PRS has some of the best full tonality of any guitars on the market. Truly brilliant. If you want the best single coil pickups by PRS get the John Mayer Silver Sky.
My understanding is that the PRS has not a complete split, but a simple attenuation of one of the two coils. This should be done by inserting a resistor between the coil you want to eliminate and the ground. I might have used some incorrect terminology, but i hope that was understandable enough.
I think this is good example of the player making more of a tonal difference than the guitar. And thanks for not overdriving them much. Much better to hear that way.
Darrell, I have to say.. Coming from youtubers who does mostly metal stuff like this, your videos make the most sense. The honesty in your comparisons, videos, the incredible sound, and the general quality, is simply sky high. As I have commented a while ago, you should be way more famous for your work. I certainly hope you will explode on the internet, and show them your work.
I don't get how you can say the tele sounds the best but you aren't a tele fan. If you think it sounds the best then aren't you admitting that you had misconceptions about it, and should now change your mind and become a tele fan?
No no listen to how things are. There are two types of guitarists. The ones that like teles. And the ones that don't know it yet. You my friend used to belong to the second group and with that I welcome you.
I always get quite a bit of flak when pointing this out on other channels: the importance of _getting to the point._ Darrell is one (of the many good channels) to get this right. I could not agree more.
@@Noone-of-your-Business Hi guys, thanks for watching, today we're gonna (45 seconds to paraphrase video title). I'd like to thank you again for watching and please like and subscribe. In about ten minutes we'll get to the content, but thanks all you guys for watching.
Great video, as usual. The blindtest was so revealing to how much visuals play into the debate and personal perception regarding the single coil vs split humbucker debate. I did pass the first test with flying colours only to fail miserably in everything that followed. May that be because neck pickups on a clean setting are easier to identify than middle and bridge pickups? Perhaps more distinctive? Every guitar in this video sounds terrific to me, perhaps also thanks to the elegant playing, but I have to say the PRS impressed me the most. Good clean sounds with a meaty characteristic about them. Just a ton of tone right there.
Prs sounded consistently so nice, if anything it made me want to get a PRS lol, was surprised when I thought the tele's bridge sounded darker than the strats though
All Kinds Teles usually are more punchy, mostly because of the metal plate and position to bridge. Also most stats don't have the bridge pickup running through the tone control.
In my opinion, coil splits are perfectly usable but impractical because it takes more fiddling to get a decent tone. That's my experience with the coil splitter on my Godin Session anyway.
Not so fast - unbalanced coil humbuckers like the Fralin Unbucker will sound virtually the same in coil tap mode. The cherry on top is that humbucking mode sounds like a sweeter, hotter single coil due to the unbalanced coils. Two, genuinely useful sounds in one pickup. It can be done.
I'm saving for my first electric guitar and was debating single coil vs. split humbuckers, now I am convinced I will not be dissatisfied with split coils. Those all sounded great to my ear. Thanks for the helpful video.
Great video bro. I've been playing a Les Paul for so long, and now I'm interested in investing on a Strat, or another single coil. While I love the warmth that split humbuckers bring to the table, I want to try playing some brighter tunes into my mix, and your video has been quite assuring that I'm on the right track. Got a lot of rights!
Great video. I nailed the neck, got a 50% on the mid and was sort of lost on the bridge. It's amazing how that Telecaster tone keeps up with all the changes in guitar design over the years. It's tough to beat that Tele single coil sound but I think all of the instruments showed their strong points in the demo.
I have to compliment you on the beautiful recording you make. Its by far some of the best recorded guitar ive heard on you tube to date. So clear and hardly any clipping. Alot of other popular you tubers should try to emulate your sound.
Love your videos man. I appreciate the no-nonsense approach to these interesting topics combined with your positive attitude and good playing. Keep it up!
Wow. This video made me realize how much I really love that tele sound. It's the most distinctive tone to me. I never cared about teles until now, honestly. This video was awesome!
I wonder if it would have been better comparing a single coil strat to a split humbucker strat to keep all other things equal. The scale length of the LP and PRS will always provide a very different tone than a 25 1/2 strat scale length. Personally i like the tele and G&L the best. I have 3 guitars with split humbuckers but rarely use that option. I find the volume drop and thinness of the sound not to my liking. Excellent playing BTW.
I would also have liked a direct comparison of single coil strat to split humbucker and full humbucker strat because that is exactly what I've been thinking of doing. P.S. if you do it, tell us what pickup you used- I'm still shopping....
Mike, [EDIT: I've been deceived by the marketing machine (Seymour Duncan website descriptions of Alnico II being "warm, sweet and round" or whatever so don't read this crap I typed] if you want the split humbucker to sound anything like a single coil you'll want to make sure that it is not the typical ceramic magnet humbucker, but some kind of alnico magnet. I've got a Duncan Custom Custom (TB-11 I think it is), which is some kind of Alnico magnet, however, I have not split it yet. [EDIT: People on the Duncan forum actually say that the JB splits fantastically and gives strat tones- and I think it is ceramic].
