Thoughts on the tonal properties of sugar pine

This should be great…

 

sounds about the same as ash, alder, mahogany and basswood

 

I bet it sounds "sweet". Okay, I'll see myself out....

 

Take a dozen examples of any bass made of any particular wood. They will all sound a bit different.

How then, do you determine the exact role the body wood plays? You can’t. But it sure sounds nice to assign generalized descriptions of each specific variety.

It would be great if we knew, without doubt or question, that the choice of wood produced a certain result. But we don’t.

It won’t stop anyone from claiming that Ash and Maple is bright or Mahogany and Alder is warm or anything else you may have heard before. All you can do is roll the dice and hope it meets your expectations.

 

So much snark. Ouch

 

IDK in regards to a bass guitar but I know I love my tele that has a sugar pine body. Its kinda heavy but its the best E.guitar Ive ever owned

 

OP, you ask an honest question. However, you’ve been a TB member long enough to know that your question relies on the hotly-debated concept of wood having a relevant effect on the tone of solid-body instruments. You will get some good feedback, but history has shown that you will likely get many more replies from members that disagree with or want to poke fun at the concept. And with that, good luck.

 

I assume that the density of the body, or it’s total weight has an effect on the tone, I heavier bodied bass will most likely have somewhat greater sustain. The heavier the bass is, the less comfortable you will be at the end of the third set. As for “tone”, I would guess that technique, pickup placement and model, and choice of strings would have a much greater effect on tone than the species of tree. Leo used alder because he could get lots of it cheap. If the bass has a transparent finish and you like the look of the wood, go for it

 

Four out of Five Dentists recommend Sugar Pine for their patients who chew on Basses.

 

I've never played a pine bass. But my guitar player sometimes plays a pine telecaster and it's brighter and twangier than any other tele I've heard.

 

Not sugar pine but I made a slab body P-bass from longleaf pine. For the other slab bodies I've built ; ash, poplar, mahogany, alder, basswood and obeche were used for the body. All of them got a maple/maple neck. Most are strung through body.

I can honestly say I've detected little tonal difference between any of them.

 

Hope this helps: I picked up a G&L JB5 last December. It has a pine body (whether it's sugar pine wasn't specified), and comes in at 9.0 lbs - pretty light for a Jazz 5. This is my first extensive experience with single coils, so I have little to offer in the way of body wood comparison across Jazz basses. But, I will say that this bass is the sound, spacing, switching, and feel I've been chasing for many years. I'm home.

 

no no, DENSITY, not DENTISTRY. take care of your enamel though.

 

You played the thing. You cannot get any more relevant, first-hand information than that.

 

Are you sure?

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