Lil tonewood discussion thread

[GuitarStv]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

^ All u have to do is try poplar. Wood unequivocally makes a difference plugged.

Take two guitars made of woods you know really well. Put a Tone Zone in the bridge of one and compare it to a Seth Lover in the bridge of the other. Plugged in, you'll have no idea which is which because the pickup matters more than the wood. That's what I mean when I say the wood doesn't make enough difference to matter. There are so many other factors that matter more than the wood . . . the amp you play through, the speaker you play through, the pickups, the pickup height adjustment, the settings you put your pedals to. The wood just isn't that big a deal compared to all that.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Yes, but isn't that frequency dependent? Soft materials absorb high frequencies, but lower ones can pass depending on the grain.

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Yes, and that’s why basswood doesn’t sound like maple or hard ash.

If all wood had the same loss coefficient then all species would sound alike.


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[Demanic]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Yes, and that’s why basswood doesn’t sound like maple or hard ash.

If all wood had the same loss coefficient then all species would sound alike.


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I think that this is my point.
Imagine 3D printed carbon polymer.

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[nexion218]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I still think that generally speaking people fail to distinguish between audible and measurable differences and to compound the issue they try to corroborate their statements with experiments that are set up just plain wrong thus they end up comparing apples to pears. Of course there is a difference, because the different woods are, well, different. Is it audible or does it matter? Subjective.. Though I believe most of the times it is more pleasing to the average player's mind than ears. Happened to me many times and not just with guitar woods.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I'd be interested in printed carbon. I've played many carbon electrics and own a carbon fiber acoustic. They all sound great to me, but it depends on your expectations.

 

[The_Junior]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I just finished a guitar with a Spanish cedar body/maple neck combo, and really liking the results. Not sure I'll ever use basswood again..just my .02 cents..

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I’m positive that:

Guitars made from a good piece of wood that are setup well with good components will sound good in the hands of a good player.

Tone is 100% in the hands. But here’s the kicker- the guitar is also in the hands and it matters a lot. Setting a particular amplifier in a particular location is also done with the hands. Turning the knobs, choosing the pedals, plugging it all in... done with the hands.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Ive seen brilliant traditional player play guitar made from %100 synthetic material and they still sound amazing.

Fingerstyle + pickups +amp + speakers =>95% of your sound/tone.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Here's my $0.02 worth as a builder of custom guitars for many years. I use many different types of exotic hardwoods as well as traditional mahogany, ash, and maple. I find that the BIGGEST difference in the different woods is their appearance. I am not saying that there is no difference in their tone, but, as was said by many, it is subtle. The only woods I choose for their tonal properties are mahogany and ash, all others are for visual impact.

Let's face it. With electric guitars, the biggest contributors to tone are (in order):

Amp
Speakers
Pickups
Wood
Strings

Does it make a difference whether your first pre-amp tube is an AX7, or an AT7? Yes.
Does it make a difference whether your magnet is an A2 or a UOA5? Yes.
Does it make a difference whether your guitar's body is mahogany, or ash, or purple heart, or wenge, or padauk? Yes.
Does it make a difference whether your nut is plastic, or bone, or brass? Yes.
Does it make a difference whether your strings are pure nickle or stainless steel? Yes.

But we're talking about degrees of difference. After considering all of the main influencers of tone, the type of wood used (in an electric guitar, not acoustic) is maybe 5% at most. Most people, guitarists included, won't be able to hear a difference. Some will definitely hear a difference.

It's all OK.
But let's just keep things in perspective.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Here's my $0.02 worth as a builder of custom guitars for many years. I use many different types of exotic hardwoods as well as traditional mahogany, ash, and maple. I find that the BIGGEST difference in the different woods is their appearance. I am not saying that there is no difference in their tone, but, as was said by many, it is subtle. The only woods I choose for their tonal properties are mahogany and ash, all others are for visual impact.

Let's face it. With electric guitars, the biggest contributors to tone are (in order):

Amp
Speakers
Pickups
Wood
Strings

Does it make a difference whether your first pre-amp tube is an AX7, or an AT7? Yes.
Does it make a difference whether your magnet is an A2 or a UOA5? Yes.
Does it make a difference whether your guitar's body is mahogany, or ash, or purple heart, or wenge, or padauk? Yes.
Does it make a difference whether your nut is plastic, or bone, or brass? Yes.
Does it make a difference whether your strings are pure nickle or stainless steel? Yes.

But we're talking about degrees of difference. After considering all of the main influencers of tone, the type of wood used (in an electric guitar, not acoustic) is maybe 5% at most. Most people, guitarists included, won't be able to hear a difference. Some will definitely hear a difference.