@@StratMatt777 Darrell did a video busting the ceramic vs alnico myth. The take away was that ceramic is cheaper than alnico, so manufacturers use ceramic to mass produce crappy pickups. The crappy pickups then become associated with ceramic "harshness and thinness" when it was just a bad pickup to begin with. Darrell's comparison shined a lite on how full ceramics can actually be when the pickup is a quality pickup.
@@guitarplayergeek Yep, I just discovered Dylan's channel a couple days ago and, thanks to him, have a full understanding of how volume and tone pots and tone caps work. I think I also saw a video from Darrell (or somebody) where they debunked the "ceramic is bad" thing. And I thought, "Crap! I have posted a comment promoting this falsehood. I wish I knew where it was so I could delete it... but I have no idea where it is. Dammit." Thanks to you I found it! It makes me wonder where I learned it from... it was probably from discussions on the harmony central forums (which used to be usable before they redesigned the website) 10 or 11 years ago where people were bashing ceramic MIM strat pickups or perhaps it is from my experience of the ceramic Duncan Custom and Pearly Gates being way too bright for my strat and the Custom Custom, which is Alnico 2 being the fix... and knowing that real strat pickups are alnico and reading that alnico is smoother/rounder/warmer...? You know what? I think all these lies about how different magnets sound came from the descriptions on the Seymour Duncan website!!! They should know that it is wrong, but marketing is all about getting that ca$h... I just saw Dylan's video where he cut some Squire pickups in half to reveal that they have a lot less windings and much lower output than non-budget single coils and that their poles are not magnets but are sitting on top of little ceramic magnets... And related to that (wait for it! :), one time years ago when I went to my usual lunch spot for Mongolian there was a guy playing a strat out front. When I complimented him on his playing and his strat he took off his guitar and put around my neck and said to play. Even through his little battery amp, it sounded like the perfect strat sound. Like what I would imagine John Mayer signature scooped pickups sound like. It was a SQUIRE! He said he bought it used at Guitar Center because it sounded so good. I suspect that low output = amazing strat tone because Stevie Ray Vaughn's #1 had '63 -era outputs that were measured to be very low output plus he had his pickups adjusted pretty low. I guess I don't need to delete this post now since you brought it to my attention (found it for me) so I could correct it. I did edit it to point out that I was deceived and full of crap! :) Darrell's comparison video you mentioned showed me that I don't like ceramic strat pickups because they are less bright than Alnico, probably as a result of being higher output- which does make them sound fuller or rounder (not from low quality). Magnets merely create magnet fields for the strings to vibrate in so they can pick up those vibrations. The idea that different types of magnets create different tone is illogical, electrically speaking. I usually am playing through the Custom Custom humbucker in the bridge of my strat, but when I switch to the singles I like the vintage sound I get from my Fender Original '57/'62 pickups. Regarding the marketing machine that tells guitarists that they NEED to upgrade their gear to sound like their guitar heros… and all the "cork sniffing" that is gear-snobbery... a quote from Neal Schon who said that when he played EVH's rig he sounded like himself and then said, "I can make any rig talk". Unless your tone is so bad that you get mad and want to kick out your speakers because you can't get a sound that you are pleased with... ignore all the marketing crap that is trying to convince you that the gear you have is not good enough. Marketing has always been about convincing consumers that what they already have is not good enough. - Me
I really love your blindfold challenges. I found the Les Paul the only one to identify for sure, the sound wasn't defined as the others. The PRS surprised me, I thought that this was the Strat.
The PRS and the G&L to me. The G&L is a total no-brainer, especially for the cost of a Tribute Series. I have a Legacy USA with a Duncan JB with coil tap and it's a do-it-all guitar. G&L continues to be the most underrated ever.
I couldn't identify the different guitars by ear, but my favorite tone was the Tele in all three tests. The PRS was my least favorite tone on the neck and mid position. Another outstanding video!
TY for your work! Pickups sound different for sure. Playing ability is supreme and you have encouraged me to get better to play better :) Keep up the good work!
Great comparison video!! love the practical approach with the blind test and then the visual demo was also quite clean and comparable. Also I liked the inclusion of playing a bit to each model's strength.
Hey Darrell! I've comented on one of your videos before, besides that I personally love the telecaster. I've always been a huge fan of Fender. By the way, I love your telecaster, looks great! I have a tele myself, however it has two humbuckers, so it has more of an aggressive sound. It is similar to the PRS. Although I still have to give it to your telecaster. Love your videos, and I hope you have a great week!
Darrell .. This is one of your best videos… which means it is one of the best ‘VS guitar videos’ out there. Thanks so much for this. I keep coming back to it…. every so often…. as soon as i know i wont remember the order once again. I’ve been trying to not spend money on guitars… but man… The Tele and damn..the G&L rule. The S500 will be my 1st strat ! The one you’ve got is my fav colour .. but i’ve been unable to get it, over here in Europe.. The Doheny with the MFD P90s sounds absolutely great too..btw. Thanks again for this.
