Which Sounds Better - Original or Lawsuit Copy? | Gibson L4 vs. Ibanez 2455 | Jazz Guitar Comparison
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- In this video, I go head-to-head with two great-sounding guitars. Help me decide which one sounds better. I put my 1998 Gibson L4 CES up against a 1975 Ibanez 2455 Lawsuit Copy. There are a few subtle differences in the construction of the guitars but the dimension are exact. I have the same exact flat wound strings on both guitars and I am playing them directly into my mixing board. No amplifier influence here. What do you think? Does the Gibson sound better? The price of the Gibson L4 is about double the price of the Ibanez. Leave me a comment! And thank for watching my channel!
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I remember your Guitar College jazz workbook back in the early 2000s. Used to practice in my car at lunchtime during work!
Pretty similar. I listened a few times and the Gibson had more clarity, whereas the Ibanez had a rounder and very slightly fuzzier? tone. I preferred the more bell-like Gibson tone. After a few listens it became more apparent to me and it's so nice.
Hey, Ben! I very much agree here. The Gibson has a bit more sparkle, and character. I couldn't really hear the difference while shooting the video but after watching the video a few times it became pretty clear that I like the Gibson better. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hello Rich, great presentation and playing! Thank you!! my impression is: Both guitars sound beautiful , almost the same. Difficult to say , but I think that the L-4 sounds a little bit more present and clear. Gerald
Rich I am constantly looking for older Ibanez Archtops, well not just Ibanez but a lot of older Japanese Guitars .
Rich as far as judging the two I am listening on a phone so....
Your playing is Smooth and Great ! You would make any Guitar sound good but I would say the Gibson.
Both sound great because a really good guitar player is playing them!
Exactly!
Hi, I loved the video especially as I have had a 2455 for the last 25 years or so. Mine - I believe is a little earlier than yours with a few differences. Mine has the all wooden bridge, metal tuning pegs, open book headstock and Super 70 pickups. Why you need pickups as powerful as that on a jazz box is a mystery but they sound great - and can rock if you need them to.
I bought this having tried other modern jazz guitars. I tried this first, searched the rest of this city and came back to it and there was no real comparison. It just felt like a really proper well made instrument and when you played it, you felt each note through the guitar body to your chest. The neck felt really comfortable too.
I like fairly heavy flat-wounds (Chromes) and was especially disappointed when I tried a medium-heavy set of Gibson round-wounds.
To be honest, despite possible bias, I had no expectation for the laminate topped Ibanez to outperform the solid topped L4. It was great to hear a 2455 (and an L4) played by a proper master, but there was clearly a little extra breath in the L4 in the clarity of each of the notes. However, I don't think that the Ibanez shamed itself - especially considering the considerable price tag difference.
They are both beautiful in their own way. I like the chord melody on the Gibson, and love how the Ibanez punches through a track.
Thanks for watching and commenting and giving us your interesting take on this, m1kr0kosmos! It's cool that you noticed differences in the two styles I performed.
I wouldn't say one is better, just different. The Gibson seemed to have more musical info in chords, but that may have been little more than it was brighter sounding. Treble down a fraction on the Gibson and they may sound identical.
When you play them do you feel any difference in the tactile response from either? Neck shape equally comfortable?
The acoustic/unplugged sound would have been interesting because I bet a lot of viewers here practice unplugged. Anyway, that's my two cents..thanks.
On my laptop, I cannot hear enough difference to make a difference..Now, I will say this much..My Gibson L4 is MAHOGANY body..It sounds different from other maple L4's and any ES175 or Ibanez Lawsuit I have played or heard..The majic is in the mahogany..It gives a warmth that maple cant..Loses a little sparkle? Yup... But it depends upon what you want out of a "jazz" guitar..Thanks for an interesting video..Shally
The Gibson is ever so slightly clearer, but blindfolded I wouldn’t know.
Thanks for watching and commenting, Kirk! I am actually going to a blind test video one of these days soon. Where you won't know what guitar I am playing until the end of the video. Just seeing the name Gibson may influence a decision on what sounds best just because we are so used to them sounding so good!
I think the Gibson had a clear ringing tone quality and the Ibanez was a little flatter maybe muted ....not terrible but not as clear.
Thanks for watching and commenting, Christophe. The Gibson does have a little "life" or "character."
Hi Rich, what is you opinion of the Florentine cutaway in the practical sense? I prefer the aesthetics. I'm considering building and L4 or similar style guitar. I would be happy with either guitar btw.
Great job. I believe the Gibson has the edge. It has a little fuller sound, and a little more sustain. If you were on a budget the Ibanez would be just fine. The audience would not notice. The best Paul.
Gibson, the spruce top seem to let the upper register bubble up out of the instrument, very alive, also better balance, the Ibanez seems a bit bass heavy. Both sound great (as do you) but given a choice for a trio gig....Gibson.
Thanks for watching and commenting, Clarence! I like how you describe the sound as bubbling and alive. Those are very good adjectives to describe it.
