Wood Matters Club!!!

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

Hmmmm.... that's a mighty broad stroke you paint with that "you guys" brush, you might want to go back thru the threads and double check your facts.

As for your "reboot" - I answered your hypothetical question, (as leading as it was) and you aknowledged it so I'm not sure what you're talking about there. For some reason you didn't answer any of my "reboot" questions. Which seems to be the norm each time I've had any questions for you. So let's just leave it at what I said before, you have an agenda - who knows why - and you like to troll threads - who knows why, and most importantly at this point - who cares.

Actually, I'm still waiting on your answer to my hypothetical. Would you change the body wood, or the fretboard wood?

As for your "reboot" questions, I will not answer them, since they were in no way a reboot of anything. They were more of the same, and they were not designed to be productive. And they are based on the false premise that I have an agenda - something I addressed above.

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

guys

Wood matters, pickup matters, hardware matters. but NOTHING matters more than the player, their feel, touch and attack. Matt Garrison was once asked what he would sound like playing an Ibanez - "just like Matt Garrison" was the answer.

Preach it!

 

[BioDriver]

I seriously think this thread has gone in enough circles to be legally classified as a roundabout.

As I've said earlier, the wood does alter the tone of the instrument, this is something we all agree on. However, the extent of that effect matters to some of us more than it does others - it all depends on your situation. Why this is such a hard thing for many here to grasp is mind boggling.

As for Dan's most recent question, if I don't like the tone of my bass I play others until I find the tone I do like and then compare it to what I have now. If all I have to do is switch the pickups then so be it, but if I'd need to change the wood then I'll sell my bass and buy the one I liked.

 

[mongo2]

So true.

Reminds me of the time I was working at a studio in Atlanta and we decided to test a $30 ART preamp against a $2300 Great River preamp. We recorded a 3-track song on each, then sat back and listened to each mix (in a proper studio with good monitors).

At first, we both "heard" a difference. We were alternately clicking on the 2 different file names, and we knew what we were listening to. We heard the Great River as sounding "better". Then we renamed the files as gibberish so we didn't know which was which. On subsequent listening, we both had to admit the difference we had just heard was gone.

Here's a thread I posted with the audio clips: Invalid Link Removed

It's interesting that you seems you seem to generate the same controversy over on that board as you do here and you also respond with the same attitude to those who question the validity of your so called tests with very similar responses as you do here. I wonder what Psychology 101 has to say about that?

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

It's interesting that you seems you seem to generate the same controversy over on that board as you do here and you also respond with the same attitude to those who question the validity of your so called tests with very similar responses as you do here. I wonder what Psychology 101 has to say about that?

Or you could say it's interesting how the same weird emotional behavior in this thread is found on that forum as well. It goes back to the psychology thing. Some people are VERY uncomfortable dealing with anything that challenges their beliefs.

It is 100% pure goofy.

 

[younggun]

Given unlimited time and budget, and taking the "change one thing only" out of the equation (because if I had unlimited time and money I could change it all). The hierarchy of things I'd change would probably go something like:
-strings
-electronics
-pickups
-bridge
-nut
-fretboard
-neck
-then body wood...unless I was looking for an all graphite of course (actually used to own one).
The reverse hierarchy is how I would make my choices to build a bass from scratch though too, with the addition of type of construction being the number one thing to start with i.e. body type (hollow, chambered, shape), neck attachment (bolt on, neck through, set neck, etc.), number of strings, and scale length.

 

[pasco jacorius]

Wood matters , it has an influence on the sound of the instrument , but it's not as radical as on an acoustic instrument .Now pickups really make a big difference because they "choose" what aspect of the woods they will bring forth.
Now in a gig even with a 100 dollars basswood bass with a decent passive electronic circuit people will not notice any difference . Of course if you are a soloist that's another story. But as long as you can have fun with a piece of wood and a few strings just do it , the tone is in your hands and your heart first.

 

[mongo2]

Or you could say it's interesting how the same weird emotional behavior in this thread is found on that forum as well. It goes back to the psychology thing. Some people are VERY uncomfortable dealing with anything that challenges their beliefs.

It is 100% pure goofy.

Nice try, but you are the common denominator so you have to look no further than the mirror.

 

[kenfxj]

Dan this is the thread for the faith of tonewood. It's very much like religion because it requires faith and the true believers will defend it zealously.

Walk away.

 

[johnk_10]

John, it's funny how you only mind "finger pointing" when it comes from me. You didn't blink an eye when GBassNorth did it.

Heck, you barely blinked an eye when your club founder told me to fall of a cliff and die.

please quit acting like a big baby.

i mean, were you seriously considering jumping off a cliff?

 

[GBassNorth]

Actually, I'm still waiting on your answer to my hypothetical. Would you change the body wood, or the fretboard wood?