Impressed myself in the first two tests. The neck test brought me back down to earth, however. As for which guitar i liked the best, it's hard to choose between the Tele and the G&L. I'll call it a tie. Love your videos, dude, and your attitude to all things music.
I think the singularly most important think (aside from some great guitar playing playing without loads of od/distortion) is that the output of the hb has to be high. If you split a low output hb it will sound weak. Plus there is the dark arts of capacitors/treble bleeds etc. Great video. All killer, no filler. I reckon this dude is one of the most engaging informative and upbeat guitarists out there, along with “Justin guitar”. None of this wacky nonsense, plain old facts and examples. Good stuff
I really appreciate how the samples are bunched together so you really can make a good comparison. If some guy talks for 2 mins between samples, it's hard to remember what the sound was truly like. Putting the four close together really showed how muffled the Les Paul sounded, like someone had turned the tone knob back. I preferred the Tele in three of the four comparisons.
What a great test! You obviously did something right because in the blind tests, I consistently picked out the Duncans as my hands down favorites. First time watching your channel, and I must say it is such a no-nonsense approach. No lengthy wind-up or promotional time-wasters, right to the point - and right into very useful information. Your backing-track solo tests were also great - mvery tasty playing by the way - and yet again, you confirmed my pick of the Duncans. They're exactly what I'm looking for. Now I need to find a humbucker demo of the P-Rails! I think you may have sold me the Duncans.
Nailed the first two tests.... And I'm not a Tele fan but this demo actually has me thinking I want one now. Nice work and as always very informative. Thank you!
Although I love the Tele, for me the G & L is the tone I favour. The riff you play somewhere in the middle sounds like that from Sting's 'I Hung My Head'. As always,excellent presentation and superb playing. Thanks, Darrell!
OK, your channel is one of the best, if I can say, THE BEST on TH-cam when it comes to comparison, and not only because you're a very good player, but the audio is perfect, everithing is well thought! About he comparison, I really loved the sound on the Tele, actually was one of the best I've ever heard. I own a Strat USA and I love it, and now I'm into buying a Tele. Really good the way the EP Les Paul Sounded, keeping the warmth of the intrument, while the PRS, even though it sounded very good, was a little too cold, but this it's just me. If you can, shoot a video about your gear! :D
I got like 4 guitars out of 12. I will justify it by saying split coil works :) very nice video, thumbs up Darrell. the prs was on level with the epi in my opinion, but still better - but both inferior to the single coils. now that i saw them....
I always stumble upon your videos when searching for reviews or sound samples, but I end up enjoying your solos, then I forget what I was here for again haha, oh yeah the single coil thing. Nice solo! :)
I guessed correctly in the blind test, i could tell the 2 single coils apart from the others. But i couldnt tell if it was the strat or the telly. All 4 sounded great, i can't pick a favourite out of them
Interesting. I could tell the Tele apart every time and guessed all four for the neck pickup, but had more trouble with the others as the sound got more trebly.
Thanks for a good comparison. For my ears, of course I said my ears, The G&L sounded the best to my ears, and it isn't really a popular well known brand. 2nd would be the PRS, then the epiphone. Now everybody's hearing is not the same so I'm not by any means downgrading any of the other brands or saying anyone of them is better than the other.
Thanks Darrell, another good and useful demonstration. I thought all the guitars sounded good at different times. I did pick the guitars correctly most times except when overdriven. Overall I would pick the G&L as favourite but the Epiphone and PRS are remarkable for afford able guitars.
Oh my... I heard them all correct... lucky dude :) Thanks a million for your vids! I am now in search for my guitar and sound your comparisons are very much helping.
Great playing first of all, and nice format for your comparison. They all sounded wonderful with you doing the honors, though I have a soft spot for the Epi LP. Maybe cause I have an Epi LP with split OBL rail humbuckers and love the sound of it split. Especially the neck pickup.
The blind tests were really tough! Very close! I think it goes to show that the visual part of a performance plays a bigger part than most people think! Thanks for the comparison. Think it goes to show you can use one guitar to produce a wide variety of tones you can use in a live show, and get by, without having 3 or 4 guitars!
I'm really surprised at the results. I tend to be a purist and thought I would like the true single-coils best, but the split in the PRS sounded best to me! Perfect timing for finding this video, working on a rather custom split-coil build where I'm running a four way switch to do coil-tap (north coil), coil-tap (south coil) in parallel, in series, in phase, out of phase, and you just really helped me!!!
excellent video man. I always wondered about how good a coil tap could really sound and you showed it very well. That Epiphone is surprisingly versatile! the G&L is probably my favorite of the lot, even though I actually own and love a MIM Nashville Tele and Gibson LP studio. Thanks for the video.
In the last sequence, Darrell works magic with all four models, different tone, different attack and different sustain. The G&L in particular with its more rasping aggressive distortion, notice how utilizing that fine trem system really sweetens it up immensely. As it's good to select a guitar that feels comfortable and expressive for the guitarist, this video is instructive on how the guitarist can adapt to the guitar. As the guitarist discovers the strengths of a guitar, by picking method, angle of the pick, its sustain, how the note tails off, you can utilize the best of that instrument to work some magic.
