Body Wood Type: the difference?

[Shlogo]

Ok, so I know the type of wood can really change the feel of a bass, but what about the sound?
More specifically, how do the different woods sound?

I know there are lots of factors that effect sound so two basses made of the same wood can sound
completely different but generally speaking, how does one wood differ from the next??

[xaxxat]

The most expensive, prettiest wood sounds the best...

[FunkMetalBass]

Do a search for 'tone woods'. In short, density is directly proportional to the frequency emphasis. Higher density woods will emphasize the treble frequencies, lower density woods will emphasize the bass frequencies.





Also, commence opening...

[Wallace320]

There are warm body woods, like alder or mahogany.
There are hard yet brilliant body woods, like ash or maple.

Then, there's basswood, not that fine, but still neutral and good.

The, there's agathis... well... beware... Solid and consistent... and unpersonal and almost atonal

Many, many other out there: but we're mostly talkin' about "body woods", so tone woods, is that right?

My 2c

Cheers,
Wallace

[grendle]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

Do a search for 'tone woods'. In short, density is directly proportional to the frequency emphasis. Higher density woods will emphasize the treble frequencies, lower density woods will emphasize the bass frequencies.

Also, commence opening...

+1

[chadds]

There will be naysayers..

[scubaduba]

Oh boy....

[Shlogo]

Originally Posted by scubaduba

Oh boy....

I didnt expect something bad to come from this....

[Bubba Ghanoosh]

http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/Options/...criptions.aspx

[scubaduba]

About the tonewood argument...

SCRAP LUMBER BASS vs. ALDER BASS - Can You Tell The Difference??

What affects bass sounds the most?

Help choosing body wood

Wood Matters Club!!!

The Church of Dan Atkinson / The Wood Doesn't Matter Club

Can You Tell The Difference??? ASH vs. ALDER

[Budbear]

Originally Posted by Shlogo

I didnt expect something bad to come from this....

You're pretty new to these forums but you've been stirrin' it up pretty good so far... LOL

In blind listening tests some people have been able to consistently tell the differences in tonal character among the body woods, but most listeners couldn't. If there are differences, and it would seem there are, they are obviously subtle.
I have read a great deal on this subject and have personally had conversations with such respected luthiers as Keith Roscoe, Mike Tobias, Roger Sadowsky, Carey Nordstrand, Mike Lull, Steve Sukop, Rob Elrick and others and the one thing I've learned is that they all have differences of opinion as to the type and degree of tonal properties the different woods have.

And, before you ask, it's even more confusing when you start to talk about neck and fingerboard woods' tonal properties.

Good luck. I'm outta this one.

[zackthompson]

Here we go again...

[sammyp]

Originally Posted by Shlogo

Ok, so I know the type of wood can really change the feel of a bass, but what about the sound?
More specifically, how do the different woods sound?

I know there are lots of factors that effect sound so two basses made of the same wood can sound
completely different but generally speaking, how does one wood differ from the next??

everything is a factor for tone ....it's not just the wood, it's the finish or lack of finish .....i have an oil finished bass body and tele body ....compared to finished bodies there is less highs but more mids ...warm but sometimes not as bright and brilliant as a finished body!

i think all the major woods used in manufacturing can sound good but sometimes pick ups need to be better matched to a body wood ....like if i had an oil finished body i would tend to look for a pick up that has a little extra highs and lows ...it's already gonna be warm in the mids.

[levis76]

Originally Posted by sammyp

like if i had an oil finished body i would tend to look for a pick up that has a little extra highs and lows ...it's already gonna be warm in the mids.

This seems backwards to me. The wood will give you 'warm mids', so you want to go with p'ups that will work opposite that and give you a scooped tone? Why would you then use a wood that accents the mids if you're going to counter that with the electronics? Just because the wood accentuates the mids, that doesn't mean your basses signal is going to be mid heavy. Your signal is only going to contain whatever frequencies your p'ups output. The tiny bit of mids that the wood produces will get muted by the scooped output of the electronics, you follow me? The wood doesn't make the signal, the p'ups do.

Personally, I would MATCH the p'ups to the tonal characteristics of the wood, they should complement each other. Use a wood that accents mids and p'ups that are designed for that tonal quality and they will help the wood 'speak' if you will. Mismatching electronics and woods isn't a mistake or wrong in any way, but it can go either way. This is why so many people have a love/hate relationship with specific brands/types of p'ups. They have so many different winds and you really need to know what you want because each type will give you a distinct tonal quality, just like the wood.

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by Budbear

You're pretty new to these forums but you've been stirrin' it up pretty good so far... LOL

In blind listening tests some people have been able to consistently tell the differences in tonal character among the body woods, but most listeners couldn't. If there are differences, and it would seem there are, they are obviously subtle.
I have read a great deal on this subject and have personally had conversations with such respected luthiers as Keith Roscoe, Mike Tobias, Roger Sadowsky, Carey Nordstrand, Mike Lull, Steve Sukop, Rob Elrick and others and the one thing I've learned is that they all have differences of opinion as to the type and degree of tonal properties the different woods have.

