DarkMatter
Unprofessional Toneologist
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
Preconceived notions of sound > actual sound.
Preconceived notions of sound > actual sound.
Lil tonewood discussion thread
- Thread starter Clint 55
- Start date
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
dystrust
Well-known member
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
Fender used a lot of poplar in their MIM line in the late 90s and early 2000s. I don't think those guitars sounded particularly bad, nor did they sound all that great. The only poplar guitars I've really liked were neck-thru Jacksons from the late 80s and early 90s that had poplar body wings. They just seemed to have a more focused and precise sound than the later versions with alder wings.
Fender used a lot of poplar in their MIM line in the late 90s and early 2000s. I don't think those guitars sounded particularly bad, nor did they sound all that great. The only poplar guitars I've really liked were neck-thru Jacksons from the late 80s and early 90s that had poplar body wings. They just seemed to have a more focused and precise sound than the later versions with alder wings.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
If poplar often had a spectacular flame and maple was an crappy looking greenish streaked wood, we would be having a conversation about the percieved tonal improvement that a poplar cap emparts on Les Pauls - and deriding the horrible bright sound of maple. Ugly woods have an insurmountable obstacle to overcome when it comes to discussion of tone.
If poplar often had a spectacular flame and maple was an crappy looking greenish streaked wood, we would be having a conversation about the percieved tonal improvement that a poplar cap emparts on Les Pauls - and deriding the horrible bright sound of maple. Ugly woods have an insurmountable obstacle to overcome when it comes to discussion of tone.
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
I don't see the point of this discussion. I've seen Paulownia guitars that played and sounded wonderful. I've seen $5K Gibsons with thick Mahogany backs and flamboyant Maple tops sound like rubbish. I've seen Poplar Parker Flys that were out of this world with sustain and character and Fenders that sounded like duds. I have a Mahogany body that sounds brighter and tighter than another just like it. My point is that these generalizations about wood types are unfounded and do not consider the bigger picture of what constitutes a "good" sounding instrument.
I don't see the point of this discussion. I've seen Paulownia guitars that played and sounded wonderful. I've seen $5K Gibsons with thick Mahogany backs and flamboyant Maple tops sound like rubbish. I've seen Poplar Parker Flys that were out of this world with sustain and character and Fenders that sounded like duds. I have a Mahogany body that sounds brighter and tighter than another just like it. My point is that these generalizations about wood types are unfounded and do not consider the bigger picture of what constitutes a "good" sounding instrument.
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
Don't instigate a tonewood discussion if you can't handle differing opinions.
Don't instigate a tonewood discussion if you can't handle differing opinions.
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
Haha. He has a point Clint.
You lit the unforgivable tonewood fire,.... you have to tend to it.
Haha. He has a point Clint.
You lit the unforgivable tonewood fire,.... you have to tend to it.
NegativeEase
New member
ehdwuld
A Ficus
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
I have a Basswood RG2 with a JB/JAZZ set with triple shot rings and a rosewood board
I have a mahogany semihollow Ehdwuld with the same pickups and rings and a rosewood board
I have a swamp ash Gibson LP with the same pickups and rings and rosewood board
All but the Ehdwuld have maple necks the Ehdwuld has a mahogany neck
The LP style have the shorter scale, the RG2 has the Fender scale
The play and feel different
But to my ear sound alike
The swamp ash LP has the pickups just a bit closer to the strings
It overdrives natural with my tube amp with the volume wide open and cleans up as I roll down
The other two aren't set up that way,
Or they would do that too
I have a Basswood RG2 with a JB/JAZZ set with triple shot rings and a rosewood board
I have a mahogany semihollow Ehdwuld with the same pickups and rings and a rosewood board
I have a swamp ash Gibson LP with the same pickups and rings and rosewood board
All but the Ehdwuld have maple necks the Ehdwuld has a mahogany neck
The LP style have the shorter scale, the RG2 has the Fender scale
The play and feel different
But to my ear sound alike
The swamp ash LP has the pickups just a bit closer to the strings
It overdrives natural with my tube amp with the volume wide open and cleans up as I roll down
The other two aren't set up that way,
Or they would do that too
The_Junior
New member
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
There's just a number of factors that affect the way the material used would resonate. If there is too much moisture in the wood, if too soft of glue is used, soft poly finishes. It comes down to individual cases in my experience.
Paulownia has been consistently a great tonewood in my experience. I once read that gibson has an experimental les paul using a paulownia body with maple cap. That idea I can get behind.
Be it as it may that electric guitars can be electronically manipulated to sound the way you like, but you can't deny the materials used, method of construction and conditions of said material makes a difference.
There's just a number of factors that affect the way the material used would resonate. If there is too much moisture in the wood, if too soft of glue is used, soft poly finishes. It comes down to individual cases in my experience.
Paulownia has been consistently a great tonewood in my experience. I once read that gibson has an experimental les paul using a paulownia body with maple cap. That idea I can get behind.
Be it as it may that electric guitars can be electronically manipulated to sound the way you like, but you can't deny the materials used, method of construction and conditions of said material makes a difference.
