@michael72986 I think you should've replied to the guy below your comment and not me...... instead you'd rather reply to someone who's still beginning to learn about different woods', pickups, etc...
@PSXDooMERR Hey man, that is actually pretty out of wack. If that was the case, then I could put a nice pair of emg's and d'addario strings on a squire starter kit and it would sound like a les paul.
There are so many different things that go into the sound, pick style, attack, string type, string thickness, pickup types, pick magnets, pick up mounting, body style, body wood, electronics in guitar, cable type, amp type (preamp type), tube or digital, what kind of tube or electronics
@TaylorMackAffair Learn science. And eat your heart out by searching google "SCRAP LUMBER BASS vs. ALDER BASS" It should be the first link to the talkbass forum.
@mesvidsfavoris And Strats don't usually sound that good unplugged. They defy logic because they have hollowed out chambers under large plastic pickguards, floating bridges, bolt-on necks, inconsistent string tension over the nut (some strings have string trees, some don't). They should sound horrible based on all of those features, yet when plugged-in they SING with amazing tone.
@mesvidsfavoris There's no scientific evidence of that, it's mostly opinion. I have a Vintage V100 Icon (Les Paul copy) which doesn't sound that great unplugged (it's kind of dead sounding), but it sounds REALLY good plugged-in. And I have a nice Gibson Explorer copy which sounds GREAT unplugged (it sings!), but it sounds average to slightly above average when plugged-in.
An electric guitar is just that. The only wood on it that might affect the sound is the neck and fretboard. The variations in sound come from the pick-ups, pots, string size and distance from pickups, bridge style and material, and nut style and material. Les Paul's original guitar was a board with pickups. Its all about the electronics when it comes to the sound produced by electric instruments.
Hey great vid! Guys, I've recorded a video comparing different woods in reality by sound samples. +++Jackson vs Esp Ltd Axxion+++. Definitely check it out.
What's this "rant" you're talking about? That's my professional opinion based on experience. I've been building guitars & speaker cabs since the late '70's and with solid-body electric guitars, it's mostly about the electronics.
I think Bob would agree with a lot of what you're saying. Don't forget this vid is part of a series, there's no claim that the wood is the one vital factor. But if you have two guitars with the same construction techniques, setup, same electronics, pickups, pickup placement and played the same way by the same player, then you'll be able to tell the difference between wood choices.
Great vid Bob. I have been playing a very, very long time and have had over 25+ guitars from Les Pauls to San Dimas Charvels to BC Richs to Carvins to Hamers. Wood does make a difference, your playing technique makes the biggest difference of them all. Not discounting Bob's vids, just saying don't put too much emphasis on wood type. I would say playing technique then a properly set-up then your guitar amp is probably over 95% of your tone.
They said a lot about WOOD but cannot notice ugly fretjobs and buzz it made. And they think it's wood? No wood will save you when your guitar is poorly fretted, you will hear buzz, dead notes, dirty sustain... and it's all because of poor fret job. This can affect your sound much harsher that any cheap wood.
People who think they are experts,and don't know sh** about fretjob and proper action are not experts at all, no matter how many types of wood they know.
I find it funny that people say wood doesn't affect the tone. Those same people will also tell you to try a few of the same model of guitar to find the good sounding one. Well, what's the variable between 2 Les Pauls of the same model? THE WOOD! If 2 pieces of mahogany don't sound identical, how can you claim that 2 different species of wood won't affect the tone?
a friend of mine had a costume guitar built for him with a...i guess an esp m2 body shape if you can call it that,but a little thicker one,3 equal different wood parts for the body solid alder back,cocobolo in the middle and flame maple top,neck through birdseye maple with ebony fretboard 2 seymour duncan humbuckers but dont know wich ones stop tailpiece bridge,that thing sounds awesome even unplugged
how would a guitar made out of oak sound? my dad and i are making a firebird and we have a large slab of oak in our basement drying to be made into something.
plz give me some advice, im 13 and this is the first guitar i've ever tried to make :)
Oak is too heavy for a body, but I've made necks from oak before. You could try chambering the body to make it lighter and use oak, but you'd need a top.
