Can't decide between two guitars.

[Jerrydpi]

I have two guitars, and the first one sounds and feels great, and lastly, it looks pretty good

I'm using a XTS GE-7, and I can leave the sliders all flat, and I'm happy with the sound.


The second guitar sounds and feels great, and lastly, I LOVE the way it looks

I can pull the bass down a little on the GE-7 sliders, and if I bump the high end up, I like the sound of the second one just as much as the first guitar that needs no eq adjustments.


So...................................................................


Any thoughts on which one to keep will be greatly appreciated!

 

[RC Mike]

Why get rid of either? The money is already gone. Might as well enjoy them both.

 

[Jerrydpi]

Not true

I can return the one that looks pretty good, and receive a full refund.

As they both sound 99% the same, why keep two guitars that sound so similar?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

There’s always the prestige of being a guy with two guitars.

 

[Jerrydpi]

There’s always the prestige of being a guy with two guitars.

I'm past worrying about prestige sergiodeblanc

 

[RC Mike]

Not true

I can return the one that looks pretty good, and receive a full refund.

As they both sound 99% the same, why keep two guitars that sound so similar?

You and I live in different worlds, I think. I’ve never been into the idea of buying and trialing. Feels ishy to me. I don’t really get asking for advice about this, either. Nobody else knows your finances, tastes, or even what guitars you’re talking about.

I guess it all seems so simple to me.

 

[László]

As they both sound 99% the same, why keep two guitars that sound so similar?

I'd have to agree. There's no real reason to have more than one if the two guitars sound pretty much the same.

Here's how I would decide (I've done this):

Record yourself playing each of the guitars. Don't use the EQ pedal, it introduces nonlinearities besides the EQ that affect the tone. Just go straight into your amp with both guitars. Play clean, play dirty, record both.

Keep the one that sounds better to you on playback. It can be difficult to make a decision about tone preference while you're playing - one's concentration is often too divided between playing and listening to choose wisely.

You might be surprised at the outcome!

You also might think this is a really dumb idea. I rule nothing out.

 

[Greywolf]

+1 for Les .. it's like the blindfold test ( or dark room) set everything flat eq , no FX, play both eyes closed and focus on feel and tone.

While I love a looker , it's really about being a good instrument

 

[pwrmac7600]

I'd have to agree. There's no real reason to have more than one if the two guitars sound pretty much the same.

I disagree, Many guitars that may sound similar may feel different, My rule of thumb on if i keep a guitar or not is, when i pick it up does it inspire me to play.
If both guitars inspire you, and you can afford both, then keep both.

 

[RickP]

I’m the weirdo, so I’ll preface with that. I have two of anything I’m using as a main guitar gigging. Break a string, or get that “I put on new strings right before taking the stage” tuning thing… bam, pick up the other guitar and finish the set. If the other guitarist has a mishap, he can pick up my backup and get through. So, in that case, I’d say keep both.

Otherwise, this will remain a game of we guess and you shoot it down with another fact you didn’t disclose in the OP. If you’re going to only keep one and you can only take one back for a full refund, the answer was obvious already.

Keep the one that doesn’t require an EQ.

 

[László]

I disagree, Many guitars that may sound similar may feel different, My rule of thumb on if i keep a guitar or not is, when i pick it up does it inspire me to play.
If both guitars inspire you, and you can afford both, then keep both.

Honestly, for me the answer is, "It depends."

I've gone back and forth on this question, and I've been a bit inconsistent. There's no right or wrong answer here, we're all different. My most-used instrument is piano, so that factors in. Right now I'm in 'No-paralysis-by-analysis' mode.

Too many choices can interfere with my ability to complete the ad music tracks with the quick turnarounds I get pressured to deliver. There's no time to dick around. I have to lay down the guitar part(s) quickly, and move on. So that factors in until I find a guitar I think I have to have, and add it for no particular reason at all, other than 'shiny new object'.

There are also times a client will specifically ask for a particular tone and I get something I wouldn't otherwise want at all, but it'll turn out I kinda like it!

I know a lot of players who are beyond wonderful who only play one or two guitars for their entire careers. Others want a woodpile of vast proportions.

 

[Rider1260]

This would be a better post with pictures and what guitars we are talking about !!!
BUT
Some like multiple guitars that sound and feel similar , some like a variety of sounds
I am in the second category if it was me I would pick a favorite and grab a different second guitar and keep going from there.

 

[Stephen J.]

