Re: Does wood make a difference?
Personally, I think there are two camps of people. The first type refuses to think wood makes a difference, and those who "exagerate" the affect it has on tone.
The first group says, "Wood can't make a difference, the stand makes no contact with the guitar, or even the strings for that matter, so it can't affect the tone. It only makes sense". He backs it with no science. He does however back it with telling people the differences are all in their head and are so small even if they were differences, they couldn't be heard live or on vinyl.
The second group says, "Wood has to have an affect on tone, it's a basic principle of science. Stand wood plays a bigger part in the tone of a guitar than the pickups, amp, pedals, or even the wood on the guitar. If you choose a bad wood for your axe, you can't regain the tonal losses further down the signal chain. Notice how he sites science as a source of his opinion, but never explains it and starts spouting nonsense.
Until we find a way to easily switch guitar stands and record the results accurately without any variation, we will just have to fight about it.
But get basswood, it's cheaper.