I didn't try to guess the exact guitar models, but rather if it was a single coil or a split humbucker. At that level, I made a mistake only at the bridge position. In other positions, the difference between single coil and humbucker looked quite obvious to me. I own a strat and a les paul, and I could not get a decent single coil sound from my LP's split humbucker. Well, now I know that it's not a problem with my LP ) Thanks for the video, helpful as usual!
This guy does some of the best guitar demos on the net. Clear, well-thought thru and always interesting.
+mediastarguest Thanks! I appreciate the kind words :)
I agree
instant sub
+Peter Fülöp Thanks for subscribing!
I hope you enjoy the channel 👍
Yes, very thorough!
Necks clean starting at...
3:35 #1 3:52 #2 4:07 #3 4:23 #4
Middle Pickups at
4:51 #1 5:10 #2 5:29 #3 5:48 #4
Bridges crunch starting at...
6:25 #1 6:36 #2 6:48 #3 7:00 #4
MrKnisterable y did u do this like y
thankyou
Could you mark the guitars beside 1,2,3,4?
@@demonitization3811 no0o0o0 don't demonitize the video😟
was not expecting the PRS splits to sound that good. I just assumed theyd be thinner, but theyre not.. guess i need one
PRS has some of the best full tonality of any guitars on the market. Truly brilliant. If you want the best single coil pickups by PRS get the John Mayer Silver Sky.
Yeah, I basically came here to say that my main take-away from this whole video is how it re-confirms my own reasons for loving my SE Custom 24
My thoughts exactly.
I heard that the prs split in general is special not getting much volume drop
My understanding is that the PRS has not a complete split, but a simple attenuation of one of the two coils. This should be done by inserting a resistor between the coil you want to eliminate and the ground. I might have used some incorrect terminology, but i hope that was understandable enough.
I think this is good example of the player making more of a tonal difference than the guitar. And thanks for not overdriving them much. Much better to hear that way.
That sounds like your bias the video demonstrates that any type of single coil,real , split or otherwise is good enough.
The best guitar videos in You Tube from this guy. He has is natural in front of the camera and the videos are very useful too. Great Job! Keep it up!
Les Paul was good! But I was impressed by G&L too.
+Gerti Katro Thanks for the kind words :)
Darrell, I have to say.. Coming from youtubers who does mostly metal stuff like this, your videos make the most sense. The honesty in your comparisons, videos, the incredible sound, and the general quality, is simply sky high. As I have commented a while ago, you should be way more famous for your work. I certainly hope you will explode on the internet, and show them your work.
+uKultuR Gaming Thanks!! I appreciate it, and I'm glad you're part of this channel 😀
The tele sounds the best to me, and I'm not a tele fan. In the end it's the one that sounds the best in your mix and style of music.
I don't get how you can say the tele sounds the best but you aren't a tele fan. If you think it sounds the best then aren't you admitting that you had misconceptions about it, and should now change your mind and become a tele fan?
MPAII maybe just how it looks??
No no listen to how things are. There are two types of guitarists. The ones that like teles. And the ones that don't know it yet. You my friend used to belong to the second group and with that I welcome you.
the strat has so much more caracter bro... and I m not a strat fan XD
They all sound nice. My favorite part, however, was the playing. Very melodic and soulful.
+Mark Romero Thanks Mark! ☺☺
apparently its called, Jimi Hendrix
You know your craft well.You get to the point without wasting nobody's time.
+MARCSON I'M LUBIN Thanks 😀
I always get quite a bit of flak when pointing this out on other channels: the importance of _getting to the point._ Darrell is one (of the many good channels) to get this right. I could not agree more.
@@Noone-of-your-Business Hi guys, thanks for watching, today we're gonna (45 seconds to paraphrase video title). I'd like to thank you again for watching and please like and subscribe. In about ten minutes we'll get to the content, but thanks all you guys for watching.
I got far more wrong than right. The most important thing is they all sounded great.
+kickblake 👍 Absolutely :)
Great video, as usual. The blindtest was so revealing to how much visuals play into the debate and personal perception regarding the single coil vs split humbucker debate. I did pass the first test with flying colours only to fail miserably in everything that followed. May that be because neck pickups on a clean setting are easier to identify than middle and bridge pickups? Perhaps more distinctive? Every guitar in this video sounds terrific to me, perhaps also thanks to the elegant playing, but I have to say the PRS impressed me the most. Good clean sounds with a meaty characteristic about them. Just a ton of tone right there.
Prs sounded consistently so nice, if anything it made me want to get a PRS lol, was surprised when I thought the tele's bridge sounded darker than the strats though
All Kinds Teles usually are more punchy, mostly because of the metal plate and position to bridge. Also most stats don't have the bridge pickup running through
the tone control.
Wow. This guy's vids make me think more clearly, and I'm grateful for that.