Agathis gets a bad rap because it's inexpensive. The reason why it's cheap is because it's very abundant in Asia. The more abundant, the lower the cost. Many years ago Agathis was used by luthiers as an exotic wood. It was (and still is) considered to be a good tonewood. Basswood is also inexpensive because it's so abundant in Asia but it's a good tonewood as well. Keep in mind that with solid body electric guitars, most of the tone comes from the electronics, not the wood.
IMHO tone comes from the wood. if you have crappy wood, there's no such electronics that will make it into the great tone, that's the fact. full stop.
Opinions & theories are "fact"? I always say "The proof is in the pudding". Over the years, I've heard, played, owned, & even built many guitars that were made of inexpensive woods (even plywood) which sounded great. I know a luthier who built an experimental guitar from particleboard & it sounded surprisingly good! He even wrote an article about it which I can email you if you like.
With solid body electric guitars, the electronics contribute about 85% to the tone. That leaves 15% for everything else. Wood is WAY more important in acoustical instruments.
I think you need the refresher course in the sound physics. Electronics won't ever have chance to 'see' and reproduce something that the wood won't generate when vibrating.
Also, I wasn't referring to particular wood, so ''inexpensive wood' can be e.g. pine, which actually is a good tonewood, despite what people say.
My friend's plywood body guitar with Seymour Duncan pickups & upgraded pots & caps sounds fantastic. The luthier I mentioned before built a particleboard body guitar with Lindy Fralin pickups that sounded really good. But according to you, it's impossible. Listen with your ears, not your brain. The proof is in the pudding.
@greensp4rk Yes, it does...I never said that it didn't. But with solid body electric guitars, it has a minor impact on the tone. The electronics have the most impact.
@FiveEightSevenEight That means i want a solid body with good wood, as well as good electronics. Then i will have both the 85% and the 15% combined to make a kick ass tone.
@liteovershadows I think that ratio is based alot on the fact that most people now make the mistake of cranking their gain up as far as they can. As someone who uses about 15% gain, I'd say its pretty even. lol, I went from an ibanez RG with basswood body, rosewood fingerboard, and maple neck to a mahogony body with rosewood fingerboard and a 5 peice maple-mahogony neck, and I must say, there was a massive change.
I'm sorry to say but dude.... you are very, very wrong.
I've played a guitars enough to know... the wood completely changes teh sound... light wood will sound light and thin,,, heavy woods tend to sound darker and more full... same pickups... the woods make huge impact on sound... far more than the 15% you said...
@ArkAngelHFB A Strat made of Ash, Alder, Poplar, Basswood, Plywood, w/ Rosewood or Maple fretboard still sounds like a Strat, but if you change the single coils to humbuckers w/ 500k pots, GONE is the Strat sound. A Les Paul with a thick Maple cap, a thin Maple veneer, no Maple at all, Rosewood or Ebony fretboard, Maple or Mahogany neck, still sounds like a Les Paul should. But put in single coils w/ 250k pots and GONE is the Les Paul sound. Electronics make a HUGE impact on the tone.
Yeah.... no.... that is why I said 55% pickups.... you didn't read my post did you... you just assumed I'd completely disagreed with you... and fired off a rant of a come back. you are completely forgetting that the shape of a guitar has to do with the wood that is vibrating. Guitar shapes mater recourse wood matters... far more than you give it credit...
@ArkAngelHFB I DID read your post and I totally disagree that it's half & half (55% & 45% is basically half & half). Carvin makes a mahogany body Strat copy but it still has that thin jangly signature Strat sound. My friend has a plywood body SG copy but it still has that warm fat Gibson sound. I can show you articles by luthiers and videos of guitars made of plexiglass, paper mache, concrete block, particleboard, etc. that sound great...because of their electronics.
