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DR or AJ


Dodgermod

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Anyone give me a view on the difference between the SOUNDS of a dreadnaught and jumbo guitar; I appreciate the shapes are different but couldn't help noticing that the 60s J45 Gibson has more of a dread shape with the square shoulders while the newer models have the classic AJ shape - rounded shoulders and bigger lower bout.

Was looking at the DR220 and AJ220 online (used to ghave an AJ200 that I loved) and wondered what difference in sound there might be

 

thanks

 

Dodger

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The difference in tone will be negligible. There are those, especially of the Gibson persuasion, who will tell you differently.

 

Tone will be more greatly determined by sound board material, whether solid or laminate, bracing, saddle, possibly pins.

 

The only way to determine if YOU like the tone of guitar A or guitar B is a side-by-side comparison.

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I'd add also that string choice is a major consideration in an acoustic tone.

 

Each of us has a number of reasons for choosing a particular gauge, too. I know I'll not get the same sort of tone from my ultra-super light acoustic strings as I would from 12s. But the lighter strings far better suit what I'm doing.

 

My own choice of seeking a tone would be to start with several types of strings. Then you can mess with nut and/or bridge saddle. The strings will make even a small body guitar sound deeper with heavy, and even a large guitar seem smaller in terms of tone.

 

Yeah, my next purchase likely will be an AE cutaway dread, then my light strings. That should give better depth for the bass.

 

Right now mostly I'm playing a PR5E for "acoustic," and that brings yet another dimension since one can mess with the tone circuitry on an AE - although it'll never really turn it into a dread or jumbo.

 

m

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Diver...

 

Yup on the two guitars... but I'll wager if you put on my 9-42 DR Zebras (Elixir refuses to sell an acoustic set that light, which I'd prefer and they told me they don't care to do), you'd find a lot different tone on both.

 

I don't know what difference one might find between the two with "my" ultra lights on them. I doubt too much. The big difference on either would come from string gauge, IMHO.

 

m

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Anyone give me a view on the difference between the SOUNDS of a dreadnaught and jumbo guitar; I appreciate the shapes are different but couldn't help noticing that the 60s J45 Gibson has more of a dread shape with the square shoulders while the newer models have the classic AJ shape - rounded shoulders and bigger lower bout.

Was looking at the DR220 and AJ220 online (used to ghave an AJ200 that I loved) and wondered what difference in sound there might be

 

thanks

 

Dodger

On the masterbuilts AJ is little louder and bassier DR a little more uniform sound,I picked the DR.

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I use the same strings on my AJ500mE and my '63 J-45.(Elixir Nanoweb 12-53

As stated above the tone difference in negligible. The J-45 may sound just a little brighter.

 

I'll second that I use the Nanowebs on one of my guitars and they are quite jangly.

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