My First "Proper" YouTube Video: 57/08 vs 59/09 Pickups

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guitarman001

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Just demoing the pups on my PRS - really just an exercise in using the video editing software, getting my logo & intros sorted etc. I was going to go through Toneport but not for a pup test (and ok, I know not best through valve emulation!).
Lightworks only seems to upload to YouTube at 720p which is a bummer as it looks much better in the original 1080p...

--> Comments welcome (anything related to sound, video construction, or anything that pops into your head). This is a slow and gradual process but I'm learning...

 
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Sounds great! IMHO I'd recommend letting less of the acoustic sound of the guitar into the mix, if possible. Not that it sounds bad, but it adds a "plinkiness" that stays constant between the pickups for the comparison.
 
Thanks for the comments.

I wasn't sure if playing through a real amp or through a Line6 Toneport would be better for sound but I get the point about acoustic string hitting noise - these comments will help me for future vids, so thanks!

The guitars are practically the same except for the pups (ok, violet one is wood library but I don't know how much of a difference that makes). Good that you could hear a difference in sound on the video between the two.
 
I like the fact that you played the same things on each guitar. This gives the best basis for really evaluating the sound. Keeping the examples short is a great idea as well. Demos frequently turn into hey look at me.
 
WEDGE said:
I was surprised that i liked the 57/08's better, they had a high end zing. Wonder if the guitars themselves had enough of a difference to influence the sound?
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Simple - the 59/09s in the video are covered.

Guitars will sound different from one another anyway, but the pickup covers do make a difference.
 
guitarman001 said:
Thanks for the comments.

I wasn't sure if playing through a real amp or through a Line6 Toneport would be better for sound but I get the point about acoustic string hitting noise - these comments will help me for future vids, so thanks!

The guitars are practically the same except for the pups (ok, violet one is wood library but I don't know how much of a difference that makes). Good that you could hear a difference in sound on the video between the two.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the demo! Coming from someone who hasn't played many 59/09s, it was nice to hear the pickups side by side.

I've found that recording the audio separately from the video, then syncing it up later, provides the best sound. The amp can be mic'd in the room, or record your TonePort signal into your DAW, and then sync it to your video after.

Thanks again for the demo! Nice playing.
 
WEDGE said:
I was surprised that i liked the 57/08's better, they had a high end zing. Wonder if the guitars themselves had enough of a difference to influence the sound?
Click to expand...

And I actually liked the 59/09s better. Probably my advanced age. Brighter highs are like ice picks in my ears these days.
 
Surprising - I think the 59/09s have a higher end (more treble!) - strange how people hear things differently!

I've been told I should have played some more power chords or whatever, something slower in order to demo the sound better. Something for future. I was keen to play the same thing, as noted, in order to highlight differences.

I've never seen a 57/08 vs 59/09 vid so thought "why not"
 
5708 guitar has a maple neck right? VS a hog neck on the other guitar... that will cause a little more zing on the 5708 guitar.

edit - can't watch vid now
 
Both guitars have mahogany body, maple necks and ebony fretboards. The only thing that really differs are the pups - so to me it's the perfect demo as everything else other than the pups is fixed.
 
The 5909's being covered will tame the high end a bit as opposed to the uncovered squabbin style pickup. I have a covered \m/ pickup and got an uncovered and the new squabbin is somewhat brighter sounding than the covered. Certainly enough for me to notice. Sorry, I didn't notice they both had maple necks! It must be that rosewood overlay warming it up! ;)
 
dogrocketp said:
I like the fact that you played the same things on each guitar. This gives the best basis for really evaluating the sound. Keeping the examples short is a great idea as well. Demos frequently turn into hey look at me.
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I agree with this -- these were the perfect length. Gets any longer, audio memory starts to fail. And the fact that you played the same thing at the same volume was really great. It might seem tedious, but to someone who is trying to tell the difference, this was perfect.

Unfortunately, they sounded very similar to me. I think I'm just deaf to the nuanced difference, maybe in a year or so while I continue to develop my hearing.
 
Dusty Chalk said:
I agree with this -- these were the perfect length. Gets any longer, audio memory starts to fail. And the fact that you played the same thing at the same volume was really great. It might seem tedious, but to someone who is trying to tell the difference, this was perfect.

Unfortunately, they sounded very similar to me. I think I'm just deaf to the nuanced difference, maybe in a year or so while I continue to develop my hearing.
Click to expand...

I think it's a tough one and to really evaluate them it has to be done in person at gigging volume, especially for something like pick-ups. Sometimes I think I can hear differences (I can see how some say the 57/08s sound brighter but in person I always think the 59/09s do) and other times not. If it's so close, I'd say the difference is negligible and no need to train the ear too much - it is what it is.

Tedious yeah, but I agree - good for somebody who is serious about hearing any differences. Thank you!
 
Nooooo.... I can't say for certain but the tone knob on the purple guitar (I just checked) was rolled down to 6... I don't know if I did that for the video or not. I might have to totally re-do this grr.

If that's the case I could always keep the existing video up to show how the 59/09s can approximate the 57/08 sound with the tone rolled down. Maybe that's why I couldn't hear the trebley zing from the 59/09s like I usually do.. god, so sorry!!
 
Yep... I'm convinced I had the 59/09 tone knob down.... that's why I was perplexed it didn't sound as trebley as it usually does.

I wonder if there's a way to edit the video without removing the link, so I could put a frame in saying that the tone is rolled down on the 59/09s. Do you think it's a good idea to keep a video like that up, trying to make the 59/09s sound like 57/08s? Or just pull it?


In a way, this was a good test for everybody. Anybody who said the 59/09s had more treble in those vids needs to have their ears checked lol... :)


I don't know now whether to do the same video again... or thrown in the Suhr as a 3rd comparison guitar. I was going to do a Cu24 vs Suhr Pro S4 video separately. That might be a better idea, actually.

--> Also means that Dusty Chalk's ears were SPOT ON!!!
 
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Lollers. There's a first...

Here's what I'd do -- I'd do a three-way comparison -- the two with the tone knob fully up, and the 59/09s with the tone rolled down.
 
Dusty Chalk said:
Lollers. There's a first...

Here's what I'd do -- I'd do a three-way comparison -- the two with the tone knob fully up, and the 59/09s with the tone rolled down.
Click to expand...

That's a point... I do still have the original files so could quite easily do that. Good call!!
 
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