i think most of the tone comes from the player not just the bass
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Quality sarcasm always deserves a like.Hmm. Interesting. This has never been discussed before..
Agreed, at least this study includes (some) replicates and error bars. It upsets me, as a scientist, that people will deny scientific study and then go on to tell us some anecdote that shows they have no understanding of controlled experimentation...
Yeah, but change the top wood of an acoustic and the difference is apparent. I have a Martin with Mahogany top and it is different from a spruce top. Classicals with Cedar are really what flamenco guys prefer, Yeah but the negligible back has been true for a while and Ovation has found that out a while ago
Proper science is always trustworthy, but the things you mentioned should be kept in mind when considering specific studies.
That being said, it's important to keep in mind that this particular study says nothing about the effect of wood on the sound of solid body bass guitars.
I believe it does make some difference on acoustic instruments. But, it only starts with the wood. Then comes the quality of the build becomes a factor.
The Leonardo guitar project did a similar test a few years back with similar results.
8 builders built 16 guitars, 8 used tropical woods for back/sides and 8 used walnut/cherry,pear and laburnum. All had spruce tops.
In the blind test 72% admitted they couldn't tell the difference.
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8 builders built 16 guitars, 8 used tropical woods for back/sides and 8 used walnut/cherry,pear and laburnum. All had spruce tops.
In the blind test 72% admitted they couldn't tell the difference.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Well, no it is not a religion. It may be a philosophy, but is definitely not a religion. Dismissing it with "another damn religion" is disrespectful to both the tone wood discussion and people of faith.
There are many who have experienced tone wood differences. Citing a lack of scientific data as proof against it's existence is dismissive to many people's personal experience and, at the very least, disrespectful.
That said, there is every possibility that the differences many have heard can be at least to some extent attributed to "brain tricks" but I'm not convinced the evidence for that is firmly established.
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I say we ask 52 random guitar players what kind of wood the guitar they use is and see how many have to google it... Also. If it’s the back wood how would that effect the feel when I’m playing the neck and strumming the front? I had two p basses almost identical except one was alder and one was basswood. Same pickups and necks and hardware and the weight and sound were very different. It kinda annoyed me because I wanted one to be a backup.
There was a test not that long ago with violins. Big test, lots of instruments & players and listeners. IIRC the conclusion was that the modern instruments were preferred over the old classic Strads and such.
What I found interesting was that a difference was heard even if the preferences didn't align with expectations.
What I found interesting was that a difference was heard even if the preferences didn't align with expectations.
Not only that but in 2012, The Paris Double Blind experiment had professional violinists try to discern Strads and Del Gesus from top notch fiddles made by modern makers. So a test between fine violins that cost 5-$10000 vs, historic fiddles costing in some cases, tens of millions and guess what happened?
Does nobody remember DanAtkinson's blind test comparing an alder bass vs. a literal piece of rotten scrap wood?
Even then, you guys couldn't tell the difference.
SCRAP LUMBER BASS vs. ALDER BASS - Can You Tell The Difference??
Even then, you guys couldn't tell the difference.
SCRAP LUMBER BASS vs. ALDER BASS - Can You Tell The Difference??
this is true but i think we as people we add a lot more to the the tone than we realise its kinda of letting you're sole cry out
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Of course the back and sides have a ‘negligible’ affect on tone, which is why some builders offer solid top only options with laminate back and sides.
In the study, all tops were of the same wood, then they title the study something along the lines of “Tone-Woods Don’t Matter?” I see the future of click-bait scientific studies already being sprinkled like flies on feces.
We already knew what they profess as revelation with their time wasting study, sides and back have a negligible affect on tone. Shocked.
In the study, all tops were of the same wood, then they title the study something along the lines of “Tone-Woods Don’t Matter?” I see the future of click-bait scientific studies already being sprinkled like flies on feces.
We already knew what they profess as revelation with their time wasting study, sides and back have a negligible affect on tone. Shocked.
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I should probably have added to this that it is density that is the key not wood type...
So their conclusion that more sustainable woods could be used is a good one.
I've argued that for years. That's why you can take a guitar or bass made out of acrylic and it still has the same sound as basses made of wood when plugged in. Like there is ever a scenario where someone is going to be at a live show and say "Man, the bass player sounds excellent. But it sounds like he's using an ash body. Would have been better sounding if it was alder, etc."
