But...it's an ELECTRIC guitar, man...

I've noticed that some electric guitars do seem to have more vibrance acoustically than others.

My Schecter C1-FR (with a Floyd Rose 1000) is like this and so is my homemade Les Paul. I equate this quality to sustain, but can't say why some guitars have it and others do not.

The Les Paul has an aluminum tailpiece and aluminum roller Nashville bridge, which really seemed to impart a vibrant/resonant quality to the guitar.

I know this phenomena exists, but i can't say for sure exactly why.
 
Jethro Rocker said:
It has to play nicely and be comfortable first off. While electronics can be changed
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my thinking -- if I dont FEEL the vibes through the wood -- if the guitar doesnt speak to me (unplugged) then ---unless its stupid cheap and I am FLIPPING it-- I pass.

the "keepers" here-- move and vibrate and have a FEEL before they ever get plugged in that make me gravitate to playing them ---

WHEN you add the electric plug in--- you ad an INFINITE number of variables (that ALL can be changed/altered/enhanced/reduced) and can taint or cloud or obscure the true FEEL of the gutiar......

HOW MANY of you (Hell I know several have posted here) have bought a guitar because it was AWESOME at the store --- and a week later went "I dont like it" .....honeymoon short lived.

Example of my thinking:
I strummed my strat one time--- 1 A chord--- and i KNEW it was coming home with me --
I tested EVERY stat at EVERY price point in Jimmies Vintage Music that day, all unplugged, and this one (243.00 MIM beat up ....stained neck, missing trem bar...) stole me heart and CURED my GAS for a strat (and I tried dozens over the years)
when home and plugged in ..................it was even better
 
The best sounding electric guitars are from very carefully selected woods.

I learned that it's the wood from long experience, much trials, many pickups, and much listening.
It "is" the wood.

If you don't believe this:
try building an electric guitar out of particle board.
Or, plywood for that matter.
Even if you put a $10,000 PU on it, it will still sound like crap. No matter what, it's crap.
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I'm not saying a particle board guitar is going to sound better than a (insert your favorite guitar here), but I can't say I agree 100% with this statement.
I don't think mass produced $100 - $200 guitars are using the very best "tone woods" available, but I have heard plenty of them that sound good.
Granted, I may not have the trained ears some others have, and my expectations are probably lower, but I think you can get a nice sounding guitar at almost any price point using all different kinds of wood. I guess it just depends what you're looking for.
And Brian May might disagree too. He built his Red Special out of scraps of whatever he could get his hands on and that thing sings!
I'm not saying better materials don't make for better instruments in general, but that's just my opinion...
 
Mitch Pearrow SJMP said:
I only have one with the pickgaurd on, I would have to pull it to see if I hear a difference, did not notice a difference when I pulled it off the gold top !!
Interesting,, hmmm
Cheers
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I was joking. Hence my irritation at not being able to insert an emoji. Two of mine have pick guards, one doesn't. I can't hear a difference, but I've seen people swear it matters over "there".
 
First off, I know lots of folks who want their electric to sound good unplugged before they will even consider it. In my opinion, that's wrong. I only care how it sounds plugged in DUH. There was an internet fight years ago where I said "resonance robs sustain"....it created a huge fight. I also said "if you want a resonant guitar, get an acoustic". I was attacked by everyone UNTIL a scientist came along and told everyone that I was 100% correct...so I just sat back and watched the ensuing fight for awhile. Any engineers or scientists around here? I wasn't saying it based on science, it was just my opinion....which I still believe. My belief came from a few totally dead guitars that sounded great plugged in...this was years ago. So I literally have no dog in this fight, but I'd be interested to sit back and watch the fireworks again;)
 
jtees4 said:
First off, I know lots of folks who want their electric to sound good unplugged before they will even consider it. In my opinion, that's wrong. I only care how it sounds plugged in DUH. There was an internet fight years ago where I said "resonance robs sustain"....it created a huge fight. I also said "if you want a resonant guitar, get an acoustic". I was attacked by everyone UNTIL a scientist came along and told everyone that I was 100% correct...so I just sat back and watched the ensuing fight for awhile. Any engineers or scientists around here? I wasn't saying it based on science, it was just my opinion....which I still believe. My belief came from a few totally dead guitars that sounded great plugged in...this was years ago. So I literally have no dog in this fight, but I'd be interested to sit back and watch the fireworks again;)
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I agree with you completely! I've been in the electronics field my entire life and I believe the mains components to your sound with an electric guitar are pickups and amplifier...

...and we never fight here. We discuss and agree to disagree. Everyone's opinion is respected!
 
Sp8ctre said:
I agree with you completely! I've been in the electronics field my entire life and I believe the mains components to your sound with an electric guitar are pickups and amplifier...

...and we never fight here. We discuss and agree to disagree. Everyone's opinion is respected!
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So, why don't my V and SG sound the same? Or like my Les Pauls? Through the same amps? Hell, I even have the same wire and pots in them all now. I'll give you that if you are using a lot of overdrive/distortion the point is moot. Otherwise, I'm not buying what you are selling.
 
Cadorman said:
So, why don't my V and SG sound the same? Or like my Les Pauls? Through the same amps? Hell, I even have the same wire and pots in them all now. I'll give you that if you are using a lot of overdrive/distortion the point is moot. Otherwise, I'm not buying what you are selling.
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Not selling a thing, just my opinion from many pickup swaps between many guitars. None of your guitars have the exact same electronics in them.

Swap your entire electronics including pickups and post some videos of the huge difference in sound. Or don't. To each his own!
 
I don't suspect anyone here is taking the position that the design of the guitar doesn't factor in at all. Initially what got me thinking about it is that a lot of the best-sounding Les Pauls I have ever played are basically bricks that weigh 10+ pounds and don't seem to do much in the way of resonating unplugged. But, plug them in and they are monstrous things. Some people have pointed out that electronics seem to have a bigger influence on the tone coming out of the amp than the wood or resonance etc. and I tend to agree with that, but there is also the intangible: how a guitar feels in your hands will at least in part determine how you play it, and (at least for me) the volume you play is a huge, huge factor.
 
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