Your guitars that give you the best sound through an amp (mainly thinking high gain tones here), what do they sound like acoustically? Loud, quiet, resonant, bright, dark? If you only played unplugged, would you pick the same guitars as sounding the best?
How do your best sounding guitars (plugged in) sound unplugged?
- Thread starter gnoll
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cindarkness
SS.org Regular
I mean they sound like a bunch of wires vibrating against metal - not very pleasant imho.
Edit: Okay, coming to the actual topic - I've found that the difference I hear acoustically doesn't translate to the amplified tone that much (especially high gain). Hence why I don't invest my time or money into tone woods etc. It's the pickups and their EQ difference that matters to me.
Edit: Okay, coming to the actual topic - I've found that the difference I hear acoustically doesn't translate to the amplified tone that much (especially high gain). Hence why I don't invest my time or money into tone woods etc. It's the pickups and their EQ difference that matters to me.
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Marked Man
Well-Known Member
My best sounding electrics also sound better than the others when unplugged.
My UVs sound amazing without amps surprisingly. I remember messing around on Garageband and recording with my phone next to my guitar while playing it unplugged. Came out pretty good, too.
"Best" is entirely subjective. I have two relative to my own opinion. One is a headless that sounds very janky and kind of trashy unplugged, but has an amazing modern metal and jazzy split coil capacity to it. The second sounds full and musical, very much like an acoustic guitar.
If I only played unplugged I wouldn't even own these guitars, I would own a steel string acoustic.
If I only played unplugged I wouldn't even own these guitars, I would own a steel string acoustic.
Quieter than plugged in.
narad
Progressive metal and politics
I don't even know what this question could possibly entail. What would a good sounding unplugged electric guitar sound like? Even if good is subjective, for amplified guitar we at least have reference sounds for what each of us finds good.
Mine are super resonant. Not only can you hear it, but feel it throughout the entire guitar.
Also I just smoked a LOT of meth, so maybe don't take my word for it
Also I just smoked a LOT of meth, so maybe don't take my word for it
Estilo
Well-Known Member
A thread on TGP was all about semi-hollows that sounded best plugged in should sound WORST unplugged. Because 'frequencies lost to the unplugged tone are not captured by the pickups'.
Recalling reading that thread serves as a great reminder to stay away from that site.
Recalling reading that thread serves as a great reminder to stay away from that site.
elkoki
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I’ve noticed some guitars sound super bright and resonant unplugged but sound quite terrible plugged in (at least for metal) .. I’m not really relating it to tone wood though , because I’ve heard this from different types of guitars . I found some of the fattest sounding guitars sounded quite dull unplugged .
I've mentioned this on another thread, but I have a bunch of Parkers that mostly vary in the woods used so it's kind of an interesting comparison. My Classic (basswood neck, mahogany body) unplugged is by far the quietest and almost dead feeling in comparison to most of the others which are extremely resonant and loud unplugged. Plugged in, especially for metal though, it's one of my absolute favorites. It's tight, sustains just fine, and just rips. For cleaner tones, the more acoustically active ones do come across better plugged in.
soliloquy
Well-Known Member
I mostly play unplugged. Even my electrics, so I think i maybe a good person to answer this
my best playing guitar is also my best sounding guitar unplugged.
What makes it sound great unplugged? its acoustically loud; resonant; articulate; and chimes like a bell. ALL notes on it really ring through. Not that its any indication, as my family doesn't know guitars, but whenever I play that particular guitar, some of my family members look around the room, looking for an amp, as they think its me playing clean on it.
for me, thats what makes a 'good' guitar, and though its nothing major in particular, some how i cant seem to find this all too frequently.
the guitar in question is my Edwards ELP custom. Its one of many reasons why I've said it several times that this is 'the perfect' guitar for me. All other aspects of it, be it the specs, or the QC, or whatever are just bonuses
my best playing guitar is also my best sounding guitar unplugged.
