I heard some volume changes, I heard a couple had more bass (could just be volume) and I think one had a more bell like mid range. A good 4 or 5 sounded completely identical tho. Any difference were like 5% here and there. I’ve been saying it for ages. It’s wire wrapped round a magnet. There’s only so many variables you can mess with and most of them would affect volume more than EQ.

[@brianthemayan]

I think 8 was my favorite, but I think that performance can also change the end result. They were all so close. As a guitar player, often it's more about how playing the instrument feels vs any particular plugged in tone. A guitar that feels great in my hands will elicit a better performance ipso facto better tone. Great video!

[@Traumglanz]

Don't trigger Glenn, for him your tone is not part of your performance, that's strictly technique ... which is understandable for an audio tech guy, even when not everyone will share his view on this.

[@SanDimas234]

Problem with youtube is creators tend to focus on "tone" as it's the only part of a guitar test video we can experience.I really don't remember when I was younger many people obsessing about it the same way they do now, you just eq'd whatever amp to where you liked it, job done People were much more bothered about how it felt to play. It's starting to feel like creators are trying to fix a problem they caused themselves and don't really want the debate to end for obvious reasons.

[@dale116dot7]

Very subtle change mostly in the pick noises, very subtle change in the string-to-string balance before they get mixed together in distortion. I’d say in most cases it is not worth spending money to change it. I can’t tell which guitar is which, I’d use any of those sounds and be happy with them. The little differences I do hear probably could be adjusted to taste in mic placement, EQ, or the guitar amp’s tone controls… for free.

[@anthonyschultz6801]

That was quite eye opening. There was NO DIFFERENCE in the sound. Amazing!

[@SinnedToy]

Subtle differences noticed between most of the guitar changes, but really surprised how little difference the entire guitar change really made!

[@CaNTBREaKCHRiS]

As I mentioned before EMG 707/808 vs BKP Aftermath and there is a real difference, the latter delivers a more nasally stringy sound with tighter low end and increased clarity, it also gives you higher output without being so noisy and unruly. The difference may not be worth it to some but it is to some one like me, I’m really picky! 😊

[@beowulf1417]

Make a video to show us this.

[@CaNTBREaKCHRiS]

@@beowulf1417 I don’t really have the equipment to do a VIDEO video but I CAN record sound comparisons and upload those here. I sent back the guitar with the BKP aftermaths in it because it had problems, but I have another guitar here that I’m going to put those same pickups in as well as another guitar with EMG 808’s in it for comparison. Both guitars are from the same manufacturer, same type of wood, etc… I’ll get back to you here in this thread as soon as I can.

[@CaNTBREaKCHRiS]

@@beowulf1417 BKP’s are nice, they’re different from other pickups in that they have a noteably colder sound which I like very much. On the other hand the EMG 808’s have a warmer, duller and fatter sound comparatively which I’m not so much a fan of. You can still make the EMG’s sound good, but they will never sound like a good passive pickup like the BKP aftermath or painkiller.

[@CaNTBREaKCHRiS]

Some one DID do an 808 vs Aftermath comparison in the same guitar when upgrading a long time ago, I’ll have to see if I can find it and post the link here. The problem with his video is that he uses a patch set up for the 808’s on both pickups which the aftermath is too hot for… I want to do the inverse because it will better illustrate my point.

[@CaNTBREaKCHRiS]

@@beowulf1417 Glenn is absolutely right and I totally agree when it comes to MOST guitar pickups, however there ARE sometimes rare exceptions and BKP is one of those.

[@larrysbmc]

This was awesome.. Can't wait for the butthurtt session on this one. So Glen, have you ever checked out AIO/WOLF Guitars @ All in One Guitar? Really curious on them.

[@AnthonyVolpe]

There were VERY slight EQ differences between maybe three of them, but the majority of them sounded identical. If I had to struggle that hard to hear a difference between these guitars, then the differences between them are virtually nonexistent and I may be imagining things. Good to know I’m case I finally decide to buy a 10S.