@@RichSeversonGuitar
Hi Rich, Many of the better Archtops have an envelope that swells slightly after the initial pick attack, much like a quality acoustic bass. Kessel's guitar has that sound, there was a fellow who played at the Gibson NAMM booth years ago... Mike? His Gibson (L5?) had that same envelope. Adds a whole other dimension to playing, like the instrument is speaking. Take care-
CHW
What strings were on these guitars? And please include unplugged sound demos like you do in your other videos. Thank you, Rich! Marvelous playing always.
-Fan and subscriber!
switched back to classical because I just can't play jazzz. Need those nylon strings!
Le copie Ibanez degli anni '70 erano spettacolari, belle e pregiate. Negli anni successivi Ibanez ha prodotto chitarre originali. Io posseggo una Ibanez GB e una Gibson L4 e sono molto differenti. Nella bellissima prova le differenze invece sono meno evidenti. Interessantissimo video. Thank you Maestro!!
The Ibanez has a darker, mellower sound, but certainly holds its own. Depending on the player, this could offset some other aspects of string type, touch, and amp settings. Great playing made them both sound as good as they can.
I think they both sound great but sound has very little to do with guitar value. It's the make and the rarity, the age and reputation and status, the connection to legendary players, and the vintage investment value. Your Ibanez sounds excellent and is a great guitar, and sounds real close to the Gibson L4. But if I could afford it I'd buy the L4 immediately, because it's an extremely desirable collector guitar played by the likes of Wes Montgomery. They stopped making them when they closed the Gibson Memphis plant, so now they're really going up in value. Guitar prices have gotten insane. Gibson Les Pauls for $500,000 and up, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton Fender Stratocasters for $1 million and up. ??? Us old-timers remember the old days when you could find them in pawn shops for a few hundred dollars.
I still have my Ibanez 2351TB made in September of 1975. Still plays beautifully although the truss rod broke several years ago and I found a neck for less (way less) that replacing the truss rod in the Ibanez neck.
Very interesting, Randy. How did the truss rod break? You don't hear about that too often. I am glad to hear you found an affordable fix for it and got it back to playing condition. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Go for both, wat’s the second tune?
Both sound great just different. I wouldn't call that Ibanez a Lawsuit being so different in build. I like the Gibson better due to more pronounced mids to my ears.
The gibson might have just slightly better pickups but i think i could tell that you liked the gibson better by the subtle differences in the performances. I tried improve jazz at community college about a hundred years ago, but i was totally unprepared for the quick and obscure chord changes. Well done!
Hey Robby! Thanks for watching and commenting! That is a very valid statement. I have had my L4 for a long time and I really do love it. The Ibanez I just bought so I don't have a huge attachment to it. That is really cool that you could sense that through my playing. I think you are spot on!
So subtle, but I think the gibson pickups sound just a little bit better. Whether the wood has much to do with it or not is too hard to tell. If you played them acoustically one would more likely be able to hear a difference being that the Gibby is a solid spruce top. But for the price point difference I could see anyone picking up the Iby for a lot less money and being very satisfied. I would, anyhow. My bet on a gig nobody would know the difference in the hands of a pro player.
Gibson sounds clearer and richer to me but that is due largely to the Ibanez super58 pups that have less bite compared to the L 4’s.
Thanks for watching and commenting, Calbertone! I agree, I think the Gibson pickup is better quality and delivers better clarity.
I have an L4 like the one in the test but the Ibanez sounds just as good, especially in the bass you can hear the difference between the solid spruce top and the laminated ibanez top which is less round and drier, in some cases it may be preferable and is more reminiscent of the Gibson175
Both sound great! Rich, what is the name of the second tune, the one where you played single notes? Great playing!
Just a touch more clarity with the L4 but the Ibanez sounds beautiful as well 👍
Agreed! Thanks for watching and commenting, Joe! This seems to be the consensus between the two guitars.
Suenan similares, en estos casos hay que probarlas sin amplificacion y el oido manda
Mas por una gran diferencia de precios ! Buen video
The Gibson sounds the best in my opinion, even though they both have an awesome tone.
Thanks for watching and commenting, Theodore! They do both sound good but I think you're right. The Gibson wins here.
@@RichSeversonGuitar You’re welcome. Your conglomeration of Guitars are Superb!!!!!
It just goes to show that a solid top jazz guitar doesn’t sound any better than the Ibanez laminated top. The Gibson has a touch more resonance which is what you’d expect. The Ibanez sounds thicker. I loved the comparison and something I’ve always wondered about. All my jazz guitars are laminated.
I'm MY, new to Jazz guitar ownership opinion, I think the Ibenez is far better than the L4. Me being the new owner of the Ibenez, I'm not biased one measure!
Thanks Rich!
hahaha! I love your honesty, MIke! Thanks for watching and commenting, buddy!
Oh I’d say these two guitars are really close. Hence the reason for the lawsuit. Gibson clearly understood a buyers point of view; if you want the sound of an L4 and aren’t focused on the collectors value or holding something where the price and value continue to climb and can get that for X number of dollars less
I like the tone of the Ibanez better.
Selector switch is in a different place. The Gib is slightly brighter. Both sound good.
