Black guitars, why do they sound "better"

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 23 May 2009 7:52 pm

You guys just don't get it. RED-VIOLET guitars sound best, followed by green ones, followed by white ones.

End of discussion!!!!!!!!

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 23 May 2009 9:48 pm

Actually, transparent guitars sound the best. This is especially true if they have transparent strings on them. But you do have to have just the right sound system to bring out that tone.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 24 May 2009 2:15 am

Robert Randolph plays a BLUE-PURPLE guitar.

Not as good as red-purple.

Olaf van Roggen · Post by **Olaf van Roggen** » 24 May 2009 3:38 am

Alright Mike......well,who knows how he sounds with a black guitar....great photo!!

Jimmie Misenheimer · Post by **Jimmie Misenheimer** » 24 May 2009 5:27 am

If this is a "legit" thread, (sometimes on here it's hard to tell), let me throw this into the mix. Somewhere in the back room I have a '71 Emmons D-10. It came to life as a blue lacquer guitar, with metal necks. Many years ago, when it got so skinned up and nasty looking, I decided that lacquer wasn't my thing, so I had the body shaved down and covered with black formica. All of a sudden I had a "new" rig. Once again, if this is a "serious" subject, the truth is that it didn't sound any different blue - BEFORE whatever the thickness of wood that was removed for the formica, than it did AFTER the surgery as a black guitar. Now I have NEVER "bought into" the color thing, but I would have thought that the aspect of wood, as opposed to the removal of wood to be COVERED with formica WOULD have made a noticeable change. Call me a fool if you will, but I can still listen to before and after tapes, and yet today I can't hear any difference... Jimmie

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 24 May 2009 9:41 am

I only have one black PSG, it's a Carter, and I dislike the Formica so much that it's on my "to do" list to build a new body for it. The mechanism is okay, but that Formica....

I guess it's all a matter of personal taste. For me, I play better on non-black PSGs, for the simple reason that the black one stays in its case.

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 24 May 2009 12:51 pm

My opinion is that formica of any color is less than desireable. But the price is right. How the guitar looks is at the bottom of my list right now. But I'm saving up for that transparent guitar.
Jimmie, I think that some of us might take this thread seriously. But most of us are just being ....Wisenheimers..

(sorry, I just couldn't help myself).

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 24 May 2009 1:03 pm

I wonder what it would do if you shined a black light on a red, blue, etc... guitar.

Joe Smith · Post by **Joe Smith** » 24 May 2009 2:01 pm

Rick Campbell wrote:I wonder what it would do if you shined a black light on a red, blue, etc... guitar.

Oh, it would make it sound much better.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 24 May 2009 3:01 pm

Edward Meisse wrote: I'm saving up for that transparent guitar.

Talk to Reece. MSA made a (just one) transparent Plexiglas D-10 back in the 70s. I don't know if it's for sale, but perhaps if the price is right......

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 24 May 2009 3:07 pm

I want a guitar with this pattern on the front apron.

Dennis Saydak · Post by **Dennis Saydak** » 24 May 2009 3:49 pm

Black is for shoe polish, not steel guitars.

Blue guitars definitely sound better than anyone's shoes, especially tap dancer's.

Tommy Shown · Post by **Tommy Shown** » 24 May 2009 4:20 pm

Buddy Emmons once said in an interview, that color doesn't have anything to do with the sound of the guitar. I originally ordered a mahogany stained Sho-Bud back in 1990. But after waiting almost over six months for it to come in. A friend of mine who owned the music store that took my order, had a black model coming in that another person ordered and had cancelled it because of the wait. I went to my friends' store and looked at it. After looking at for a few minutes, I got to thinking of how good it would look on the band stand or stage. I went ahead and bought it.
Tommy Shown

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 24 May 2009 4:55 pm

I had a white MSA and I didn't sound very good. Then I got a black Mullen and I didn't sound very good. I sold it and got a Black Emmons Legrande D-10 and I didn't sound very good. I traded it to a Legrande SD-10 and I still don't sound very good. Do you think I might be using the wrong brand of strings?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 24 May 2009 6:15 pm

Rick Campbell wrote:...Do you think I might be using the wrong brand of strings?

That must be it. I can't think of any other reason. Maybe the color of your tone bar doesn't match the guitar.

So here's another corollary....

DO BLACK TONE BARS SOUND BETTER ?

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 24 May 2009 7:56 pm

Alan Brookes wrote:

DO BLACK TONE BARS SOUND BETTER ?

No. but white ones do.

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 24 May 2009 8:06 pm

Ahem!!!.....I believe Gary Boyette makes a (loooooonnnnnggggg drum roll) transparent tone bar.

And those are THE ONES to use. And there must be transparent picks somewhere as well. I'm tellin' you guys, transparent is the way to go. You might say I believe in TOTAL TRANSPARENCY.

Joe Smith · Post by **Joe Smith** » 25 May 2009 7:17 am

When I play my black guitar, I sound MUCH closer to how I sound now than I used to.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 25 May 2009 7:40 am

After reading this entire thread, I got curious and tried an interesting experiment.

I dug out an old Multi-Cord from the attic, the worst sounding steel guitar I've ever owned, without a doubt.

I marked a line with painter's tape midway between the ends of the guitar, and spray painted one side of the instrument with black enamel.

Ya know what? After that, it didn't sound HALF bad!

Joe Smith · Post by **Joe Smith** » 25 May 2009 7:48 am

Herb Steiner wrote:After reading this entire thread, I got curious and tried an interesting experiment.

I dug out an old Multi-Cord from the attic, the worst sounding steel guitar I've ever owned, without a doubt.

I marked a line with painter's tape midway between the ends of the guitar, and spray painted one side of the instrument with black enamel.

Ya know what? After that, it didn't sound HALF bad!

Now that's funny.

Bob Hickish · Post by **Bob Hickish** » 25 May 2009 8:40 am

Here is a test , this will let you know if
a Black steel is best from your eye point of view .

who is in this photo ?

now stand back about 10 feet , and who is in the photo ?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 25 May 2009 9:04 am

It looks like Albert Einstein, and when I stand back 10 feet it looks like Albert Einstein.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 25 May 2009 9:15 am

If seeing a difference means "black is best from my eyes' point of view", that would explain why I have so many black guitars. I won't divulge what the difference is.

Bob Hickish · Post by **Bob Hickish** » 25 May 2009 10:04 am

OK Allen I think you should start here

http://www.jokesunlimited.com/inkblotquiz1.php

Peter Freiberger · Post by **Peter Freiberger** » 25 May 2009 12:48 pm

As far as benchmarks of tone, Emmons' Blade, SKH LeGrande and his EMCI were all rosewood mica. Jay Dee, alleged originator of this, has also sounded awfully good on a rosewood P/P. I believe the "Misty" guitar was rosewood. But really, what looks better than a black P/P?