Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone
Very good Frank, I agree. Another thing to remember is as long as the PU is attached to the guitar IT WILL SENSE THE GUITAR. It is not just the strings that are vibrating. Every thing that is in contact with anything that is in contact with the strings, IS VIBRATING. This includes the PU. So in essence if the PU is vibrating because the guitar is vibrating, not only are the strings vibrating above the PU, but the PU is also vibrating underneath the strings.
It's not that the pickup senses the guitar, or that it senses anything. It's a question of electrical signals being generated in these massive copper coils - just like a hydroelectric dam you see - so think of it like this. The magnet causes the ferrous string to carry magnetic signal, which shakes or waves as you strike the string. The string, moving back and forth over a copper coil, pushes and pulls electrons, and this generates a current. It's like taking pictures of someone riding a bike.
Now, imagine that you're in california and an earthquake happens while you're trying to take pictures - the subjects themselves aren't any different but because you're shaking on the other end they certainly look different. Same think with a direct-mounted pickup - because it's mounted to something that's vibrating, it looks different, but it's not 'sensing' the string vibrations any more than the camera senses the earthquake.
Ok, I may agree that wood does have an impact on tone, but the real question is: how significant is the impact? It may influence the EQ somehow but does it influence the sound quality? Or does it justify the price difference between guitars made of two types of wood? I feel from my experience, that the pickups have a much greater impact on the sound than wood. I believe that Angus wants his guitars to have the same sound and sustain in every song. To have "that" sound. But I have come across "Rig Rundown" with Joe Perry's technician and what struck me the most is that Joe had about 10-15 guitars of very different type, LP's Teles etc., and he often uses two completely different types of guitar on two different shows but in the same song. He doesn't mind playing a song with tele and on the other night using Les Paul or anything else. So it is completely different approach than Angus. It is all down to the personal preference.
As far as angus young is concerned, don't amps turn up all the way still? I feel like if you have a 50w+ marshall dimed through at least 4x12" speakers you can sound like angus with a djent stick.
But as far as wood vs. pickups on tone, that's a whole nother beast. Swamp ash vs. alder could fill encyclopedias - hard tail vs. tremolo, maple vs. rosewood, 3 vs. 4-bolt necks, poly vs. nitro finish, does the player play down the strings or across the strings, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.
That being said, the best wood is resonant wood. I've played hollow body mahogany/maple guitars that don't sound great, and 4-piece alder bodies that sound fantastic. It's the combination that makes things great.