[@MNolanMillar]

I could detect only minimal differences. The beginning of each repetition of the riff was often more distinctive from the latter part on the same instrument than the next instrument. However, 7 and 8 stood out the most to me. They weren't necessarily better, but were more distinctive due to the greater contrast: 7 with more punch at the lower end (low mids more than deep bottom end), and likewise with the higher tones on 8 (again, upper mids rather than extreme highs). [EDIT: This was how I heard it through mid-priced earphones on my phone.]

[@RealNeuronaut]

I assume that the 2nd time of each guitar was, in fact, the Schecter...

[@mcinen67]

All guitars except number 8 had similar sound. The number 8 was little bit brighter in my ears. Have absolute no clue wich guitar was wich. Bravo... Great job Glenn.

[@spaceace41]

Glenn, how much does EQ effect overall tone? Have you been able to take a guitar tone that didn’t sound that great and make it sound decent? Great channel and keep up the good work.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Eq s a fix on a source. Get it right at the source. "Can't polish a turd"

[@wishmaster2801]

@@morbidmanmusic u cant polish it but u can mold it in different shapes if its firm enough, it will still stink tho

[@solaribass2491]

4 sounded the best. 6 and 10 were also quite nice. I don't know which guitar was which but there was some slight difference between them. Things like pickups nuts saddles and woods are definitely much more noticeable with clean tones. Either way just do with your money what you want to do. Most important part is to have fun.

[@joewala6538]

Completely agree. Four had more definition and less mudd, while also having that "vowel" sound. I have absolutely no idea which guitar it was, but if I was shopping, that'd be the one I buy. The differences may be subtle between all of them, but if I have a choice I'm choosing that one that sounds 5% better to me than the rest.

[@tanishqrattan9640]

Great Video Glenn. All the evidence is here in this video. Also after watching your tubes, tonewood, speakers, pickups videos and songwriting videos, I would love to see a redo of your old video "How to not completely suck at heavy rock guitar" especially in present context. Thanks for your awesome infos. Been this channel's fan since 2016. Keep up the great work

[@theblindsniper]

6:43 for 1 6:58 for 2 7:13 for 3 7:28 for 4 7:43 for 5 7:58 for 6 8:13 for 7 8:28 for 8 8:43 for 9 8:58 for 10 You’re welcome! I’m gonna use this as a quick way to compare some. What I’ll say from listening to them twice now, the differences are sooooo subtle in that context that I’d bet money with slight edits of EQ at the amp they would all sound pretty damn close. Some have the slightest touch of a little more or a little less of something, they all sound great to me. I’ll provide a little more context in a reply once I listen and compare which sound similar and which sound different.

[@theblindsniper]

So using my ears and doing a quick listen on iPhone speakers, 1+10 sound similar, 3+4 sound similar, 6 to me has a more defined low end, 2 and 8 sound “sharper” where maybe less low end, more highs? Dunno. I felt like 9 was closer to the 3+4 realm and 5 was similar to 6. Any differences I hear are so subtle with that with that amount of distortion going on, it doesn’t matter. And my ears are probably all fucked up from having a cab blast me anyway that I’m probably full of shit. 😂

[@DizzyDez613]

Now imagine trying to notice those subtle difference in a mix with another guitar or two, a bass, heavy ass drums, and Alex Terrible summoning the hounds of hell.

[@josiahgill1176]

Might as well have been looped. Thanks bro! I love this, I feel so free waste my time on things that matter more

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Glad I could help!

[@JDODify]

No. 8 was notably brighter. I liked that one... would probably be easier to mix too.

[@mofomartianp]

No. 8 was my favorite too, mean mids on that one.

[@Eliphas_Elric]

@@mofomartianp That one was the Nazgul I'm pretty sure.