@ArkAngelHFB What's this "rant" you're talking about? That's my professional opinion based on experience. I've been building guitars & speaker cabs since the late '70's and with solid-body electric guitars, it's mostly about the electronics.
@FiveEightSevenEight I would think woods on electrics are just as important as on acoustics. And I would also say that 85% of the tone comes from the person themselves. not the electronics OR the wood. both electronics and wood just help compliment your playing. I would also venture to say that the electronics are there in the electric guitars to help the strings resonate through the wood, since it isn't hollow-bodied. for an easy example on this look at the other "top comment" below you on here
@lovescarguitar Strats made of Alder, Ash, Poplar, Basswood, Mahogany, Plywood, etc. may sound a little different from each other, but they ALL still have that signature thin, jangly Strat sound. Les Pauls made of Mahogany w/ Maple cap, Mahogany w/ NO Maple cap, Alder, Basswood, Plywood, etc. may sound a little different from each other, but they ALL still have that signature fat, warm Les Paul sound. But put Strat single coils & 250k pots in a Les Paul and GONE is that Les Paul sound.
@FiveEightSevenEight okay so i am confused now. are you still on electronics being more important than wood? or now wood being just as important. because you made both seem equal in what you just said i think.
you talked about replacing a les paul pickup with a strat pickup on a les paul.. you don't get a strat by doing that. but now you have just stumbled upon a different sound. its neither a strat sound, nor a les paul sound. its going to have hints of a les paul and hints of a strat.
@lovescarguitar A Les Paul made of Alder will not sound like a Strat. It will sound a little different from a conventional Les Paul, but it will still have that fat, warm Les Paul sound. But if you put Strat single coil pickups & 250k pots in a conventional Mahogany/Maple Les Paul, it will no longer sound like a Les Paul. The tone will be thin & bright. Why? Because with solid-body electric guitars, the electronics affect the tone way more than the wood does.
@FiveEightSevenEight okay well this is just an honest question. not anything to debunk anyone.
I see what you are saying. if you have both a les paul with an alder body and a strat, which also has an alder body, they would still sound different. that I am pretty sure the different pick-ups are involved. But are you saying that putting strat pickups in a les paul, that the wood would not still give it different characteristics than being on a strat?
@lovescarguitar As I mentioned before, Strat single coil pickups & 250k pots in a Les Paul will sound thin & bright. It will no longer have that fat, warm signature Les Paul sound. Wood does contribute to the tone, but not nearly as much as the electronics.
Strat to humbuckers, gone is your Strat sound. But if you change the maple fretboard to rosewood, or Ash body to Poplar, then you would still have a Strat sound, just a slightly different Strat sound. Why? Because the electronics make the biggest impact on the tone.
So why nobody builds LesPauls of maple and strats from mahogany? Or better, build strats from plywood, and tune electronics so that it sounds like real strat. Because maple lespaul will not sound lespaul, and mahogany strat will not sound like a strat, regardless of all the voodoo electronics you can put in. Poplar strat is possible because the poplar and ash are very similar soundwise. That is all. I can see no point in arguing further because I am arguing with some voodoo.
You clearly don't know what you're talking about. There ARE Fender Strats made of mahogany, and there ARE Gibson Les Pauls made of maple. Google it. And there ARE Strats made of plywood too...they're called Squiers and Starcasters. They all still sound like they're supposed to sound.
@OddTimeMan Some of thoese plywood guitars are actually pretty good. I sent a Squier start to my luthier to get it set-up correctly and now it plays and sound just as good (if not better) than my USA Strat. Tone is mostly in your fingers tho.
@mikeyz75 Your playing technique has more effect on tone than anything else. Irregardless of what your play, you are going to sound like YOU no matter what. I've seen complete pieces of junk sound magical and I've seen '58 Les Paul sound like crap. It's mostly the player.
