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  • I am frustrated, sheesh. Been in quarantine for so long, but I'm about to get out in a few days. I'm lucky my cuz brought me my guitar, so I was just jamming on it acoustically. How loud are unplugged electrics usually, I was wondering?


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    I have a feeling this thing is going to kick ass, it I've always been one of those weirdos who think the unplugged sound of an electric can give you an indicator if it's going to kick ass (sometimes).

  • I've always been one of those weirdos who think the unplugged sound of an electric can give you an indicator if it's going to kick ass (sometimes).

    Given that it's a PRS that may well be a good indicator since they put so much focus on resonance, sustain, etc. of the guitar before it's even plugged in. Here's hoping you can plug in and peel the paint off the wall soon!

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

  • Love the concept of the PRS, love their looks, and love their attention to detail and quality. Alas, I personally have never found a PRS with a neck profile that felt very comfortable in my hand, and inspired me to play. Nevertheless, I absolutely admire the company, and their products, even if they are not for me. That, plus it is nigh impossible to find a PRS with a maple fretboard, in stock at a music shop.

  • it I've always been one of those weirdos who think the unplugged sound of an electric can give you an indicator if it's going to kick ass (sometimes).

    Me Too! it these last Years, Anytime I wanted to test someonelse's guitar (to Buy it or Not) I've brought with me my #1 giutar, or one of my giutars as reference sound to A/B compare them; and the first test is Always Acoustic!

    and in the end I've never bought a giutar that didn't impress me when unplugged.

    I woudn't say the volume/loudness it's the main factor to consider but of course it gives a clear indication.

    Sustain and resonance behaves are IMHO more relevant factors.

  • I agree with you, guys. If it resonantes unplugged then it will most probably sound great when plugged in. Wood matters! Being lefthanded I don't have the chance to try out many lefties unless I am visiting a large town, and often not even there, but when I do I like to try them unplugged first, unless there's too much noise around me. Obviously a Gretsch will resonate more than a Strat, but the point is sustain has a lot to do with the wood and the construction.

    Never too old for rock'n'roll

  • Me Too! it these last Years, Anytime I wanted to test someonelse's guitar (to Buy it or Not) I've brought with me my #1 giutar, or one of my giutars as reference sound to A/B compare them; and the first test is Always Acoustic!

    and in the end I've never bought a giutar that didn't impress me when unplugged.

    I woudn't say the volume/loudness it's the main factor to consider but of course it gives a clear indication.

    Sustain and resonance behaves are IMHO more relevant factors.

    True man. Many, including me in the past, made the mistake and say ok but if I swap to another pickup I will like it. But no. If you don't like it unplugged it doesn't matter how much you swap the pickups. You will never be satisfied with the guitar and end up selling it. Just like I have done in the past. If you like it unplugged and not 100% satisfied plugged, swap pickups till you find the right pickups and you have a guitar you will not sell.

    Think for yourself, or others will think for you wihout thinking of you

    Henry David Thoreau

  • I agree with you, guys. If it resonantes unplugged then it will most probably sound great when plugged in. Wood matters! Being lefthanded I don't have the chance to try out many lefties unless I am visiting a large town, and often not even there, but when I do I like to try them unplugged first, unless there's too much noise around me. Obviously a Gretsch will resonate more than a Strat, but the point is sustain has a lot to do with the wood and the construction.

    But it is not wood alone. Changing hardware can make a huge difference too. Changing tremolo block in a Strat and saddles for example.

  • Yeah, Ibot, agreed! The height of the stoptail, the quality of the saddles, the nut, the frets, the neck joint... Plus the wood. Then the pups can enhance the sound or spoil it a little, but they are easier to change than the wood...?

    Never too old for rock'n'roll

  • As a supposedly well trained engineer PhD who has studied, researched, practiced and taught the discipline I have come to the conclusion, based on all the anecdotal and empirical information available, that the achievement of a great sounding electric is totally determined by magic, luck and pixi dust. Try a bunch, close your eyes, play and choose.

