Guitar tone question
- Thread starter Wayne27
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Re: Guitar tone question
Well you can EQ it after the fact, or get darker sounding pickups. Not even 2 pieces of mahogany sound the same, so it wouldn't be easy getting ash to sound like mahogany. But you can tailor the pickups for a warmer sound, and with a good parametric EQ afterwards, I bet you'd fool many people in a blind test.
Well you can EQ it after the fact, or get darker sounding pickups. Not even 2 pieces of mahogany sound the same, so it wouldn't be easy getting ash to sound like mahogany. But you can tailor the pickups for a warmer sound, and with a good parametric EQ afterwards, I bet you'd fool many people in a blind test.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Guitar tone question
It depends on who you ask, some people think wood makes no difference, some people think it makes an inconsequential difference in the grand scheme of your signal chain, and some people think it makes a massive part of your tone that can't be compensated for no matter your pickups or amp.
Also, a big part of the traditional mahogany tone is the shorter 24 3/4" scale length that comes on Gibson's, which are usually mahogany or something with a similar tone.
It depends on who you ask, some people think wood makes no difference, some people think it makes an inconsequential difference in the grand scheme of your signal chain, and some people think it makes a massive part of your tone that can't be compensated for no matter your pickups or amp.
Also, a big part of the traditional mahogany tone is the shorter 24 3/4" scale length that comes on Gibson's, which are usually mahogany or something with a similar tone.
CaptainWhizz
New member
Re: Guitar tone question
I saw a rig rundown video with Billy Gibbons’ tech, apparently Billy wanted all his various guitars to sound the same live, so the tech used a rack EQ with a different setting for each guitar. Good enough for Reverend Willy.
Re: Guitar tone question
Yeah, I'd say that while I've personally heard wood make a difference, scale length and distance from bridge to pickup matters just as much or more. I am sure you can EQ guitars to sound the same so the listener couldn't tell. The player still probably could, though.
Yeah, I'd say that while I've personally heard wood make a difference, scale length and distance from bridge to pickup matters just as much or more. I am sure you can EQ guitars to sound the same so the listener couldn't tell. The player still probably could, though.
6stringerguy
New member
Re: Guitar tone question
Body woods to me more effects feel rather than tone but an EQ pedal will do a good job.
Body woods to me more effects feel rather than tone but an EQ pedal will do a good job.
6stringerguy
New member
Guitar tone question
That being said, I think wood effects the tone but it’s a sum of its parts kinda thing, pickups to me are a filter for the wood, string and pick acting together.
Mahogany has got a more girthy feel to it and responds well to be power chord and fat riffs
Alder and ash are more suited for tighter music with a lot more staccato rhythm playing.
Basswood is fairly flat and doesn’t accentuate many frequencies which makes it great for faster lead work which is why petrucci, vai and satriani like it so much (it’s also easy to source at a lightweight and is very consistent)
The pickup will control how much of the woods character gets through.
So the acoustic feel and the response of the guitar is more the product of the wood rather than the pickups while the pickups make up a greater portion of the sound in my opinion.
Feel is very hard to change, to me the biggest things that effect feel are string brand and tension
Pick material and picking technique
Materials and construction method.
That being said, I think wood effects the tone but it’s a sum of its parts kinda thing, pickups to me are a filter for the wood, string and pick acting together.
Mahogany has got a more girthy feel to it and responds well to be power chord and fat riffs
Alder and ash are more suited for tighter music with a lot more staccato rhythm playing.
Basswood is fairly flat and doesn’t accentuate many frequencies which makes it great for faster lead work which is why petrucci, vai and satriani like it so much (it’s also easy to source at a lightweight and is very consistent)
The pickup will control how much of the woods character gets through.
So the acoustic feel and the response of the guitar is more the product of the wood rather than the pickups while the pickups make up a greater portion of the sound in my opinion.
Feel is very hard to change, to me the biggest things that effect feel are string brand and tension
Pick material and picking technique
Materials and construction method.
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Re: Guitar tone question
Yeah strings/tension and picks are a huge part of an instruments tone.
I contend that's why some people find pickup-X to be muddy, and others find it thick but clear, or pickup-Y to be harsh and brittle for some, and then bright and clear in a good way for others. More-so the reason than simply wood-type.
Yeah strings/tension and picks are a huge part of an instruments tone.
I contend that's why some people find pickup-X to be muddy, and others find it thick but clear, or pickup-Y to be harsh and brittle for some, and then bright and clear in a good way for others. More-so the reason than simply wood-type.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Guitar tone question
Honestly, as far as "onboard" things that shape the tone of a guitar, I think most people don't completely understand what has the strongest effect on tone. I think from biggest effect to smallest, it's: pickup location, scale length, the string itself, frets and saddles, pick and picking location, pickups, then wood.
As you can see wood is at the end of the list. But wood does happen to have one of the largest roles in deciding the "feel" of an electric guitar, but not so much the tone.
None of the things I listed above make a lick of difference however if you don't know how they interact with each other and the rest of your setup to make a good tone. And even if you have the perfect equipment for your dream tone, you still need to be able to dial it in with knobs, switches, and playing styles.
Honestly, as far as "onboard" things that shape the tone of a guitar, I think most people don't completely understand what has the strongest effect on tone. I think from biggest effect to smallest, it's: pickup location, scale length, the string itself, frets and saddles, pick and picking location, pickups, then wood.
As you can see wood is at the end of the list. But wood does happen to have one of the largest roles in deciding the "feel" of an electric guitar, but not so much the tone.
