Guitar comparison

[Donny Hinson]

So, what do you all think about this?
Significant differences, or not?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5poPM3Km-Yg

[Dave Mudgett]

Absolutely, significant differences between these guitars' sounds, even on these crappy laptop speakers and with the undoubtedly diminshed audio fidelity of an uploaded mp4. Immediately, one can hear the extra snarl from the Telecaster. And no mistaking the move to the Les Paul with humbuckers. The differences between the various humbucker guitars is less obvious, but still there. The distinction between the Jazzmaster and the Jaguar is very noticeable. And this is just one edgy, semi-distorted phrase, not remotely the range of sounds these guitars can produce.

Some in the listening public might not notice the differences. But I think most experienced players would notice them immediately. And forget about the differences felt and heard when playing which, in my experience with every guitar type played here, are enormous.

I know there's a school of thought that there isn't much tonal difference in electric guitars. I disagree.

[Joachim Kettner]

The Jaguar was the most distikint, otherwise I didn't hear much differnce.

[Chuck Lemasters]

Not a distinct difference in this clip, but if you were the guy playing them through a clean amp there would be huge differences. A Les Paul sounds like a Strat? nah…and the most distinct differences would be the Jazzmaster and Jaguar compared to the others….

[Donny Hinson]

Not a distinct difference in this clip, but if you were the guy playing them through a clean amp there would be huge differences.….

But then....almost nobody plays with a clean sound anymore?

Oh well,, then consider this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbY9toQmfl8&t=305s

[Fred Treece]

Oh well,, then consider this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbY9toQmfl8&t=305s

Exactly! One electric guitar can sound SO much different from itself that it could be made unrecognizable from one YouTube clip to another, even in the hands of the same player.

Each of those guitars in the first video has their own sweet spot as far as matching pickup position and amplifier tone settings, even if the amp is set to distort. It was a silly demonstration.

I have seen a much better point made that different amplifiers can be made to sound very similar to each other.