Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

Nagash

Nagash

New member
I have two very similar guitars : my good ol' ESP SV Standard, and my last purchase, a Jackson Stars RR J2SP (haven't posted the NGD thread yet, I'm too lazy to take pictures...)

Both guitars have an alder body, maple neck, ebony fingerboard, offset V shape, Floyd Rose tremolo, neck-through construction, EMG 81 bridge pickup (I'm not using the neck pickup on my SV which is also an 81).

I was expecting both to sound quite similar, not exactly the same of course, but at least similar. What I have noticed is that the ESP has a MUCH sharper sound and attack than the Jackson, whereas the Jackson has quite more midrange and treble than the ESP.


Well, even if they are made of the same woods, they don't come from the same trees, and maybe not from the exact same species, but they are still the same woods. Could the variations between wood pieces of the same species be so radical and explain the sound differences by themselves ? Any other ideas ?
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

there are a lot of variables that would make guitars sound different.
wood quality/species/age
moisture levels in the wood
wood grain
thickness of paint/type of finish
body shape/thickness etc

Plus things you can check like TRUE pot ohm readings, pickup height, electrics/tone caps etc

even two EXACT guitars would sound different because of the wood. so to answer your question yes the wood can be the culprit . but its not necessarily why your guitars sound different.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

In fact, I didn't want them to have the same sound. It's just weird how different they are even with all these things in common !
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

Truss rod. IMHO one of the most important overlooked items.

If they are neck-through there almost certain is more than just "xyz body" going on.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

uOpt said:
Truss rod. IMHO one of the most important overlooked items.

If they are neck-through there almost certain is more than just "xyz body" going on.
Click to expand...


Overlooked indeed ! I'll check this out :thanks:
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

What I am saying is that neck-throughs are almost always sandwhiched with layers of wood.

At least Jackson also has a sleeved on headplate. The neck might go through the body but it stops before the headplate.

BTW, what about tremolos and tremolo blocks? If you have some junk licensed thing in there that'll do it.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

I have two identical Jackson KV2s that don't sound similar. Almost every Jackson I've owned is different from the next regardless of model and they're all standard builds with the same woods and electronics.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

H8Red442 said:
I have two identical Jackson KV2s that don't sound similar. Almost every Jackson I've owned is different from the next regardless of model and they're all standard builds with the same woods and electronics.
Click to expand...

Different in a good way? This sounds kind of sketchy to me.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

I think these are way more different than you think...
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

Nagash said:
Well, even if they are made of the same woods, they don't come from the same trees, and maybe not from the exact same species, but they are still the same woods. Could the variations between wood pieces of the same species be so radical and explain the sound differences by themselves ?
Click to expand...

Wood is highly variable. Wood taken from the same tree varies, due to where it is on the trunk and how much compression there is, and how close it is to a branch. No grain is identical anywhere on a tree. Trees react to growing conditions, so rainfall, temp, soil type, elevation, etc all influence how trees grow and their wood is formed. Has the region gone thru extended wet, dry, or cold cycles during the tree's life? How tight are the growth rings? The same species grown in cool, moist conditions halfway up a mountain, is going to be very different than if it was at sea level in a hot, dry area. Ted McCarty (Gibson pres during the golden years) said the same size piece of mahogany could weigh 5 lbs to 25 lbs, depending how many minerals it absorbed in it's life.

You can say a species of tree produces wood that usually has certain characteristics, with numerous exceptions, and it doesn't take much to alter the tonal properties.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

SamusChief said:
Different in a good way? This sounds kind of sketchy to me.
Click to expand...

That's not to say any of them sound like ****.

I have two KV2s. One is brighter and the other a touch more mellow. But I have five Jacksons right now with identical pickup configs. The SL2H sounds different from the RR1 from the KE2 and the two KV2s we've been over.

They all sound and play great but none of them sound identical.

My four BC Riches are the same (wood combos and electronics). My Mockingbird is tight and punchy as can be. My Bich without the trem is bright, the one with a trem is much warmer and my Wave falls in between the Bich with OFR and the Mockingbird. These are more a mixed bag though as none are the same thickness as another so that would account for a lot more of the tonal differences.

Jackson is pretty consistent build wise but I've had some that were very warm almost lacking definition and some that sounded like ice picks on steel. (I'm speaking specifically of my first KV2 and a natural finished one I bought a couple years ago, neither of which I have anymore).

Every guitar is different. In my early years playing I bought a Jackson Dinky Professional (crap guitar) from a local retailer. Loved it but I wanted a black one. The shop I always frequented got one in and the owner was bad ass enough to trade me straight out for it. It sounded NOTHING like the one I just traded and I quite disappointed. Chris was a good guy though and gave me the blue one back. I was a pain in his ass.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

So, what all this means is you never know for sure what a certain guitar will sound like looking at the specs. And that's why so many of us swap PU's and mags, so that we can get the tones we want, and not have to replace the entire guitar. Much better to buy a $3 magnet than to start the process over again with a new guitar.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

H8Red442 said:
That's not to say any of them sound like ****.

I have two KV2s. One is brighter and the other a touch more mellow. But I have five Jacksons right now with identical pickup configs. The SL2H sounds different from the RR1 from the KE2 and the two KV2s we've been over.

They all sound and play great but none of them sound identical.

My four BC Riches are the same (wood combos and electronics). My Mockingbird is tight and punchy as can be. My Bich without the trem is bright, the one with a trem is much warmer and my Wave falls in between the Bich with OFR and the Mockingbird. These are more a mixed bag though as none are the same thickness as another so that would account for a lot more of the tonal differences.

Jackson is pretty consistent build wise but I've had some that were very warm almost lacking definition and some that sounded like ice picks on steel. (I'm speaking specifically of my first KV2 and a natural finished one I bought a couple years ago, neither of which I have anymore).

Every guitar is different. In my early years playing I bought a Jackson Dinky Professional (crap guitar) from a local retailer. Loved it but I wanted a black one. The shop I always frequented got one in and the owner was bad ass enough to trade me straight out for it. It sounded NOTHING like the one I just traded and I quite disappointed. Chris was a good guy though and gave me the blue one back. I was a pain in his ass.
Click to expand...

Oh, ok. I've heard similar stories with custom-ordered guitars. The small differences in the amount of paint, or wood cuts can affect it, too.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

H8Red442 said:
I have two identical Jackson KV2s that don't sound similar. Almost every Jackson I've owned is different from the next regardless of model and they're all standard builds with the same woods and electronics.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I have two USA Jackson Soloist's and one sounds to me like I feel like the Jackson Co. meant for them to sound and the other one sounds "less magical" (though still superior in build).
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

H8Red442 said:
I have two identical Jackson KV2s that don't sound similar. Almost every Jackson I've owned is different from the next regardless of model and they're all standard builds with the same woods and electronics.
Click to expand...

tell me about consistent build-wise.
 
Re: Almost identical guitars, totally different sound ?

FWIW I also have two Burny LPs that on technical data are identical. While one is supposed to be a LP Custom clone it has rosewood which brings it back in sound-relevant specs. And I tested both with the same pickups. The LPC sounds much more scooped, has more treble and more bass, also on a chart.
 
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