IMO, another BS feature on some basses...

[JRA]

my drummer hits so hard that it doesn't even matter if I'm in tune, much less if my strings are through the bridge or the body..

This guys is starting some fun threads...

I think some of you really need to read a science book.

It must be near the holiday season, and the thought of spending a week with our families is bringing out all these muck-slinging threads.

This would make an interesting thread in its own right.

That's what I'm talking about.

Ever had one fall out and roll off stage during a song? I have. Still looking for it ten years later.

 

[FingerDub]

I don't think that generalization works either way. I started with a glued neck Ripper and never really knew what a dead spot was. It's simply an amazing sounding bass.

Then (25 years later), I got the neck thru Wishbass which has amazing natural tone and feel. It took years to realize that it does have a dead spot an octave above the norm (17th fret on G string.). But not the slightest hint of resonance below that.

It wasn't until I got the P-style bass and import Sterling (both bolt on) that I knew what a dead spot was. They are much more obvious on my bolt on necks and less obvious on the other basses.

So I think it is very particular to each bass and hard to make any generalization.

Otto

OK. But more stiffness, solidity (which adds to the punch) is created which is why builders do that. The question I responded to was why bolt on bass have more punch.

 

[Spidey2112]

This would make an interesting thread in its own right. So perhaps someone can provide the math and/or science to demonstrate that with the same playing scale and same string gauge raised to the same pitch it makes no difference if the string length and anchor points are 1 inch either side of the bridge and nut, or 10 feet either side.

Re through body stringing, I think it would make a big and audible difference on my Guild which has the Gibson-style 3-point bridge.

"If only we extend the strings, to connect with themselves... the sustain would be infinite."

String theory, with your host, Lil' Stevie Gawking.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

Perhaps because personal anecdotal evidence is all most understand in todays narcissistic cultural bent. If they can get their nose outta their phones.

You know what else drives me crazy? The little b@$t@rds are *always* on my lawn!

 

[ThuzzleFump]

I hate turkeys. If you stand in the meat section at the grocery store long enough, you start to get mad a turkeys. There's turkey ham, turkey bologna, turkey pastrami. Some one needs to tell the turkey, "Man, just be yourself!"

- Mitch Herbert -

Tru dat. I mean, when's the last time you saw pork turkeybreast? Amirite? Amirite?

 

[MultiScaleMale]

What about taking a 4 banger with a combination string through / non through bridge and installing two E strings, one through, one not and same thing with two G strings then see if there is a difference between the two?

 

[Deleted member 165050]

"If only we extend the strings, to connect with themselves... the sustain would be infinite."

String theory, with your host, Lil' Stevie Gawking.

I guess they would have to connect through a fold in space-time or maybe a wormhole... a bass wormhole... aren't there pedals for string theory and wormholes?

 

[LT131]

I think how firmly the bridge is anchored down has more to do with tone and sustain than how the last inch and a half of unused string is held stationary. Now, how tort influences tone is beyond comprehension.

Tort just does. That is not science, it's majik!

So; blindfold yourself and try it. Don't forget to use the same instrument when doing the test.

If he blindfolds how will he find his bass? That's why i call BS on these so-called "Blindfolded" tests.

 

[LT131]

I guess they would have to connect through a fold in space-time or maybe a wormhole... a bass wormhole... aren't there pedals for string theory and wormholes?

Could you not just get really long strings, go over the bridge, through the body, around the back and meet back at the tuner?

 

[Nephilymbass]

I'd like to see people blindfolded, play a bass guitar and then just from the sound alone, tell which ones are string through body and which ones are not. I think 99% of the bassists wouldn't be able to.

This would be pretty hard though as they would have a 50/50 chance regardless.

I've actually found that a lot of things people say are better about string through body are actually totally false. For example sustain. From my experience sustain is actually worse when going through the body because the angle needed for the string to bend down and through the body doesn't allow the strings to move as much when being installed. When you install a string it twists. If your strings aren't going through the body you can get rid of a lot of that twisting which actually helps sustain.

 

[2saddleslab]

I don't have an option. Nor do I want or need any as this has always been my preference. YMMV.

 

[mikecd1]

Spent some time on this a couple years ago with my Lakland and decided I preferred the sound through the bridge. Not much difference, but liked it through the bridge better. Then a grommet fell out of the back so that wasn't even an option. Problem solved!

 

[Turnaround]

I did a similar test a few years ago and found that stringing through the body puts more tension on the strings. I prefer to string it through the bridge.

I found a difference too. Stringing through the body had no effect on the string tension as measured with a digital tension meter, but the compliance showed some change - the longer the amount of string between the nut and the tuner, or between the saddle and the anchor point, the more compliant the string was. Compliance in this context is the degree of side to side movement for a given force under set string tuning. The longer the "after length" (as they call it in the violin family) the more compliant the string.

 

[gjohnson441496]

Earache my eye How'd you like a butt-ache?

 

[TuneIn]

Back to OP's question....How big a blindfolded are we talking?

 

[Spidey2112]

I guess they would have to connect through a fold in space-time or maybe a wormhole... a bass wormhole... aren't there pedals for string theory and wormholes?

Possible... as long as their respective boxes were in good condition...

 

[JTE]

Try a true side-by-side comparison of the exact same chunks of wood and metal in real time. I strung my two Laklands with alternating STB/top load- E and D through body, A and G top-load on one and the opposite on the other. Did that for a couple of changes on both basses, alternating which paies were STB. Going into to this I was certain STB made a perceptible difference in plucking hand feel and sound. Side-by-side on the same bass with the same strings I had to admit there is no difference.

But if players want to believe there is, why should the manufacturer not offer it? Dan Lakin once said he heard that EB/MM lost a Pimo Pallidino endorsement because Sterling wouldn't do STB. So Laklands were made with the option,

 

[MojoPenguin]

I don"t know, but a flame maple top DOES sound more expensive than a plain one though...

 

[todd0864]

One advantage to using string thru, if your bass has it, is that you won't lose those shiny string ferules on the back. Stringing it only through the bridge and one day you're going to look at the back of the bass and one or two ferules may be missing. Yep, that's fun.

 

[cnltb]

Tort just does. That is not science, it's majik!



If he blindfolds how will he find his bass? That's why i call BS on these so-called "Blindfolded" tests.

find his bass?
I thought it was about the difference between top loaded and string through...