I can confirm that different basses sound slightly different. It's up to you to decide if that's the wood or the pickups.
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NOT the DEFINITIVE wood does/doesn't matter thread!
- Thread starter birminghambass
- Start date
Hopkins
Commercial User
Does wood affect tone?... maybe. Is it ever a "huge" impact?.... no, its subtle at best
I have two fender USA std j basses. One has an alder body with rosewood fingerboard, and the other has an ash body with maple fingerboard. They are one year apart from each other. They both have Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkys. They are set up as close as possible. And I do hear a difference. It's not night and day, but it is obvious enough to be heard soloed. To me, the ash one sounds more mid scooped with more high end, and the alder one is richer in mid frequencies. I also think the ash one has faster transients that you can hear especialy when slapped.
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I think body wood matters most. It has to do with how well it resonates. From my experience, I prefer maple, but woods don't have an effect when it passes through the pickups. It's only something that matters when unamplified.
So, it doesn't affect tone.
So, it doesn't affect tone.
That is amazing! You sure it's not your hands?Well, I'm typing this on a wooden keyboard, and no one noticed...CAN'T YOU FEEL THE WARMTH?
How much data do you need or want?
I've personally done spectrum analyzer tests controlling for all variables except tone wood. It absolutely makes a difference, as any engineer would expect.
I've personally done spectrum analyzer tests controlling for all variables except tone wood. It absolutely makes a difference, as any engineer would expect.
Burwabit
Likes guitars that tune good and firm feelin women
No secret wood is less important in a solid body electric bass than say an acoustic guitar or double bass. No one would probably notice tonal differences necessarily but you and me, the player. BUT buy and play what makes you happy. Tone subtleties are important, but not as important than a perfectly straight neck. And for me, the most important thing is a body 8.5 lbs or less, which starts with a light body. My solid body Metro Sadowskys (4 and 5) both meet this standard (set it for me actually), and they sound fantastic, so yes there you go.
Pickups respond to the motion of the strings relative to the body. They don't care which one is moving - if the distance from the body to the strings move, the pickups will pass that on. If the strings vibrate, output. If the body vibrates, output. The strings typically move more, but you know the body does move - you can feel it. Ergo... the body vibration does affect the sound/tone. That's certain. Whether or not it's a major factor, that we can argue, but the body motion is, to some degree, reflected in the bass's output.
Extremely little if at all, or at least I can't tell any difference. If someone does an experiment and it is published in a peer reviewed science or engineering journal, then I'll believe it, until then, I'll remain skeptical.
In 1971(?) I was in a band. The Guit was all thrilled to show us his new Ernie Ball Slinky's and go on and on about how great they were, how cool they sounded. Keys guy says "As if you could tell the difference after you crammed the signal through a Boss Tone, Fuzz Face and a Twin that has the the hell kicked out of the tubes and speakers."
What are we betting on then?
And more importantly how do we do it technically?
We need people with two similar guitars one maple one rosewood and recording gear...
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I believe you.
I just don't think the hundreds of bass aficionados in the audience of your last gig can hear those subtle differences as well.
I think all of this "tone wood" deal is a little over the top. Although, as long as you appreciate the quality of the instrument and the materials that make it, that is all that matters.
I'm sure Victor Wooten could make a three string plywood Teisco with one pickup kinda working sound better than most of us can make a custom built exotic hardwood bass sound.
I believe you.
I just don't think the hundreds of bass aficionados in the audience of your last gig can hear those subtle differences as well.
I think all of this "tone wood" deal is a little over the top. Although, as long as you appreciate the quality of the instrument and the materials that make it, that is all that matters.
I'm sure Victor Wooten could make a three string plywood Teisco with one pickup kinda working sound better than most of us can make a custom built exotic hardwood bass sound.
True. I think Victor Wooten would sound like Victor playing James Jamerson's funk machine, and James Jamerson would sound like James playing Victor's yin yang. But what I'm saying (from my experience) is, there's a difference in tone depending on the type of wood used even if it is subtle.
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Wood has to make some difference, since the vibration will transfer to the wood, and hence back to the strings again from the wood, I have no idea as to the scale of the difference, or even whether the difference is noticeable at all, however, I have faith in people's claims that they can tell the difference, because I can see how it's possible.