IMO, true single coils sounds more expressive and brighter. It's nice to have options and different sound colors. Great video
In my opinion, coil splits are perfectly usable but impractical because it takes more fiddling to get a decent tone. That's my experience with the coil splitter on my Godin Session anyway.
ya they are brighter if thats what u want.
Not so fast - unbalanced coil humbuckers like the Fralin Unbucker will sound virtually the same in coil tap mode. The cherry on top is that humbucking mode sounds like a sweeter, hotter single coil due to the unbalanced coils.
Two, genuinely useful sounds in one pickup. It can be done.
I'm saving for my first electric guitar and was debating single coil vs. split humbuckers, now I am convinced I will not be dissatisfied with split coils. Those all sounded great to my ear. Thanks for the helpful video.
Darrel, your solo is beautiful. I almost wish you don't change the guitar because I want to hear that solo longer.
+Rendy Andrian Thanks Rendy!
@@DarrellBraunGuitar truee, you are a great player for sure. Thumbs up for excellent lick
Great video bro. I've been playing a Les Paul for so long, and now I'm interested in investing on a Strat, or another single coil. While I love the warmth that split humbuckers bring to the table, I want to try playing some brighter tunes into my mix, and your video has been quite assuring that I'm on the right track. Got a lot of rights!
The G&L solo was my favorite part of the whole video!
Great vid once again!
your comparison videos never disappoint man :D awesome stuff and great playing as usual
+MeAmJjguo Thanks!
Tele and the Les Paul sounded Devine to me. Such a close call close for a favorite, but the Tele was my preferred sound the most often.
He looks like he's going to break out into laughter at any moment. Great video!
honestly just watching this to listen to your amazing playing
+Sil Jeeninga Thanks Sil! :)
Darrell Braun Guitar v
happy new year Darrell! loved the demo song choices (especially the first test, Little Wing). looking forward to each video this year. take care!
lando27music Thanks!
I hope your channel grows a bunch this year! It deserves it 👍
ah hey thanks! I've got a slow and steady growth. ttyl!
Great video.
I nailed the neck, got a 50% on the mid and was sort of lost on the bridge. It's amazing how that Telecaster tone keeps up with all the changes in guitar design over the years. It's tough to beat that Tele single coil sound but I think all of the instruments showed their strong points in the demo.
VERY nice comparison, well done! I like how you instantly flowed from guitar 1 to 2 to 3 etc without stopping between, super useful for comparing.
+david lemon Thanks! 😀
Your videos are really great. Content is on point and I always enjoy them. Keep it up man!
+Chin Narciso Thanks Chin! I appreciate the kind words :)
Thanks for considering my suggestion. This is awesome, you rock! Keep it up!
The lp tricked me into believing that it was a strat, on the ather hand the G&L sounded like a les paul... am I going crazy? xD
Hey Darrell
I have to say that I enjoyed the playing as much as the comparisons!
Nice work!
+Steve Mandrackie Thanks Steve!
I have to compliment you on the beautiful recording you make. Its by far some of the best recorded guitar ive heard on you tube to date. So clear and hardly any clipping. Alot of other popular you tubers should try to emulate your sound.
+Snooze00 Thanks for the kind words :)
Your materials keep getting better and better. Thanks Darrell.
I really liked the tone of the Epi LP. Thanks for using that one in the mix!
+fred denney 👍😀
Love your videos man. I appreciate the no-nonsense approach to these interesting topics combined with your positive attitude and good playing.
Keep it up!
+Sam Emaus Thanks! I appreciate the kind words 😀👍
I’ve never owned a tele but every time I heard it, I thought it was the best one. Of course I couldn’t see it but it was my favorite tone every time.
I liked them all... and as always your playing is sublime.... Great job.
That Epiphone with the P Rails through me. Great video as always.
Wow. This video made me realize how much I really love that tele sound. It's the most distinctive tone to me. I never cared about teles until now, honestly. This video was awesome!
+ThyChrysanthemum Thanks!
Yeah, Telecasters are pretty great :)
@@DarrellBraunGuitar What Tele is this in the video, sunburst american special?
I wonder if it would have been better comparing a single coil strat to a split humbucker strat to keep all other things equal. The scale length of the LP and PRS will always provide a very different tone than a 25 1/2 strat scale length. Personally i like the tele and G&L the best. I have 3 guitars with split humbuckers but rarely use that option. I find the volume drop and thinness of the sound not to my liking. Excellent playing BTW.
I would also have liked a direct comparison of single coil strat to split humbucker and full humbucker strat because that is exactly what I've been thinking of doing.
P.S. if you do it, tell us what pickup you used- I'm still shopping....
Mike, [EDIT: I've been deceived by the marketing machine (Seymour Duncan website descriptions of Alnico II being "warm, sweet and round" or whatever so don't read this crap I typed] if you want the split humbucker to sound anything like a single coil you'll want to make sure that it is not the typical ceramic magnet humbucker, but some kind of alnico magnet. I've got a Duncan Custom Custom (TB-11 I think it is), which is some kind of Alnico magnet, however, I have not split it yet.
