Does wood matter?

Re: Does wood matter?

What you found is intro to pups 100. Most ppl starting with electronics go through this phase of yours.
So, a pickup is basically neutral when it comes to frequency response? Hm... Why all the pickup choices then?
Well, because some people like neutral pups (like EMG81), while others want them to pass or cut certain frequency bands (scoop mids vs pronounced mids, etc). Neutral pups' electric signal represent the string vibrations with fidelity.
 
Re: Does wood matter?

Well, I found this:

A microphone converts sound into an electrical signal. This means that the “input” is sound waves. These are compression waves, usually in the air around us, but they can travel in liquids and solids too, and there are microphones designed to “hear” sound underwater or deep inside the earth. A microphone can pick up anything that we would call “sound”

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A guitar pickup cannot pick up sound in this way. It is not designed to. The guitar pickup can only pick up the vibrations of the string within the magnetic field. The strange thing about this is that the vibrations do not need any medium to travel through – a guitar pickup would still work in a vacuum. Seems almost like magic!


http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/t...-difference-between-a-pickup-and-a-microphone

So, how can the outcome be the same, identical? :confused:

An SD article also says:

Pickups are the heart of your guitar. The right guitar pickups can bring a dead-sounding instrument to life. They can turn a good guitar into a great one. They might not transform a guitar that plays poorly into a magical instrument, but they will almost certainly deliver a huge sonic upgrade.

That can only be true if the acoustic sound and pickup is NOT the same, identical sound/tone/signal.

IMO. :)

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support-pickups-101/getting-started



So, a pickup is basically neutral when it comes to frequency response? Hm... Why all the pickup choices then?



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I'm well aware of how these devices work, they all convert a physical energy into an electrical one a pickup EMF from it's coil will be intersected by a moving metallic string where a microphone's microphone's coil will be physically moved by sound waves in relation to a static magnet inducing current in the same a secondary coil of a transformer works.

I asked if anyone cared to explain transverse and compression waves were and their relationship or lack of,

Transverse just means perpindicular and refers to the travel of the string typically at 90 degrees to the pick up, this is the only input source for a typical electric guitar magnetic pickup

Compression is the physical movement of the guitar body that resonates sympathetically with an agitated string a pickup cannot be primarily influenced by this (unless guitar is metallic zemaitis trussart type)

However the compression waves are energy being lost from the strings which will ultimately and absolutely dictate the behaviour of the agitated string which will in turn be inducing a current in the pickup.

The 'transverse' wave is being bandied around as the kryptonite to the wood does matter argument but it's wordplay and intellectual dishonesty from the guy with the whiteboard.
 
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Re: Does wood matter?

What you found is intro to pups 100. Most ppl starting with electronics go through this phase of yours.

Well, because some people like neutral pups (like EMG81), while others want them to pass or cut certain frequency bands (scoop mids vs pronounced mids, etc). Neutral pups' electric signal represent the string vibrations with fidelity.

Anything else to add, besides sitting on a perch and telling me I have a "phase"?

Is the articles from SD is silly wrong, because it's pup 100, not even 101? Why are they wrong?
 
Re: Does wood matter?

Regan, I think you described this pretty well.
Compression is the physical movement of the guitar body that resonates sympathetically with an agitated string a pickup cannot be primarily influenced by this (unless guitar is metallic zemaitis trussart type)

It freaks me out when ppl refer to this as "resonance" or "energy transfer". BTW another way to think about it is the conservation of energy. Energy Total = Energy on the string + Energy lost as heat on the medium. The second operand increases with the body/neck vibrations, and this results in decrease of the first operand and thus sustain.
 
Re: Does wood matter?

Actually, heat itself is quite literally the rate at which the molecules in something vibrate. LOL

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...and that's (the rate) very very very very very very very very very very very very very very fast.

SCIENCE!

 
Re: Does wood matter?

This is so simple. Yes, it changes the sound. Can we distinguish this without our individual preconceived notions and perception coming into play? No.

(Drops mic)
 
Re: Does wood matter?

Like I've said before, wood types are a ballpark. Are all samples of a particular species identical? No. Do I personally enjoy the snappiness that MOST (but not all) ash bodies tend to have? Yes. Do I find most alder bodies smoother sounding? Yes.
 
Re: Does wood matter?

My wood matters. I've always felt bad for guys whose wood doesn't matter but I guess I've been blessed.
 
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