[@gemsfromjesse]

I liked #8. That one seemed like it had more of a clear signal to me, definitely my favorite.

[@garcol42]

I prefer my pickups a little on the mashed chuggity side with plenty of defenestrated schwoompsh in the flub areas but not too heavy on the schweeps, bleeps or creeps, just the perfect about of dingle dangle to tickle my pickle at just the right angle.

[@Lotastic_Films]

I will take the wild card in guessing and say Glenn pulled a Fricker on us and recorded that riff once and just looped it 10 times for us.

[@ICACJ]

probably.

[@danielschroder6678]

I'd suggest using headphones then. xD The differences in bottom end and low mids are pretty significant -- albeit nothing which EQ could not really easily even out, suggesting that instead of buying 500$ new pickups, one might just as well use a simple EQ to change up something.

[@Momentvm]

@@danielschroder6678 true, and those differences will vanish in the mix.

[@sparella]

@@Momentvm The differences will vanish in a mix because the mix engineer will filter the tracks appropriately. If not, then the bassier ones like 7 and 9 will interact with the bass guitar, toms, etc and potentially lead to a muddy mix. (The interactions are highly context dependent, of course.)

[@TheBahamut0]

I think the reason instruments sound so different while playing even when the recorded tracks are virtually identical is the same reason they suddenly sound very different when someone else plays them instead of you. While you’re playing you interact with it and you intuitively pick up a lot of nuances in how the instrument and signal chain respond to your playing (and obviously the far less nuanced part of how the physical instrument feels in your hands, too) that drastically alter what you think you’re hearing. None of these matter in the end, because there is no fucking way you will hear them on a recorded track. But they may affect your performance, especially you know… on the front of wether or not the physical instrument feels good in your hands. I’d assume it’s the same principle as an extremely tiny input lag in your DAW that you absolutely would never hear when you play it back still being able to throw you off enough to make tracking a fucking nightmare. It’s amazing how finely tuned and perceptive the human brain can be while at the same time often being dumber than a sack of potatoes (usually about the exact same subjects). It makes it very easy to get trapped in your own mind instead of just doing a thing and having it be over with. As for the blind test, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I thought I heard a notable difference from guitar 1 to 2 on the first listen, but on repeat the same thing I thought I heard wasn’t there anymore. I would guess that seeing the switches did more for me being able to tell them apart than hearing them. And because you’re a cheeky bastard I don’t fully trust you to actually switch the guitars the exact same time as you switched the labels. I also have a head cold so my hearing is absolutely not up to part right now, but even if it was I would absolutely struggle to tell these apart. I think the natural variance from take to take that comes with playing the same thing over and over again is also possibly more noticeable than the variance that comes with the actual tone shaping parameters of the instrument itself.

[@grayaj23]

This is the correct answer, IMO. I definitely get a different playing experience. The way my favorite guitar feels to play is why I love it. This part of the experience, of course, can't be shared with a listener. I could maybe imagine that playing a guitar that feels good might result in better playing. To give some minuscule amount of credit to the tonewood nuts, this is what I think they're experiencing. Maybe a Les Paul feels better than an LTD single cut.

[@Worlds_Worst_Guitarist]

Its kinda same as with me - NO joke - wearing Glasses or not: since some years i need to wear Glasses due to age 😞 And in the beginning i suddenly didn't like my Guitarsound anymore! Until i realized it has to do with my sight: without Glasses the Sound was thin to me and the Guitar looks and feels somehow............odd to me. Wearing proper (!) Glasses, the very same sound as before suddenly turns out to be nice, full, dynamic and rich again, the Guitar looks and feels familiar again. Odd? Yes! But that is a "Eye to Brain" perception, like with food: "the eyes are eating too"!