[EDIT: People on the Duncan forum actually say that the JB splits fantastically and gives strat tones- and I think it is ceramic].
@@StratMatt777 Darrell did a video busting the ceramic vs alnico myth. The take away was that ceramic is cheaper than alnico, so manufacturers use ceramic to mass produce crappy pickups. The crappy pickups then become associated with ceramic "harshness and thinness" when it was just a bad pickup to begin with. Darrell's comparison shined a lite on how full ceramics can actually be when the pickup is a quality pickup.
@@guitarplayergeek Yep, I just discovered Dylan's channel a couple days ago and, thanks to him, have a full understanding of how volume and tone pots and tone caps work. I think I also saw a video from Darrell (or somebody) where they debunked the "ceramic is bad" thing. And I thought, "Crap! I have posted a comment promoting this falsehood. I wish I knew where it was so I could delete it... but I have no idea where it is. Dammit."
Thanks to you I found it!
It makes me wonder where I learned it from... it was probably from discussions on the harmony central forums (which used to be usable before they redesigned the website) 10 or 11 years ago where people were bashing ceramic MIM strat pickups or perhaps it is from my experience of the ceramic Duncan Custom and Pearly Gates being way too bright for my strat and the Custom Custom, which is Alnico 2 being the fix... and knowing that real strat pickups are alnico and reading that alnico is smoother/rounder/warmer...?
You know what? I think all these lies about how different magnets sound came from the descriptions on the Seymour Duncan website!!! They should know that it is wrong, but marketing is all about getting that ca$h...
I just saw Dylan's video where he cut some Squire pickups in half to reveal that they have a lot less windings and much lower output than non-budget single coils and that their poles are not magnets but are sitting on top of little ceramic magnets...
And related to that (wait for it! :), one time years ago when I went to my usual lunch spot for Mongolian there was a guy playing a strat out front. When I complimented him on his playing and his strat he took off his guitar and put around my neck and said to play.
Even through his little battery amp, it sounded like the perfect strat sound. Like what I would imagine John Mayer signature scooped pickups sound like. It was a SQUIRE! He said he bought it used at Guitar Center because it sounded so good. I suspect that low output = amazing strat tone because Stevie Ray Vaughn's #1 had '63 -era outputs that were measured to be very low output plus he had his pickups adjusted pretty low.
I guess I don't need to delete this post now since you brought it to my attention (found it for me) so I could correct it. I did edit it to point out that I was deceived and full of crap! :)
Darrell's comparison video you mentioned showed me that I don't like ceramic strat pickups because they are less bright than Alnico, probably as a result of being higher output- which does make them sound fuller or rounder (not from low quality).
Magnets merely create magnet fields for the strings to vibrate in so they can pick up those vibrations.
The idea that different types of magnets create different tone is illogical, electrically speaking.
I usually am playing through the Custom Custom humbucker in the bridge of my strat, but when I switch to the singles I like the vintage sound I get from my Fender Original '57/'62 pickups.
Regarding the marketing machine that tells guitarists that they NEED to upgrade their gear to sound like their guitar heros… and all the "cork sniffing" that is gear-snobbery... a quote from Neal Schon who said that when he played EVH's rig he sounded like himself and then said, "I can make any rig talk".
Unless your tone is so bad that you get mad and want to kick out your speakers because you can't get a sound that you are pleased with... ignore all the marketing crap that is trying to convince you that the gear you have is not good enough. Marketing has always been about convincing consumers that what they already have is not good enough. - Me
I really love your blindfold challenges. I found the Les Paul the only one to identify for sure, the sound wasn't defined as the others. The PRS surprised me, I thought that this was the Strat.
CONGRATS FOR 60 THOUSAND SUBSCRIBERS!
+Angel Singto Thanks to all of you for being a part of the channel!
The PRS and the G&L to me. The G&L is a total no-brainer, especially for the cost of a Tribute Series. I have a Legacy USA with a Duncan JB with coil tap and it's a do-it-all guitar. G&L continues to be the most underrated ever.
Very intelligent and useful comparison! Well done Darrell!
+Alessandro Giangio Thanks Alessandro!
I couldn't identify the different guitars by ear, but my favorite tone was the Tele in all three tests. The PRS was my least favorite tone on the neck and mid position. Another outstanding video!
TY for your work! Pickups sound different for sure. Playing ability is supreme and you have encouraged me to get better to play better :) Keep up the good work!
Great comparison video!! love the practical approach with the blind test and then the visual demo was also quite clean and comparable. Also I liked the inclusion of playing a bit to each model's strength.
The most useful comp on this topic on TH-cam. Bravo
I've literally been waiting for someone to do this. You are such a ledge. #bigup
+Mo Singh Nice! I'm glad you liked the comparison 👍
Happy New Year!
Let me know which guitars you think sounded best!
Darrell Braun Guitar nice
Darrell Braun Guitar awesome vid Darrell! I loved the guitars and I always enjoy your vids. Keep it up 😄👍
+Ian Gonzalez Thanks Ian! :)
Darrell Braun Guitar awesome making of a solo as always, Darrell! Have a great year!!
