Name these woods A CHALLENGE!

[scottyd]

Here I have 4 separate sound clips, My challenge to all of you here in Tb-land it to see if you can guess which clips go to which body woods. As you will see they all sound very different. The actual woods used for the body of the basses are.

Mahogany (walnut top)
Ash (maple top)
Swamp ash (maple top)
Sapele (Canary top)

2 of the basses use the same type of construction, pickups, and preamps.

1 of the basses (swamp ash) uses the same type pickups and preamp and construction but is a bolt on neck.(since many claim to be able to tell a difference in tone by neck joint this may help distinguish this bass as well.)

1 of the basses (Sapele) uses the same type construction and pickups but is passive (should be easier to point out right?)

There is also one other notable difference in one of the basses that should be really easy to pinpoint, see if you can figure it out.

The clips are simple, plucked open strings for consistency, nothing fancy.

Now there are a few of you that will say this evidence is inconclusive for these reasons blah blah blah... That’s fine, whatever. Don't think of it as evidence but simply a test derived from curiosity. This is only the first test of many, and each one will be a bit more involved as we progress.

*ref.1*If you don't like the way this is done take it up with a mod. You could also start your own test thread on this subject and do it how you think it should be, but I'm betting you won't*ref.1*

I'll reveal which clips belong to what woods later.

Clip#1
http://www.archive.org/download/Soun...dClip1_vbr.m3u


Clip#2
http://www.archive.org/download/Soun...dClip2_vbr.m3u

Clip#3
http://www.archive.org/download/Soun...dclip3_vbr.m3u


Clip#4
http://www.archive.org/download/Soun...ip4_39_vbr.m3u

Here's another test even more fun and much easier!!

I've got here actual pictures of the woods. See if you can name them this way as well.

Pic1



Pic2



Pic3



Pic4

[Rickett Customs]

Scotty,
Could you post something without a variable bit rate, like a .wav?

Then again, just tell me I'm some crazy wingnut, but I'm an audiophile.

[scottyd]

Originally Posted by Alembicplyr

Scotty,
Could you post something without a variable bit rate, like a .wav?

Then again, just tell me I'm some crazy wingnut, but I'm an audiophile.

Nah your no wingnut! I'll see what I can do.
It may be hard to find something to stream large files though

I also forgot to mention that all of the clips are recorded straight from the bass to interface without any effects, and all eq set flat.

[Yvarg]

www.fileden.com will let you stream large files for free once you've made an account.

[mikeyswood]

Originally Posted by scottyd

I've got here actual pictures of the woods. See if you can name them this way as well.

Pic1



Pic2



Pic3



Pic4

I Love It!

First try -

Pic 1: The sheen makes it tough, but I am guessing Bubinga; could also be African Mahogany. The quarter sawn and lighting add a big challenge.

Pic 2: I am going with Ash. Fraxinus americana to be exact. Not leaving myself much wiggle room

Pic 3: Sapele. Again, the pic can be tough, but I am certain this one is from the Meliaceae family.

Pic 4: Ash. This time I am thinking that this is Fraxinus nigra, but it could also be Fraxinus quadrangulata; have to leave a bit of wiggle room

Scotty - Can't wait to see how I did!

[RedLeg]

I have no idea what is supposed to sound like what. here are my random stabs in the dark
sound clips, not pics
2-sapele
1 and 4 sound too similar to call- I say ash
3 by process of elimination- mahogany

now here is when scotty says that the basses were really
oak, poplar, alder, and particle board and that we are all wrong (j/k).
BTW sound clip 3 was comparatively longer than the other clips.
My 2 cents at least

[erikbojerik]

Jason - how do you hear a variable bit rate? I do hear some clipping that drowns out the attack.

Scotty, if you can email or post the full versions I'd like to do an experiment with the files.

[scottyd]

Originally Posted by erikbojerik

Jason - how do you hear a variable bit rate? I do hear some clipping that drowns out the attack.

Scotty, if you can email or post the full versions I'd like to do an experiment with the files.

These are sound clips that I've collected from my builds, some are a few years old, I don't think I've kept all of the .WAV files. I usually delete them once converted to help keep hard drive space free. If I can find all of the .wavs I'll upload them.

[scottyd]

Originally Posted by RedLeg

I have no idea what is supposed to sound like what. here are my random stabs in the dark
sound clips, not pics
2-sapele
1 and 4 sound too similar to call- I say ash
3 by process of elimination- mahogany

now here is when scotty says that the basses were really
oak, poplar, alder, and particle board and that we are all wrong.
BTW sound clip 3 was comparatively longer than the other clips.
My 2 cents at least

Interesting....

[jordan_frerichs]

1 is bolt on ash. 3 and 4 sound like a piano. You use Daddario strings?

[bronzehydra]

I'm going to take a stab in the dark.

1st clip: Swamp ash
2nd clip: Sapele
3rd clip: Mahogany
4th clip: Ash

1st picture: Bubinga
2nd picture: White Ash
3rd picture: African Mahogany?
4th picture: Swamp Ash

[mikeyswood]

Originally Posted by bronzehydra

2nd picture: White Ash
4th picture: Swamp Ash

What are you calling swamp ash? Fraxinus caroliniana or Fraxinus Niagra?

[scottyd]

Swamp ash is also sometimes called Black Ash.

The pictures of the woods are the same woods used in the sound clips.

All clips were recorded with Daddario Pro-steel strings.

[Mr. Majestic]

You are going to have a tough time selling black ash as swamp ash in the deep south.

[Rickett Customs]

Originally Posted by erikbojerik

Jason - how do you hear a variable bit rate? I do hear some clipping that drowns out the attack.

Scotty, if you can email or post the full versions I'd like to do an experiment with the files.

Windows media player (not by choice), running into a pair of Tannoy precision 8 idp, through an Echo Indigo pcmcia card, via my laptop. I hear some of the same, maybe not alot (just a little). Like I said, I'm an audiophile. Any kind of adjustment to the bit rate or compression, I can tell. Well most of the time

[Beej]

Too bad the guesses are being posted publicly. I'd be curious to see what some of the perceptual geniuses would have to say without the benefit of seeing everyone else's posts first...

[RedLeg]

Originally Posted by Beej

Too bad the guesses are being posted publicly. I'd be curious to see what some of the perceptual geniuses would have to say without the benefit of seeing everyone else's posts first...

funny you said that, my wife said something very similar.

[scottyd]

Originally Posted by Mr. Majestic

You are going to have a tough time selling black ash as swamp ash in the deep south.

that's quite right....depending on what the lumber is used for.

[erikbojerik]

Originally Posted by mikeyswood

...Fraxinus Niagra?

What's that? The wood they use to make barrels when you want to take a ride over the falls?

[NKUSigEp]

1. Mahogany
2. Sapele
3. Swamp Ash
4. Ash