High-End Acoustic Guitars compared by Acoustic Addicts

Acoustic Addicts Video Compares High-End Acoustic Guitars

Ever wondered what separates really expensive acoustic guitars from the rest? It’s the craftsmanship, yes, but it’s also the rare tone wood.

In the pilot episode of Acoustic Addicts acoustic guitar expert Richard Caruso and top-shelf guitar player Carl Franklin produce controlled recordings of a Taylor K20 (all koa), a Taylor 714ce (rosewood back and sides with an engelmann spruce top), a Santa Cruz Roy Southerner (mahogany back and sides with a sitka spruce top) and a McPherson 4.5 (beeswing mahogany back and sides with an adirondack spruce top), and then analyze the recordings to uncover the tonal characteristics of each guitar.

Richard compares the characteristics of each tone wood to different wines, and tells some great stories about how these amazing guitars are crafted. At the end of the video, Carl breaks out the spectral visualization software and you can visibly see the difference in the tones that you’re hearing.