Let's clear one thing one and for all: Tonewood: Does it really matter?

[Hopkins]

I'm in the middle between absolute no and yes.

I think that it does matter, BUT the effect is both unpredictable and very subtle.
Additionally, it's almost impossible to rule out all the other variables that can affect tone, so that a valuable assessment is almost impossible.
This feeds this kind of threads on TB, a never ending quest...

at the end, play that damn thing, if you like it, you like it

You my friend would be absolutely correct.

 

[bass12]

Yes, the wood makes a difference - sometimes it makes a lot of difference and sometimes it doesn't. Go play a bunch of MTD 535s, for example (all with the same electronics, hardware and strings) and you'll see pretty quickly that the wood does influence tone - sometimes to a great extent. The question of predictability where tone wood is concerned, however, is another kettle of fish. By the way, rosewood is generally not softer than maple.

 

[buldog5151bass]

A lot of what I do is vintage (early 20th century, and 19th) where poplar and sometimes basswood was used for big bats. I also do hobby woodworking. Never worked with alder, but I look at the characteristics of woods in my reading.

 

[David Jayne]

You can't really trust your ears OR your eyes. Squares A and B are exactly the same shade:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Hopkins]

A lot of what I do is vintage (early 20th century, and 19th) where poplar and sometimes basswood was used for big bats. I also do hobby woodworking. Never worked with alder, but I look at the characteristics of woods in my reading.

That is interesting, I wonder if softwood bats had as much to do with the lower home run numbers at the time than the ball did during the "dead ball" era. I assumed that hickory was always the wood of choice in the early days, because it is what golf club shafts were made of.

When did hickory or ash become prominent?

I love TB, a thread about a beat to death subject becomes a very interesting history lesson about my favorite sport, but with a totally different subject matter than a typical conversation on baseball history.

Yes, the wood makes a difference - sometimes it makes a lot of difference and sometimes it doesn't. Go play a bunch of MTD 535s, for example (all with the same electronics, hardware and strings) and you'll see pretty quickly that the wood does influence tone - sometimes to a great extent. The question of predictability where tone wood is concerned, however, is another kettle of fish. By the way, rosewood is generally not softer than maple.

This I don't buy, unless your definition of a great extent is much different than mine.

 

[raventepes]

I think on bodies and necks, there really isn't a whole lot of difference. Most of the time, I buy on tone and aesthetics alone. On fret/fingerboards, there is some tonal variation that I've noticed.

Personally, I tend to prefer rosewood and ebony fretboards, but that's all aesthetic based as I said. I tend to buy darker instruments. A yellow fretboard with a black or red body, or even a natural body, just looks weird to me. If I were to buy, say, a baby blue or yellow bass, then that may prompt me to consider a maple fretboard. Again, all aesthetics.

Realistically, I don't care what wood is being used for a body, though I do tend to end up with fairly heavy mahogany bodies, despite having a million issues with my spine. Why I seem to end up playing heavy instruments (hey, I'm saving for a Conklin GT7, which is far from light), is beyond me.

At any rate though, I just know what I like and I know what I can afford. A $5000+ custom instrument is just out of the question. Even if I were within the ranks of Geezer Butler, Alex Webster, or Geddy Lee, and had all the money I needed for whatever instrumetnt I chose to play, I'd choose to play instruments that are sub- $2000, especially if I were offered a signature model based off of what I was playing. The truth is that all these professional musicians attract new generations of players, and when a signature model is introduced, those starry-eyed kids want to go out and spend their hard-earned money of what their idols play. I had to work for every bit of bass gear I ever played on, starting when I was 16. Though I never was all that interested in a signature model, and still not, I look at all these instruments costing thousands of dollars and feel bad for those kids who want one, but it's completely out of reach. Hell...they're out of reach for some adults!

But back on topic, yeah. IF there's a difference, it's negligible and so slight that it doesn't even really matter. I don't buy basswood bodied instruments on principle, but that's me.

 

[MovingPitchers]

The only reason the Geddy bass is so expensive is because of the extra details of the neck and the pickups. Other than that, the body is a typical MIM body you'll find on an MIM Fender jazz bass.