None of the things I listed above make a lick of difference however if you don't know how they interact with each other and the rest of your setup to make a good tone. And even if you have the perfect equipment for your dream tone, you still need to be able to dial it in with knobs, switches, and playing styles.
Discharged
New member
Re: Guitar tone question
A very important factor is the scale. A 24,75" will NEVER sound like an 25,5" and viceversa. TBH, you just can't generalize such a broad argument and have an adequate answer.
/Peter
A very important factor is the scale. A 24,75" will NEVER sound like an 25,5" and viceversa. TBH, you just can't generalize such a broad argument and have an adequate answer.
/Peter
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Guitar tone question
Right, which is why all the woods commonly found on "25.5 Fenders are ALWAYS bright, woods used for 24.75" Gibson's are ALWAYS dark and middy, and Basswood and Popular used for 25" Ibanez's are tonally balanced.
I have stated numerous times on this forum that I deeply believe that the only wood that makes a substantial lick of difference on a guitar is that which the neck/body joint consists of.
Right, which is why all the woods commonly found on "25.5 Fenders are ALWAYS bright, woods used for 24.75" Gibson's are ALWAYS dark and middy, and Basswood and Popular used for 25" Ibanez's are tonally balanced.
I have stated numerous times on this forum that I deeply believe that the only wood that makes a substantial lick of difference on a guitar is that which the neck/body joint consists of.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Guitar tone question
I have heard that Poplar is tonally similar to a more balanced version of Alder, but I have never heard anything about it having any sort of midspike in it.
I had a Poplar single humbucker guitar with a JB, and the mids were actually pretty manageable. This was with a single 330k volume pot and no tone.
I have heard that Poplar is tonally similar to a more balanced version of Alder, but I have never heard anything about it having any sort of midspike in it.
I had a Poplar single humbucker guitar with a JB, and the mids were actually pretty manageable. This was with a single 330k volume pot and no tone.
6stringerguy
New member
Re: Guitar tone question
Most ibanezes are 25.5 but yes.
The biggest factors in my experience to effect the performance are as follows
Tonewise largest to smallest
Pickups/electronics (includes pickup height from the the string and specific model of said pickup), construction quality (especially on bolt on as this massively effects sustain in my experience), strings (gauge, tension, material and brand), playing technique, pick and agreed with wood being last
That being said I believe wood making a difference is true just maybe not as much as many people think.
Tonal response and feelwise totally different ballgame:
Strings make the biggest difference followed by wood then followed by pick
Grover Jackson according to a few sources which I can’t verify but nevertheless used to reinforce the neck joint of his bolt neck instruments as this more definite connection allowed for better sustain and tonal transfer.
I’m not claiming I’m an expert nor have a played guitar that long but as a physics/engineering nerd they’re so many little elements that forge a guitars sound.
This can include
Bridge material, bridge mass, bridge type, how well the bridge is attached, tuner material, neck material, wood, fret material, construction method, quality of said construction, string gauge, string length/scale length, string height/action, string material, pick material, pick thickness, pick bevels/shape, overall technique, pickup type/construction, pickup height, the thickness of the body, if its chambered or not, the rest of the electronics
Probably missed a few but that’s before even plugging it into all your pedals that will potentially colour your tone and then your amp and then the speaker.
And if you’re recording you’ve also got to mics in terms of distance, angle and model to consider.
Wood is just one factor is this whole cluster of factors that affect you’re final tone.
If it makes a difference to the individual playing it that’s all that really matters.
I’ve spoke to luthiers some big and some small and all of them have said that wood affects the tone in some way.
That being I don’t believe it’s the biggest factor in what a guitar will sound like but it’s a big factor in what it will feel like to the player in my experience.
Most ibanezes are 25.5 but yes.
The biggest factors in my experience to effect the performance are as follows
Tonewise largest to smallest
Pickups/electronics (includes pickup height from the the string and specific model of said pickup), construction quality (especially on bolt on as this massively effects sustain in my experience), strings (gauge, tension, material and brand), playing technique, pick and agreed with wood being last
That being said I believe wood making a difference is true just maybe not as much as many people think.
Tonal response and feelwise totally different ballgame:
Strings make the biggest difference followed by wood then followed by pick
Grover Jackson according to a few sources which I can’t verify but nevertheless used to reinforce the neck joint of his bolt neck instruments as this more definite connection allowed for better sustain and tonal transfer.
I’m not claiming I’m an expert nor have a played guitar that long but as a physics/engineering nerd they’re so many little elements that forge a guitars sound.
This can include
Bridge material, bridge mass, bridge type, how well the bridge is attached, tuner material, neck material, wood, fret material, construction method, quality of said construction, string gauge, string length/scale length, string height/action, string material, pick material, pick thickness, pick bevels/shape, overall technique, pickup type/construction, pickup height, the thickness of the body, if its chambered or not, the rest of the electronics
Probably missed a few but that’s before even plugging it into all your pedals that will potentially colour your tone and then your amp and then the speaker.
And if you’re recording you’ve also got to mics in terms of distance, angle and model to consider.
Wood is just one factor is this whole cluster of factors that affect you’re final tone.
If it makes a difference to the individual playing it that’s all that really matters.
I’ve spoke to luthiers some big and some small and all of them have said that wood affects the tone in some way.
That being I don’t believe it’s the biggest factor in what a guitar will sound like but it’s a big factor in what it will feel like to the player in my experience.
