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ASH vs. ALDER - PART II

VOTE HERE!

  • Clip C matches Clip A

    Votes: 41 43.6%

  • Clip C matches Clip B

    Votes: 51 54.3%

  • Ramble On was recorded with a different bass on each verse

    Votes: 41 43.6%

  • Ramble On was recorded with the same bass on each verse

    Votes: 34 36.2%
  • Total voters
    94
#21
These experiments are great! The question isn't "can the audience tell" but can us "tone snobs" tell the difference! I'm writing down my answers so I won't forget. The questions you are asking in this poll are good but obviously, people who don't like the results will find a reason to trash them. I'm trained as an experimental psychologist so this type of stuff if right up my alley. LOTS of research shows that people accept information consistent with their beliefs and reject information inconsistent with their beliefs. This is the reason why people of different political persuasions can listen to the same speech and remember dramatically different things. Perception is always filtered by belief/experience. Cool poll. Keep up the experiments! BTW, how do you find the TIME? I'm off now to build a bass out of plywood from my garage....
 
#24
I went with C-B and different basses. I would also say I am an average listener as opposed to a highly trained bassist/builder/repairman/sound guy. And I bought my ash bass because I thought it was pretty.

Are the ear buds that come with an iphone high quality?
 
#25
-=DanAtkinson=- said:
The volume level variations at the beginning are simply due to my right hand playing it slightly different each time, and having no compressor in the chain (to appease JohnK). :ninja:

Normally you'd have a compressor to even things out a bit.
Click to expand...

you mean a robot wasn't playing the bass? well that's gotta be a factor ;)

I listened again - I trust my vote . . .
 
#26
I would like to participate, but unfortunately, the sound on my laptop doesn't work. I just wanted to say, it looks like the naysayers are already trying to invalidate the test without even trying it first. Of course, they'll have some excuse to rationalize that, too...
 
#30
Ya know what, Dan.

I am not sure what people with 30 years of playing experienced and have owned over 50 basses say or think about your experiments. But for people like myself, who does not have that wealth of experience or exposure to different instruments, these audio clips are quite educational.

As pointed out in your other thread, it is also a social experiment, which, myself coming from an Art school, I find perfectly intriguing.

Rock on.
 
#32
Ideally, we should refrain from telling others our vote until the poll results are out. Otherwise people will read and be biased. I would like to hear that fretboard test! How about rosewood vs. ebony vs. maple?
 
#36
They all sound so similar as to be "the same". I have always thought there wasn't much difference tonally between certain woods.

Somewhere I have clips of a session I did where I used my Ken Smith on a couple of tracks and then did second cuts with a Fender jazz bass. There wasn't much difference in tone (not enough to where anyone but me noticed really).Surely not enough to justify a 400% price difference (whole other bag of worms).

I think the player has more to do with the tone.

People hear a lot with their eyes. Look at the halftime show tonight and you'll see what I mean.
 
#37
Well, at the time of my vote, whether Clip C matches Clip A or Clip B is tied 13-13!

Personally, I had a lot of trouble with that one...I felt that Clip C was being played in a way to obscure the differences. I'm gonna guess that A and C are alder, but the player could not help but mess with us. Some cleaner releases in C, which might mimic a quicker decay as evident in B but which could be done by hand.

As for Ramble On, most hear the difference, and I agree. I'll pop that the first verse has more attack and midrange, and quicker decay, and therefore is ash.

But, of course, I could be entirely full of shyte.

Here's the real deal - regardless of what you think your audience hears, which one makes you feel more expressive and musical? THAT'S the one you should favor...
 
#39
The inherent quality of the mp3 format may be hiding something, but I did perceive a difference with a good quality headset and did vote. The slight volume changes make the choices a little tougher. It will be fun to see what the real answer is, although I haven't had much luck properly deciphering pretty much anyone's tone tests. :(
 

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