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Does Alder or Ash Matter?

You should check out some "9mm vs .45" threads on firearms forums.

And in that case, I'm a much bigger fan of the .45 acp. I own 3 different pistols in that caliber. IME, learning to shoot a .45 acp takes a lot more practice to shoot accurately than the 9mm. I do like my 9mm, it's fun to shoot, and it's lighter recoil will makes it easier to control.

I prefer an alder body, as all of the alder bodied basses I own and have owned have stronger midrange compared to the ash bodied basses I own. YMMV.
 
Its not the truth though. It's one guys opinion. Many known and respected builders who are honest people and not into making up hype to sell a bass will tell you the exact opposite thing.

I do agree that it is not a big difference (alder or ash). But see my prior post - a bass is the sum of it's parts.
I knew this was coming.:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

I do agree that the sum of it's parts brings about it's total out come. But the gift that he was trying to give me and I am trying to give to others is that testing and purchasing an electric bass based on the "tone of the wood" should not have as much emphasis as we put on it. He had no reason to lie or mislead me for he was not trying to sell me anything. Nor was I shopping him for a custom build. He actually stated that he grew tired of seeing regular working guys and poor musicians breaking themselves trying to buy something that doesn't exist.

But at the end of "MY" purchasing day, it will based on playability, construction and dependability of said parts. That's where my experiences and observations have lead me. I will spend the money necessary to get the above. High or low
FF
 
Except the people who own the Strad's can tell. Owners of any instrument have better ears than the people who don't own that instrument.
That's because they hold it against their body and receive vibrations through the skeleton which have nothing to do with sound waves, but which are mingled with the sound signals to make an holistic sensory experience.
That's also why you could possibly be able to tell the difference between two different woods if you were playing the basses yourself, but have difficulty doing so if you were merely listening to someone else playing them.
Also, if you have spent hours playing a specific instrument, especially an acoustic one like a violin, then you will have an intimate relationship with it's voice.
Ever see those films with thousands of penguins which all look alike? They recognise each other by the sound of their voices. Mothers can often pick out the sound of their
own baby crying in a series of recordings.
Fascinating stuff.
 
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No offense to you personally, but I'm sure it would to someone whose ears are tuned to hardcore, punk and metal. :)

Sure it's just my opinion, but oddly there are many bass players who share the same opinion which is strange if we are all just making it up.
Erm, it's the opinion of a lot of people that Queen Elizabeth II, George Bush, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are actually alien lizards, members of the Illuminati, Satanists and eat babies; that doesn't mean it's true.

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And that brings us back to the same question...

Given that there's FAR less variation in electronics vs. wood/construction: why don't all basses of the same type sound the same?

The same people who say "it's all the pickups" should spend some time at GC and play 20 Jazzes (or 20 Les Pauls) and see if they all sound exactly the same. Report back to the class...
 
And that brings us back to the same question...

Given that there's FAR less variation in electronics vs. wood/construction: why don't all basses of the same type sound the same?

The same people who say "it's all the pickups" should spend some time at GC and play 20 Fenders and see if they all sound exactly the same.

If you can restring them so that there aren't varying levels of deadness.
 
According to the folks on this thread, we should also resolder all the wiring (because "science").

Now you're being silly. True, there are variations in pickup windings, pot values. But a rosewood jazz bass and a maple jazz bass are going to sound more alike than a rosewood jazz and a rosewood p bass. This is why I will continue to say that electronics are the #1 component of tone. Wood matters, but not much.
 
I've found that every instrument sounds different, so I just pick a bass I like the sound of and I don't bother worrying about what it's made of.

It's good to know what it's made of. Some woods are simply more desirable for their stability and workability. However, the sonic difference between alder and ash ought to rate very low when sizing up a deal.