Vintage - Reissue blind listening test

[hoss]

Ten Guitars posted this, what do you guys think?

 

[sws1]

A is the burst IMO

 

[efpe]

A is the better sounding guitar

 

[somebodyelseuk]

My gut says Guitar B is the 60, simply because the guy looked more 'into it'.

 

[hoss]

My guess is in the video comments, search for "bernard".

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

I prefer B.

 

[brandtkronholm]

Unfortunately at ~5:52 you can see a bit of the guitar...and tell which guitar it is...

I like them both!
A is mellower than B at times.
A sounds thiner than B at times.
The pickup selector on A might need a cleaning...

Cool video! :dude:

 

[asapmaz]

It’s not even close imo.
A is clearly the burst.
Everything is more mellowed out with a more musical, pleasing tone to the ear.
B is just harsh and more anemic.

 

[JPP-1]

Both guitars sound fairly one dimensional with a strong fundamental. Both lack that hollow transparent, howling with overtones thing I love so much in a great Les Paul.


Bottom line, both of those guitars can be made to sound nearly identical with adjustment of the tone nobs. Must be a huge disappointment for the old wood fanboys. Can’t hear any fairy dust in either of those guitars my friends. No fairy dust at all.

 

[JPP-1]

Unfortunately at ~5:52 you can see a bit of the guitar...and tell which guitar it is...:

You’re right. B is the reissue. So much for a blind test but a solid effort nonetheless.

 

[marshall1987]

Listening to this rudimentary "blind test" through my powered, Jabra Soulmate bluetooth speaker, via recent MacBook Pro....

...IMO, Guitar A is the vintage Les Paul; and Guitar B is the 2020 reissue Les Paul.

 

[JPP-1]

Listening to this rudimentary "blind test" through my powered, Jabra Soulmate bluetooth speaker, via recent MacBook Pro....

...IMO, Guitar A is the vintage Les Paul; and Guitar B is the 2020 reissue Les Paul.

Right, we know that B is the reissue and A is vintage. It’s clear in that section of video Brandt sited.

I can pick out the tonal difference between the metal platings used on a PAF cover when I have the answer already. So it’s not really a blind test anymore.

 

[El Gringo]

Ten Guitars posted this, what do you guys think?

hoss , I choose B- for being the vintage burst . I made that choice like in the first minute of the video , because there was a smoothness and a mellow warmth , where A - had a tad bit harshness , which I attribute to being the newer guitar ( I am not going down the rabbit hole of old growth versus newly harvested wood ) I can hear the adjectives flying out of my mouth and could probably spew a bunch of positive ones and vibes about my choice of B guitar being the vintage burst . I really liked and enjoyed listening to this guys playing as I heard a little bit of Beck and a tad bit of Dickie Betts . So refreshing to hear someone play that can play and make music which is a + . Thank You for posting this !

 

[garywright]

Right, we know that B is the reissue and A is vintage. It’s clear in that section of video Brandt sited.

I can pick out the tonal difference between the metal platings used on a PAF cover when I have the answer already. So it’s not really a blind test anymore.

sounds like A is the vintage ..B is the reissue.


:dude:

 

[JPP-1]

sounds like A is the vintage ..B is the reissue.


:dude:

Since it’s already established that A is vintage and B is the reissue because of the reveal in the video noted by Brandt, the intended objectivity of this as a “blind” test has been lost.

Maybe A is marginally better, but it’s nothing that a bit of tonal adjustment couldn’t fix. I liked both and some tasty playing as well, though neither sounded better than that hollow vowelly Les Paul tone in the video below afaic.

 

[El Gringo]

Since it’s already established that A is vintage and B is the reissue because of the reveal in the video noted by Brandt, the intended objectivity of this as a “blind” test has been lost.

Maybe A is marginally better, but it’s nothing that a bit of tonal adjustment couldn’t fix. I liked both and some tasty playing as well, though neither sounded better than that hollow vowelly Les Paul tone in the video below afaic.

Wow, JD can play and then some . When he switched to the neck pickup I heard some Page and some Duane and Dickie . I just want to let JD play my Lesters and Marshalls and just sit back and watch and listen to him rip it up . The one major difference that I heard from JD versus the test clip was how Soulful JD's playing is , that is the magic exactly that I often talk to other guitarists about that yes maybe we are technically proffecient up and down the fretboard but that soulfulness is from a whole other universe . Another example of that is that maybe we can play Keith Richards guitar parts expertly note for note , it does not sound the same because we can't make it swing like Keith does . That is a skill to come up with your own unique way of playing and phrasing and just the "feel' of it .

 

[Sol]

What I hear is the clarity at the front edge of the note, which is usually warmer or softer in the reissue.
I hear this clarity in the chords, with a touch more midrange evenness throughout, as I've gone back and forth listening to the two guitars.

Well done to the OP by the way, a tricky project really well done IMHO.

Are these subtle differences due at least in part on the age gap (60ys) ?? Must have some bearing on material changes over time, the wood, wire and magnets etc??

At the end of the day the difference between them is ridiculously small and finding two that sound this close built a week apart let alone 50 yrs is hugely impressive. Imho

 

[c_wester]

I dont know.. but I could not hear a difference. And I have put 25 years of my life to hear a difference.
My suspicion is that it is a old VIntage Amp that helps the Reissue a lot plus its a great reissue.

Also I love the thought of classic tone without today's prices....

 

[BurstWurst]

I did a shootout of sorts the other day. Been playing the same 59 for 45 years now. A few weeks ago, I went out of town to a buddy's house and got sucked into a jam session. I was handed a plaintop R8. It behaved and sounded VERY MUCH like my old trusty burst. I never paid much attention to my friends R8 until I played it under battle conditions. Played a few that didn't do it for me in the tone dept, but this R8 had the goods.

 

[corpse]

JD’s tone and style here is something. Very old sounding guitar indeed.