while I think wood matters, sometimes you never know...

[nostatic]

I would have expected #2 to be brighter and more mid scooped as well.

Bass #1 is mostly all mellower sounding tone woods, minus the maple board, which probably adds some definition.

Bass #2 is mostly all bright sounding tone woods, minus the rosewood board.

I would have though the poplar was close to alder which is fairly neutral. The maple top brightens things up, but again, I usually find that fingerboard wood is a big contributor in the wood equation. I usually don't like ash as I find it to be rather mid-scooped in my hands (ymmv), and often is a bit deep in the lows and harsh on top. But not always evidently...

Since in the OP it is said to be "significantly brighter", I wonder two things (which I did not see in scanning other responses) - one, is the tonal difference noticed, and as significant, unplugged? If not, then I think what you have is a difference in pickup windings, or other electronics anomaly, regardless of being the same make/model.

Unplugged you can hear some difference. There could be some difference in the pickups and preamp, but they are the same brand/design. Some variation always exists. I've normalized the pickup height between the two, and also have swapped string sets back and forth.

Is that similar to a spherical toast?

No, closer to Powered Toast Man:

 

[monsterthompson]

No, closer to Powered Toast Man:

 

[birminghambass]

I posted a very similar thread a few years ago. One bubinga body, one ash body. Swapped everything from one body to the next, huge difference in tone. Even made several soundclips to prove it. Alas, those clips never made in to the thread. TB naysayers told me since I wasn't a scientist (I actually was years ago) and that since I didn't swap parts over hundreds of bodies that I was a dirty liar. Good times.

 

[nostatic]

I posted a very similar thread a few years ago. One bubinga body, one ash body. Swapped everything from one body to the next, huge difference in tone. Even made several soundclips to prove it. Alas, those clips never made in to the thread. TB naysayers told me since I wasn't a scientist (I actually was years ago) and that since I didn't swap parts over hundreds of bodies that I was a dirty liar. Good times.

you should try it again, since now alternative facts are accepted - people hate scientists and no one will accuse you of anything.

Until they accuse you of everything

 

[MegaSwing]

Although I find this subject generally interesting, I've learned not to care about it, unless I have money in my pocket and a perfectly set-up bass to consider buying.

 

[shodan]

I'm just gonna throw this out there. One of the guys made 4 identical guitars out of different woods, including MDF, kalantas and sapelle. He used the same neck and electronics and played the same songs on each. Posted the sound bites. Then conducted a poll to see if the readers could pic out the MDF from the "tone woods".
Invalid Link Removed Description of the experiment.
Invalid Link Removed Results.

 

[Mr_O'B]

I'm just gonna throw this out there. One of the guys made 4 identical guitars out of different woods, including MDF, kalantas and sapelle. He used the same neck and electronics and played the same songs on each. Posted the sound bites. Then conducted a poll to see if the readers could pic out the MDF from the "tone woods".
Invalid Link Removed Description of the experiment.
Invalid Link Removed Results.

Were they the same weight?

 

[birminghambass]

I'm just gonna throw this out there. One of the guys made 4 identical guitars out of different woods, including MDF, kalantas and sapelle. He used the same neck and electronics and played the same songs on each. Posted the sound bites. Then conducted a poll to see if the readers could pic out the MDF from the "tone woods".
Invalid Link Removed Description of the experiment.
Invalid Link Removed Results.

Guitars all sound the same. This is about BASSES man!

 

[Flaked Beans]

Were they the same weight?

I don't think so.

 

[Mr_O'B]

I don't think so.

If not, then it was pointless to do the comparsions!

 

[Munjibunga]

I think one of the things that makes tone wood data so hard to pin down is that no two pieces of the same species of wood are identical. There are lights prices of maple and heavy prices of maple. Resonant pieces of ash and very dense prices that don't resonate as well.

So, for me, I think wood CAN affect the overall tone of a bass. But you simply can not narrow it down to species alone. Of your ash body maple neck rosewood board bass weighs close to 12 pounds and mine with the exact same woods weighs under 8 they will react differently to vibration. In subtle ways they will "sound different", even though the species of woods are identical.

Excellent. A-.

 

[BAG]

But given that all the metal is the same (pickups, strings)

That's where you'd probably be mistaken. Every single pickup is a little different and so is ever string. The way the wire is wound, the tempering of the metal of the wire, the magnets, the distance from the strings (even just a little) the different windings of the wrap on the strings...... and so on and so forth.

 

[Flaked Beans]

@Mr_O'B

Ja genau, tonholz angelegenheiten und schweres holz klingt anders als helles holz. ---> and my german sucks.

 

[Mr_O'B]

@Mr_O'B

Ja genau, tonholz angelegenheiten und schweres holz klingt anders als helles holz. ---> and my german sucks.

I don't know German, but I will give you a +1.

 

[Wisebass]

"X" wood body, and I switch to a "Y" wood body, and it sounds different

Wise!!!

Kinda like politicians...

This is not a political thread, I will have to report this

the tone wood debate will never be settled.

That's what TB is about

Orion constellation (it's only 17.5 lightyears away):

I will try. Andromeda was not cool (no carrots)

harsh on top

that' s what I like about ash! Mango is too sweet

thread!!! Knock on wood....

may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[Axstar]

I'm just gonna throw this out there. One of the guys made 4 identical guitars out of different woods, including MDF, kalantas and sapelle. He used the same neck and electronics and played the same songs on each. Posted the sound bites. Then conducted a poll to see if the readers could pic out the MDF from the "tone woods".
Invalid Link Removed Description of the experiment.
Invalid Link Removed Results.

Having a good 'lol' at Les Paul players pretending to be audiophiles.

 

[taylor16]

I have a wonderful pine bodied G&L LB-100 and I can't quite tell if it's the body wood or pickups that make it sound so even and balanced. Compared to my Fender AVRI and La Bella Olintos, all of which are alder I believe, there is a bit of low-end loss but not at all in a bad way. Just seems more mid-focused with a high-end sweetness. All my basses are strung with flats at this time, either Dunlops or Fenders so I'm guessing the wood plays at least a small part in that difference.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I'm still on the fence, but personal experience leads me to believe the wood makes a small difference. In my case all the hardware, neck, strings, and electronics swapped from a Steinberger XP2 rock maple body to a one piece mahogany body. Danged if it doesn't sound warmier and bassier. A sample of one that proves nothing, but compelling to me, anyway.

 

[Novarocker]

I'm still on the fence, but personal experience leads me to believe the wood makes a small difference. In my case all the hardware, neck, strings, and electronics swapped from a Steinberger XP2 rock maple body to a one piece mahogany body. Danged if it doesn't sound warmier and bassier. A sample of one that proves nothing, but compelling to me, anyway.

This would be my experience. I think there is some impact due to the wood. But any assumptions of what one will sound like to another is an infinite, cyclic debate IMO

 

[phillybass101]

For me it seems like the Sum of the Parts and the Player. I have an import Bass made from Nato with High End Pups and Pre, sounds great. I have another import made from Basswood with Korean made Pups and Pre and Slap Tone City. You just never know until you put your hands on it.