• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Do basses get better sounding as they get older?

#21
Well there's no question that the character of wood changes over time. If you've ever been in a 100 year old house's attic you will know that.

You can have pine beams like on a new house - but the wood is rock hard. Try to dig your nail into the pine beam of a 100 year old house and you will break your nail. Try to do it on new construction and you'll leave a little indentation in the wood.

So wood does change character over time. Whether that results in better music though is the question...

Someone mentioned Strativarius before. Violin snobs will tell you that old violins sound better - in part because of how they were built but also because of the aging of the wood.
 
#23
pringlw said:
You can have pine beams like on a new house - but the wood is rock hard. Try to dig your nail into the pine beam of a 100 year old house and you will break your nail. Try to do it on new construction and you'll leave a little indentation in the wood.
Click to expand...

That's probably the difference between yellow pine (hard) and white pine (soft).
 
#24
I think somehow, that they absolutely do sound better over time. I have a new P bass and a 30+ year old P bass.

The older one absolutely KILLS the newer one.

Why? I have no idea - but everyone who hears them side by side agrees.
 
#25
I love vintage instruments, but I can't help but think that this "old wood" business is largely a myth. Sure, the molecular structure of the wood might change, but enough for the human ear to be able to differentiate? Seems unlikely to me.

On a wholly–acoustic and greatly-aged instrument (like the aforementioned Stradivarius) I can see this being a factor, but on a non-acoustic solid body I have my very strong doubts.
 
#27
Jjango said:
I love vintage instruments, but I can't help but think that this "old wood" business is largely a myth. Sure, the molecular structure of the wood might change, but enough for the human ear to be able to differentiate? Seems unlikely to me.

On a wholly–acoustic and greatly-aged instrument (like the aforementioned Stradivarius) I can see this being a factor, but on a non-acoustic solid body I have my very strong doubts.
Click to expand...

Why would there be a difference between Acoustic and Solid - wood is wood? Just curious how you formed that opinion. It is yours and that is cool - just raised the question in my mind?

By the way - the discussion has been cool and enlightening too.
 
#28
Honk'n_down-low said:
Why would there be a difference between Acoustic and Solid - wood is wood? Just curious how you formed that opinion. It is yours and that is cool - just raised the question in my mind?

By the way - the discussion has been cool and enlightening too.
Click to expand...

With a solid body instrument it's all about the vibration of the strings that is picked up by the pickups. On an acoustic it's the wood itself resonating that amplifies the sound. Thus leading to a much larger impact on tone.
 
#29
Honk'n_down-low said:
Why would there be a difference between Acoustic and Solid - wood is wood? Just curious how you formed that opinion. It is yours and that is cool - just raised the question in my mind?

By the way - the discussion has been cool and enlightening too.
Click to expand...

Because on an acoustic instrument the sole source of amplification is the vibration of the wood and varnish. On an electric instrument the source of the sound are the pickups and amplifier, wood affects the tone due to vibrations and such, but it's important to remember that the pickups are only detecting the movement of the strings at the end of the day. Having said that, I play a warwick, sold on the basis that wood is one of the most important things in tone...

Go figure :p
 
#30
With Lime said:
With a solid body instrument it's all about the vibration of the strings that is picked up by the pickups. On an acoustic it's the wood itself resonating that amplifies the sound. Thus leading to a much larger impact on tone.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you're aware that this is a major overstatement. The wood of an electric solidbody is absolutely a major part of the instrument's sound. Different types of wood and sizes of body give very different sounds.
 
#33
pringlw said:
I'm sure you're aware that this is a major overstatement. The wood of an electric solidbody is absolutely a major part of the instrument's sound. Different types of wood and sizes of body give very different sounds.
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm aware. I have no doubt that wood has an effect on tone but as Flintlock said "it's important to remember that the pickups are only detecting the movement of the strings at the end of the day" I was using a bit of hyperbole to emphasis the gap between acoustic and solid body. Surely you agree that wood affects acoustics significantly more?

PS: I hope that didn't sound jerky, not my intention. Don't want to start a flame war :D
 
#36
Flintlock said:
Because on an acoustic instrument the sole source of amplification is the vibration of the wood and varnish. On an electric instrument the source of the sound are the pickups and amplifier, wood affects the tone due to vibrations and such, but it's important to remember that the pickups are only detecting the movement of the strings at the end of the day. Having said that, I play a warwick, sold on the basis that wood is one of the most important things in tone...

Go figure :p
Click to expand...

Right so you kind of support what I was questioning - we all know that different solid body Basses present some tonal differences in two ways - by their design and electronics - but also very much so by the Wood Choices they are constructed with. So Warwick is not yanking anyone's chain in that respect IMO and IME yada yada yada ;)
 
#40
WRXbase said:
It's a proven fact that when you vibrate wood, the molecules settle. I don't know anything about how the settling would align the wood, but if you don't vibrate it, the wood will decompose after a while.
Click to expand...
"Molecules settle"? Count me among those who want to see real peer-reviewed data from real scientists to support this particular assertion.

I've been hearing junk science about music gear for nearly fifty years, usually hypotheses from non-scientists who are trying to sell something.

In any case, most "old" instruments I've seen in my many years of dealing in them did not have much use, but had spent decades in storage. That's why they were still around in one piece.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back