[@MoreMeRecording]

100% ... The affordable options kids and anyone new to guitar have these days is absolutely mind blowing. What you can get for

[@robertferguson879]

Your experiments just keep getting more interesting! I could hear - or thought I could hear some small changes - but so small it could have been just a desire to hear difference. Certainly nothing I would hear if there were other guitar tracks, or bass / drums under it. On a side note - I understand your frustration at people wanting to bring non-metal guitar playing / recording into the discussion - but I believe that desire could be a huge compliment - your videos are so interesting and useful for all of us, even we non-metal folk want to interact with what you are offering!

[@CuriousKey]

It's also that in the low-gain world, almost no-one wants to actually do any real tests, because blues and rock youtubers are utterly committed to tone mythology. It's frustrating to see someone test things properly, but wish it was aimed at the questions you want answered. Jim Lill is probably the only blues guitarist I've come across who actually tested the various tone myths - at greater detail than Glenn as well - and found the same thing: Very little matters except the speaker, and microphones.

[@RohannFraser]

Eye opening. Confirms what I've been suspecting for a long time based on small sample sizes but this makes it clear as daylight. Guitar/pickups matter very little for metal tone.

[@sw4610]

Glennnn!!! Another great comparison video where you dispel the myths that cost consumers money that bass players like me (I do play guitar too) should spend on lessons instead of new gear! I have only ever changed pickups because of low output (super cheap) or because they were microphonic (super cheap). If all you play is metal, I have to agree with you, Glen, there wasn't any difference that I could tell. If you play mostly clean tones, then I believe that there might be significant differences in tone from the pickups, especially between single coil, humbuckers, and split humbuckers.

[@alfonsoquintero8699]

Not sure if i noted a change of tone, probably tricked myself when seeing the change of instrument in the screen hahaha, cant wait for the results. awesome content!!!

[@alanbritton]

Hey GLEEEENNNN! Greetings from England. Listened to this video three times (iPhone speaker, Desk Top Speaker and Headphones) and this is what I heard... Guitar 1 - Slightly muffled at first with very little difference between bridge and neck Guitar 2 - Much brighter and clearer. Marked difference between neck and bridge (Bridge (?) Seemed to have more 'top-end') Guitar 3 - Sound similar to 2, bright bridge and cleaner neck Guitar 4 - Same as Above Guitar 5 - Very Bright sound but not much difference between neck and bridge Guitar 6 - Sounds similar to 1 Guitar 7 - As above , but almost no difference between neck and bridge Guitar 8 - Is this a Plastic guitar? sound is thin with strong top-end Guitar 9 - Sounds similar to 2 Guitar 10 - As above. I have no idea which guitar and pick-up combination each one was and what I heard was a differences in audio quality, not tone (maybe you should try changing the tubes in your amp next time? I'm Kidding...🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣, everyone knows it's the tone-wood...🤦🤦). I tried to be semi-scientific by turning the picture off and just used my ears (no cues from onscreen graphics when guitar was changed), I am assuming that each riff was played once at the neck then repeated at the bridge...? Anyway, they all sounded pretty much the same apart from a few minor differences which would be expected in any experiment. Keep up the great work, sir and Fuck the Six-String Princesses!

[@weirdversions]

You are 100% right. But let's just not forget what is the focus of your argument. It doesn't mean a crappy guitar is as good as an expensive guitar, bc there's a lot of other factors involved. My first guitar was very cheap... the materials deteriorated quicly, the tuning was awful... etc.. Great video, man ^^

[@doktabob328]

I think you nailed it when you listed the kind of sounds you want to hear at the beginning of the video. You like metal. Overdrive. Chug. Etc. Which is fine. I love it too. I incorporate a lot of it into my playing and sound choices, as many not-exclusively-metal players do. Here’s the thing … of course the pickups all sound the same ! The extreme waveshaping of metal gear used in the conventional way leaves very little of the nuances a pickup may be delivering. Overdrive distortion for example is the sound of sinusoidal waves becoming squared off at the top. That effectively removes a lot of the natural signal and replaces it with ‘tuned chainsaw massacre’. That’s why you can’t hear the difference. If you played other stuff, you would realise that pickups do indeed sound different, and not just ‘either humbucker or single coil’. Regarding just single coils - a staple P90 vs a lipstick is two different sonic worlds. You would have to have bugs crawling in your ears to not notice the difference.

