I was browsing through Youtube the other day and found an absolutely incredible example of how different music sounds from behind the guitar versus in front of it.
This Experiment was so shocking to me I absolutely had to post it, the test was done by an extremely lady named Susan Gardner who has tons and tons of helpful tips on her Youtube Channel (Which I highly recommend you check out if you haven’t done so.)
In the experiment, she puts a microphone behind and in front of her and shifts between each so you can hear the difference in how it would sound to an audience versus to herself. I was pretty surprised to hear how different the sound is. Makes a huge difference.
Check out the video for yourself and subscribe to her channel
At the end of the video she makes some great comments as well on how the acoustics of where you are also have a lot to do with how your guitar will sound as well.
If you’re in a crowded space you’re more likely to have a sound with a lot of echo and maybe some muffling as opposed to a large auditorium or say in the backyard.
So, basically when you pick up a guitar to try out in the store, that’s how it will sound there and the tone will change depending on where you take it.
Comments on the video include:
“Seems to me the character of the guitar sounds consistent, but you lose some high frequencies with the rear mic. It occurred to me that the rear mic could be placed by your ear, not behind your head for a more accurate experiment.”
“The guitar sounded great with all the different mics and positions . Nice long sustain and round tone , not too bright , but still very alive . I think some times as musicians is that we worry more about tone and projection , and less about just enjoying the art of music . You did a great job on picking out the guitar , the selection of models is overwhelming . I feel that when shopping for a guitar , you have to wait till a guitar picks you . I found the best guitars when I’ve just popped in to pick up a set of strings !”
“Range of upper register in each person’s hearing likely has a lot to do with the instrument you like, as well as how it resonates as you specifically hold it. The relationship of a person to a wood instrument is inherently personal because of these two factors, above and beyond it feeling right (size and weight) when you hold it.”
“Regardless of how you see it, there’s no denying the difference in sound quality. Leave a comment and let us know what you think!”