Tonewood Does Matter!

[music6000]

 

[Cybercow]

 

[Feral Feline]

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Skip to 38:45 to get to the start of the Tonewood discussion.










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[Robert]

You telling me the density of a piece of wood affects it's acoustic properties?

I ain't buying it.


Removing the trem cover plate on the other hand....

 

[Harry Klippton]

I'd watch it, but that guy makes PRS guitars. Have you seen those things? Yuck!

 

[dawson]

PRS makes guitars out of wood?
I thought they used enchanted pixie bones and dragon scales..

Here's another interesting video on the topic:

 

[mdc]

I'm treating myself to a cookie for making it through 45sec of that video.

 

[Coda]

He was good in the original Fletch, though…

 

[RetiredUnit1]

View attachment 36496

I put it in my laundry and my pants always come out smelling like a new D45.....

 

[Cybercow]

I put it in my laundry and my pants always come out smelling like a new D45.....

I always thought that the wood on acoustic instruments had a profoundly significant influence on the instrument's tone. For electrics, I was never convinced; thinking it came primarily from the strings and pickup(s). Still, whether acoustic or electric, it's always the builder's choice.

 

[HamishR]

I am truly amazed at the number of players who don't think the timber used in an electric guitar matters. Of course it does! Having worked in a guitar store for quite a few years I was always impressed by this very fact. We would get 20 '62 RI Strats into stock and they all sounded different. I'd set them up the same - same everything, different sound.

Then I'd compare a Les Paul Custom - maple neck, ebony board - to an almost identical Standard - mahogany neck, rosewood board, and the differences were astounding. (In that era the Customs apparently had the maple cap, but usually they don't) The Customs had the same pickups and everything but sounded more refined and rounder - kinda jazzier - because of the maple neck and ebony board. The Standard sounded brighter and had a more vocal midrange. That classic howling Standard sound. It was pretty obvious to anyone who played them.

Of course by the time you put them through a Rat pedal, chorus and the dirt channel of a JCM800 they're all gonna sound the same.

 

[Guardians of the analog]

I've always thought the sound of a guitar was the sum of its parts. Sure, different body woods or neck woods will sound different, but the same wood from the same tree could sound different in two guitars. I guess a tele will sound like a tele and an LP will sound like an LP at the end of the day.

 

[mdc]

I am truly amazed at the number of players who don't think the timber used in an electric guitar matters. Of course it does! Having worked in a guitar store for quite a few years I was always impressed by this very fact. We would get 20 '62 RI Strats into stock and they all sounded different. I'd set them up the same - same everything, different sound.

Then I'd compare a Les Paul Custom - maple neck, ebony board - to an almost identical Standard - mahogany neck, rosewood board, and the differences were astounding. (In that era the Customs apparently had the maple cap, but usually they don't) The Customs had the same pickups and everything but sounded more refined and rounder - kinda jazzier - because of the maple neck and ebony board. The Standard sounded brighter and had a more vocal midrange. That classic howling Standard sound. It was pretty obvious to anyone who played them.

Of course by the time you put them through a Rat pedal, chorus and the dirt channel of a JCM800 they're all gonna sound the same.

If the assumed tolerance of every individual part that makes up every component part of a fully assembled electric guitar is somewhere between 1-20% then I would expect every guitar from the same batch to have a pretty wide range in terms of feel/sound/ineffable whateverness and still be in spec and nominally exactly the same. I would imagine the wood would be one of the things with tighter tolerances, honestly.

 

[Paradox916]

So what you’re tell me is all I have to do is buy an expensive guitar and I will sound better? And here I thought I sucked because I don’t practice… Guess there’s only one thing to do now… = …. Seems like it adds up to me

 

[Guardians of the analog]

So many factors in a guitar. The wood, hardware, construction, tolerance of parts, fit and finish. Whether made by a master Luthier or a CNC, we still have to weed out the few good ones from all the dogs hanging on the wall. @Paradox916 the dentist blues lawyers will always get the ones at the top of the wall, so that just means we gotta build more pedals instead of practicing.

 

[Paradox916]

So many factors in a guitar. The wood, hardware, finish, tolerance of parts, fit and finish. Whether made by a master Luthier or a CNC, we still have to weed out the few good ones from all the dogs hanging on the wall. @Paradox916 the dentist blues lawyers will always get the ones at the top of the wall, so that just means we gotta build more pedals instead of

More pedals you say?

Heat them irons up boys it’s an arms race

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

we gotta build more pedals instead of practicing.

My private instructor in college used to yell at me when spotting me in public spaces. Whether across a coffee shop, at the bar, from a block away on the sidewalk you could hear "GO PRACTICE!" Just like @fig.

 

[Nic]

When you are left handed... you take the one on the wall, when they have one.

 

[Paradox916]

When you are left handed... you take the one on the wall, when they have one.

 

[cwsquared]

More pedals you say?
View attachment 36600
Heat them irons up boys it’s an arms race

Guess that means I am officially declaring myself Switzerland. I won't pick sides but I will enjoy reaping the benefits of advances made by all involved parties. This is gonna be good.

Side question, does this make @Guardians of the analog Johnny Ringo or one of the Earps?