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Tonewood Experiment.

#122
It reminds me of the conversation around the Stradivarius violins and the reverence held for their tone that no modern violin could replicate. In Invalid Link Removedthey did blind tests with soloists and found they could not reliably pick out the Strad, in fact they preferred a modern violin. You could reference the old French vs California wine tests as well. I agree with the "1% difference" stated above.

Maybe someone could pick out the wood if I had two basses made exactly the same with the same with passive electronics, you might be able to hear a difference, but if I have an on board preamp, I think that would get a whole lot more difficult.
 
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#125
I didn't read all of this, just the opener and a few thoughts from other people, so apologies if I missed anything.

Wouldn't the best way be to do away with the biggest variable: the actual instrument! ie. just rig up a simplified abstract "neck through bass" that is a plank of wood (differs for each test) with then the same bridge, nut, strings and pickup on it. Even one string would be fine for the test.

It seems naive to do this experiment changing only the body and having arbitrary necks swapping here and there.

FYI I am 100% on the "tonewood shcmonewood" side of this argument.
 
#127
yoshi said:
I didn't read all of this, just the opener and a few thoughts from other people, so apologies if I missed anything.

Wouldn't the best way be to do away with the biggest variable: the actual instrument! ie. just rig up a simplified abstract "neck through bass" that is a plank of wood (differs for each test) with then the same bridge, nut, strings and pickup on it. Even one string would be fine for the test.

It seems naive to do this experiment changing only the body and having arbitrary necks swapping here and there.

FYI I am 100% on the "tonewood shcmonewood" side of this argument.
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And to give it the most chance of being "proven" I vote a small aperture single coil pickup to pickup more harmonics,
 
#128
Will_White said:
And to give it the most chance of being "proven" I vote a small aperture single coil pickup to pickup more harmonics,
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So you're proving that if you have limited tone options in the electronics then you would be able to hear the difference wood makes? I'm not trying to be argumentative, but it seems like you're bending the test so you can hear the difference. That said, I'd be interested to hear.
 
#129
Jisch said:
So you're proving that if you have limited tone options in the electronics then you would be able to hear the difference wood makes? I'm not trying to be argumentative, but it seems like you're bending the test so you can hear the difference. That said, I'd be interested to hear.
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Oh I don't think wood has very much effect on tone I'm just saying to give the most chance of there being a difference a single coil with small aperture would be best, trying to dismiss claims of flawed testing before they come up.
 
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#131
yoshi said:
FYI I am 100% on the "tonewood shcmonewood" side of this argument
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Naw man.... This discussion is about "tonewood" ...
..."shcmonewood" is a completely different thing! I think most would agree that when you build a bass with shcmonewood, it has a distinct..."shmooshy" tone to it! ;)... :confused:
 
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#133
Jay Jillard said:
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Sorry to necro-thread this, but I have a serious question. What if there was a way to *actually* do what Jay's video suggests? I assume Jay's system is an April Fool's joke, and all in güd fun, but if there was a way to actually make this a reality would anyone actually use it?
 
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#134
michaelwayneharwood said:
Sorry to necro-thread this, but I have a serious question. What if there was a way to *actually* do what Jay's video suggests? I assume Jay's system is am April Fool's joke, and all in güd fun, but if there was a way to actually make this a reality would anyone actually use it?
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If it made an apreciable difference, I would use it. I'm on the fence as far as the tone wood debate, and as I see it the density and elasticity of the wood should make some difference (as it does with acoustics), but wether that difference effects the tone of an electric instrument in any measurable/ perceptible way I don't know and I'll hold my judgment until there is a good experiment that proves one way or the other. Until then I'll continue using plywood, and what ever else I can afford that looks good.
 
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#135
Will_White said:
If it made an apreciable difference, I would use it. I'm on the fence as far as the tone wood debate, and as I see it the density and elasticity of the wood should make some difference (as it does with acoustics), but wether that difference effects the tone of an electric instrument in any measurable/ perceptible way I don't know and I'll hold my judgment until there is a good experiment that proves one way or the other. Until then I'll continue using plywood, and what ever else I can afford that looks good.
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Watch TKOjams videos and tell me if it doesn't make a difference...

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#136
I was not trying to reignite the tonewood war, I just want to know if anyone would be interested in a system where you could apply the tone and resonance of maple, or rosewood, or limba, or.....well any kind of wood, to your output without modifying your instrument.
 
#137
Means2nEnd said:
Watch TKOjams videos and tell me if it doesn't make a difference...

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I wasn't able to watch the video but I'm assuming from the comments he played one guitar that was one wood and another that was another wood and he heard a difference, that really doesn't prove any thing just that guitar A sounds different then guitar B, it could be a difference in pot values due to tolerances, different pickup winding pattern, different tone cap value due to tolerances etc. There's too many variables in an instrument that can effect things one way or the other to make a definitive conclusion from two guitars.
 
#139
Will_White said:
I wasn't able to watch the video but I'm assuming from the comments he played one guitar that was one wood and another that was another wood and he heard a difference, that really doesn't prove any thing just that guitar A sounds different then guitar B, it could be a difference in pot values due to tolerances, different pickup winding pattern, different tone cap value due to tolerances etc. There's too many variables in an instrument that can effect things one way or the other to make a definitive conclusion from two guitars.
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So what's the solution, other than either side's subjective opinions, or an experiment like this?
 
#140
Will_White said:
I wasn't able to watch the video but I'm assuming from the comments he played one guitar that was one wood and another that was another wood and he heard a difference, that really doesn't prove any thing just that guitar A sounds different then guitar B, it could be a difference in pot values due to tolerances, different pickup winding pattern, different tone cap value due to tolerances etc. There's too many variables in an instrument that can effect things one way or the other to make a definitive conclusion from two guitars.
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Actually he made two guitars, one from maple and one from mahogany, and then swapped everything from one guitar to the other to eliminate differences in pots, pickups, etc.
 

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