body or neck?

[txhawaii]

Where does the tone come from?

**I searched TB for this answer and while I didn't dig too deep, I didn't find a good answer.

In short, I'm thinking of pulling off my neck from my '99 Fender PJ and putting on a custom MJT body...strictly for looks, nothing more. The '99 plays nice but I want a different color body today. The Fender plays very nice and has a wonderful tone...plus its 23+ years old now. I just want a different look.

So for those who believe in mojo...does tone come from my a. body or b. neck?

Fingers and technique are already known factors...so keep it to

 

[sleddogn]

Lol, this thread will explode soon, soooo i'll jump in first. I vote pickup

 

[Atshen]

Strings.

 

[txhawaii]

Lol, this thread will explode soon, soooo i'll jump in first. I vote pickup

You better believe it!

I wonder how long before the insults from the smug start flowing in?

 

[Vodyanoi]

It depends; are we talking about metric or imperial tone?

 

[Fernando Costa]

Strings > pickups > neck > body.

 

[Killing Floor]

Pickup.

The electric guitar is a spring-damper mechanical system. The wood does exactly 3 things. 1, provides the opposing force to hold tension in strings, 2, acts as a damper to accelerate the decay of the vibration in the strings, 3, surface for paint. Not to debate that some necks and bodies look absolutely baller, but learn how pickups work. Unless it is a piezoelectric (which senses change in pressure and therefore is more closely reactive to the density of the wood) a standard electromagnetic pickup has absolutely no relationship to the body except as an attachment.
Players will argue differently. But physics is pretty hard to negotiate with.

If you want your bass to look different or feel different that’s the body and neck. For me the neck is the most important part.

If you want your bass to sound different it’s strings and pickups. That’s all that affect the signal hitting your amp.

 

[Spidey2112]

Weight... smug, or not, I'm asking with pinkie raised.

 

[MrDinsdale]

Both will have a marginal impact on tone probably too subtle to notice. Go with what ever plays and looks best.

 

[lug]

If the original tree for either the body or the neck grew under stress, it will have more attack or "spank". If grown in a more relaxed environment, it will have more groove or "mojo". Simple, really.

 

[J Wilson]

You.

You can have X neck, Y body, and Z pickups, and these will season things, but ultimately the tone is from you and your hands and the sound you want to hear. Sure, you'll get a difference with super hard woods vs. softer ones, or really hot pickups vs. something more restrained, but YOU are going to sound like YOU after it's all said and done.

Think not?

Select your ultimate bass hero, and magically, we will stop/freeze everything in the middle of a concert, ease him out of the way, and strap his bass on you in front of his rig. You know the rest of the tunes backwards and forwards, you can 'make the gig', but . . . . you're gonna sound like you playing his gig, instead of him.

You can pick this stuff to death, overthink it right into a migraine, but over time we realize what works for us and what doesn't, and that becomes your sweet spot in terms of basses and the features they have. You can go right down the Rabbit Hole 50 or 60 feet sweating these or those strings, this or that wood, lacquer or poly, what kind of bridge, active/passive, and on and on and on . . . . only to keep chasing your tail more and more and more.

You always work to be the best you, and selecting gear smartly is a requirement. If this neck on that body gets you there, go for it.

All that really matters is to find a bass that looks and feels right, is mechanically and electronically sound, and makes a tone that suits, and that axe plus your preferred amp is the right choice to make the best you, the real result we're after.

I sometimes feel that OverThink is the official TalkBass sport.

 

[RGerhart]

Strings > pickups > neck > body.

The most efficient, and accurate answer.

 

[skycruiser]

OP couldn't find and any threads on this topic because they all turn into flame wars and get locked down, half of the comments getting removed by admin along the way!

 

[roller]

American maple has way more spank than Finnish maple.

1) pickup then 2) strings then 3) fretboard wood then 4) neck wood

Body wood will be 7 or 8.

If the original tree for either the body or the neck grew under stress, it will have more attack or "spank". If grown in a more relaxed environment, it will have more groove or "mojo". Simple, really.

 

[Stewie]

I took a neck off of a Jazz bass and stuck it on a P bass. The tone definitely changed. I say body

 

[RichterScale]

I wonder how long before the insults from the smug start flowing in?

Isn't that point of starting this thread?
Because,

So for those who believe in mojo...does tone come from my a. body or b. neck?

I find it hard to believe this is a serious question.

 

[39-Bassist]

If you were saying for an acoustic....then both the body and neck....Electric guitars: Pickups, Body, Neck are ALL important as a whole. IMHO

 

[jcidulka]

Strings > Pickups > Neck > Body

 

[Thumpin6string]

We al know that it doesn't matter what gear you have or if you have any talent. The tone just flows from your fingers.

 

[Egg250]

On an electric, amplified instrument, the tone is generated by:

Strings
Cabinet Speakers
On board electronics
Amp

Tonewood only really applies to acoustic instruments. The construction of the instrument and quality of materials will absolutely affect the sustain, but will not significantly impact the tone.