I am guessing you bought guitar number two because you love the way it looks and you hoped it would sound better than your current guitar. I can’t say I haven’t done the same thing. Sometimes I have returned the new addition because I couldn’t justify keeping it when it didn’t actually offer me anything I didn’t already have, except redundancy. Others I have kept. What I have found is that in time, the subtle differences start to sound more pronounced and I don’t think of them as being the same sound anymore. Sometimes it takes a little time to appreciate the unique qualities of a piece of gear. Usually longer than the return period.

 

[Jerrydpi]

Honestly, for me the answer is, "It depends."

I've gone back and forth on this question, and I've been a bit inconsistent. There's no right or wrong answer here, we're all different. My most-used instrument is piano, so that factors in. Right now I'm in 'No-paralysis-by-analysis' mode.

Too many choices can interfere with my ability to complete the ad music tracks with the quick turnarounds I get pressured to deliver. There's no time to dick around. I have to lay down the guitar part(s) quickly, and move on. So that factors in until I find a guitar I think I have to have, and add it for no particular reason at all, other than 'shiny new object'.

There are also times a client will specifically ask for a particular tone and I get something I wouldn't otherwise want at all, but it'll turn out I kinda like it!

I know a lot of players who are beyond wonderful who only play one or two guitars for their entire careers. Others want a woodpile of vast proportions.

So here's the rest of the story

I'm recording originals only (no live playing, and if I did play live, I'd use a REAL guitar player!).

I only need/want one guitar now because as I'm fairly new to guitar playing (I'm a LONG time Drummer/Bass Player/Keyboardist), I'm not so guitar obsessed right now as I'm confident I'll eventually become

I also only need/want one guitar now because I'm mainly using it for ideas, and perhaps I'll get lucky and keep the guitar track, but regardless, I'll bring the song to my best friend who is a real guitar player (now HE'S the one who is guitar obsessed, and he has, just to name a few in his arsenal, Custom Shop Les Pauls/Strats/Telecasters/Suhrs/Nashs/Duesenburgs/Xotics/etc., and he'll listen to what I've done, and will either say "Let's try this instead", or he'll say "Sounds great to me, and I can't come with anything that will be any better".

The two mystery guitars are:

1) An AVRI '52 Telecaster (the first guitar).
2) A PRS SE 594 Double Cut.


So now that you know the rest of the story, which of the two guitars would you keep for now, and why?

 

[Stephen J.]

I am surprised they sound so similar. I will not believe they feel the same. If you don’t hear a difference, go with the one that feels best (most comfortable/easiest to play).

 

[Jerrydpi]

I am surprised they sound so similar. I will not believe they feel the same. If you don’t hear a difference, go with the one that feels best (most comfortable/easiest to play).

It's the GE-7 that's making them sound so similar Stephen J.

When I said they feel the same, you're right, they don't, but I said that because once I start playing either of them, after a while the differences don't matter as much.

 

[veinbuster]

So here's the rest of the story

I'm recording originals only (no live playing, and if I did play live, I'd use a REAL guitar player!).

I only need/want one guitar now because as I'm fairly new to guitar playing (I'm a LONG time Drummer/Bass Player/Keyboardist), I'm not so guitar obsessed right now as I'm confident I'll eventually become

I also only need/want one guitar now because I'm mainly using it for ideas, and perhaps I'll get lucky and keep the guitar track, but regardless, I'll bring the song to my best friend who is a real guitar player (now HE'S the one who is guitar obsessed, and he has, just to name a few in his arsenal, Custom Shop Les Pauls/Strats/Telecasters/Suhrs/Nashs/Duesenburgs/Xotics/etc., and he'll listen to what I've done, and will either say "Let's try this instead", or he'll say "Sounds great to me, and I can't come with anything that will be any better".

The two mystery guitars are:

1) An AVRI '52 Telecaster (the first guitar).
2) A PRS SE 594 Double Cut.


So now that you know the rest of the story, which of the two guitars would you keep for now, and why?

Well…I would probably keep the Tele.
Normally I would suggest the 594 has more range, but you are getting the sound you want to record from either. Tele wins for me because the flat EQ gives you more space to maneuver from a different sound on another day.

 

[László]

So now that you know the rest of the story, which of the two guitars would you keep for now, and why?

I'd keep the Tele. It gives you precisely what you want without the EQ. I also have a preference for an authentic USA model Fender over an overseas version of a PRS.

I realize this makes me a terrible person!

 

[Stephen J.]

I also have a preference for an authentic USA model Fender over an overseas version of a PRS.

I thought it. But I felt like I had said too much already.

 

[Jerrydpi]

I'd keep the Tele. It gives you precisely what you want without the EQ. I also have a preference for an authentic USA model Fender over an overseas version of a PRS.

I realize this makes me a terrible person!

My thoughts as well Laszlo!

PS
I mean the guitar choice, not that you are a terrible person