Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

idsnowdog said:
I kind of wonder if there isn't a certain anti-electric sentiment going on here?
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That was my first thought too, but if you go to the website of the author of the 2nd article, (John Calkin), he's built quite a few electrics. And he talks of liking "metal" guitars best.
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

What a load. Working for a pickup company you'd think I'd say that pickups are the answer to everything. Well, in a way they are, :laughing: but you can't use a pickup change to make your Alder strat attack and sustain like a Walnut strat, you know what I mean?

I've built enough guitars over the years to know that the strings are attached to wood at both ends. That wood drives the attack, sustain, and tonal properties of the vibrating string, and therein lies the wood's main influence. If you have a Maple neck through with a Floyd, it's probably extremely irrelevant whether the sides are Basswood or Ash, etc. But the overall vibration of the guitar both as a unit as well as the body and neck as separate entities are major contributors to tone in the hands and ears of someone who knows how to "work it".

Here's my tonewoods article:
http://www.jemsite.com/jem/wood.htm
Agree or disagree with what's in there, but you'll never convince me that it's not relevant.
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

I agree with at least 90% of Frank's article based on my own experiance. Try swaping out a maple neck for an all rosewood neck and tell me there's not a stark difference. It's quite noticable to even myself.
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

Heck, going from a one piece maple neck to one with a glued on maple fretboard is a big, big change in unplugged and plugged in tone.
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

YJM_Rocks said:
I don't believe it. With the same strings, pickups, body shape, everything...A guitar made out of maple is going to sound, feel, and sustain differently than a guitar made out of poop.
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Are you referring to Tone Poop?

I generally think the neck has a larger effect on your tone, than the body. Not that the body's wood isn't a big factor. But the body's actually pretty rigid, while the neck is out there flexing with the strings.

Things like strings, pickups, and wiring might have a more obvious effect on a guitar's tone, but that's just part of the equation.

Pete
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

Paul Reed Smith said twenty plus years ago that any guitar is first and foremost an acoustic instrument. Tonal characteristics of electric instruments are inherant without plugging them in. Teles sound "spanky", Strats sound "breathy", etc. I think Leo Fender was either very lucky or very smart in his choice of woods for the early guitars, and perhaps both lucky AND smart. He seemed to choose the woods that he used because they were easy to mill and work and made his choices based on availability of that particular wood, which we now look back on and realize that they were really good choices. I don't think I agree with the author of said quotes, but it does provoke some thought, doesn't it?
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

I know i'm resurrecting an old thread here but i want to chime in my 2cents. To be this article makes some sense but on my favorite guitars i can feel the neck and even the body resonate. Doesn't that affect the way the strings vibrate. The other thing is, if wood really has no affect on the tone, why is it that some archtops (especially carved) get feedback?

I just read through some other respones and some others seem to see eye to eye with me
 
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Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

The acoustic properties of an electric guitar affect its amplified sound. Period.
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

Ok, ok . . . wait, wait . . . I'm a noob to all of this, so pardon me on the front end if anything I say sounds stupid, but . . . is this article basically saying that the $150 Yamaha Strat made from Basswood with fairly cheap electronics, pups, tuners, etc. will sound EXACTLY the same as say a $350 guitar (Any brand) made from Mahogany with the same cheaper electronics, etc?
So there really is no point in my wishing to up my game by moving from said cheap Yammy to say the Mitchell MD400 . . . I just need to practice my tail off and make that Yamaha Strat sound like a Fender Strat?
Or . . . just spend about $600 in better electronics, tuners, etc. and upgrade the Yamaha? But . . . . . I can buy the MD400 for about $400 or less . . .
I'm so cornfoosed!!
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

If it plays well and you like the guitar then yes, upgrade your hardware and electronics and be happy. Wood species affects the tone, but I don't see how it's possible to control the "quality" of the wood. For example some of my most tone rich wood is a basswood bullet with a maple neck.

Why I buy a guitar (I mod everything):

1. Design (Strat, Tele, etc.)
2. Neck profile and finish
3. Wood species
4. Hardware (most importantly a sound bridge or trem system)
 
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Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

Clint 55 said:
The acoustic properties of an electric guitar affect its amplified sound. Period.
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Ok, so you are saying the Wood Really can and does make a difference, that it's not JUST the electronics? And I do understand we humans don't really have any effect on the "Quality of Wood" kind of a nature/God thing (not trying to be religious). Some trees are better than others, just kind of the way it is . . .
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

would it really make a difference? woodit? woodit?

Anyone who has many different spec guitars and who has swapped many pickups around can verify that wood is high-up among the factors that contribute.
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

GIJoeJarhead said:
Ok, ok . . . wait, wait . . . I'm a noob to all of this, so pardon me on the front end if anything I say sounds stupid, but . . . is this article basically saying that the $150 Yamaha Strat made from Basswood with fairly cheap electronics, pups, tuners, etc. will sound EXACTLY the same as say a $350 guitar (Any brand) made from Mahogany with the same cheaper electronics, etc?
So there really is no point in my wishing to up my game by moving from said cheap Yammy to say the Mitchell MD400 . . . I just need to practice my tail off and make that Yamaha Strat sound like a Fender Strat?
Or . . . just spend about $600 in better electronics, tuners, etc. and upgrade the Yamaha? But . . . . . I can buy the MD400 for about $400 or less . . .
I'm so cornfoosed!!
Click to expand...

Usually, in addition to the wood pricier guitars will also come with improved hardware made out of better materials.
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

theodie said:
Give it time, I am sure it will happen. They will surely give plywood a very fancy name and try to spin it to make it sound like a great idea.:kabong:
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ESDP16FBNH1_FINISHES_FAMILY.jpg
 
Re: Check out this "tonewood" statement . . .

^ I had an upright bass made of plywood and it sounded pretty good. Other basses were better tho.
 
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