Different woods and the effects it has on tone?

[descendent22]

i just want to know the different kinds of wood fender uses and what it does for the tone. For example, let's say a light ash compared to a basswood or an alder, or a maple or swamp maple.

Whats the difference in tone, is ash bright or more bass for example?

 

[DigitalMan]

 

[5544]

Once the bass is plugged into the amp, the wood used doesn't matter.

 

[Turnaround]

It's been almost 10 minutes and no one has countered the "wood doesn't matter" argument. Is everyone asleep out there?

 

[descendent22]

I know the wood does matter, I'm just trying to find out why. It's been explained to me before but I forget

 

[ashtray]

OP - this thread is likely to get messy or closed - so to quickly summarize what could be the following 30 pages:

- Some people do not think wood has any noticeable effect on an amplified solid body instrument.

- There are some generalizations about wood and tone, but you get as much variation from piece to piece of the same type of wood.

- There's no consensus to your question.

- I have my own beliefs on the topic, but they are more to do with the wood used for the neck, not the body. And again, my beliefs are not generally accepted by the community as a whole.

- I've played two basses by the same company, same model, same year, same wood, and they sounded different from each other.

Personally, don't worry about it too much. The strings you use probably have a much higher effect on the tone than the body wood.

 

[yodedude2]

OP - this thread is likely to get messy or closed - so to quickly summarize what could be the following 30 pages:

- Some people do not think wood has any noticeable effect on an amplified solid body instrument.

- There are some generalizations about wood and tone, but you get as much variation from piece to piece of the same type of wood.

- There's no consensus to your question.

- I have my own beliefs on the topic, but they are more to do with the wood used for the neck, not the body. And again, my beliefs are not generally accepted by the community as a whole.

- I've played two basses by the same company, same model, same year, same wood, and they sounded different from each other.

Personally, don't worry about it too much. The strings you use probably have a much higher effect on the tone than the body wood.

repeated for emphasis

 

[chadds]

Try to find the Bass Player Mag article on this with input from almost every major maker.
But to save yourself issues here do this. If you like the sound of the bass acoustically then it will sound similar plugged in. If you don't you probably won't.

Wood from different parts of the same tree can sound different so just compare whole basses to each other.
All the parts work together to a lesser or greater effect. Just compare whole basses to each other.

 

[RED J]

No, no, I have the truth ! Tone's all in the hands and different woods/ basses bring tones out of my hands others don't it's amazing !

 

[descendent22]

OP - this thread is likely to get messy or closed - so to quickly summarize what could be the following 30 pages:

- Some people do not think wood has any noticeable effect on an amplified solid body instrument.

- There are some generalizations about wood and tone, but you get as much variation from piece to piece of the same type of wood.

- There's no consensus to your question.

- I have my own beliefs on the topic, but they are more to do with the wood used for the neck, not the body. And again, my beliefs are not generally accepted by the community as a whole.

- I've played two basses by the same company, same model, same year, same wood, and they sounded different from each other.

Personally, don't worry about it too much. The strings you use probably have a much higher effect on the tone than the body wood.

I think your a bit off on your explanation

 

[40Hz]

Why am I suddenly hoping for the Zombie Apocalypse to start?

 

[dincz]

I have my own beliefs on the topic, but they are more to do with the wood used for the neck, not the body.

Absolutely! A little thought and some common sense should lead all of us to the same conclusion. Yes, the neck (and I don't mean just the fingerboard). That bendy thing with a truss rod. Bodies don't have truss rods - funny about that.

 

[Deleted member 264575]

Why am I suddenly hoping for the Zombie Apocalypse to start?

You mean it hasn't?

 

[40Hz]

You mean it hasn't?

Well...if you don't count a certain presidential rally that took place recently...

 

[guy n. cognito]

i just want to know the different kinds of wood fender uses and what it does for the tone. For example, let's say a light ash compared to a basswood or an alder, or a maple or swamp maple.

Whats the difference in tone, is ash bright or more bass for example?

1. Locate Search box
2. Input "tone woods"
3. Click Search
4. Clear your calendar for the next month.

 

[Mosstone]

OP - this thread is likely to get messy or closed - so to quickly summarize what could be the following 30 pages:

- Some people do not think wood has any noticeable effect on an amplified solid body instrument.

- There are some generalizations about wood and tone, but you get as much variation from piece to piece of the same type of wood.

- There's no consensus to your question.

- I have my own beliefs on the topic, but they are more to do with the wood used for the neck, not the body. And again, my beliefs are not generally accepted by the community as a whole.

- I've played two basses by the same company, same model, same year, same wood, and they sounded different from each other.

Personally, don't worry about it too much. The strings you use probably have a much higher effect on the tone than the body wood.

Thanks for saving us a lot of time and wasted bandwidth!

 

[DavC]

wood choice = might help sustain .... for me it's mostly about weight/looks .. !!

pickups / strings = tone

 

[Jack Butler]

Even if you could control all the other factors like pickup brand and height, neck construction, etc..and actually hear whatever subtle difference there would be in different woods, all you'd need to do is slightly tweak a few knobs to negate that small difference.

 

[HolmeBass]

I think your a bit off on your explanation

Dude, if you already "know" the answer, then why post a question? The post you're denigrating is an excellent summary of how this will play out on TB. We've all seen it many times before. There is no solid consensus, especially on TB, about the effect of wood type on the tone of a solid-bodied instrument.

So if you want to believe this guy from Fender, please do so, but don't then come here, post a question, and then start arguing with the answers!

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Matching cabs is always best...wait...wrong topic....