Guts On Solid Wood

TPugh · #1 04-13-2010, 06:55 AM

I was wondering if you all thought it is as easy to detect the tone of a carved bass strung with gut strings as it is with metal ones.

I recently obtained my first carved bass and I have Spirocores on it. My plywood bass is currently strung with guts. The difference in tone is remarkably noticable between the two. Before I go on, I'm not saying that one sounds better than the other. They sound different. At the moment, I want them to. But I do wonder if my carved bass would sound so different if it too had guts on it. My instinct tells me that they wouldn't. I wouldn't expect them to sound the same. Just not as different.

Before you tell me to do the obvious (put guts on the carved bass), hear me out. Take two basses, one solid and one ply. Both have the same metal string sets on them. Let's assume you can detect a definite tonal difference between the two woods. Do you think you could as easily detect the same if both instruments were wearing guts?

Again, I do understand that I won't know about my two basses until I put guts on both of them and do a comparison. Also, perhaps there's too much more to it than just strings and basses to make this a fair general question. Opinions?

Thanks,
Thomas

bejoyous · #2 04-13-2010, 08:36 AM

Try taking the A string off your carved and the D string off you ply. Then put the Gut D on the carved in the A string spot so that you have two D strings on it.

That'll give you a easy way to compare the two different construction materials.

davidAaronCarte · #3 04-13-2010, 08:45 AM

I found the difference between gut and steel was even more pronounced on my carved then on the old plywood bass I had

TPugh · #4 04-13-2010, 09:54 AM

Good idea on the A/D swap. That would at least give me an idea without a whole set change.

Aaron, in thinking of both basses both strung with guts, the carved bass sounds carved vs the ply, right? My next question would be is the difference in tone as noticable if they were both wearing metal strings? Or more so? Or perhaps less?

Forgive me if I sound too elementary or if this has been covered elsewhere.

Thomas