So if I'm looking for a type wood to give me a lot of sustain but not make me fall over from the weight after half a gig, I want what? I am going to paint it not stain it so theres that. I play some Satriani style type of stuff along with some blues and heavier solo stuff. What do you recommend?
i love the way that aproximation, opinion, generalisation and subjective conclusions are presented as fact! seriously, people should chose with their ears and their hands, not their eyes or their brains, wood is far to clever to let us humans find a way to define it properly. a good guitar is a good guitar, no matter what wood it is made from.
Well said. I've been telling people for years to ignore all the "theories" out there because the proof is in the pudding! Unfortunately, there are too many brainwashed people out there.
So true. The guy who started Modulus basses went in with the idea that most of the stuff you hear from supposed "experts" is just wrong and started experimenting on his own. He came up with some pretty wild instruments. The guy who builds Zachary guitars built one from an IKEA pine coffeee table top and it sounds great.
Thanks for this video! I used this knowledge and recently purchased a Special Edition Fender Koa Telecaster. It has a Koa top and a Basswood body. (hopefully a bit more beefy than usual) This video helped sell me on this guitar. The stock Seymour Duncans sure help!
by mixing different woods in that fashion you will probably end up with uneven vibration through the instrument resulting in an unbalanced tone. if you're looking to,say, brighten up the top end but keep the bottom end nice and fat, you might want to try making a hollow chamber on the treble side to give you a more open sound on those string whilst leaving it solid on the bass side to give you a tighter response in your bottom end.
13 gauge strings, lots of different pickups, look on dimarzio's site, because their signature sound is steve vai, who extensively uses harmonics, and as for wood, all of these woods will give overtones, but different ones, the warmer woods give lower overtones, the brighter woods, higher overtones.
Don't get too caught up in wood types. When it comes to a solidbody electric guitar, 90% of the tone comes from the electronics! Tone makes a big differene in acoustical instruments, but not so much with solidbody electrics. My friend has a cheap plywood gtr with upgraded electronics (pickups & pots), and it sounds as good, if not better, than my expensive guitars. And I have a gtr made from solid mahogany, but it's bright sounding. How can that be? Mahogany is supposed to by warm? ELECTRONICS!
The electronics are a big part of the sound. Wood does makes a difference though.
I don't think anyone would deny that you can make a bright guitar from mahogany. But, for example, I have a semi-hollowbody with a mahogany center block. It's got a lot of sustain for a semi-hollow and doesn't feed back nearly as much. Other guitars, with a similar profile and woods for the body, with a maple center don't sound the same(all with Gibson 490 and 498 pups).
@michael72986 I think you should've replied to the guy below your comment and not me...... instead you'd rather reply to someone who's still beginning to learn about different woods', pickups, etc...
lovescarguitar 2 weeks ago
basswood is the bomb! :)
MEFuckin 3 months ago
no matter what guitar is used, only pickup type and string diameter affect the sound.
I=BSsin(alpha)
PSXDooMERR 4 months ago
@PSXDooMERR Hey man, that is actually pretty out of wack. If that was the case, then I could put a nice pair of emg's and d'addario strings on a squire starter kit and it would sound like a les paul.
There are so many different things that go into the sound, pick style, attack, string type, string thickness, pickup types, pick magnets, pick up mounting, body style, body wood, electronics in guitar, cable type, amp type (preamp type), tube or digital, what kind of tube or electronics
TaylorMackAffair 2 months ago
@TaylorMackAffair Learn science. And eat your heart out by searching google "SCRAP LUMBER BASS vs. ALDER BASS" It should be the first link to the talkbass forum.
gigel2006 2 weeks ago 5
what about brazilian cherry (jatoba) what is its tone?
prefixproductions1 6 months ago
@mesvidsfavoris And Strats don't usually sound that good unplugged. They defy logic because they have hollowed out chambers under large plastic pickguards, floating bridges, bolt-on necks, inconsistent string tension over the nut (some strings have string trees, some don't). They should sound horrible based on all of those features, yet when plugged-in they SING with amazing tone.