What makes it sound great unplugged? its acoustically loud; resonant; articulate; and chimes like a bell. ALL notes on it really ring through. Not that its any indication, as my family doesn't know guitars, but whenever I play that particular guitar, some of my family members look around the room, looking for an amp, as they think its me playing clean on it.
for me, thats what makes a 'good' guitar, and though its nothing major in particular, some how i cant seem to find this all too frequently.
the guitar in question is my Edwards ELP custom. Its one of many reasons why I've said it several times that this is 'the perfect' guitar for me. All other aspects of it, be it the specs, or the QC, or whatever are just bonuses
Well I've been thinking about this the last few days.
Sometimes I'll pick up a guitar and be like man, this thing is so quiet, it's kinda shit isn't it?! And then a bit later I plug it in to a 5150 or something and it's like whoa... maybe it's not that bad.
And the opposite, I play one that's nice and loud, plug it in and it's just eehhh, it's a bit tubby, and not as clear as the quiet one.
But I'm thinking for cleaner tones, light overdrive etc. a "nicer sounding" acoustic tone is maybe more useful.
I can't quite make sense of this stuff. But it's pretty interesting to think about.
Sometimes I'll pick up a guitar and be like man, this thing is so quiet, it's kinda shit isn't it?! And then a bit later I plug it in to a 5150 or something and it's like whoa... maybe it's not that bad.
And the opposite, I play one that's nice and loud, plug it in and it's just eehhh, it's a bit tubby, and not as clear as the quiet one.
But I'm thinking for cleaner tones, light overdrive etc. a "nicer sounding" acoustic tone is maybe more useful.
I can't quite make sense of this stuff. But it's pretty interesting to think about.
Edika
Well-Known Member
I've noticed that the way a guitar sounds unplugged does translate to the amplified and distorted sounds. And guitars do have a core sound regardless of pickups in then. I have bright sounding unplugged guitars that sound bright distorted, regardless of the pickups I have in. I have darker sounding guitars that sound dark regardless of the pickups I have in. Some guitars have annoying frequencies I cannot get rid of regardless of the pickups, strings, amps etc etc.
In guitars like those, I tried changing pickups, strings, electronics, parts on the bridge, springs (on a Floyd guitar), swapped Floyds between guitars (made no difference on either guitar). Frequencies would still be there.
I've put the same pickups in guitars with the same scale length, the same gauges and string brands, the same bridges, at the same height and they still sounded different. There would be of course the pickup colouring the sound but they did not sound identical, as some people tend to claim and there would be enough variation on the sound to distinguish the guitars. And that core sound of the guitar would come out on the amp.
I'm not sure if the reason is magic wood, construction, attention to detail or whatever, playing a guitar unplugged won't tell me if I'd like the amplified sound. But if there's an annoying frequency I know I won't be able to get rid of it.
In guitars like those, I tried changing pickups, strings, electronics, parts on the bridge, springs (on a Floyd guitar), swapped Floyds between guitars (made no difference on either guitar). Frequencies would still be there.
I've put the same pickups in guitars with the same scale length, the same gauges and string brands, the same bridges, at the same height and they still sounded different. There would be of course the pickup colouring the sound but they did not sound identical, as some people tend to claim and there would be enough variation on the sound to distinguish the guitars. And that core sound of the guitar would come out on the amp.
I'm not sure if the reason is magic wood, construction, attention to detail or whatever, playing a guitar unplugged won't tell me if I'd like the amplified sound. But if there's an annoying frequency I know I won't be able to get rid of it.
I’m so glad this topic is back. Feels like old times.
Remember when everyone was talking about how great their guitars sounded unplugged? Lol, that is some peak SSO shit
Remember when everyone was talking about how great their guitars sounded unplugged? Lol, that is some peak SSO shit
Are you.... Vibrating right now?Mine are super resonant. Not only can you hear it, but feel it throughout the entire guitar.
Also I just smoked a LOT of meth, so maybe don't take my word for it
Kosthrash
SS.org Regular
The less "resonance" in solid body electric guitars translates to less feedback. If you want resonance, just use an acoustic guitar 
I’m so glad this topic is back. Feels like old times.
Remember when everyone was talking about how great their guitars sounded unplugged? Lol, that is some peak SSO shit
Yeah this is some throwback shit.
