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Does body wood matter?

You show me the blind test and I'll show you a scientifically flawed experiment. Fact - there hasn't been a blind test published on the topic that couldn't be picked apart by scientific experts. That's why the controversy still exists.

So, which is more logical conclusion?
* People can't hear the difference because there is nothing to hear,
* People can't hear the difference because experiment is scientifically flawed.
 
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Since people claim they can HEAR the difference, blind test is very interesting. IMO of course.
Hearing the diffference in terms of responsiveness as a player versus solely as a listener is very different. Most people espouse their opinions of the character of a particular bass based upon hands on experience. Comparing basses by only listening to them in a recording is like a pro golfer selecting a new set of irons by watching someone else hit them on a video.
 
Body wood debate again!

Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!

(Runs screaming away from thread)

Half the people espousing views on tone nuances on various guitar forums/youtube/etc most likely have tinnitus from standing in front of speaker cabs for years. My guitars and basses sound different to me every year, as I rotate through them and get new ones. It is a tiring sort of discussion. The human ear is garbage biologically-speaking.
 
Hearing the diffference in terms of responsiveness as a player versus solely as a listener is very different. Most people espouse their opinions of the character of a particular bass based upon hands on experience. Comparing basses by only listening to them in a recording is like a pro golfer selecting a new set of irons by watching someone else hit them on a video.

You are right, but yet we are talking about different things.
 
I just got a bass with a black limba body, Macassar Ebony top and back. The neck is Wenge, purple heart and Maple and playing it unplugged it is 2-3 times louder than any of my other basses (Yamaha RBX170, Ibanez SR505, ESP LTD B205 & MIM Fender P) So unplugged I'd say that it makes a difference.

But as others have mentioned pick ups, pre amps, strings etc etc all effect the tone coming out of your speakers.
 
I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of support this forum has compared to a certain jeep forum I'm on...!

You're gonna hate me, but here's my 2006 Wrangler that has less than 9600 miles on it.

It's totally farm use, hence the low miles. Growing feed-crops (shell-corn and soybeans) is the other thing I do.

Makes pretty good money. Takes a butt-load of land though... ...and some big tractors.

Jeep in Barn.JPG
 
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You're gonna hate me, but here's my 2006 Wrangler that has less than 9600 miles on it.

It's totally farm use, hence the low miles. Growing feed-crops (shell-corn and soybeans) is the other thing I do.

Makes pretty good money. Takes a butt-load of land though... ...and some big tractors.

View attachment 951966
Nice ride. Loved my Jeeps. I'm jeepless right now, need to get another one.
 
Well what way does it matter?
Many have been mentioned--like neck wood--at the very least for strength & warpability.
Strength of the wood matters-especially if you gig and do mods.
Some woods don't hold up as well to that--and then there are climate changes if you travel with it.

I believe it will affect the sound, based on personal experience, although not as much as some people believe (But obviously more than others believe)
 
No to mention Taylor guitars made of pallets. Even acoustic. Rainsong acoustic, Composite Acoustic guitars. If it's shown that you can make decent ones in the acoustic field one can wonder how much role it plays on solid body electrics. IMHO I think it's an accelerating concern these days, and I urge and solid body manufacturer to investigate and research deeply into alternative material, that is sustainable, and skip the devastation of the woods, and forests. It may cost you more, since it's so simple and cheap to just cut down a tree and saw the rest of it into chunks, but I am all for something more sustainable. What's wrong with something that's impervious to climate and seasonal changes? And sounds and feels the same? When I am looking for a bass (solid body) or trying it out, I ask all other questions first. What the body's made of would probably be my last question. That the hardware is made of decent steel, and not pot metal, is - for example - a far more concern with me than the body wood, if it's solid wood, or not. I clearly remember the "AD WAR" between Yamaha and Squier in the 80's where Squier had Ad's with their guitars made from "solid wood" in Japan (not south Korea) but they cost more, but neither sounded or lasted better. I think it was there that all this debacle started with tone woods on solid body guitars/basses.

Yamaha%2BPacifica%2Bsolid%2Bvs%2Bplywood%2Badvert%2B1995.jpg