FiveEightSevenEight 8 months ago
@mesvidsfavoris There's no scientific evidence of that, it's mostly opinion. I have a Vintage V100 Icon (Les Paul copy) which doesn't sound that great unplugged (it's kind of dead sounding), but it sounds REALLY good plugged-in. And I have a nice Gibson Explorer copy which sounds GREAT unplugged (it sings!), but it sounds average to slightly above average when plugged-in.
FiveEightSevenEight 8 months ago
Alder all the way
chucktheduck64 1 year ago
Comment removed
DaDa2Phlux 1 year ago
the best material is metal! seriously! aluminium sounds awesome
immortalx50 1 year ago
Why cant you use transparent tops on certain woods?
PaulGilbert60sMind 1 year ago
An electric guitar is just that. The only wood on it that might affect the sound is the neck and fretboard. The variations in sound come from the pick-ups, pots, string size and distance from pickups, bridge style and material, and nut style and material. Les Paul's original guitar was a board with pickups. Its all about the electronics when it comes to the sound produced by electric instruments.
MrJoespray 1 year ago 3
Hey great vid! Guys, I've recorded a video comparing different woods in reality by sound samples. +++Jackson vs Esp Ltd Axxion+++. Definitely check it out.
erszebet 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
What's this "rant" you're talking about? That's my professional opinion based on experience. I've been building guitars & speaker cabs since the late '70's and with solid-body electric guitars, it's mostly about the electronics.
FiveEightSevenEight 1 year ago
Comment removed
FiveEightSevenEight 1 year ago
Nice video. We're featuring it in Guitar Kit Builder online magazine.
guitarkitbuilder 1 year ago
I think Bob would agree with a lot of what you're saying. Don't forget this vid is part of a series, there's no claim that the wood is the one vital factor. But if you have two guitars with the same construction techniques, setup, same electronics, pickups, pickup placement and played the same way by the same player, then you'll be able to tell the difference between wood choices.
samkeen 1 year ago
Great vid Bob. I have been playing a very, very long time and have had over 25+ guitars from Les Pauls to San Dimas Charvels to BC Richs to Carvins to Hamers. Wood does make a difference, your playing technique makes the biggest difference of them all. Not discounting Bob's vids, just saying don't put too much emphasis on wood type. I would say playing technique then a properly set-up then your guitar amp is probably over 95% of your tone.
4JayeP 1 year ago
whats wrong with many people?
They said a lot about WOOD but cannot notice ugly fretjobs and buzz it made. And they think it's wood? No wood will save you when your guitar is poorly fretted, you will hear buzz, dead notes, dirty sustain... and it's all because of poor fret job. This can affect your sound much harsher that any cheap wood.
People who think they are experts,and don't know sh** about fretjob and proper action are not experts at all, no matter how many types of wood they know.
WyattCrow 1 year ago
I find it funny that people say wood doesn't affect the tone. Those same people will also tell you to try a few of the same model of guitar to find the good sounding one. Well, what's the variable between 2 Les Pauls of the same model? THE WOOD! If 2 pieces of mahogany don't sound identical, how can you claim that 2 different species of wood won't affect the tone?
1sainteve1 1 year ago
a friend of mine had a costume guitar built for him with a...i guess an esp m2 body shape if you can call it that,but a little thicker one,3 equal different wood parts for the body solid alder back,cocobolo in the middle and flame maple top,neck through birdseye maple with ebony fretboard 2 seymour duncan humbuckers but dont know wich ones stop tailpiece bridge,that thing sounds awesome even unplugged
dpapaioannow 2 years ago
what about bjork and plywood? im making my own guitar out of that
MrCpsven 2 years ago
how would a guitar made out of oak sound? my dad and i are making a firebird and we have a large slab of oak in our basement drying to be made into something.
plz give me some advice, im 13 and this is the first guitar i've ever tried to make :)
jonnathan907 2 years ago
The oak electric or for that matter the plywood electric will sound the same.
mostlyrightous 2 years ago
Oak is too heavy for a body, but I've made necks from oak before. You could try chambering the body to make it lighter and use oak, but you'd need a top.
