Do you think finish thickness affects tone?

[primussucks9126]

 

[XLunacy]

Next time someone is dissatisfied with their tone, I'll advise them to have the finish changed.

 

[Jefenator]

The difference above seems subtle, but as a wise lawyer once advised me: "The devil is in the details."
I find I am a moderate in almost all things - including finish thickness.
I've had a couple of bodies with not enough tru-oil or wax and that sucked. (Had to avoid playing those in the summer to keep my sweaty arm from staining them.)
On the other end, I had a MIJ '51 reissue with the "school bus" yellow that was super thick. Didn't care for that, either. (I can't imagine some 3/64" poly coating not interfering with the musical resonance...)
I kind of have a soft spot for nitro (pun intended) but IME the Warmoth poly works fine. That's what's on my #1, the parts J and I don't want to change one single thing on that.

 

[mr80htz]

Over in the Thunderbird club, I commented that part of what makes an Epiphone thicker than a similar Gibson is the thick finish on Epiphones (at least the modern ones).

That thick poly finish is durable and probably a lot faster to produce than a Gibson nitro finish.
I don't believe the finish thickness makes any difference to the output sound of an electric bass, but
I've been wrong before...
Do you think it makes a difference? If so, can you produce evidence?

Yes. I stripped a bass of a poly finish. It's duller sounding.

 

[40Hz]

It does on an ABG when played acoustically. On a solidbody? I’d need more empirical evidence than the usual “it’s so subtle that not everyone can hear it” (i.e. golden ears) argument before I’d sign on. Not to say it can’t possibly have an effect. But a pinch of ‘demonstrably’ is more convincing to me than a pound of ‘perhaps.’ So the jury is still out on that one AFAIC.

 

[JohnnyChatter]

Honestly. Yeah. But I have had the exact same bass that are only a few serial numbers apart sound different. Same color and everything. Now could you tell in a mix? I think if I did a blind test it would be hard but maybe.

But even action changes tone. Not just because of where the pickup is but because we play a little different with different action.

I think people should look towards strings more when trying to achieve specific tones but that’s just me.

 

[BrentD]

Everything resonates at 120dB.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

It does, but I doubt anybody can hear.

 

[micguy]

grass makes sound when it grows. each blade of grass is uniquely individual and makes a different sound relative to adjacent blades of grass. many studies have been done on the sound grass makes as it grows

i cant hear it - therefore the sound of grass has no bearing on my decision-making if ordering sod for my lawn

In Asia they have grass (it's called bamboo, but it is a grass) that you can hear growing.

 

[Chrisk-K]

BASF paints offer the best tone.

 

[Turnaround]

Depends on the brand of poly. And whether it's gloss satin or matte. And, of course, the colour. Not to mention the configuration of the spray booth.

But seriously, everything makes a difference. The question is whether or not it's a significant difference. It is certainly if your audience can hear it. A bit less so if they can't but you can. None at all if the difference can only be detected by test equipment.

 

[FRoss6788]

The question is whether a particular aspect affects its tone detectably.

...and predictably.

 

[jthisdell]

Fingers
Fingers
Fingers
Fingers
Speaker Cab
Strings
Amp
Pickup
Everything Else

 

[micguy]

Billy Gibbons and Matt Sorum playing cardboard instruments - check out the tones:

In a way this might provide an oblique answer to the poll question...

Wood is cellulose fibers, held together with glue. That thing is made with cardboard (cellulose fibers), but there is a lot of glue that was used to bond it all together. It’s not really “cardboard” at this point - It’s essentially a wood guitar with a lot of tiny holes in it.

 

[Cleezmo]

Like with so many other tone chasing topics, my opinion/experience is this:

1. There may be a subtle difference from a physics standpoint
2. You may be able to hear that subtle difference with good headphones or maybe a really clean amp/cab playing by yourself
3. Playing in a band / mix setting, that subtle difference is more than likely gonna get lost in the sauce
4. The audience in the bar, club, or venue won't hear that subtle difference, and wouldn't care if they could
5. If it makes you happy and brings more joy to your playing, then play away, who cares about 3 and 4 above?

 

[Pocket Dave]

IME it does with electric guitars. I stripped down a thick-poly finished Strat (never again) and had it reshot with nitro. Night and day difference.

With bass, I don't have a real apples-to-apples comparison, though I suspect it makes a difference. My super-thin-nitro Jazz bass has a richness and dynamic response that's almost organic, vs my poly-finished P Bass, which is more compressed. Can't say how much of that is due to J vs P, different pickups, maple vs rosewood fretboard, etc...

 

[2thAche]

I'll just add a point raised in a similar, past discussion, which I consider worth repeating here:
major and minor mods like refinishing typically involve disassembly of the instrument. When the latter is put back together, setup and especially neck and bridge screw tightening may make an audible difference which is then attributed to the "only" new variable.
So, if one wants sets out to prove or disprove the influence of finish on tone, they should probably find a way to sand and spray while keeping the hardware and electronics in place.

That would be best. From my perspective mainly so electronics, string height and pickup placement aren't disrupted, and to your point, the connections between neck and body and bridge.

 

[in tune]

Anyway,carrot juice...it's sounding the best...

 

[Gaolee]

In Asia they have grass (it's called bamboo, but it is a grass) that you can hear growing.

But is that poly grass or is it nitro grass?

 

[Gaolee]

BASF paints offer the best tone.

Wrong. Plasti-dip is the best tone finish. I have scientific proof, but it's in for scientific peer review at the moment. Watch for it to be published in the August, 2037 issue of Scientific American.