And, before you ask, it's even more confusing when you start to talk about neck and fingerboard woods' tonal properties.

Good luck. I'm outta this one.

+1

Fantastic Post, and I'll certainly go along with this.

I'm staying out of this one as well!

[sammyp]

Originally Posted by levis76

This seems backwards to me. The wood will give you 'warm mids', so you want to go with p'ups that will work opposite that and give you a scooped tone? Why would you then use a wood that accents the mids if you're going to counter that with the electronics? Just because the wood accentuates the mids, that doesn't mean your basses signal is going to be mid heavy. Your signal is only going to contain whatever frequencies your p'ups output. The tiny bit of mids that the wood produces will get muted by the scooped output of the electronics, you follow me? The wood doesn't make the signal, the p'ups do.

Personally, I would MATCH the p'ups to the tonal characteristics of the wood, they should complement each other. Use a wood that accents mids and p'ups that are designed for that tonal quality and they will help the wood 'speak' if you will. Mismatching electronics and woods isn't a mistake or wrong in any way, but it can go either way. This is why so many people have a love/hate relationship with specific brands/types of p'ups. They have so many different winds and you really need to know what you want because each type will give you a distinct tonal quality, just like the wood.

ok so what you're saying with your many rolling eyes icons ...is that if a body is already going to be warm with mids you're going to push them farther with mid heavy pups?

if a body has a solid mid focus in essence ....you don't get a scooped tone by choosing a pup with a slight bass and treble emphasis - you get a balance!

dude, are you under the impression that pickups have the power to scoop a tone???? pick up characteristics are far more subtle than this.

be a little more informed next time you reach for the rude icons!

[michael_atw]

Originally Posted by Budbear

You're pretty new to these forums but you've been stirrin' it up pretty good so far... LOL

In blind listening tests some people have been able to consistently tell the differences in tonal character among the body woods, but most listeners couldn't. If there are differences, and it would seem there are, they are obviously subtle.
I have read a great deal on this subject and have personally had conversations with such respected luthiers as Keith Roscoe, Mike Tobias, Roger Sadowsky, Carey Nordstrand, Mike Lull, Steve Sukop, Rob Elrick and others and the one thing I've learned is that they all have differences of opinion as to the type and degree of tonal properties the different woods have.

And, before you ask, it's even more confusing when you start to talk about neck and fingerboard woods' tonal properties.

Good luck. I'm outta this one.

Yep. Even the 'Golden Ears' can't make up their mind what the hell the tone is of each wood. But they can all somehow agree that wood has significant tone for solid body guitars. I think it's more fun for them just to think that the tone of a solid body guitar is somehow created artistically in a magnificent whirlwind of complicated switches and levers. Ahh...the romanticism. It must hurt to know that people can slap pickups on treated plywood and still get good tone.

OP - the tone differences for solid body guitars are negligible to none.

[djetz]

Before getting into an internet debate about the "tonal properties" of body woods in solid body guitars/basses, I'd recommend you spend a while learning about critical thinking and cognitive biases, and most especially Confirmation bias.

After you've digested that, it's not too hard to figure out what's wrong with people who argue about this sort of thing on the internet.

TL;DR - body wood has no particular effect on the sound of a solid-body guitar/bass.

[chadds]

Originally Posted by levis76

This seems backwards to me. The wood will give you 'warm mids', so you want to go with p'ups that will work opposite that and give you a scooped tone? Why would you then use a wood that accents the mids if you're going to counter that with the electronics? Just because the wood accentuates the mids, that doesn't mean your basses signal is going to be mid heavy. Your signal is only going to contain whatever frequencies your p'ups output. The tiny bit of mids that the wood produces will get muted by the scooped output of the electronics, you follow me? The wood doesn't make the signal, the p'ups do.

Personally, I would MATCH the p'ups to the tonal characteristics of the wood, they should complement each other. Use a wood that accents mids and p'ups that are designed for that tonal quality and they will help the wood 'speak' if you will. Mismatching electronics and woods isn't a mistake or wrong in any way, but it can go either way. This is why so many people have a love/hate relationship with specific brands/types of p'ups. They have so many different winds and you really need to know what you want because each type will give you a distinct tonal quality, just like the wood.

I have a bass that has a very bright tone. It sounded harsh and brittle. You couldnt dial the treble off far enough. After trying everything, Labella Tape Wounds live on it. The inherent brightness gives definition to this newly emergent huge low end and fat mids.

Those strings work in conjunction with the neck and body to deliver a balanced frequency response. This is evident unplugged and plugged.

[Hopkins]

Things that effect the tone of a bass are the player, strings, pickups/preamp, and in a very distant 4th place wood type.

Neck wood has more effect on tone, I have doubts that body wood is anything more than aesthetic.