Brazilian vs. East Indian

[j45nick]

A lot of you may have already seen this, but it's a pretty good comparison. Although I could hear differences, I could not necessarily pick one out over the other consistently. If anything, the Brazilian seemed a bit brighter and clearer in the upper end and a bit more focused in the bass, but at the end of the day, there didn't seem to be a huge difference here. Probably more difference between two guitars using different pieces of the same tonewood than an essential difference between species.

 

My link

[62burst]

At the end of that day, or any other, there never really is that big of a difference. But for folk who enjoy the subtle difference in guitars and tonewoods, it's a good time. Tony's rosewood comparo does seem to have the Braz as brighter; hopefully, both guitars have strings of the same type, and age, though the set on the Brazilian look brighter (?). This attribute of rosewood is especially important for certain styles of music, and Bluegrassers may have had a helping hand in elevating Brazilian rosewood to mythical status.

 

So, given

 

The venerable J-45: in 1) mahogany, 2) maple, 3) rosewood, and 4) all-hog gives a nice look into the nature of the different tone woods themselves.

 

or:

 

Mahogany: used for: 1) an LG-2, 2) a J-45, and 3) an J-100 (<-changing scale lengths here) = a lesson in how the sound of the wood changes across different guitar body shapes.

 

Which would be the more enjoyable comparison to do? One vote here for all of the above ; ) .

[E-minor7]

Blind track - about double thread

 

My original (now deleted) thread-opening seen below

 

 

[E-minor7]

How appropriate, welcome and intriguing.

 

An accurate T.P. test of the 2 mythological tonewoods, , , or should we say, the mythological difference between them.

Can you hear those wooden sieblings differ fellow-members, , , , , can I. .

 

Think so - both sound good, but the Rio rose appears softer and looser to these ears, like more broken in. Look forward to know your opinions.

 

Hoooooweverrrr, , , and Polecastro knows this - the 2 absolutely similar guitars from Taylor (could be any brand) may very well vary from the plant anyway.

Talking about the respective natures of the tops, the components collective 'swing' etc. - this could even be a sleepy piece of East Indian Rose and a lively load of Rio, , , or vise versa !

 

So what we have here is an acoustical test-driver, who now needs to go further into this A/B by testing so many pairs that he/we see/hear a pattern.

Oooouuhh, , , there's a 2015 theme - 2 new guitars back to back every second month through all '15. But do such pairs exist.

 

See you in a year. .

[E-minor7]

Blind track - about double thread

[BluesKing777]

I listened through my iPad speaker and did intend to listen again with my nice Shure in ear monitors, but while it had a bit more 'ring' to the Braz, listening to those guitars again is not as urgent as if it were an old and new Gibson together or an ancient d28 in Brazil vs new version in 37 Authentic in Mad......

 

 

BluesKing777.

[j45nick]

listening to those guitars again is not as urgent as if it were an old and new Gibson together or an ancient d28 in Brazil vs new version in 37 Authentic in Mad......

 

BluesKing777.

 

I'd like to hear one of Tom B's vintage 'bones, and the '37 Authentic Madagascar D-28, for sure.

[DenverSteve]

Because every Brazilian will be different and every Indian will be different and every guitar will be different - sometimes you'll prefer a Brazilian. Other times you will pick out an Indian Rosewood - every time it should be guitar driven not tone-wood driven.

[slimt]

I could hear the difference.. Indian being a little softer. shorter on the tone .. More snap and Bass on the brazilian More on the tone.... I guess you have to own a few to understand the difference.. I did a comparison with a 810b against a standard 810 Indian 4 months ago.. fingerpicking seemed almost the same.. but you could still hear the sustain was more on the brazilian.. with a med Pick brighter , bassier snap on the brazilian.. a Buffalo Horn Pick.. just plain more volume out of the brazilian.. But the Indian was no slouch either,, Just the sustain did not last as long.

 

as for the big differences.. all in all, I think alot has to do with how the Top braces are done, forward shift, so on.. every guitar with brazilian does not sound the same.. or have the same qualitys..

 

I just bought a 41 authentic D28 .. madagascar .. I would not trade it for a brazilian.. No way no how.. its is just outstanding in every way..

 

for just volume ,and bright Guitar, and lots of chime.. the D45 Indian is more than enough guitar.. I have owned brazilians in the d45s,, I could not hear my self think..

 

Truth about the D45 indian.. its just a louder guitar than the madagascar 41 authentic D28..

[stein]

Brazilian is more reddish and more variable in the grain, while Indian is more on the brown side with straight grain and more contrast.

 

When I saw it was with two Taylors, I thought it would be useless. I got over it soon enough.

 

Good show. Even thought it's on a computer (seriously, you gonna judge SOUND of two "good" guitars with a compressed MP3 type recording?), I thought the differences in sound were pretty much what I GENERALLY expect between the two woods.

 

For these, if you were to give me one of the guitars, I would pick the first one. More separation between notes, more definition between bass notes and treble notes. That aspect added a little "specialness" that would make the guitar more "interesting" to sit with and play around with different things seeing what different extremes of styles could be had.