[@cheezyridr]

first off, i love your channel more with every video. the title of this one was absolute gold. every guitar sounded 99% the same to me. there were a couple of times i THINK that i MIGHT have heard tiny difference in articulation, but it may have been my imagination. i know that i have high frequency hearing loss, so it's more likely in my head and not real. if they ever invent a time machine, i want to take you back to 2010 and put you on the gear page to watch the chaos that would surely ensue

[@GTA_500]

I 100% agree with you here. I remember buying a first act guitar with a single pickup and saving up money to buy an Ibanez gio with 2 pickups didn't change anything in regards to sound.

[@stephanematis]

By then time guitar #5 was playing, my monkey brain said the following: "I guess pick the coolest looking guitar that stay in tune while you go ape." Yeah.

[@cohenthemohen]

Yeah nah, that completely blows me away. Thank god I've only been playing for 3 years and haven't bought any expensive guitars. You've just saved me thousands. Thankyou Glenn!

[@pyroheart6801]

Compare our ears as a mic, and try getting close to the speaker vs. far away. No volume change. Maybe that may blow people's minds along with their ears. I tried that experiment myself at a low volume, and it's exactly like moving the mic. For the guitar shootout, it's just a metal riff with no hard changes. Hell, I couldn't tell a difference because I didn't HEAR WITH MY EYES! There's no contest here, so I'm not gonna guess which is which. Keep making those experiments Glenn. You're fricking awesome and inspiring!

[@richmills1]

the guitars on those CoC and Cathedral albums are huge!! great choices

[@ravvij9643]

The only thing I heard in the recordings that could be different are the slight variations in playing. A note held a touch longer, a string or more being held differently once in a while. Nothing super noticeable unless you're actually TRYING to listen for all possible imperfections. The most notable differences were in the starting notes and slide at the beginning.

[@karlklinker9781]

Guitar #8 had a slight bump in the mids, but there was nothing that made any HUGE difference. Cool video Glenn!

[@BettoniFerreira]

Ola Englund also did something like that, 10 guitars through 1 amp! Amazing video as well! Just the dimebag guitar had a real specific difference, the rest, pretty much all the same!

[@pellepelle47]

HEY!! Just love your show, im a guitarplayer, been playing for 45 years and yes i have been going for all the "known to be the good" gear to find my sound, picups, amps, strings, pedals, bought a jackson x series crackle about a year ago it was a midprice guitar with a fr special and Jacksons own high output pickups, was planning on replace the fr and the pickups but after watching your show i wont shange anything on that guitar because it sounds good and it plays fucking awsome. thanks from Sweden for an awsome show that tells the truth.

[@nedim_guitar]

There's some weird compression that makes the sound pump a little. The volume drops at the palm mute. It takes away the focus from the examples. But, yeah... No discernible difference.

[@juanmacall3256]

I am soooooo thankfull for this chanel, it has saved me so much money and the time I´ve spended in guitar online stores now I spend making music instead. Awesome videos, you are like a Christofer Hitchens for guitar players, showing the world that faith is not science not even in the guitar world.

[@justinsmart581]

The only one I noticed a change in was 7. It sounded like it had more bass, either because the pickups were hotter and were hitting the amp harder, or because the pickup placement was different than the others. Almost like it was a neck pickup. Otherwise, the rest were MAYBE different, but not anywhere near enough to matter.

[@GanthardBlack]

All i could really hear is slight differences in what I refer to as “sizzle” that you get with different output level’s particularly between passive and active pickups also a few of them were more thick and or chunky on the palm mutes but actual tone wise no changes at all