sounds of different wood

[Stanleyism]

What kinds of sounds do different woods produce?
ans what is the difference between a bright and warm tone?(sound clips plz!)

[SDB Guitars]

Here we go again...

This isn't really quantifiable, as even among poeces of wood from the same tree you will hear different things, and someone else will head yet *another* thing, that you don't hear...

[Stanleyism]

I mean in generality, not spcifics.

[Dirk Diggler]

In other words you will get as many opinions on the sound of wood as wood species itself, from no difference to huge difference. There are no rules, and there are also many that just go by looks.

Good Luck,
Dirk

[fivestringdan]

Well, I can only speak to building about 250 basses for Gibson. I'll use the "Killer B" as an example because of the 2-3 piece bodies. We used Mohogany, Bubinga, Swamp Ash, Walnut and 2-3 Maple bodied basses with Maple purple heart or Maple bubinga necks. Mostly wenge fingerboards. Among the four main body woods I could tell a big difference in the tone. The best advise I got on this matter was from a luthier who told me to hold up the piece of wood I wanted to make a guitar out of and hit it so it could vibrate and listen for the resonate frequencies. Drum makers do this with thier shells to "match" toms. It sort-of works for guitars but there are TOO many other things involved. Like the time I was speaking to Adrian Legg about his Ovation guitars and something about the "number of grains" in the board had to be within a certain varible...too strange for me. Like Dirk said," Good Luck"

[Rodent]

since we aren't building acoustic instruments here ... build it for looks first and weight second

your pickups will generally have a larger impact than the body wood(s), your playing techniques will have a larger impact than the amp you use, and your speaker cabinets will have a larger impact than your string preference

it's all a small piece of a significantly larger picture in a world where marketing hype dominates the buzz

all the best,

R

[GianGian]

I have the impression that the heavier the wood is the heaviver the bass sounds...true?

[Taylor Livingston]

Originally Posted by Rodent

your speaker cabinets will have a larger impact than your string preference

This one I have to disagree with. I would put them about even. But there are certainly as many opinions on this subject as there are humans that play instruments.

[SDB Guitars]

Originally Posted by GianGian

I have the impression that the heavier the wood is the heaviver the bass sounds...true?

Define what sounds "heavy"...

[Taylor Livingston]

Originally Posted by GianGian

I have the impression that the heavier the wood is the heaviver the bass sounds...true?

But what does it mean to sound "heavy"?

edit: SDB beat me to it.

[SDB Guitars]

Originally Posted by conical johnson

But what does it mean to sound "heavy"?

edit: SDB beat me to it.

<playing the theme from "Rocky" and jumping around>

WOOOOO! Yeah! I finally got my post in *ahead* of somebody else!

[fivestringdan]

Bah!! Look at Claypool's "Rainbow" bass. It doesn't matter, I'm changing my response.

[wilser]

2 words:

[GianGian]

Originally Posted by conical johnson

But what does it mean to sound "heavy"?

Deep bottom end.

[Rodent]

but if that "deep bottom end" is clear and articulate, would it not instead be described as having a robust, well filled bottom?

having a heavy bottom instills a sense of preamp clipping and square waves due to the pickups being too close to the strings, and a biting mid-hump that requires significant tone shaping intervention at the amplifier or mixing console


"heavy" is also in opposition to being "musical" just like weighty is in opposition to lyrical


all the best,

R

[black_labb]

i'd say the neck and fingerboard has more to do with it than the body (especially on a neck through).

[Rodent]

Originally Posted by black_labb

i'd say the neck and fingerboard has more to do with it than the body (especially on a neck through).

curious what kind of unbiased blind taste test leads you to these conclusions ... could you explain?

I ask because loads of people have "religious" type leanings about things like this, but very few stand the test and are upheld beyond the realm of personal belief and blind faith lead hearing



but in consideration to past arguing on this topic within this forum and others, it's probably best to keep your answer as an introspection for self revelation rather than to write a reply and stoke the flames that these kind of threads usually go down in

all the best,

R

[GianGian]

Originally Posted by Rodent

but if that "deep bottom end" is clear and articulate, would it not instead be described as having a robust, well filled bottom?

having a heavy bottom instills a sense of preamp clipping and square waves due to the pickups being too close to the strings, and a biting mid-hump that requires significant tone shaping intervention at the amplifier or mixing console


"heavy" is also in opposition to being "musical" just like weighty is in opposition to lyrical


all the best,

R

Well, heavy sounds ok to me. But I will elaborate.
I have the feeling that the more dense the wood is, the more clear, articulate and robust the bottom end will be. Does it have some true to it? I am talking about all passive basses here.

[Rodent]

there are too many other factors involved in a solidbody instrument to say such a thing.

I can build an 2-piece Ash body with Maple/Maple bolt-on neck and Sadowsky J/J pickups ... and it won't sound exactly like a Sadowsky.

yet how can this be if I use all of the same woods, electronics, hardware, glues, finishes, construction methods, etc ...?

all the best,

R

[GianGian]

Originally Posted by Rodent

there are too many other factors involved in a solidbody instrument to say such a thing.

I can build an 2-piece Ash body with Maple/Maple bolt-on neck and Sadowsky J/J pickups ... and it won't sound exactly like a Sadowsky.

yet how can this be if I use all of the same woods, electronics, hardware, glues, finishes, construction methods, etc ...?

all the best,

R

I see. So what is basically the thing that affects more the low end?