Good point, Dixie! It is in a different spot. Thanks for pointing that out. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
@@RichSeversonGuitar The Gibson being brighter may be due to pick-up hight too. Just a thought.
is it use the string labela? black or white ? thanks a lot
THANKS FOR DOING THE DEMO. MY IBANEZ L4 COPY DOES NOT SOUND AS GOOD AS YOURS. IN THE DEMO ITS VERY CLOSE TO THE GIBSON. I THINK WHAT I AM HEARING IS YOUR FINGER STYLE COMPARED TO MY PICK STYLE. BOTH PRODUCE VERY DIFFERENT TONE.
What tune was that with the backing track?
It's passable as the Gibson. I wonder what the price difference was?
Hi, Phillip. I bought the L4 so long ago... but I would say there is easily a $2,000 difference in price. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I like the Ibanez better. A slightly thicker tone
A Gibson is a Gibson and a Ibanez is an Ibanez. There are reasons for spend more on a Gibson, so easy🙂
Looked to me like the Gibson had both pickups on, and the Ibanez only the neck pickup?
Hey, Darrell! Thanks for watching and commenting. The angle of the camera makes it look like I have the switch in the middle but it wasn't. Others pointed that out as well but it was definitely front pickup only.
This is another one of those videos that should have disguised the guitars. When people see the guitar, I'm convinced that it sways their opinions.
Wow! What a brilliant Idea, William! I never thought about that but you're so right. A blind sound test would make an awesome video and would level the playing field. Thank you so much for this comment!!
Totally agree. I listened several times, eyes closed and open to get that effect.
Play them with the same pickups then it’s fair!
Sounds like l4 has brighter strings and that the Ibanez has the strings I prefer. :) pretty killer. Hope Gibson got paid on that lawsuit...
Your son Wes? :-) Used to hang with a great Bari Sax player, named his son, Barry Reed.
Haha! Clever name! And yes, I named my son Wes and he helps me produce all the videos on my channel. Obviously you know where the influence came from ;) Thanks for watching and commenting, Clarence!
Belle entrambi
why am I seeing all these Ibanez copies ? I went to another local store in New Jersey and they had a couple of Ibanez copies of them I think ES 175 models are I didn’t really look at them closely. I’ve owned one of those copies and L5 Copy blonde back from the 1990s maybe. It and I don’t remember the sound of it but it must’ve sounded pretty good since I bought it but I gave it to a friend of mine. Now the new Ibanez models they say they have a Sprucetop ithese models are like out anywhere from $500-$1000 they will say they have a spruce top but if you call the manufacturer and they’ll say it’s a laminate so they have just thin laminate of spruce and underneath is some plywood. So if anybody is looking at this maybe they can comment on that as well. however these 90’s models I think they may have full thickness spruce tops. but I see you have that guitar for sale and then the description says laminate spruce top for the Ivanez model but the L4 has a pure thickness spruce top which is in terms of economics I think the big difference. But the sound is so similar it’s ridiculous. But you got a wonder why Stradivarius made his violins Sprucetop maple sides. apparently it is the opinion that is. It’s a little louder and a little more richer sounding than having a maple Tap prayed on the other hand I ES 175 has plywood whatever wood that is? And some of those have a very rich electric sound which if you play electric jazz guitar that’s the sound you really want the electric one. You’re not recording either being heard from the acoustic side most of the time. Interesting debate consideration. Full Sprucetop? Laminate Sprucetop? Maple Tap, plywood top. Life is too complicated.
The Gibson , seems to be livelier with more attack ! It's hard to say , they're close.
That could take away potential sales and dollars from Gibson’s coffers.
Gibson is better.
It sounds like Gibson👍
Thanks for watching and commenting, lessthan427!
The Gibson has a much smoother sound.
Gibson has more sparkle, more body, richer tone, more three-dimensional.
But: the Ibanez sounds excellent. The main factor is, of course...
the expert guitarist!
It's the carpenter, not the hammer!
Not fair! Lol you'll need some gain n a bit of reverb before I make a choice!! Peace brother
Both sound great. I liked the "woodier" and punchier character of the Ibanez and it seemed to cut through nicely, with good articulation. I'm beginning to sound like those wine snobs.
hahaha! That made me laugh. We live in wine country and I hear these adjectives all the time. I really like the "legs" on that Ibanez. Your comment makes me want to rewatch the video and see if I can hear that "woodier" sound. Thanks for watching and commenting, as always, S. Flavious!!
@@RichSeversonGuitar "Legs", hehe. I'll have to borrow that one from you.
L4 is better.
Thanks for watching and commenting, Ronald!
If you close your eyes you won't be able to guess accurately. Save your money and get an Ibanez LBG30 for $1000.00 and you be even better.
The Gibson wins IMO. More tonal depth.
I don't hear any difference. The Gibson might have better unplugged sound but you don't buy guitars like this to play unplugged anyway. Given the difference in price and thinner neck, I would go with the Ibanez.
Listen on good speakers. There is a real difference. But, not better/worse, just different. People buy guitars they can afford and that they hope will inspire them to play.
no difference in sound
Can't stand jazz. So, both guitars suck.
Well Larry, you probably won't like anything on my channel because me and most of my viewers love jazz. Thanks for watching though!