rbilleaud 2 years ago
I've always been drawn to good ol' chip board. There's just something beautiful about it
Rafterman123 2 years ago
Being as basla is a "hard wood" , can I make a bass guitar out of it, if I add enough truss rods? :)
panhead1219 2 years ago
Yeah and when it breaks, you can make a model airplane out of the pieces.
rbilleaud 2 years ago
this helped so much i subcribed
ht448 2 years ago
i'm sorry, but I had to chuckle every time he said "swamp assh"
fugitive1201 2 years ago
ESP LTD models use agathis wood. It's a pretty cheap wood like Basswood. But how does it sound or compare to other woods like Mahogany?
Kh501pr 2 years ago
it tone is inbetween alder and mahogany with the best of both tones
tank9142 2 years ago
Agathis gets a bad rap because it's inexpensive. The reason why it's cheap is because it's very abundant in Asia. The more abundant, the lower the cost. Many years ago Agathis was used by luthiers as an exotic wood. It was (and still is) considered to be a good tonewood. Basswood is also inexpensive because it's so abundant in Asia but it's a good tonewood as well. Keep in mind that with solid body electric guitars, most of the tone comes from the electronics, not the wood.
FiveEightSevenEight 2 years ago 3
IMHO tone comes from the wood. if you have crappy wood, there's no such electronics that will make it into the great tone, that's the fact. full stop.
mikeyz75 2 years ago
Opinions & theories are "fact"? I always say "The proof is in the pudding". Over the years, I've heard, played, owned, & even built many guitars that were made of inexpensive woods (even plywood) which sounded great. I know a luthier who built an experimental guitar from particleboard & it sounded surprisingly good! He even wrote an article about it which I can email you if you like.
FiveEightSevenEight 2 years ago 3
With solid body electric guitars, the electronics contribute about 85% to the tone. That leaves 15% for everything else. Wood is WAY more important in acoustical instruments.
FiveEightSevenEight 2 years ago 35
I think you need the refresher course in the sound physics. Electronics won't ever have chance to 'see' and reproduce something that the wood won't generate when vibrating.
Also, I wasn't referring to particular wood, so ''inexpensive wood' can be e.g. pine, which actually is a good tonewood, despite what people say.
mikeyz75 2 years ago
My friend's plywood body guitar with Seymour Duncan pickups & upgraded pots & caps sounds fantastic. The luthier I mentioned before built a particleboard body guitar with Lindy Fralin pickups that sounded really good. But according to you, it's impossible. Listen with your ears, not your brain. The proof is in the pudding.
FiveEightSevenEight 2 years ago 3
@FiveEightSevenEight nevertheless, wood still makes a difference in electric guitars.
greensp4rk 1 year ago
@greensp4rk Yes, it does...I never said that it didn't. But with solid body electric guitars, it has a minor impact on the tone. The electronics have the most impact.
FiveEightSevenEight 1 year ago 2
@FiveEightSevenEight That means i want a solid body with good wood, as well as good electronics. Then i will have both the 85% and the 15% combined to make a kick ass tone.
liteovershadows 1 year ago
@liteovershadows I think that ratio is based alot on the fact that most people now make the mistake of cranking their gain up as far as they can. As someone who uses about 15% gain, I'd say its pretty even. lol, I went from an ibanez RG with basswood body, rosewood fingerboard, and maple neck to a mahogony body with rosewood fingerboard and a 5 peice maple-mahogony neck, and I must say, there was a massive change.
rockster07 1 year ago
@FiveEightSevenEight
I'm sorry to say but dude.... you are very, very wrong.
