what effect does body wood have on tone?

[guitarmaster]

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[guitarmaster]

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[guitarmaster]

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[lockbody]

A strat and a lespaul with evos through the same rig will sound the same.That's no doubt about it.
I have a les paul and an esp both with evos and completely different woods.Through my rig they sound the same.
Myths and lies ,forget about them and open your mind.

I have a completely different experience. I've been playing several mahogany-bodied guitars for a few years now, and recently got an alder-bodied one.

Immediately, I noticed the new guitar was missing some frequencies I was used to hearing so I started swapping pickups (a Custom Custom, Full Shred and Breed) from the old ones to the new one. While it got closer, it never acheived the same, pleasing, midrange knock that mahogany-bodied guitars are known for.

I've read alder is real "even" tone-wise, not favoring one frequency over the other, and my small experiement, at least to me, bore that out.

I could easily hear the tone of the wood coming out from my Stiletto.

 

[guitarmaster]

:!:

 

[18&Life]

A strat and a lespaul with evos through the same rig will sound the same.That's no doubt about it.
I have a les paul and an esp both with evos and completely different woods.Through my rig they sound the same.
Myths and lies ,forget about them and open your mind.

I have a completely different experience. I've been playing several mahogany-bodied guitars for a few years now, and recently got an alder-bodied one.

Immediately, I noticed the new guitar was missing some frequencies I was used to hearing so I started swapping pickups (a Custom Custom, Full Shred and Breed) from the old ones to the new one. While it got closer, it never acheived the same, pleasing, midrange knock that mahogany-bodied guitars are known for.

I've read alder is real "even" tone-wise, not favoring one frequency over the other, and my small experiement, at least to me, bore that out.

I could easily hear the tone of the wood coming out from my Stiletto.

My friend nobody have the same ears.I listen different from you.
Through the spectrum analizer I saw my guitars sounded the same.
Our ears are not good for judging because we hear things in different ways,if you wake up bored,things will sound boring.
If you wake up happy,things will sound happy.That's human brain.
Eveybody already experienced that someday your rig gives you the tone you want,next day it isn't sound the same however you didn't touched its buttons.
It's the brain wich was reacting to sound in a different way.
So to se if a guitar or whatever sound the same or not,you need a spectrum analyzer.It'll not react to the sound,you have no interference of feelings,it will simply listen and tell you what frequencies are there.

 

[Elpelotero]

to the original poster, wood does make a HUGE impact on the sound...please don't listen to this rubbish. Go and do your own experiments instead of taking all these words for granted (including my own).

If wood had no impact, we would all be playing plywood guitars with expensive pickups.

I am into Warwick basses...If wood had no impact there, a Streamer Stage II with an African Afzelia body (the Incubus sound) would sound exactly the same as a Thumb with a Bubinga body (early Mudvayne sound). They have the same pickups and guess what, they sound different! One has deep punchy lows with biting highs (SSII) while the other has a lack of low end and is full of growling mids and low mids. Wood is everything. You can not put EVO pickups on a Walmart guitar and expect it to sound like a vintage Fender with the same EVO pickups.

 

[18&Life]

to the original poster, wood does make a HUGE impact on the sound...please don't listen to this rubbish. Go and do your own experiments instead of taking all these words for granted (including my own).

If wood had no impact, we would all be playing plywood guitars with expensive pickups.

And companies will not survive cause guitars will be really cheap !
That's why they don't use plywood = MONEY

There are acrylic guitars,guitars in square shape with almost no wood,I already saw steel guitars,so what all of them don't have sound ?

Try something,if you have a neck ,screw it to a little piece of steel or plastic and put a pup inside of that piece.Plug into your amp and you'll see.
Wood on solid guitars doesn't change the sound.
It's amazing how people believe in everything they read.Seems like people do prefer waste their money than changing their beliefs !

It's so obvious .Not,ok

 

[Elpelotero]

how would you explain the argument on the basses? I own one and have played the other. Everything on them is the same except the body wood.