  • I agree with you, guys. If it resonantes unplugged then it will most probably sound great when plugged in. Wood matters! Being lefthanded I don't have the chance to try out many lefties unless I am visiting a large town, and often not even there, but when I do I like to try them unplugged first, unless there's too much noise around me. Obviously a Gretsch will resonate more than a Strat, but the point is sustain has a lot to do with the wood and the construction.

    My experience is not as straightforward, I did an experiment back in the day with 2 gibson sg (the one you see in the picture, 75 sg standard) and a new one (2014 Standard). My point was to prove if actually vintage guitars sounded better. So my frien at that momento recorded the same loop with the same amp, more or less the same with both guitars, then we changed pickups on the guitars and did the same, and after we looked up blind, we didnt know which was which, some nunances in the playing, but nothing mayor.


    The old one resonated way more than the new one, but that didnt seem to change anything in the sound, not even sustan, it felt about the same. One thing we did find better in the old one, it felt better to play, as you have that kind of tactile feedback when playing a resonating guitar.


    My idea of what affects tone in order is the following:


    1.- Pickup

    2.- Bridge

    3.- Mass of the neck/ overall construction (tie)

    4.- Wood


    At least thats my subjective experience.

    The answer is 42

  • As a supposedly well trained engineer PhD who has studied, researched, practiced and taught the discipline I have come to the conclusion, based on all the anecdotal and empirical information available, that the achievement of a great sounding electric is totally determined by magic, luck and pixi dust. Try a bunch, close your eyes, play and choose.

    I do get irritated when people start saying its pixie dust....everyone knows that pixies don't exist. Its star dust, so please make sure you quote the right dust moving forward :)

  • Its funny but a friend of mine had an SG bass....loved Andy Fraser and saw one for sale and bought it. However, one of the strings at certain points used to have a real flat spot....on sound volume. He took it to a really good luthier.....couldn't find the issue. Sent it back to Gibson and they refunded as they couldn't work it out. The only collective theory was some kind of strange resonance between the woods of the body and neck that was cancelling some volume out....


    Having said that, i also saw a video destroying the concept that heavier strings give better sound...


    Its all a mystery to me :).


    It all plays a part, the question is always how much.

  • The weight of an instrument is an important criterium for me nowadays. Not that I can proof that a leight-weight guitar sounds better, but the overall better comfort and reduction of health issues is confirmed by orthopedists ?


    To be honest I have a few heavyweight monsters that sound excellent. So no problem with sound here. But after I got used to my Music Man Stingray guitar, everything else felt so heavy. The Stingray is an offset design with mahagony body, but it weighs practically nothing. It's always fun to look in surprised faces, when other people take the guitar out of the stand with way to much force, cause they expected it to be much heavier ^^

  • I don't know if it is only me, but there are many (midpriced?) guitars out their in the shops, that look gorgeous and everything is fine. But acoustically they sound so bad. Very loud, good sustain, still very "cheap" and awful! The resonating of these even feels uncomfortable in the fingers - just dreadful. I noticed this often on nice looking mid-priced Ibanez guitars ?

    Don't know what it is, hard to describe. It seems not related to certain wood types. Mystery again.


    On the other hand I tried out many ultra cheap guitars (4-7 piece bodies?) that sounded very promising acoustically. Like Squier, Cort, very cheap Ibanez.

  • Its all a mystery to me :).


    It all plays a part, the question is always how much.

    I bet the pixies would know.

    The weight of an instrument is an important criterium for me nowadays. Not that I can proof that a leight-weight guitar sounds better, but the overall better comfort and reduction of health issues is confirmed by orthopedists ?

    This is why I never played Les Pauls, despite the fact that they were the very definition of rock back in the day. I tend to twitch around erratically like the squirrel from Ice Age and something that heavy would just dislocate my shoulder, so I learned to love Strats. And anyone who doesn't believe a lightweight guitar can sound good has clearly never heard Eddie Van Halen.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10