[Synchro]

I found this pretty interesting. This fellow tested the signal coming off the pickup with guitars of differing woods and shape. He found the effect of wood type to be minimal. I can't say that I'm shocked by the results but I'd like to see more info, not just the synopsis.

[MoonshineCalbilly]

I watched a youtube video once where the guy owned one of those 20 plus thousand dollar Brian Setzer Guitars and a 5120. He modded out the 5120 with TV Jones Classics and pots and harness, a better bridge and had new tuners (of course that won't affect the tones much) and a few other things. His final assessment was that when you are playing them, you can certainly feel a difference; but no matter how he measured it (by ear or by meters) he said (and he also provided sided by side sound comparisons) that he was heartbroken to have to admit that he could not discern a difference of what is coming out of his amp. I would be a little bummed too if I had to admit that my 20,000 dollar guitar didn't sound any better that my 500 dollar guitar...

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by MoonshineCalbilly

I watched a youtube video once where the guy owned one of those 20 plus thousand dollar Brian Setzer Guitars and a 5120. He modded out the 5120 with TV Jones Classics and pots and harness, a better bridge and had new tuners (of course that won't affect the tones much) and a few other things. His final assessment was that when you are playing them, you can certainly feel a difference; but no matter how he measured it (by ear or by meters) he said (and he also provided sided by side sound comparisons) that he was heartbroken to have to admit that he could not discern a difference of what is coming out of his amp. I would be a little bummed too if I had to admit that my 20,000 dollar guitar didn't sound any better that my 500 dollar guitar...

I think that it points out the importance of pickups. I know that my Filtertron guitars all sound similar with mere shades of difference between them.

Analyzing the signal is pretty convincing. It's hard to argue with a graph of the spectrum.

Sent using G-T Forum app

[MoonshineCalbilly]

And other equipment; take a listen to the sound bites I recorded today using a Fairchild 670 compressor model: http://www.gretsch-talk.com/forum/el...ive-taste.html

I posted a link in my last post on that thread.

[polishbroadcast]

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

It always baffled me why people could claim they could hear the wood types; or guitar finish types for that matter. The pickups work by sensing an electrical signal, they aren't moving coil microphones. Wood types or body construction could influence sustain though, which is what maybe many are hearing.

Hey Moonshine, if you dig up that video i would love to see it.

[Tony Adams]

Originally Posted by MoonshineCalbilly

I watched a youtube video once where the guy owned one of those 20 plus thousand dollar Brian Setzer Guitars and a 5120. He modded out the 5120 with TV Jones Classics and pots and harness, a better bridge and had new tuners (of course that won't affect the tones much) and a few other things. His final assessment was that when you are playing them, you can certainly feel a difference; but no matter how he measured it (by ear or by meters) he said (and he also provided sided by side sound comparisons) that he was heartbroken to have to admit that he could not discern a difference of what is coming out of his amp. I would be a little bummed too if I had to admit that my 20,000 dollar guitar didn't sound any better that my 500 dollar guitar...

Yeah, It would be great to see the video, as I've gone to great lengths to find out about '59 trestle bracing v none and overwhelmingly responses from guitarists and a respected Luthier here in Australia who has worked on Gretsch for many famous & non famous players has stated emphatically that the bracing (which is in the $20,000 model), not only makes a difference to the control of feedback and sustain at louder volumes, but alters the tone!!

I'm wondering if the guy cranked up the the volume a bit when he Setzer v 5120?

[polishbroadcast]

In that case the structure of the guitar is physically affecting how the strings vibrate which will affect attack and sustain (and subsequently tone). That is audible with a bridge swap too.

I'm sure we could dig it up pretty easily.

[araT]

Interesting!! ...hopefully this will finally put an end to all the wood sniffers out there, but I doubt it!

[HypotenusLuvTriangle]

Huhuhuhuh... Wood sniffers.

[calvin lee]

i posted about tone woods being a bit of a myth over a year ago, and everyone got very mad at me. i'm just gonna point to that link and smirk for a while.