 

[18&Life]

they sounded different to your ears.
Like I said human brain react different to the same things .
Maybe I could agree with you they are different,maybe your uncle think they are the same,to each ear a result.
But an spectrum analyzer will not lie to US.
I have a friend who said his jackson with evo sound much better than my ibanez with evo.
He brought it to my home and we played it thrugh my rig.His guitar and mine sounded the same.But never trust in brains because they react different to the same things.We recorded a little riff on pro tools and after analysing it the frequencies were the same,the differences were barely nothing.

I am not trying to force you to agree with me,I'm just sharing my experiences.

 

[Rocky]

Wood makes a huge difference. I have 2 identical Tom Andersons, only difference is that one has an alder body and one has an ash body. I can work around the tonal difference b/w the 2 and dont really have one that I like more than the other. HOWEVER I have h ad a lot of people tell me that they prefer the sound of one over the other, most like the Alder guitar's sound more. People say it sounds smoother and warmer. I actually do notice that the Alder guitar has a rounder tone and the Ash is more cutting.

You actually need to look at WHAT that analyzer was analyzing. Unless you are qualified to interpret the result then what you saw may not be what is. It would be like a layman looking at an X-ray of soft tissues. A spectral analyzer cannot lie, but the data being drawn from the result can be erroneous. I dont know your qualifications on this issue but I can easily dismiss your analysis of a tool that you may not be qualified to interpret.

If you cannot hear the diff then that is probably a good thing for you....no need to be picky about instruments. I'm both sad for you and envious of you at the same time.

 

[18&Life]

Just because you hear a difference,it doesn't means it really exists.
Brains my friend,the most erroneous thing somebody or something created :lol:

 

[Rocky]

Just because you hear a difference,it not means it really exists.
Brains my friend,the most erroneous thing somebody or something created :lol:

if you truly believe that then you must be willing to accept that YOUR brain may have cut itself off to the truth in what it is hearing. There are 2 sides to your point and they are not complimentary to each other.

If the brain plays tricks then your misreading of a data set could have resulted in you deciding that what you hear isnt real when it IS. I suspect that this is the case with you.

You can't argue the 'mind playing tricks' without accepting that your idea can also be used against you.

I want to add that I am not insulting you or anything, just questioning your interpretation of what you saw and pointing out that your reference material for your conclusion is full of holes.

 

[18&Life]

yes I completely agree that's why I used a spectrum analyzer.
Hundred times along 12 years.
The worse thing is we are wasting our time about a piece of wood !!!!!!
We need to get a life :lol:

 

[Rocky]

yes I completely agree that's why I used a spectrum analyzer.
Hundred times along 12 years.
The worse thing is we are wasting our time about a piece of wood !!!!!!
We need to get a life :lol:

Are you actually qualified to use that analyzer? If so what did you analyze? What kind of analyzer? How did you deal with various variables involved in such a test? How did you make your controls?

You wont be speaking above my head here so feel free to elaborate on the testing that you have done. I am actually REALLY interested in this...I dont really care if you are right or wrong here. I'm not going to change my mind and I am not going to say anything try and makeyou change yours.

I think that your 'research' is interesting and would love to hear specifics.

 

[lockbody]

Would you mind posting your signal chain into your spectrum analyzer (Mic, preamp, and converters)?

 

[18&Life]

sm 57- mackie preamp-digi001 and 002.
But I did hundred tests in hundred of studios I worked.
Yes I am qualify to do it,I am working as a recording engineer for about 15 years and had classes in NY.
I also know the best brazilian luthiers and they agree,in solid guitars wood is almost nothing,of course they will never tell it to customers,it's obviuos.If a customer wants a 500 usd bubinka top wich he read on a magazine it is the best,luthier will never tell it's BS.He will agree and will CHARGE !!!!!!!!!
They don't use plywood because it's a crap wood,not because it will change the sound.Plywood can't stand the neck screws,with time it will be a mass.
People it's sunday,let's go out now !!!! :lol:

 

[Rocky]

During the week maybe you can elaborate on your tests. I'm still not convinced that you used proper, controlled, scientific principles.

 

[18&Life]

that's your problem not mine.
I don't want to convince you of nothing.
Again those are my experiences.If you have others,alright good for you.
Later

 

[Rocky]

well there you go. I already said that I dont want to be convinced, just want to hear about your methods. Such a strong defensive response from you speaks volumes.

Have a good one.