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
It's tempting, but try to resist suggesting "Mahogany sounds like...", "Poplar sounds like...", "Maple sounds like...", etc. If reality was that simple, every Les Paul would feel/sound the same, every PRS would feel/sound the same, every Ibanez RG would sound/feel the same, etc. But they don't.
You're welcome to have a personal preference and I think most players ultimately gravitate toward certain wood combinations over time. However, that doesn't mean that such a preference is wholly founded in reality and that's where a discussion about "tone woods" is bound to fall apart.
For example, how many times has changing a bridge or a nut or getting a proper setup "brought the guitar to life" on these forums? Similarly, how often do we see new pickups, a different amp, etc change the game for players who are about to give up on a guitar completely? How often do we hear "I played a bunch of (insert brand/model here) and they were all duds, but this one absolutely blew me away!"? Wood type *can* make a difference in feel and resonance and maybe even some characteristics that translate tonally once electrified, but my overarching point is that there's a LOT of variation within any particular species. Enough so that most of the generalizations spouted on guitar forums don't really gel with the truth of the matter.
If you've found a combo that seems to work for you...great! I'm not here to tell you what you do and don't like in a guitar. I just don't want the thousands of newbies reading this forum to mindlessly subscribe to the "tone wood" rhetoric before they've gained their own experience. And, to experienced players, just because you had a certain experience with a particular type of wood (the Poplar mentioned here is a great example, since it is less common), doesn't mean you really know all of the flavors it comes in
It's tempting, but try to resist suggesting "Mahogany sounds like...", "Poplar sounds like...", "Maple sounds like...", etc. If reality was that simple, every Les Paul would feel/sound the same, every PRS would feel/sound the same, every Ibanez RG would sound/feel the same, etc. But they don't.
You're welcome to have a personal preference and I think most players ultimately gravitate toward certain wood combinations over time. However, that doesn't mean that such a preference is wholly founded in reality and that's where a discussion about "tone woods" is bound to fall apart.
For example, how many times has changing a bridge or a nut or getting a proper setup "brought the guitar to life" on these forums? Similarly, how often do we see new pickups, a different amp, etc change the game for players who are about to give up on a guitar completely? How often do we hear "I played a bunch of (insert brand/model here) and they were all duds, but this one absolutely blew me away!"? Wood type *can* make a difference in feel and resonance and maybe even some characteristics that translate tonally once electrified, but my overarching point is that there's a LOT of variation within any particular species. Enough so that most of the generalizations spouted on guitar forums don't really gel with the truth of the matter.
If you've found a combo that seems to work for you...great! I'm not here to tell you what you do and don't like in a guitar. I just don't want the thousands of newbies reading this forum to mindlessly subscribe to the "tone wood" rhetoric before they've gained their own experience. And, to experienced players, just because you had a certain experience with a particular type of wood (the Poplar mentioned here is a great example, since it is less common), doesn't mean you really know all of the flavors it comes in
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
I have an extremely bright single cutaway solid body mahogany guitar with a mahogany/rosewood neck. I've also played a dark sounding maple guitar with a maple neck. By the laws of tonewood, maple is therefore dark and mahogany is bright. Unless you're arguing that the individual piece of wood matters more than the type of wood it is.
But in that case, then who cares what the laws of tonewood say? They might be true on average, but you don't play an instrument on average . . . find an instrument you like the look and sound of.
I have an extremely bright single cutaway solid body mahogany guitar with a mahogany/rosewood neck. I've also played a dark sounding maple guitar with a maple neck. By the laws of tonewood, maple is therefore dark and mahogany is bright. Unless you're arguing that the individual piece of wood matters more than the type of wood it is.
But in that case, then who cares what the laws of tonewood say? They might be true on average, but you don't play an instrument on average . . . find an instrument you like the look and sound of.
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
I don't know if there are 'laws of tonewood'. But I know for a fact that certain pieces of wood sound different than others- anyone who has swapped pickups for a few years can hear it. I've heard woods break these laws, like darker maple and brighter mahogany. Or like my mid-heavy poplar that some swear is bright or at least balanced. Trees were living, and each is unique.
I don't know if there are 'laws of tonewood'. But I know for a fact that certain pieces of wood sound different than others- anyone who has swapped pickups for a few years can hear it. I've heard woods break these laws, like darker maple and brighter mahogany. Or like my mid-heavy poplar that some swear is bright or at least balanced. Trees were living, and each is unique.
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Lil tonewood discussion thread
Haha -awesome...... but wrong.
Tone score is equal to how many total times you've changed out an original part on any of your guitars divided by total guitars owned.
I own 30 guitars (I think) any have changed out an OEM component on each guitar probably 10 times -so 300 changes divided by 30 =10.
Tone Score 10
I'm going to change out nut and tuners this weekend on a Gretsch in order to improve my overall tone to a 10.06 . (302/10)
Haha -awesome...... but wrong.
Tone score is equal to how many total times you've changed out an original part on any of your guitars divided by total guitars owned.
I own 30 guitars (I think) any have changed out an OEM component on each guitar probably 10 times -so 300 changes divided by 30 =10.
Tone Score 10
I'm going to change out nut and tuners this weekend on a Gretsch in order to improve my overall tone to a 10.06 . (302/10)
