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body wood does matter
- Thread starter Killed_by_Death
- Start date
Turnaround
Commercial User
No, but it does affect how the string vibrates.
I already explained why. The evidence is there. Why don't you get the money?
Still waiting for your answer to the question...
What evidence would you like?
Alder lifeless and Ash alive?
Very suspicious...
It must be something about the pickups or the circuit if you are saying you felt the difference when touching the knobs..
Very suspicious...
It must be something about the pickups or the circuit if you are saying you felt the difference when touching the knobs..
I don't claim there is any evidence, you do. I'll accept any evidence that would give you a million $, if you can provide it.
What you believe is immaterial to claiming the prize by using the evidence already available. Go for it. I triple dog dare you.
So, you want me to get a million dollars, because you don't want to provide the evidence you belive in? Fascinating, really fascinating.
In my experience, wood effects the "feel" of the instrument more than the tone. I've played inexpensive basses made of "tone wood" that didn't resonate in my hands and seemed dead. Is that only the wood? Probably not. Bridges, nuts, frets, strings, etc. all play a part.
I've even gone the route of trying to upgrade a cheap bass. Put on great strings, a new bridge, new tuners, new pickups, new pots....and ya know what....it still felt like a cheap bass. Maybe much of that was mental, but it didn't "feel" premium.
Then I've bought basses that were not uber expensive, but they felt substantial, they resonated when you played them and let you feel the note.
I can't tell you that ash vs. alder vs. mahogany vs. whatever....makes any great difference tonally. I'd say it's more about the quality of the material used. Is the wood dry? Are there anomalies in the wood? Is it a heavy piece or a lightweight piece?
I'm currently waiting on a custom build to be completed. I had the pleasure of picking out each piece of wood. Feeling it, running my hands over it, and even tapping on it to see how resonate it is. Will the bass turn out nice? I have no idea, but it's going to have some premium ingredients.
I've even gone the route of trying to upgrade a cheap bass. Put on great strings, a new bridge, new tuners, new pickups, new pots....and ya know what....it still felt like a cheap bass. Maybe much of that was mental, but it didn't "feel" premium.
Then I've bought basses that were not uber expensive, but they felt substantial, they resonated when you played them and let you feel the note.
I can't tell you that ash vs. alder vs. mahogany vs. whatever....makes any great difference tonally. I'd say it's more about the quality of the material used. Is the wood dry? Are there anomalies in the wood? Is it a heavy piece or a lightweight piece?
I'm currently waiting on a custom build to be completed. I had the pleasure of picking out each piece of wood. Feeling it, running my hands over it, and even tapping on it to see how resonate it is. Will the bass turn out nice? I have no idea, but it's going to have some premium ingredients.
I've already told you where the evidence can be found. Google is your friend. The triple dog dare is still in effect.
Still waiting for you answer to the question...
What evidence would you like?
And repeat: I'll accept any evidence that would give you a million $, if you can provide it.
Yes everything plays a part in the final outcome but whether an instrument feels "alive" or "dead" is in the primary structural components (neck and body). In the case of a wooden instrument they're wood.
What I've learned from this thread:
All basses and instruments sound alike. Nothing matters
What I've learned from my own personal experience:
The system including the body-wood and neck-wood (incl. fretboard) do affect the tone of the instruments I've had the pleasure of playing. Strings, p/ups, electronics and other components have as much influence on the tonality.
and then we have our amps and speaker cabinets thrown in for good measure.
I've also found a tonal difference playing at different times of the year. Dry forced-heat vs. hot and humid.
All basses and instruments sound alike. Nothing matters
What I've learned from my own personal experience:
The system including the body-wood and neck-wood (incl. fretboard) do affect the tone of the instruments I've had the pleasure of playing. Strings, p/ups, electronics and other components have as much influence on the tonality.
and then we have our amps and speaker cabinets thrown in for good measure.
I've also found a tonal difference playing at different times of the year. Dry forced-heat vs. hot and humid.
The evidence is there, feel free to go find it for yourself. I'm not doing your work for you.
Evidence of the application ro wood as already been posted on this page. Start there.
'Bye.
Paul Reed Smith did a Ted Talk about how building an instrument is more about finding materials that don't suck the timbre out of the instrument.
It's an exercise in reducing the amount of subtractive qualities:
I'd love to hear a bass guitar made of Titanium. It's my favorite metal & I'll bet it would have crazy long sustain. The density & composition of it could also be controlled, so that every one built sounds the same.
what about knobs/switches on the 2nd bass? Were they also ho-hum?
I don't disagree with your observation, but since the conclusion relies on ineffable "magic", it is probably not true.
It is much more likely the differences were due to variances in the electronics, pickup windings, or neck joint.
