Question hypothetically... which one?

[Shred_Nadin]

if you went into a store to buy a musicman and the store had two of the exact same guitar (ie, all options same color on the same model), brand new never touched. what would you look/feel/smell for before deciding on one of the two?...

 

[PeteDuBaldo]

I would play both side by side and listen for tonal differences. Each piece of wood sounds different, and some sound more "in your face" than other do. I have noticed this a few times playing identically equipped guitars next to one another. I would pick the one with the more aggressive tone, hands down.

 

[Shadowbox]

Of course. I'd play them both.

FYI...If you want options, you could always check out the instrument options at www.music-man.com and have the dealer order what you want!

 

[Shred_Nadin]

Of course. I'd play them both.

FYI...If you want options, you could always check out the instrument options at Welcome to the Ernie Ball Music Man Company and have the dealer order what you want!

lets just say... hypothetically these guitars are exactly the same and the ones i 100% want... ... but i can only have one...

 

[PugNinjas]

When you walk in the store, which one do you focus on first?????

 

[Shred_Nadin]

When you walk in the store, which one do you focus on first?????

they are two fully loaded mystic dream jp6's (my dream guitar as of the last 3 years) and instead of focussing on one, my eyes do the opposite of going cross eyed and look in two different directions, one at each guitar...

(no "just get a BFR responces please")
i know you were all just about to!!!!

 

[Shadowbox]

Then it's easy!

Take both guitars and play them through an amp that is the closest to what you play through at home. That way, you'll be familiar enough with the tone of the amp that you will be able to evaluate each guitar on the merits of the guitar alone. Play each one back to back at least three times. You'll bond with one of them. Take that one home!

Good luck!

 

[Shred_Nadin]

Then it's easy!

Take both guitars and play them through an amp that is the closest to what you play through at home. That way, you'll be familiar enough with the tone of the amp that you will be able to evaluate each guitar on the merits of the guitar alone. Play each one back to back at least three times. You'll bond with one of them. Take that one home!

Good luck!

awesome answer! any thing to look for in terms of construction? wood grain on neck? frets?

 

[Slingy]

Check out the rosewood on each, some is browner and streaky and some is much darker. Also maybe put your ear on the body and start knocking on each to see which one resonates more. They're EBMM's though, you could just flip a coin.

 

[phatduckk]

ive been in a situation like this before. I went in with a buddy & played both a lot with a bunch of switching. Id play 1 clean, the the other, 1 with high gain then the other... etc etc making sure to play the same tunes on both.

Then I had him play the 2 in a similar way while I sat back and listened. then the same drill but I fiddled with the amp knobs a bit here n there.

personally with an experience like that i pick a winner based on some unconscious combination of feel & sound

 

[kneeoh]

personally with an experience like that i pick a winner based on some unconscious combination of feel & sound

This is pretty much what I go on. For example, my buddy Rob and I both own BFR JP's. Aside from being different colours, they are essentially the same, but they feel and sound entirely different. I think he'd tell you the same thing. Even amongst my collection of JP's, I still have a favorite because it just has a darker tone than the others... incidently, Rob doesn't like the feel of this particular guitar though it is basically the same as his other JP.

So, try both through an amp that's closest to your personal rig and take home the JP that feels and sounds like home to you.

 

[D.K.]

After playing both side by side accoustically, and provided no setup or neck issues are apparent with either one, I would take the deeper (bassier) and darker sounding axe - that's just my preference in tone...

 

[koogie2k]

This is a very cool situation to be in. You have two of the exact same guitars and all the options in the same location!

It is simple. You have to play both of them side by side. Try to play them with an amp you have (if available at the store) so you know what you are getting all the way around.

First, play it unplugged as suggested. Feel the sustain and the clarity of both guitars as you sit there. Listen to any tonal differences. Maybe even have a note pad with you to take notes on what jumps out at you on each guitar.

Plug them in. Let it rip and again take some notes.

Give each axe the same amount of time. Play the same things with each one. Get the feel of each one. Take more notes.

In the end, evaluate what you wrote down to help you decide which axe has Shred_Nadin secretly built into it.

Then cash out and BAM! you are done.

 

[Shred_Nadin]

Check out the rosewood on each, some is browner and streaky and some is much darker. Also maybe put your ear on the body and start knocking on each to see which one resonates more. They're EBMM's though, you could just flip a coin.

so i'm assuming the darker rosewood is the better choice?.. the tighter the grain the better the fretboard right?

thanks for all the replies by the way dudes i should have this by tomorrow afternoon..

 

[Slingy]

No they just can look different. On darker colors dark rosewood might look better I like the rosewood on my sub has big brown streaks in it and my Luke is almost completely solid looking which also looks great since its a black guitar.