Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Esseff said:
Thinline 'not Thinline' is about the only diff, and most ppl find Thinelines to be bright guitars at the best of times.
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I've owned half a dozen thinlines in various configurations and I would disagree with that assertion. Every one of mine have had less overall brightness, but also less low end. They have all tended to be much more narrowly focused tonally than the other teles that I have owned and played.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

chadd said:
I've owned half a dozen thinlines in various configurations and I would disagree with that assertion. Every one of mine have had less overall brightness, but also less low end. They have all tended to be much more narrowly focused tonally than the other teles that I have owned and played.
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Ok, good to know.
The only other I have owned was a Mahogany body one and it was very bright. And not suggesting it was the wood, just identifying the model.
Also read that many of the Squiers are very bright but many variables there.
.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

AlexR said:
Different pickups in different guitars.

I swapped set of humbuckers between guitars, and between the two instruments (both Les Pauls of the same construction) the swap solved the very same 'too bright bridge' issue in both guitars - with nominally the same electronics.
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Sorry, I thought you were the one talking abt tonewoods.
I just re-read your post and it doesn't make any sense to me anyway.
I explained that I have DIFF electronics (not like yours) that shud have made the pups brighter in the second guitar but it was still warm.
It wasn't just a bridge pup issue but both.
It was pups that were very bright in one guitar going into another with electronics that shud make them even brighter still, but actually sounding warm.
Maybe you are not clear in what you are trying to say?
.
 
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Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Maybe try swapping the bridges or bridge saddles and tuners, since you’ve ruled everything else out.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Esseff said:
I really don't need to test tonewoods. I have two MIJs (pink n blk), a trad 60s custom (alder/rosewood) and a trad 69 paisley (basswood/maple). Both these new from the same trad series. Both with the same MIJ Trad vintage style pups. THEY SOUNDED IDENTICAL before I started swapping pups.
TEST DONE!
Sorry to disappoint all the tonewood believers.

.View attachment 95629
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So if they're all the same... why buy em???
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Is it my imagination or is the OP just a tad argumentative??? Or just frustrated that we're not "getting it"??? Hoping it's the latter.

Anyways and for what it's worth:

I THINK that what the OP is saying is that the difference is EXTREME i.e. this as opposed to what could be considered a "normal" tone variance taking all other things into account. I actually did have an issue like this not too long ago. Turns out it was either a pot. or a cap. that I'd fried with too much heat when soldering (long story). Never really bothered to investigate at the time i.e. just hauled out a new pot. and new cap. and all was good. In other words: it had nothing to do with the actual guitar per se.

But now my turn to be argumentative in the context of this thread:

Anyone that says tone wood makes no difference to tone is tone deaf. Simple as that. Fact: I can take two Jacksons that differ only in tone wood (albeit lumped together as body/neck/fretboard) i.e. identical in every single other way including model no./series/range, hardware, setup, electronics, the works, and move a (the same) pickup from one to the other and they sound REAL different. BUT: "REAL" different and "EXTREMELY" different (like there is something wrong) are two different things.

One other possibility that just came to mind (stating the obvious): you sure you didn't muck up one of the pickups??? Tested them with a meter???

Oh well. Hope this helps.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

^ You can only lead the horse to water after all. Those who can't grasp the fact that physical structure affects tone (not as much as pickups of course, but there) must be deliberately sticking their heads in the sand.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

It's the thinline. More air, more resonance = brighter sound. I have a semihollow electric with two voids on each side that sound 'merrier' than others, no matter what pickups in it, Evolution, P Rails, Custom 5, Custom Custom, Tesla.

Tonewood only exists in your head, like afterlife.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

^ You've just contradicted yourself there, and completely shot your own argument down:laughing:
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Ok, if tonewood is a crock....then why do guitars sound so different unplugged?

Or is the Crock Lobby saying that unplugged sound and the signal you get from pickups plugged in are entirely unrelated?
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

^ Its variable. Acoustic tone is the way the vibrations of the body are translated into air. Air is not a perfectly even energy transfer in the first place (think of how much more energy bass takes to reproduce for one, and how the treble vanishes with the least obstacle).

So things like the shape and area of the top, the finish, plastic parts, large pickguards and hollow spaces will contribute. Also more acoustic construction (semi acoustic/full hollow/chambered or with this top wood) influences the final volume. Some guitars sound wicked unplugged but dead plugged in. Other match their acoustic tone. Of the 50 or 60 guitars I've had over the last few years there is no rhyme or reason as far as I can see.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Obsessive Compulsive said:
...more resonance = brighter sound.
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Correct. And one tonewood is more (or less) resonant than another!!!


Adieu said:
...then why do guitars sound so different unplugged?
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True story!!!

And once again: I'm talking about two IDENTICAL guitars save for the different wood EVEN when unplugged (so that eliminates the pickups from the equation).

P.S.

Time to break out the popcorn and beer and sit back and enjoy!!! LOL!!!
 
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Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Even the EMG 81 at 9v into a boosted high-gain amp sounds and feels slightly different depending on it's host. Believe it,,,,,or not.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Adieu said:
Ok, if tonewood is a crock....then why do guitars sound so different unplugged?

Or is the Crock Lobby saying that unplugged sound and the signal you get from pickups plugged in are entirely unrelated?
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Cause it's unplugged, dumbass. We are talking about tonewood in electrics - not acoustics - where pickups and amps and effects rule! Lol...
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

AlexR said:
^ You've just contradicted yourself there, and completely shot your own argument down:laughing:
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No, that means its the construction of the guitar (semihollow) that PROBABLY affects the difference in tone, more than the type of wood.

You see, if you go back to my post again, I didn't even mention the type of wood the particular guitar (same wood, different wood?).
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

I'd just like to point out that we as guitarists oftentimes forget how flat out tin-eared the majority of the population is. I have a Strat with an STK S7/S4/S6 combo and even after I explain and show to people what the difference is between each pickup is, the only one that they can consistently pick out is the bridge only position. The attention to detail people make about wood is downright anal, especially when there are 100 other parts of the chain that can be used to make night and day differences.

Then consider that wood makes such a small difference that even though it is easily testable to prove without any doubt whether or not it exists, there is still a debate going on this topic. I mean come on guys, changing your picking location will have a bigger effect on tone than wood ever could.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Obsessive Compulsive said:
No, that means its the construction of the guitar (semihollow) that PROBABLY affects the difference in tone, more than the type of wood.

You see, if you go back to my post again, I didn't even mention the type of wood the particular guitar (same wood, different wood?).
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Maybe you just need it explained in simpler terms. Chambered vs solid is a difference in wood. Therefore wood makes a difference, which is precisely what I have said from the start and you have argued against.
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

Let's tone it down a bit, gents...
 
Re: Bright Pups in One Tele Sound Warm in Another

AlexR said:
Maybe you just need it explained in simpler terms. Chambered vs solid is a difference in wood. Therefore wood makes a difference, which is precisely what I have said from the start and you have argued against.
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If that's the definition that suits you, why not? Being stupid is everyone's prerogative. I can't argue with that.
 
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