Perception of sound

TheOtherDennis

A couple of months ago, I bought a Faith Neptune in all solid mango wood at the Guitar Show. I really liked how it played and how it sounded.

When I got it home, I fully expected it to sound different to how it did in a honking great room full of other people playing guitars.

And, sure enough, it did.

In fact, it sounded even better. It's been a long time since I was as happy with something I've bought. Even chocolate.

So last night I gave it it's first public airing at a singaround thing I like to go to. This takes place in a room about 30ft x 25ft, something like that. It's an old place, wooden floors, lots of other wooden things, and it had about 30-odd people in it.

And it sounded shit. Really disappointing.

Genuinely baffled.

Still, if nothing else, it shows how little you can really trust your ears when you're playing an acoustic, rather than listening to someone else play one - the difference in what you're hearing is colossal.

bluecat

No, you know it is not the guitar otherwise it would not have made you so happy when you got it home. I would think the people listening thought it sounded great. The sound would have been going out to them and you are basically sat behind that,and maybe the room was all wrong. You know playing at home playing in different rooms or different areas of a room can change the sound,so don't bin it yet. Try some other venues Dennis,you know how good it can sound.

Tannin

When I listen to someone else play my guitar, I am usually blown away by how good it sounds without the mistakes!

bluecat

That is fantastic Tannin,that should put Dennis's mind at rest.

TheOtherDennis

Tannin said:

When I listen to someone else play my guitar, I am usually blown away by how good it sounds without the mistakes!

Me too! That was the first time I believed it when I was told the acoustic I made myself sounded great - I heard someone else playing it, and it really does!!

'Baffled' was the wrong word to have used in my OP. I should have said surprised. I know exactly why guitars sound differently in different rooms, that was a silly thing to say.

Anyway, I only meant to give it as a good example of how different the same thing can sound in different circs, really.

And don't worry, @bluecat, I have no intention of binning it.

crunchman

Acoustic guitars sound very different to the player than they do out in front of them.  My Martin doesn't sound that loud to me when I'm playing it.  I used to have another guitar that sounded louder to me as a player, but a dB meter in front of them both read about 3dB louder with the Martin.  3dB is about double the perceived volume, which is not what I was feeling as a player.

Cirrus

Yeah, they do project a lot of the sound forward which kinda makes sense since they were designed to project to an audience. And it definitely does make the experience of playing them not always representative of what they actually sound like out front.

Probably in your regular size room at home, that extra sound projecting forward is bouncing off the nearby walls and coming back at you. I find that even cheap acoustics sound massive when I play them facing into my bay window, because the whole bay acts like a parabolic dish focusing the sound back at me.

stickyfiddle

What Cirrus said rings true - mine all sound quite different played in small rooms at home compared to big spaces or outdoors. 

Tannin

I habitually sit in front of glass doors or windows for that very reason, @Cirrus - I love that blast of trebly goodness washing back of the glass.

bertie

sit on the stairs and play facing the wall as much as is poss  - its one of the best places for "self tone" 

TheOtherDennis

bertie said:

sit on the stairs and play facing the wall as much as is poss  - its one of the best places for "self tone" 

In which case I doubt I'll ever hear it then - I live in a bungalow

But otherwise, excellent advice. I've done that just facing the wall, generally, and it does make a difference.

Having said that, I've always wanted a home with a bay window (@Cirrus), I grew up in one (the home, that is, not the bay window; then again, the amount of time I spent as a kid staring out at the rain...). Now I really want a home with a bay window.

thomasross20

Damn, bay windows actually are awesome. 
Defo don't bin it yet and well done on getting out to play acoustic!
When in shop and seriously going to buy, I always get the sales guy to play the guitar to me for similar reason.

sev112

But how do you sit and play guitar in a bay window without having to face into the room ? 

bertie

sev112 said:

But how do you sit and play guitar in a bay window without having to face into the room ? 

face the bay ?  

thomasross20

lol

Mellish

Facing this way, facing that; halfway up the stairs with one foot on the bannister......

The ingenuity of man, eh?

 

BillDL

TheOtherDennis said:

.... a room about 30ft x 25ft, something like that. It's an old place, wooden floors, lots of other wooden things, and it had about 30-odd people in it.

 I would hazard a bet that the floor and chairs were not made from decent tone wood.  Next time insist on furniture and flooring made from recognised tonewoods that are able to resonate sympathetically with acoustic guitar sounds, and even sit on one of them so the floor can act as an extension of your soundboard    Perhaps the 30 x "odd people" had something to do with the acoustics of the room.  Find a venue with normal people and see how it sounds.

Kittyfrisk

^ Spot on. It is pretty well established that the average random audience is far more dense & non reflective than a collection of enlightened guitar aficionados.

bertie

thomasross20 said:

lol

??

thomasross20

The plain answer above re face the bay I found funny. Same as the room woods being certified tonewoods as extension to soundboard lol

TheOtherDennis

BillDL said:

TheOtherDennis said:

.... a room about 30ft x 25ft, something like that. It's an old place, wooden floors, lots of other wooden things, and it had about 30-odd people in it.

 I would hazard a bet that the floor and chairs were not made from decent tone wood.  Next time insist on furniture and flooring made from recognised tonewoods that are able to resonate sympathetically with acoustic guitar sounds, and even sit on one of them so the floor can act as an extension of your soundboard    Perhaps the 30 x "odd people" had something to do with the acoustics of the room.  Find a venue with normal people and see how it sounds.

This one of those times when, frankly, it's simply impossible to deny that I thoroughly deserved that.