As for your "reboot" questions, I will not answer them, since they were in no way a reboot of anything. They were more of the same, and they were not designed to be productive. And they are based on the false premise that I have an agenda - something I addressed above.

I'm sorry, I thought I answered your question. Hopefully this will satisfy your appetite.

If I had a bass that I wasn't happy with the tone of I'd evaluate what was missing, what was causing it and focus on fixing or replacing that.

So if the bass needed more punch and I felt the strings were the problem I'd replace the strings. If I felt the neck was the problem I'd consider replacing the neck, if I thought the body was the problem I'd just replace the entire bass. Like one of the other folks that posted on this thread, I don't consider flipping out a body a minor component, at that point it's an all new bass and who knows exactly how that body will interact with all the other variables in the build - it could make it worse or it could make it better - chances are it will make it different, because (.......wait for it) Wood Matters!

Replacing the bass is EXACTLY what I did (and mentioned in my previous post) in real life not to long ago with a G&L 2500Tribute that had too much zing on the top end and was way too brite for my tastes. I looked at a different neck but couldn't find one that fit so I sold the bass.

Sorry if I didn't spell that out clear enough in my other post or if it doesn't fit in the response you assumed I'd have.

Gotta run now. Have a great day, focus on the blessings in life and take care of yourself. Bye

 

[mongo2]

Dan this is the thread for the faith of tonewood. It's very much like religion because it requires faith and the true believers will defend it zealously.

As will those who can't hear the differences.

 

[johnk_10]

As will those who can't hear the differences.

 

[kenfxj]

As will those who can't hear the differences.

And those who think they can.

 

[M.R. Ogle]

Given unlimited time and budget, and taking the "change one thing only" out of the equation (because if I had unlimited time and money I could change it all). The hierarchy of things I'd change would probably go something like:
-strings
-electronics
-pickups
-bridge
-nut
-fretboard
-neck
-then body wood...unless I was looking for an all graphite of course (actually used to own one).
The reverse hierarchy is how I would make my choices to build a bass from scratch though too, with the addition of type of construction being the number one thing to start with i.e. body type (hollow, chambered, shape), neck attachment (bolt on, neck through, set neck, etc.), number of strings, and scale length.

I like this list. I also go along with the "reverse heirarchy" if building a bass. Heck, I always try out a bass unplugged first, checking out the timbre of the instrument (and the comfort/balance, etc.) before ever plugging it in. That's because I can change out electronics, strings and pickups all day long, but the woods gotta be there FIRST!

In the same light, I will admit one time I tried probably six sets of pickups, two bridges and two necks on an old Mexi Jazz bass I acquired, before finally figuring out (by process of elimination) that I was never going to get past its thin, muted sound and I needed to throw that body in the trash.... which I did. Got a new "American Standard" one, bolted it up, and I used that bass for several tracks afterwards. Much better, gained clarity and bass response BOTH.

Yep. It mattered in THAT bass, for sure!

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

Given unlimited time and budget, and taking the "change one thing only" out of the equation (because if I had unlimited time and money I could change it all). The hierarchy of things I'd change would probably go something like:
-strings
-electronics
-pickups
-bridge
-nut
-fretboard
-neck
-then body wood...unless I was looking for an all graphite of course (actually used to own one).
The reverse hierarchy is how I would make my choices to build a bass from scratch though too, with the addition of type of construction being the number one thing to start with i.e. body type (hollow, chambered, shape), neck attachment (bolt on, neck through, set neck, etc.), number of strings, and scale length.

Mine would be similar:

-strings
-electronics
-pickups
-fretboard
-neck
-body wood
-bridge
-nut

 

[cassius987]

Or you could say it's interesting how the same weird emotional behavior in this thread is found on that forum as well. It goes back to the psychology thing. Some people are VERY uncomfortable dealing with anything that challenges their beliefs.

It is 100% pure goofy.

+1

The common denominator is not Dan, it's what I've bolded.

For what it's worth I have yet to detect any sort of "agenda" from Dan. I can't say I ever thought he was actually out to defame tone wood in any of his tests.

 

[mongo2]

And those who think they can.

Can you hear deadspots? They are one of several characteristics that shows the wood matters.

 

[mongo2]

+1

The common denominator is not Dan, it's what I've bolded.

For what it's worth I have yet to detect any sort of "agenda" from Dan. I can't say I ever thought he was actually out to defame tone wood in any of his tests.

The common denominator is Dan's attitude towards those who question the validity of his so called tests. His responses to them are very similar to his comments we've seen here.

 

[kenfxj]

Can you hear deadspots? They are one of several characteristics that shows the wood matters.

Neck/fretboard wood? Sure, I could see where that would matter.

My "problem" is with those who insist that body wood makes a substantial tonal difference.