I don't doubt that at all. Acoustics as it pertains to an unplugged instrument and the human ear as the receiver are less opaque of a subject to me. What happens when the "vibrations" are filtered through a pickup is more hazy to me. I don't have many years of experience under my belt as many do on TB, so I can't weigh in confidently. Other than that I find this diversion an interesting combination of science and art.
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I don't doubt that at all. Acoustics as it pertains to an unplugged instrument and the human ear as the receiver are less opaque of a subject to me. What happens when the "vibrations" are filtered through a pickup is more hazy to me. I don't have many years of experience under my belt as many do on TB, so I can't weigh in confidently. Other than that I find this diversion an interesting combination of science and art.
But time and again received wisdom, when tested in a controlled manner, is shown to be incorrect. Examples include: wine experts fooled by colouring white wine; professional violinists that cannot tell which violin is a Stradivarius when blindfolded (not a large enough trial to be statistically significant in this instance); people not being able to tell the difference between CDs and 320kpbs mp3s in an ABX trial when they claim they can; people not being able to tell the difference between expensive interconnects and coathanger wire in an ABX trial when the claim they can; people not being able to tell the difference between 44.1kHz/16 bit and 96kHz/24 bit in an ABX trial when they can; numerous studies of the placebo effect in medicine; people believing violas can be played in tune.
At work we have all the equipment to test this. However, it would be a major exercise to do it, and I would need someone to front a funding bid, plus do a lot of literature review. With regards to what I have read on acoustic properties of woods, it generally involves looking at fairly direct vibration of the wood itself, and I don't think this is the case with an electric bass guitar, as it would mean that the sustain would be very short. Life's relatively full of other things at the moment (e.g. I am doing light and sound for a gig on Saturday so I need to prepare and test my gear tonight), but I might get some chance over the next couple of weeks to determine the energy in a string when plucked, measure the sustain, find some information on the sustain when transmission of vibrational energy to wood is not a factor, and calculate the energy that might be imparted to the wood. I am not sure I want to drill holes in my patio (I don't have a concrete rail sleeper to hand) to mount a bass bridge and tuner to determine the free air sustain myself!
