Guitar wood tutorial

[Nagash]

I haven't seen a thread like this yet, so I'm creating it.

I think it can help people who look for a specific sound but don't know what's most likely to deliver what they want. So here we go, post your knowledge here, all about : body woods, neck woods, fingerboard woods, typical combinations, wood tops, constructions (bolt-on, set-neck etc).

I'll post a second post right after this one that I'll edit regularly, to synthesize everything that has been said.

Describe how the different woods matter in terms of SOUND mostly, weight, grain etc can also matter, but I really want this tuto to focus on sound.

[phil_104]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

Sorta like this?

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/tonewood-0401-2011/

[Nagash]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

Yeah but I want to order it by guitar part, not by wood only, and to make it as complete as possible.

[Bludave]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

Santa Cruz guitars has a great page on their website explaining tone-woods

http://www.santacruzguitar.com/guitarswood.html

[MojoMonster]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

I've always like this one on Jemsite. By the one and only Frank Falbo, himself.

And Warmoths page.

MM

[Kam]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

I've always like this one on Jemsite. By the one and only Frank Falbo, himself.

MM

I always liked that one, too. I didn't know Frank wrote it. That's awesome.

[richard parker]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

Here's Bare Knuckle Pickups Tim Mills on the subject:

I don’t want to upset all of the guitar makers, but this reliance on the body timber as being the whole source of the tone is a complete misnomer. My understanding of it, which is based on my own investigations and also having worked with some of the better luthiers in the country, is that the guitar’s voice comes from the pickup. The feel and the resonance and the sustain are a combination of body timber and body construction.

“With pickups, I believe that if you can find the right voice with your guitar pickup, then you will really bring out the best in your guitar. After all, an electric guitar without a pickup doesn’t work. The pickup is the guitar’s mouthpiece; the pickup hears the sound of the strings, but equally the strings are reliant on factors like the timber and the construction as to how resonant they are going to be. That’s when the importance of timber comes into it, but the ‘voicing’ is down to the pickup and how carefully you choose the materials. As with all of these things, it’s a combination of the whole.”

Personally I don't have enough knowledge to have an opinion.

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

Here's Bare Knuckle Pickups Tim Mills on the subject:

I don’t want to upset all of the guitar makers, but this reliance on the body timber as being the whole source of the tone is a complete misnomer. My understanding of it, which is based on my own investigations and also having worked with some of the better luthiers in the country, is that the guitar’s voice comes from the pickup. The feel and the resonance and the sustain are a combination of body timber and body construction.

“With pickups, I believe that if you can find the right voice with your guitar pickup, then you will really bring out the best in your guitar. After all, an electric guitar without a pickup doesn’t work. The pickup is the guitar’s mouthpiece; the pickup hears the sound of the strings, but equally the strings are reliant on factors like the timber and the construction as to how resonant they are going to be. That’s when the importance of timber comes into it, but the ‘voicing’ is down to the pickup and how carefully you choose the materials. As with all of these things, it’s a combination of the whole.”

Personally I don't have enough knowledge to have an opinion.

hmm i don't agree with that at all really. i mean i've heard clips of the exact same pickups in the same exact style guitar only made from different wood and the difference was night and day. hes bound to say that, he sells pickups for a living. lol if he sold amps he'd say not to bother with pickups, all the sound comes from the amp. its all about having the right combination of all things IME

[JordanM82]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

Here's Bare Knuckle Pickups Tim Mills on the subject:

I don’t want to upset all of the guitar makers, but this reliance on the body timber as being the whole source of the tone is a complete misnomer. My understanding of it, which is based on my own investigations and also having worked with some of the better luthiers in the country, is that the guitar’s voice comes from the pickup. The feel and the resonance and the sustain are a combination of body timber and body construction.

“With pickups, I believe that if you can find the right voice with your guitar pickup, then you will really bring out the best in your guitar. After all, an electric guitar without a pickup doesn’t work. The pickup is the guitar’s mouthpiece; the pickup hears the sound of the strings, but equally the strings are reliant on factors like the timber and the construction as to how resonant they are going to be. That’s when the importance of timber comes into it, but the ‘voicing’ is down to the pickup and how carefully you choose the materials. As with all of these things, it’s a combination of the whole.”

Personally I don't have enough knowledge to have an opinion.

Ehhhhh, that's partially true in that voicing comes from the pickups to an extent but to say that the wood has no effect is non-sense imo. Not only are types of wood different but so is each individual piece... They have a considerable effect on the voicing easily as much as the pickups...

[Aceman]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

+1 for Warmoth page.

[Dirtbagg]

Re: Guitar wood tutorial

+1 for Warmoth page.

I agree with the meter it give you a better understanding of your tone.