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poplar vs. adler: what I recently found
- Thread starter ToneMonkey
- Start date
I have no doubt that a simple body swap like this could effect the tone and feel of a bass. Sometimes just pulling a neck and sinching it back up again during a set-up or restring can really change things. It's probably safe to say your bass sounds better with the new body, I wouldn't be too concerned with the science...a win is a win.
As much as I love to rehash this discussion - my objection to poplar is it seems softer and more vulnerable to finish dings - I think it's great news that one of your favorite basses is now much better than it was. I say take the win... 
Maybe 'cause it's because I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's latest book, but I feel the need to set the record straight about something.
It's damed offensive of folks to dismiss my actual experience as due to the "placebo effect." No one who has stated that has any actual experience with this situation at all. In fact, that a person would do such a thing, causes me to question their character. Does such a person need to be right all the time? I don't personally know either of these people, so I'll leave it at that.
However, anyone who would suggest such a thing about me, clearly doesn't know me at all.
Furthermore, some objective aspects of this situation argue against the placebo effect affecting my judgment,
First, the placebo effect is generated by suggesting (to the suggestible subject) that the placebo has miraculous powers BEFORE the placebo is administered. That is the very nature of a placebo.
In my case, I approached the body replacement believing that I would probably not be able to discern much difference at all. In other words, the heightened sense of positive expectation that is essential to the placebo effect, is completely missing from this situation.
The entire reason for this post is my SURPRISE that changing bodies mattered as much as it did. I found it remarkable. I assumed others might also find that interesting. Clearly, some did. Others took it as an opportunity to grind some axe of theirs.
I fully expect that some folks will dislike me for this post. Truthfully, I wish that Talk Bass offered a block feature similar to other sites simply because anyone who dismisses someone else's experience out of hand, is not someone who's opinion I could ever respect on anything. I prefer to not associate with such people if I can manage it.
But Talk Bass is what it is. There are many folks like KJung, who consistently offer well thought opinions that have helped me a great deal. I value my online friendship with these sorts of folks a great deal.
Blessings and peace, Mike
It's damed offensive of folks to dismiss my actual experience as due to the "placebo effect." No one who has stated that has any actual experience with this situation at all. In fact, that a person would do such a thing, causes me to question their character. Does such a person need to be right all the time? I don't personally know either of these people, so I'll leave it at that.
However, anyone who would suggest such a thing about me, clearly doesn't know me at all.
Furthermore, some objective aspects of this situation argue against the placebo effect affecting my judgment,
First, the placebo effect is generated by suggesting (to the suggestible subject) that the placebo has miraculous powers BEFORE the placebo is administered. That is the very nature of a placebo.
In my case, I approached the body replacement believing that I would probably not be able to discern much difference at all. In other words, the heightened sense of positive expectation that is essential to the placebo effect, is completely missing from this situation.
The entire reason for this post is my SURPRISE that changing bodies mattered as much as it did. I found it remarkable. I assumed others might also find that interesting. Clearly, some did. Others took it as an opportunity to grind some axe of theirs.
I fully expect that some folks will dislike me for this post. Truthfully, I wish that Talk Bass offered a block feature similar to other sites simply because anyone who dismisses someone else's experience out of hand, is not someone who's opinion I could ever respect on anything. I prefer to not associate with such people if I can manage it.
But Talk Bass is what it is. There are many folks like KJung, who consistently offer well thought opinions that have helped me a great deal. I value my online friendship with these sorts of folks a great deal.
Blessings and peace, Mike
I've never paid much attention to what wood has been used in my solidbody instruments other than weight and the look of the grain. I have, however, had instruments that were of nearly identical construction and pickup configuration that had a very noticeable difference in tone due to body wood (both finished in thick poly mind you). The differences seemed to match up with the standard "tone description" of the woods. As for the intonation and setup, you probably got lucky with a combination of neck bolt holes and bridge holes being in just the right spot. Ive had instruments that were a pain to set up and instruments that just seemed to tune themselves. I'd always go for the ones that "set themselves up" whether its wood, construction, voodoo, witchcraft, placebo's, gazebo's, dorito's, or any other factor. Take the money and run!
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Okay now we're getting somewhere. Seldom mentioned it seems, the big factor in all these wood discussions is that the neck and body have to work together as a unit. Sometimes the "unit" totally sings. Other times, maybe not so much.
Which is why you could theoretically** swap the necks and bodies of a hundred identical basses, all made of the same wood species, and come up with a few that differ wildly, sonically.
With this, I'd expect a true Master Builder to take all this into account when selecting wood blanks for a build. I've read about some who test the resonance of wood blanks by bonking them with a mallet. Whether they can formulate that info into some special recipe is another matter, but not beyond the realm of possibility, surely.
** Let's face it, no one will ever conduct such a large scale experiment. Not ever.