Hey Darrell! I've comented on one of your videos before, besides that I personally love the telecaster. I've always been a huge fan of Fender. By the way, I love your telecaster, looks great! I have a tele myself, however it has two humbuckers, so it has more of an aggressive sound. It is similar to the PRS. Although I still have to give it to your telecaster. Love your videos, and I hope you have a great week!
Fender and g & l have the real thwang and the single coil awesomness .. ps this was a Great comparison video... 😍
Darrell .. This is one of your best videos… which means it is one of the best ‘VS guitar videos’ out there. Thanks so much for this.
I keep coming back to it…. every so often…. as soon as i know i wont remember the order once again.
I’ve been trying to not spend money on guitars… but man… The Tele and damn..the G&L rule.
The S500 will be my 1st strat !
The one you’ve got is my fav colour .. but i’ve been unable to get it, over here in Europe..
The Doheny with the MFD P90s sounds absolutely great too..btw.
Thanks again for this.
Impressed myself in the first two tests. The neck test brought me back down to earth, however. As for which guitar i liked the best, it's hard to choose between the Tele and the G&L. I'll call it a tie.
Love your videos, dude, and your attitude to all things music.
+Kunga Dorji Nice!
Thanks for the kind words :)
I think the singularly most important think (aside from some great guitar playing playing without loads of od/distortion) is that the output of the hb has to be high. If you split a low output hb it will sound weak. Plus there is the dark arts of capacitors/treble bleeds etc. Great video. All killer, no filler. I reckon this dude is one of the most engaging informative and upbeat guitarists out there, along with “Justin guitar”. None of this wacky nonsense, plain old facts and examples. Good stuff
Love your videos! Always excited when new ones pop up!
I really appreciate how the samples are bunched together so you really can make a good comparison. If some guy talks for 2 mins between samples, it's hard to remember what the sound was truly like.
Putting the four close together really showed how muffled the Les Paul sounded, like someone had turned the tone knob back.
I preferred the Tele in three of the four comparisons.
What a great test! You obviously did something right because in the blind tests, I consistently picked out the Duncans as my hands down favorites. First time watching your channel, and I must say it is such a no-nonsense approach. No lengthy wind-up or promotional time-wasters, right to the point - and right into very useful information. Your backing-track solo tests were also great - mvery tasty playing by the way - and yet again, you confirmed my pick of the Duncans. They're exactly what I'm looking for. Now I need to find a humbucker demo of the P-Rails! I think you may have sold me the Duncans.
Nailed the first two tests.... And I'm not a Tele fan but this demo actually has me thinking I want one now. Nice work and as always very informative. Thank you!
Love that G&L Strat. Looks great, sounds great.
Although I love the Tele, for me the G & L is the tone I favour. The riff you play somewhere in the middle sounds like that from Sting's 'I Hung My Head'. As always,excellent presentation and superb playing. Thanks, Darrell!
+promerops Yeah, the G&L sounds good doesn't it!
You're right, it's "hung my head" 👍
OK, your channel is one of the best, if I can say, THE BEST on TH-cam when it comes to comparison, and not only because you're a very good player, but the audio is perfect, everithing is well thought!
About he comparison, I really loved the sound on the Tele, actually was one of the best I've ever heard. I own a Strat USA and I love it, and now I'm into buying a Tele. Really good the way the EP Les Paul Sounded, keeping the warmth of the intrument, while the PRS, even though it sounded very good, was a little too cold, but this it's just me.
If you can, shoot a video about your gear! :D
+Sergio Serra Thanks for the kind words Sergio!
I'll add a gear runthrough to my list :)
I got like 4 guitars out of 12. I will justify it by saying split coil works :)
very nice video, thumbs up Darrell.
the prs was on level with the epi in my opinion, but still better - but both inferior to the single coils. now that i saw them....
Every single time I preferred the Les Paul!
Wow, it's not just a comparison, you made me relaxed with your playing. Well done, sir!
I always stumble upon your videos when searching for reviews or sound samples, but I end up enjoying your solos, then I forget what I was here for again haha, oh yeah the single coil thing. Nice solo! :)
oh yeah G&L!
+Amit Sapir 👍
We are all waiting for the full review on the G&L and for the Fender stratocaster range V.S. The G&l tribute!
Thank you man. Thinking to change my asat deluxe pickups.
Alwayse good to see you smile.
Loved this video! Thanks! BTW, I couldn't decide which sounds best, each has its own strengths and beauty. Great stuff!
+Alexander Torres For sure! 😀
I MISSED EVERYTHING GODDAMN. Hahaha Great video again, Darrell. You never tire to amaze me with the accuracy and quality of your videos.
+SonnyLost 😄 Thanks!
that epi looks gorgeous!
Man, your videos are top quality!
Les Paul was the best in the solo test to me
+Mike Levitskiy Thanks Mike :)
G&L for me. love that Glassy-Chime. Great, fair comparison.