 

[lawjazz1]

My feeling having played URB is that solid body electric bass guitars that are sealed with painted finishes that prohibits the wood from breathing are unlikely to exhibit much, if any, tonal difference. Exposed woods with just a varnish finish (violins, acoustic guitars, etc.) will definitely sound different between instruments.

And I would add that hollow body instruments where the interior wood is exposed, allow the wood to breathe and therefore change as it ages, affecting the long term tonality.

 

[Hopkins]

My feeling having played URB is that solid body electric bass guitars that are sealed with painted finishes that prohibits the wood from breathing are unlikely to exhibit much, if any, tonal difference. Exposed woods with just a varnish finish (violins, acoustic guitars, etc.) will definitely sound different between instruments.

And I would add that hollow body instruments where the interior wood is exposed, allow the wood to breathe and therefore change as it ages, affecting the long term tonality.

If the wood is properly dried, it is properly dried. The whole thing about it breathing is illogical. If it breaths then it takes moisture in as well as letting it out. If two pieces of wood have the same moisture content, it doesn't matter if they are 2 or 200 years old.

 

[lawjazz1]

And that is why you should use humidifiers around wooden instruments in the winter time....but doesn't matter if they're sealed in paint and urethane.

 

[bass12]

That is interesting, I wonder if softwood bats had as much to do with the lower home run numbers at the time than the ball did during the "dead ball" era. I assumed that hickory was always the wood of choice in the early days, because it is what golf club shafts were made of.

When did hickory or ash become prominent?

I love TB, a thread about a beat to death subject becomes a very interesting history lesson about my favorite sport, but with a totally different subject matter than a typical conversation on baseball history.




This I don't buy, unless your definition of a great extent is much different than mine.

Well, all 535s still retain an MTD-ness to their sound but you might be surprised how much impact the wood has on the tone. But don't take my word for it, spend thousands of dollars buying a bunch and trying them out for yourself!

 

[Jim Nazium]

 

[bass12]

But back on topic, yeah. IF there's a difference, it's negligible and so slight that it doesn't even really matter. I don't buy basswood bodied instruments on principle, but that's me.

I wouldn't consider it negligible if it's enough to make me sell the instrument.

 

[interp]

Most of the people who work with the woods every day to produce fine musical instruments believe that wood does make a difference in tone. I do too. However, I believe that the pickups and electronics play a bigger role. That's really all you need to know.

I agree.

But if one thinks that fretboard wood makes no difference at all, try seating your frets in a fretboard make of wine corks and get back to me on that.

 

[Mystic Michael]

I really don't think so.
not on electric instruments but I could be wrong.

Oh, goody. Yet another tonewoods "debate" thread. As if there was still any doubt about it. Not unlike the current climate change "debate". Or the flat earth vs. spherical earth "debate".

(Yes of course you're wrong.)

MM

 

[Hopkins]

And that is why you should use humidifiers around wooden instruments in the winter time....but doesn't matter if they're sealed in paint and urethane.

Poly finished necks still need truss rod adjustments when they suffer humidity changes. So I guess poly finishes breath just like nitro or varnish. The wood your guitar is made of will expand and contract, but it does not breath.

 

[aaron1433]

yes. tried and true materials are always what people seem to come back to…. almost always, anyway.

 

[Jay2U]

Apart from stability and longevity, wood does affect tone slightly. A bass is a construction with several materials. Resonance frequencies depend on stiffness and density of these materials. October last year I tested four G&L Tribute L2000 basses. One was made of basswood, the others of swamp ash. The bass wood body sounded a tad warmer. I went for a beautiful blueburst swamp ash body with a rosewood fretboard.

 

[Jefff]

It is my opinion that a good tone pot and a reasonably good amp can nullify the difference in wood selection given quality construction and components.

 

[Wolffgang]

Wow, I think we're getting close to an answer!!

No, wait... no, I was wrong. Not any closer at all. Maybe after another 10,000 such threads?

Honestly this is as close to a consensus as I've ever seen it; no one's swearing at anyone, and most people people seem to be agreeing that it may make a difference, but even if if it does the difference is minute. That's something.

Now we start talking about toob watts?