How does colour affect tone?

[Ostie]

Blue will make it sad. Green will make it envious. Red will make it angry.

 

[TyBo]

If people weren’t spending money on the concept, it wouldn’t bother me at all… but bass manufacturers depend on it for marketing. Most recently I was rolling my eyes at the salesmanship of the Yamaha BB34 where they talk about how the laminated maple core really improves the tone. I used to buy into it, and I hate that I could be so easily manipulated.

most musicians are gear fanatics, and most of us hunt for that defining characteristic that makes one instrument superior to others. For electric bass players that list becomes very small and unexciting if we take “tone woods” out of the picture. I think that’s part of the reason it persists. People want it to be true. Maybe even need it to be true.

Yes, that's your feeling about all this, and that's fine, by me anyway. It is what it is, so it goes, and so on and so forth ...

 

[bigdaddybass12]

Look it like this, adding 1/8” of paint will affect the resonance. You can add that much paint to metal and it will become dull sounding. So it will affect sound some.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

I don’t even believe that the wood an electric bass is made out of really matters. The finish? Even less so.

this isn’t a Stradivarius we’re talking about here.

Ouch, the wood gods will be after you for saying that !!

 

[DJ Bebop]

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I just saw a Facebook post from someone asking if getting a pro paint job would affect the tone of his Warwick natural ash bass. I said no, it wouldn’t. I’m going to be interested to see where that one goes.

Some people believe that a denser coating will resonate differently, therefore altering the tone. Which, paint is not denser than polyester clear, by the way. Modern clear is about the toughest thing to ever try to strip.

And every wood sounds the same. They all sound like pickups and strings.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I don’t even believe that the wood an electric bass is made out of really matters. The finish? Even less so.

this isn’t a Stradivarius we’re talking about here.

But the hide glue at the neck joint!

 

[EngrSorenson]

But the hide glue at the neck joint!

Obviously! That’s where the soul tones come from. I also only recommend sanding to 120 grit to make the sound more edgy.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

stains tend to give a warmer deeper tone , Pastels a somewhat brighter sound in the upper mids. Never get a bowling ball finish it just confuses it

What about paisley?

 

[bluesblaster]

also confusing

 

[PB-Padawan]

Blue will make it sad. Green will make it envious. Red will make it angry.

Black makes the sound darker

 

[blowinblue]

I've never owned a blue bass (Mrs. 'blue doesn't like blue basses ), but I'm totally convinced that a blue bass will make your tone sound Smurfier. Assuming it's the correct shade of blue.

M. M.

 

[Barticus]

I would be more curious as to how well paint will bond to the wax finish of the guy's Wick. Once that paint flakes off it really won't matter, will it?

If it’s Ash it won’t be oil or wax finish it will likely have is a thin satin finish. I’ve owned many Warwick’s and 6 had an Ash body either solid or with a cap, usually maple (2 natural, 2 black, 2 blue) all with satin finish. All my others in Bubinga, Ovangkol, Cherry had a natural oil finish that was treated with beeswax. Of course that type of finish would have to be thoroughly stripped and prepped if repainting.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Black makes the sound darker

And once you go black you never go back

 

[Ric5]

I just saw a Facebook post from someone asking if getting a pro paint job would affect the tone of his Warwick natural ash bass. I said no, it wouldn’t. I’m going to be interested to see where that one goes.

the type of finish can affect the tone somewhat ... the color won't ...

 

[HaphAsSard]

Look it like this, adding 1/8” of paint will affect the resonance. You can add that much paint to metal and it will become dull sounding. So it will affect sound some.

I totally believe adding that much paint to a sheet of metal makes it dull-sounding. Now, does adding a 1/8" coat of paint to a 1.75" slab of metal make it sound duller than keeping it unpainted, or using a lighter coat? And what do we mean by "sounding"? Knocking on it through the painted face, or other? These questions would be more germane to the thread topic.

 

[Mark Ambler]

In a nutshell, my gut instinct wil be that the unplugged sound of the bass may change very slightly, and probably any difference will be so slight it won’t notice when the bass is plugged in.
Warwick have basses in their range that have a poly finish, so no problem there.

But, painting a bass will almost definitely devalue it, probably significantly.

Apologies if there ain’t no physics in my answer. Lol.

 

[Polfuste]

I think we miss the point. One of the best sound from the last 50 years in the music buisness comes from this exact bass. And what can we see ? There is a lot of graffitis on it. Here is the secret: we all have to remove any color and ask our pals to sign the bass.

 

[Honkey tonk]

could use color to describe a pickup or microphone characteristics
Fine Wine and aged spirits do it

 

[jamro217]

It depends on the bass. A hollow body that resonates may be deadened by a thick coat of poly. A solid body bass may have a bit of a difference but probably not too much to be noticeable. Especially an ash body. I don't recommend a thick coat of poly on speaker cones.