Warm Or Bright? Fat Or Thin?

[László]

Let’s say you’re trying to decide between two guitars of the same model.

For the sake of interesting discussion, you can only have one or the other, not both. You must choose!

All other things being equal, do you pick the warm sounding guitar, perhaps with a fat midrange, or the bright guitar with more treble overtones but with less lower midrange, etc.? Or any other permutation thereof?

Remember, this is purely a fun discussion, and “both” isn’t an assumption on offer. Choose.

 

[Iceman101]

Warm sounding please

 

[Tosca]

I find it easier to compensate for thinner mids with pedals and pre-amps than to create a high end “sparkle”, “spank” or “chime” that isn’t fundamental to the instrument. It’s easier for me to make a Strat sound like a Les Paul than it is to make an LP sound like a Strat.

I prefer warm, mid heavy guitar sounds...but every once in a while you need a brighter sound...so if I only could have one (a ludicrous premise, by the way) I’d need the one that I could do both with.

 

[goat-n-gitter]

I don't care for dark sounding guitars. You can always roll off treble, but if it's not there adding it with EQ rarely sounds right.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

What scenario am I going to be utilizing it most? Being the only guitar in the ensemble or am I 1 of 2 or 3?

If by myself, then likely the warmer one. If I'm in a group of others than something that won't get muddied in the mix.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I’ll take fat and warm, I’m hearing everything as too bright lately.


As long as we’re not talkin’ dark or muddy...

 

[CandidPicker]

Trending towards jazz and blues, the warmer toned, lower midrange guitar.

 

[veinbuster]

Warm and fat.

Too bright hurts my head. Too thin makes me want to throw things.

 

[bodia]

Warm and fat for this guy

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Warm and fat please.

I’ve noticed that’s the sound I gravitate toward.

 

[CyFan4036]

I find making a bright guitar warmer sounding is easier than making a warm guitar sound bright.

 

[Mozzi]

I think I would gravitate more to the Warmer fatter sounding guitars.... I don't mind an articulate pick-up but if everything was the same, I think I would go for the fuller, warmer sounding one. I can't imagine that the brighter, thinner sounding one would be at the extreme end comparatively - not if they are the same model, woods, set-up etc so I doubt it would ice picky , Single Coil type sound compared to a really dark and full Humbucker difference but if I had 2 PRS guitars, both the same model and the same 'look' so that it was strictly the subtle nuances that decide my choice, I would probably go for the fuller sounding guitar...

 

[andy474x]

Tough choice... I suppose there’s the argument that we can roll off treble with guitar amp tone controls, but even when I do that, there’s a spank and pop to the note attack that I can’t dial out without just gutting the tone. I’d take the fatter sounding guitar, and use a boost that cuts some bass and enhances the upper mid. If only one or two companies would come up with such a thing...

That’s just my take, but I fully recognize there’s no right way, someone else would do the exact opposite and sound absolutely awesome doing it. It’s like how some people sound great on a strat or CE, and then I play it and suddenly don’t prefer it.

 

[markd21]

I would go warm and fat.

 

[WA Paul]

I NEED that push in the lower mids for that sound in my head. Mostly described as warm and fat but not muddy. Tone knob plus amp Presence control usually gets me plenty of highs for my needs. Studio EQ as required.

 

[markd21]

I NEED that push in the lower mids for that sound in my head. Mostly described as warm and fat but not muddy. Tone knob plus amp Presence control usually gets me plenty of highs for my needs. Studio EQ is required.

Sounds like you like the same thing I do.

 

[Boogie]

Recording or live situation? Warm for recording, bright for live.

 

[AP515]

I'm in the warm fat camp. I think it's in my DNA. My first electric was a Strat type (Squier), and without knowing anything about why, I found myself turning down the tone pot on the guitar and turning up the mids on the amp.

 

[elvis]

Bright. Ash and maple for me.

 

[dmatthews]

I spend a lot of time on the bridge pup, so I seem to gravitate to the brighter side.