It's all OK.
But let's just keep things in perspective.

You forgot fingers..... :lmao: but I agree.

I have had the privilege to work with some of the best guitar players in the world and trust me, they still sound like them and sound incredible even on a $100 Squire Affinity through a Peavey bandit.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

The wood just isn't that big a deal compared to all that.

It is to me. If I had that attitude when ordering my warmoth, I'd end up with a guitar that I hate.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Well, you took my quote out of context. Wood is that big a deal SOUND-WISE compared to all that.

It's super important that you get a chunk of wood that you like the look of. Life's too short to play guitars that don't make your trousers tight every time you look at 'em. I'd also argue that if the guitar is an uncomfortable weight (either too light or too heavy) it would probably drive you nuts. But sound-wise? I think you're crazy. (My opinion is of course, worth the amount you paid for it - I already thought you were crazy with the no neck pickup thing though.)

 

[GreatOz]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Let's face it. With electric guitars, the biggest contributors to tone are (in order):
Amp
Speakers
Pickups
Wood
Strings

You should put a tone contribution percentage on these :laugh2:

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I always find the right blend of Pterocarpus Burl, Ziricote & Kokarado (Laotian Stripe) works best for the 3 piece body. For the neck I go with Morning Wood 'cause it feels so good! :lmao:

If your'e playing electric guitar almost everything else makes more of a difference than 'tonewood' & I've found the same types of wood can sound radically different (and even the exact opposite) in different guitars as well...

Personally I'm not into high pitched thin tones, I like warm & fat. I can get my Alder, Mahogany, Ash, Maple neck-through/maple neck/ebony neck/rosewood neck guitars to all sound that way with the right pickups & a little amp tweaking.... it's no big deal.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I don't get why you all are on a guitar connoisseur forum about perfecting everything electric guitar and then you freak out on the topic of wood which can have a small to huge impact on the tone.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Nah..it makes a difference But so do a hundred & one other things. In the end if a guitar sounds and feels good & speaks to me when I'm playing it then that's what makes me happy. In my experience that guitar could be made of just about any kind of wood (or anything else) on the planet though.

It's not that this wood always sounds fantastic & that wood always sounds like ****. In the end I find the differences to be a good thing or I might as well just play the same guitar all day long. (which a lot of people who like pigeonholing stuff do..). I personally would'nt want to play just alder strats or just mahogany LP's or just carbon composite anything else's. It's not better or worse ..it's different & I like that.

So ..in a nutshell..it makes zero difference to me what wood a guitar's made of

 

[BeKindRewind]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I like the sound you get from the combination of mahogony and maple (like a Les Paul). When I first played a real Gibson Les Paul standard it took me a while to figure out why I liked the sound so much better than my SG. I believe it was the maple cap giving it a slice of top end sizzle that my pure mahogony SG didn't have. I bought an SG Diablo premium + , which has a maple cap like a Les Paul. Sure enough, there was the tone I was after !

But lately my favorite has been basswood. It seems to have a unique sting to it, when paired with my hands it just sounds right and allows me to get the tones I've always had in my head. Dark and mysterious but clear enough to speak my mind..

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[GuitarDoc]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I don't get why you all are on a guitar connoisseur forum about perfecting everything electric guitar and then you freak out on the topic of wood which can have a small to huge impact on the tone.

I really like your opening post. I too love the tone of ash + maple (as a general rule). I also like mahogany + maple (or just about any other exotic hardwood that I have used for a cap on the body and/or fretboard).

Yes, we are, just about all of us concerned about every little detail in tone and playability of our guitars, it's true. But when we all come down to reality and analise what's most important to that tone, we have to admit that some things just make a BIGGER difference. That's not to say that every tiny detail doesn't still matter.

Wood IS one of those details that DOES matter...just not very much when COMPARED to some other things.

After re-reading all of the posts in this thread I really don't see any of us "freaking out" about the wood. Just expressing opinions while coming to terms with reality. However, if anyone IS freaking out about wood, it would be YOU ranting about poplar over and over. But still, even that's OK...not really freaking out.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

Ever get a really dull or really bright guitar? I have a Music Man that sounds like it is covered in mud. All mids. It plays great, though and a few mid-scooped pickups makes it sound 'normal' to me. It is made of poplar and maple. I have an alder version of the same guitar (same hardware) with none of those issues...a very balanced sound, so I can use different pickups.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread

I've never tried poplar. But from what I have always assumed about its tone and from what you guys have said about it, I have no desire to try it in any of my builds.