I guessed correctly in the blind test, i could tell the 2 single coils apart from the others. But i couldnt tell if it was the strat or the telly. All 4 sounded great, i can't pick a favourite out of them
Same.
Interesting. I could tell the Tele apart every time and guessed all four for the neck pickup, but had more trouble with the others as the sound got more trebly.
Thanks for a good comparison. For my ears, of course I said my ears, The G&L sounded the best to my ears, and it isn't really a popular well known brand. 2nd would be the PRS, then the epiphone. Now everybody's hearing is not the same so I'm not by any means downgrading any of the other brands or saying anyone of them is better than the other.
I was just looking for this one, thanks man!
The PRS. What a sweet sound!
You really make an outstanding platform to buy a guitar,your videos are awesome Darrell .
7/5 stars!!
+anonymous ! 😄 Thanks!
Thanks Darrell, another good and useful demonstration. I thought all the guitars sounded good at different times. I did pick the guitars correctly most times except when overdriven. Overall I would pick the G&L as favourite but the Epiphone and PRS are remarkable for afford able guitars.
Enjoyed this Darrell, many thanks buddy.
+teno guy Anytime 😁
This video has made me want to try out a set of the Seymour Duncan p-rails. Awesome tones out of 'em so thanks for that!
Great tests! Thanks for showing us.
Fantastic chap! Allways nice! And Informative! Awesome!
Oh my... I heard them all correct... lucky dude :) Thanks a million for your vids! I am now in search for my guitar and sound your comparisons are very much helping.
+Igor Khomenko Good ear!
I'm glad the channel is helping your search 👍
Omg I had to subscribe. I'm binge watching your videos!
+Minnie Mice 😄 Thanks MM!
Welcome to the channel 👍
Great video, great Epiphone Darrell! Really enjoying the Thinline Tele as well! THANKS!
+Aaron Dash Great to hear from you!
I'm glad you're enjoying the Tele 😀👍👍👍
I could not find a better comparison of guitars than this. Great idea. Thanks Darrell.
+Bohumír Bruchnař I'm glad you enjoyed the comparison! I appreciate the kind words :)
the PRS is pretty convincing though
Great playing first of all, and nice format for your comparison. They all sounded wonderful with you doing the honors, though I have a soft spot for the Epi LP. Maybe cause I have an Epi LP with split OBL rail humbuckers and love the sound of it split. Especially the neck pickup.
I hope YOURE having a fantastic day!
Thank you very much bro for making such an amazing comparison between the two ! I really enjoyed and learned something new
+yahya suratwala I'm glad you enjoyed the comparison! 😀
The blind tests were really tough! Very close! I think it goes to show that the visual part of a performance plays a bigger part than most people think! Thanks for the comparison. Think it goes to show you can use one guitar to produce a wide variety of tones you can use in a live show, and get by, without having 3 or 4 guitars!
Thanks a lot Darrell, I always wondered this :D
+Mehmet Sunguralp I'm glad you enjoyed the video 👍😀
I like the G&L and the Epiph one most.
And, of course, Happy New Year. 😊
I'm really surprised at the results. I tend to be a purist and thought I would like the true single-coils best, but the split in the PRS sounded best to me! Perfect timing for finding this video, working on a rather custom split-coil build where I'm running a four way switch to do coil-tap (north coil), coil-tap (south coil) in parallel, in series, in phase, out of phase, and you just really helped me!!!
Your videos ..and audios are just perfect thank you very much
+David Monroe I'm glad you are enjoying the channel :)
Amazing for the blind test i recognized everything ! On the splitted pu the sound is just more intense and less clear.
excellent video man. I always wondered about how good a coil tap could really sound and you showed it very well. That Epiphone is surprisingly versatile! the G&L is probably my favorite of the lot, even though I actually own and love a MIM Nashville Tele and Gibson LP studio. Thanks for the video.
+helikyler Thanks!
It was definitely an interesting video to put together :)
The man seems to know his stuff. Always well laid out, concise, informative, entertaining, & not so technical that you can't follow him!
In the last sequence, Darrell works magic with all four models, different tone, different attack and different sustain. The G&L in particular with its more rasping aggressive distortion, notice how utilizing that fine trem system really sweetens it up immensely. As it's good to select a guitar that feels comfortable and expressive for the guitarist, this video is instructive on how the guitarist can adapt to the guitar. As the guitarist discovers the strengths of a guitar, by picking method, angle of the pick, its sustain, how the note tails off, you can utilize the best of that instrument to work some magic.
I'm a Strat guy, but that Epiphone sounded amazing in the jam.
I love your channel man! God bless my brother.
I didn't try to guess the exact guitar models, but rather if it was a single coil or a split humbucker. At that level, I made a mistake only at the bridge position. In other positions, the difference between single coil and humbucker looked quite obvious to me.
I own a strat and a les paul, and I could not get a decent single coil sound from my LP's split humbucker. Well, now I know that it's not a problem with my LP )
Thanks for the video, helpful as usual!