 

The Indian, I thought had more complexity in most ways, more going on with the overtones, especially in the chords. In particular the treble, that sparkly jangly type thing Taylors are good for. I think the Indian makes for a better Taylor. That is, while not really much use to me, I can see where fans of Taylors would like it more.

 

Not meant to be a knock-down of Taylor. From what I have heard in what others play and the Taylors I have played, that high-mid and treble is where it's at for them. There is a sweetness there, and I think when judging a "good" Taylor between a average one, it comes down to that range- what's going on in those high frequencies.

 

So, not a matter of the cheaper wood being preferred for a guitar I like less, I really do think the Indian works better for the Taylor sound.

 

BUT- on the other side of the fence, using Brazilian on a Taylor is pretty lost, in that, when going through the expense of using that wood for the purpose of what it does for the sound, I think most wouldn't be going for a Taylor there.

[slimt]

Brazilian is more reddish and more variable in the grain, while Indian is more on the brown side with straight grain and more contrast.

 

When I saw it was with two Taylors, I thought it would be useless. I got over it soon enough.

 

Good show. Even thought it's on a computer (seriously, you gonna judge SOUND of two "good" guitars with a compressed MP3 type recording?), I thought the differences in sound were pretty much what I GENERALLY expect between the two woods.

 

For these, if you were to give me one of the guitars, I would pick the first one. More separation between notes, more definition between bass notes and treble notes. That aspect added a little "specialness" that would make the guitar more "interesting" to sit with and play around with different things seeing what different extremes of styles could be had.

 

The Indian, I thought had more complexity in most ways, more going on with the overtones, especially in the chords. In particular the treble, that sparkly jangly type thing Taylors are good for. I think the Indian makes for a better Taylor. That is, while not really much use to me, I can see where fans of Taylors would like it more.

 

Not meant to be a knock-down of Taylor. From what I have heard in what others play and the Taylors I have played, that high-mid and treble is where it's at for them. There is a sweetness there, and I think when judging a "good" Taylor between a average one, it comes down to that range- what's going on in those high frequencies.

 

So, not a matter of the cheaper wood being preferred for a guitar I like less, I really do think the Indian works better for the Taylor sound.

 

BUT- on the other side of the fence, using Brazilian on a Taylor is pretty lost, in that, when going through the expense of using that wood for the purpose of what it does for the sound, I think most wouldn't be going for a Taylor there.

 

______(BUT- on the other side of the fence, using Brazilian on a Taylor is pretty lost, in that, when going through the expense of using that wood for the purpose of what it does for the sound, I think most wouldn't be going for a Taylor there. ________

 

Taylor would not be my first choice in Guitars , I had a 810b.. even though I could tell a difference to its Indian same model 810 .. I did move the 810b on.. from my experiance with it.. it just did not have the bang for the buck..

 

Now put a AJ Brazilian up against a Indian AJ.. for that matter a brazilian sj200 up against a Indian sj200.. you will notice a huge difference.. own both of each..

[BluesKing777]

I had an independent sound test done by the Better Half, grudgingly . Though she has probably heard more about this stuff than she ever wanted!

 

 

She listened to the test in my headphones and declared them 'the same' with the EI a very little brighter.... There you go!

 

 

 

Here is a Braz Clapton used from Elderly - would make a good test for TP with a normal EC!!!!

 

 

 

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/10U-6837.htm

 

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

[j45nick]

 

Here is a Braz Clapton used from Elderly - would make a good test for TP with a normal EC!!!!

 

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/10U-6837.htm

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Nice-looking back on that guitar, but a surprising amount of grain run-out on the front. I think for the price difference, I'll stick with my EIR version of the EC.

 

I do like the look of that back, but not another $5K worth of "like". For that money, you can come close to getting a decent late 50's or early 60's D-28, I think.

[slimt]

I had an independent sound test done by the Better Half, grudgingly . Though she has probably heard more about this stuff than she ever wanted!

 

 

She listened to the test in my headphones and declared them 'the same' with the EI a very little brighter.... There you go!

 

 

 

Here is a Braz Clapton used from Elderly - would make a good test for TP with a normal EC!!!!

 

 

 

http://www.elderly.com/vintage/items/10U-6837.htm

 

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

Headphones? Hmmm okay.. :)

[BluesKing777]

Nice-looking back on that guitar, but a surprising amount of grain run-out on the front. I think for the price difference, I'll stick with my EIR version of the EC.

 

I do like the look of that back, but not another $5K worth of "like". For that money, you can come close to getting a decent late 50's or early 60's D-28, I think.

 

 

 

Yes, 7500 beans could buy all kinds of things, but it would be great to hear your EI Eric next to the Braz EC - could you nip over to Elderly's with yours and do a quick comparison, Nick?

 

 

Once it was in your hands, it would probably tell you to take it home!

 

 

BluesKing777.

[j45nick]

Yes, 7500 beans could buy all kinds of things, but it would be great to hear your EI Eric next to the Braz EC - could you nip over to Elderly's with yours and do a quick comparison, Nick?

 

 

Once it was in your hands, it would probably tell you to take it home!

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

That's the danger. They speak to you once you pick them up. I don't dare get close to a guitar like that