Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

[RorySquier]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

It is extremely hard to make the case that wood doesn't effect acoustic guitar tone. Even people who don't believe wood effects electric guitars will almost always make the concession that it does effect acoustics.

I believe you have a point there. Different woods have different sounds. But in an electric guitar scenario it's a bit touchy. You hear more the difference in an acoustic guitar than an electric one. That's my take on this whole situation.



;>)/

 

[RorySquier]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

The construction of a guitar affects playability not tone.

That's certainly true. I totally believe in the construction of a guitar. Well built means well playing. End of story.



;>)/

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

Everything affects tone:

Pickups (and placement)
Strings
Scale Length (including factors outside the scale like tuner placement or bridge placement like on the jaguar or jazzmaster)
Guitar (wood of the body and neck plus shape, finish, and neck joint)
Electronics
Hardware (and set up)

Not positive about order but those 6 components all add up to make the total sound of your electric guitar.

 

[RorySquier]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

Everything affects tone:

Pickups (and placement)
Strings
Scale Length (including factors outside the scale like tuner placement or bridge placement like on the jaguar or jazzmaster)
Guitar (wood of the body and neck plus shape, finish, and neck joint)
Electronics
Hardware (and set up)

Not positive about order but those 6 components all add up to make the total sound of your electric guitar.

You pretty much summed it up. There is a lot of factors in the setup of the guitar. Also I like thee doggy in your avatar...what's he/she's name?



;>)/

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

Hey thanx. That's Spanky, he's a funny lil guy. About the guitars, yes I'm finally getting the hang of ALL the specs and what I like. I've done as good as I can with Squier and Epi. I hope to move up to customized Warmoth necks and bodies for my future projects.

 

[RorySquier]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

Hey thanx. That's Spanky, he's a funny lil guy. About the guitars, yes I'm finally getting the hang of ALL the specs and what I like. I've done as good as I can with Squier and Epi. I hope to move up to customized Warmoth necks and bodies for my future projects.

Spanky is a great name for your doggy! Speaking of Warmoth...I've heard a lot of good reviews on them. You have the pleasure of assembling your own custom guitar and taking pride and joy in playing it. It's like Brian May from QUEEN building his own guitar with the help of his father when he was a teen. He couldn't afford a real guitar at the time. I might check into Warmoth sometime when I get the urge to buy another guitar.



;>)/

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

Thanks! I think I am going to start with a Gibson scale conversion neck for my Strat.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

3 years later, I still hear the difference in different wood types.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

And I changed saddles of a friend's guitar recently. The rest is the same: wood, pickups, other parts, strings (and amp setting too). Previously the guitar sounded rather thin. Now it sounds noticeably deeper and thicker. The new saddles have higher density/greater mass.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

i made two guitars, one from old Honduras Mahogany and one from Porridge. They both sound exactly the same.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

What kind of porridge ... oat, wheat, barley? Did you cook the porridge then let it dry out? Or did you glue the dry grains to make a porridge board first?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

And was the porridge made from old growth raw materials???

 

[MrTondo]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

And i suppose it was old stock Brazilian porridge, you sourced half a century ago. It's totally impossible to get the good new stuff with all the CITES regulations these days.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

What kind of porridge ... oat, wheat, barley? Did you cook the porridge then let it dry out? Or did you glue the dry grains to make a porridge board first?

In Australia we use 'porridge' for 'pulp'.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

WAIT WAIT WAIT....... You're telling me...... that COMPONENTS...... in a GUITAR...... can effect the
S O U N D of a GUITAR ?!?!?!?!???
WTF Guys??... I don't (can't) accept this! I quit. I'm playing harmonica from here on out.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

cant wait to see the guitar made of oriented strand board and medium density fiberboard

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

^ Have you heard the cardboard guitar? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oo2H-W7d6A&t=179s Demo at 2:30

The acoustic properties of an electric guitar determined by the sum of its parts affects its amplified sound. If it didn't, an LP and 335 with 59s would sound identical but they don't.

Oil can guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmL73pVnTwg

Tone wood test at 4:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLxE8iDWD_w

The amplified tone clearly takes on the character of the sound of the guitar itself.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

WAIT WAIT WAIT....... You're telling me...... that COMPONENTS...... in a GUITAR...... can effect the
S O U N D of a GUITAR ?!?!?!?!???
WTF Guys??... I don't (can't) accept this! I quit. I'm playing harmonica from here on out.

The components of a harmonica affect the sound, too.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

The room affects tone. So I carry a 15,000 square foot concert hall with upholstered seats to put my amp in everywhere I go.

Ear fatigue affects tone, too. That's why I don't let anyone listen.

 

[PAPADON]

Re: Effects of Wood and Pickups on Tone

This subject is much like arguing about whether you can catch a fart and paint it green. If it sounds good it does and if it doesn't then it doesn't. Everything else is a complete waist of farts.