[araT]

Originally Posted by calvin lee

i posted about tone woods being a bit of a myth over a year ago, and everyone got very mad at me. i'm just gonna point to that link and smirk for a while.

Well, you're no scientist

[D. Spree]

Tone woods might be a myth in a solid body, perhaps not in a carved archtop. Of course Robert Benedetto did build one of his fine arch tops out of knotty pine and said it sounded no different!

[polishbroadcast]

Originally Posted by D. Spree

Tone woods might be a myth in a solid body, perhaps not in a carved archtop. Of course Robert Benedetto did build one of his fine arch tops out of knotty pine and said it sounded no different!

Most of my guitars are purely acoustic archtops so I wouldn't argue about that point. This thread is about guitars with magnetic pickups.

[MoonshineCalbilly]

Originally Posted by Tony Adams

Yeah, It would be great to see the video, as I've gone to great lengths to find out about '59 trestle bracing v none and overwhelmingly responses from guitarists and a respected Luthier here in Australia who has worked on Gretsch for many famous & non famous players has stated emphatically that the bracing (which is in the $20,000 model), not only makes a difference to the control of feedback and sustain at louder volumes, but alters the tone!!

I'm wondering if the guy cranked up the the volume a bit when he Setzer v 5120?

I tried to find it a couple of weeks ago when I was reading another thread; but I just can't find it. I don't even remember what I was searching for when I ran into it. It was about six months ago and probably "Setzer" was in the search. Who knows, he may have pulled it down, but I give you my word, that's how I remember it. All I can remember was that he was from Oz and he was sitting there playing the two guitars (supposedly through the same feed).

If I remember correctly he said that he metered everything too, but he didn't show that. He claimed that he was the owner of the guitars and he wasn't that elated about the whole thing.

[fjr_wertheimber]

Originally Posted by MoonshineCalbilly

I tried to find it a couple of weeks ago when I was reading another thread; but I just can't find it. I don't even remember what I was searching for when I ran into it. It was about six months ago and probably "Setzer" was in the search. Who knows, he may have pulled it down, but I give you my word, that's how I remember it. All I can remember was that he was from Oz and he was sitting there playing the two guitars (supposedly through the same feed).

If I remember correctly he said that he metered everything too, but he didn't show that. He claimed that he was the owner of the guitars and he wasn't that elated about the whole thing.

I came across that video about a year ago, so no, you're not the only one who's seen that.

[Ricochet]

Without having read the article I call horse manure.

So does this feller conclude you can get the same depth and growl of a PAF loaded all mahogany LP if it's made from balsawood or something??

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by D. Spree

Tone woods might be a myth in a solid body, perhaps not in a carved archtop. Of course Robert Benedetto did build one of his fine arch tops out of knotty pine and said it sounded no different!

I've heard about that Benedetto. There's certainly a lot more to it than woods selected. My old Johnny Smith was maple and Sitka Spruce but it didn't sound all that good.

[jflintmac]

Good and bad are subjective. Expensive and cheap have no bearing in such experiments.
I guess the real answer might be acquired by installing acoustic pickups in these guitars, of coarse, depending on exactly what variables are being considered as "resilts"
In essence, the study has merely compared the pickups, in different environments (bodies)
This is not measuring the wood at all. It is measuring the density of the surfaces that the strings are attached to. If magnetic pickups are the only ruler being used to measure, some might say that this is like measuring the thickness of a sheet of steel with a yard stick.
1 guitar does not sound the same as another.
Sure, some guitars sound similar but that is as far as I can really agree. Specific examples can tell any story that one wishes to prove. IMO!

[Tony65x55]

Originally Posted by Ricochet

Without having read the article I call horse manure.

So does this feller conclude you can get the same depth and growl of a PAF loaded all mahogany LP if it's made from balsawood or something??

I'm with you Rich. Scientists are the same people who conclusively proved that bumblebees cannot fly. They also said the earth was flat and that the sun revolved around it.

I call BS. Of course, unlike the scientist, I could be wrong.

[6stings]

I'm glad I don't have his ears.