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"Aware of anything other than the fundamental" - I think if you can identify the timbre/tone of a particular instrument, then you've subconciously identified the range of harmonics you're hearing anyway.
Of course, if you listen to anything clearly (ie in isolation and at sufficient volume, with a focus on listening to it) then you'll notice more than if you hear it in a mix, or distantly etc
I was recently working on one of those Gretsch Rancher guitars which has the pickup right up at the 19th-fret position, and the amplified tone bore no relation to the acoustic sound at all - almost all fundamental and sounded like a metal drainpipe.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
So, a follow up question - if you've ever described an acoustic's sound as "harmonically complex", what are you actually discernibly hearing to prompt the use of that term? Can you think of any recorded examples?
I ask because this isn't something I've given much attention to and I suspect that actually hearing this stuff is a bit like wine tasting - you have to focus and practice picking out the nuance to get beyond a "tastes nice/doesn't taste nice" appreciation. To date, my appreciation of my guitars has mostly been limited to "is it louder than a banjo".
Now, it may just be classic guitar hyperbole waffle in which case that's fine, but I'm wondering why in that particular case, people gravitate to thinking that rosewood has MORE going on as opposed to just a different timbre.
The internet is responsible for taking people to some weird places concerning flat top steel strung guitars - which they call ‘acoustic’ - everything u hear is acoustic.
Heres an example - a poorly made - particularly the soundboard system rosewood b/s guitar may have less overtones than a well made guitar with mahogany b/s.
heres two videos, listen to them carefully and think of the implications of what JG’s saying for production line made guitars like 99% of us play.
I sat in Westside in Denmark St with a load of Martins arranged around me (thanks to the guys in the shop - they were cool about it) just picking up and playing and putting down to try and hear the differences between some of these things.
I *totally* hear the thing that people try to describe re Mahogany vs rosewood on otherwise fairly similar guitars (although I don't think on the ones I tried it was ever the only variable) : the Mahogany seemed dryer, quicker, more direct, the Rosewood fuller, slower-seeming almost (does this make any sense to anyone? lol )
My personal interpretation of the whole 'harmonically rich' thing is what I think I hear when I compare say a Martin to an Avalon/Lowden (I had one of the expensive Avalon back in the day) - it's a very different sound. Where the american guitar was strident and authoritative the celtic one was fuller across the spectrum, louder but also almost a bit compressed in that there sounded to be more of everything. Very different. both great.
I'll shush now and look forward to others thoughts on this - good question.
Rosewood has a cleaner and deeper sound which could possibly be described as *less* harmonically rich than mahogany which is rougher and more midrangy - although I'm quite sure both actually have about the same harmonic complexity, just a different balance.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
When I got my Lowden (O22C), I A/B'd between RW back and sides and mahogany back and sides, both cedar tops.
The RW back and sides was almost all fundamental tone, with very little harmonic overtone.
The mahogany back and sided guitar still had a lot of fundamental tone but also loads of harmonic overtone. More of a 3D sound. I've found mahogany gets that 'bloom' effect you get on expensive amps with a decent electric guitar.
I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to
Thanks for all the contributions, An interesting academic discussion.
I'm just describing the sound in the best way I know. I don't think I have any special listening powers!
I think with regards to the overtones, it helps that it is a Lowden, and mahogany. The Celtic makers, as has been said above, seem to produce guitars with more going on in this respect, and overtones are definitely more noticeable with mahogany back and sides.
If I had the resources, I'd do a sound clip. If anything just to find out if I'm spouting bollocks
I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to
It's a simple straight fingerpicked tune.
What do ya think this guitar is made of ?.
https://app.box.com/s/g18wpee0owwy0z3g4nt50bh09g9gk9yj
heres how it goes Lewy, I have smallish far eastern ‘copy’ guitar, it’s sitka and some kind of wood the advertised as ‘mahogany’. As with most production guitars the makers decide on the models they’re going to build and the designs / dimensions their gonna use (inside and out), it doesn't sound like a typical classic dry, woody (earthy) guitar, it's got lots of reverby character and overtones.
This is where the player comes in - to find the ‘good ’n’.
I may have got lucky with this guitar as I preferred it’s sound to the more expensive Adirondack / R/Wood model.
All of this stuff leaves u to wonder if u consider what Mr Greven is saying - is, where u have a pile of tops / b/sides and braces on a production line - is, will there be some of those raw materials more suited to a given design / dimensions / size - when u consider stiffness, density etc. ?
hope u can understand what I’m getting at here.
Where Mr Greven has the luxury of choosing each component for a given outcome, he can predict the ‘overtone’ content to a fairly fine degree.
Same may be true that a production line guitar just has the right ingredient for a given model to make 1 in xx high in overtone partials.
Who knows
It does make you wonder what goes on at, say, the Collings factory when someone specifies Adi bracing as an upgrade option...do they then go looking for a top that's then going to work with that bracing or do they just think f*ck it, give 'em what they asked for and use the top that was next up to be used anyway.....
As for what the guitar is made of...no clue, but I could hear lots of overtones going on (or was it just sympathetic vibrations of undamped strings?). Is it a trick question....is it a strat through an acoustic sim or something?
No it's not a trick question - just an interesting one.
Can be hard to record and place in a mix also.
But, for solo playing, it's such a satisfying sound it can be very addictive.
Didn't Yamaha make a production guitar out of bamboo?