I've played a guitars enough to know... the wood completely changes teh sound... light wood will sound light and thin,,, heavy woods tend to sound darker and more full... same pickups... the woods make huge impact on sound... far more than the 15% you said...
it's more like 45%wood-55%pickups
ArkAngelHFB 1 year ago
@ArkAngelHFB A Strat made of Ash, Alder, Poplar, Basswood, Plywood, w/ Rosewood or Maple fretboard still sounds like a Strat, but if you change the single coils to humbuckers w/ 500k pots, GONE is the Strat sound. A Les Paul with a thick Maple cap, a thin Maple veneer, no Maple at all, Rosewood or Ebony fretboard, Maple or Mahogany neck, still sounds like a Les Paul should. But put in single coils w/ 250k pots and GONE is the Les Paul sound. Electronics make a HUGE impact on the tone.
FiveEightSevenEight 1 year ago 3
@FiveEightSevenEight
Yeah.... no.... that is why I said 55% pickups.... you didn't read my post did you... you just assumed I'd completely disagreed with you... and fired off a rant of a come back. you are completely forgetting that the shape of a guitar has to do with the wood that is vibrating. Guitar shapes mater recourse wood matters... far more than you give it credit...
ArkAngelHFB 1 year ago
@ArkAngelHFB I DID read your post and I totally disagree that it's half & half (55% & 45% is basically half & half). Carvin makes a mahogany body Strat copy but it still has that thin jangly signature Strat sound. My friend has a plywood body SG copy but it still has that warm fat Gibson sound. I can show you articles by luthiers and videos of guitars made of plexiglass, paper mache, concrete block, particleboard, etc. that sound great...because of their electronics.
FiveEightSevenEight 1 year ago 4
This has been flagged as spam show
@ArkAngelHFB What's this "rant" you're talking about? That's my professional opinion based on experience. I've been building guitars & speaker cabs since the late '70's and with solid-body electric guitars, it's mostly about the electronics.
FiveEightSevenEight 1 year ago
@FiveEightSevenEight For clean tones is why i buy a certain type solid body electric.
DAKMAIN 10 months ago
@FiveEightSevenEight I would think woods on electrics are just as important as on acoustics. And I would also say that 85% of the tone comes from the person themselves. not the electronics OR the wood. both electronics and wood just help compliment your playing. I would also venture to say that the electronics are there in the electric guitars to help the strings resonate through the wood, since it isn't hollow-bodied. for an easy example on this look at the other "top comment" below you on here
lovescarguitar 6 months ago
@lovescarguitar Strats made of Alder, Ash, Poplar, Basswood, Mahogany, Plywood, etc. may sound a little different from each other, but they ALL still have that signature thin, jangly Strat sound. Les Pauls made of Mahogany w/ Maple cap, Mahogany w/ NO Maple cap, Alder, Basswood, Plywood, etc. may sound a little different from each other, but they ALL still have that signature fat, warm Les Paul sound. But put Strat single coils & 250k pots in a Les Paul and GONE is that Les Paul sound.
FiveEightSevenEight 6 months ago
@FiveEightSevenEight okay so i am confused now. are you still on electronics being more important than wood? or now wood being just as important. because you made both seem equal in what you just said i think.
you talked about replacing a les paul pickup with a strat pickup on a les paul.. you don't get a strat by doing that. but now you have just stumbled upon a different sound. its neither a strat sound, nor a les paul sound. its going to have hints of a les paul and hints of a strat.
lovescarguitar 6 months ago
@lovescarguitar A Les Paul made of Alder will not sound like a Strat. It will sound a little different from a conventional Les Paul, but it will still have that fat, warm Les Paul sound. But if you put Strat single coil pickups & 250k pots in a conventional Mahogany/Maple Les Paul, it will no longer sound like a Les Paul. The tone will be thin & bright. Why? Because with solid-body electric guitars, the electronics affect the tone way more than the wood does.
FiveEightSevenEight 6 months ago
@FiveEightSevenEight okay well this is just an honest question. not anything to debunk anyone.
I see what you are saying. if you have both a les paul with an alder body and a strat, which also has an alder body, they would still sound different. that I am pretty sure the different pick-ups are involved. But are you saying that putting strat pickups in a les paul, that the wood would not still give it different characteristics than being on a strat?
lovescarguitar 6 months ago
@lovescarguitar As I mentioned before, Strat single coil pickups & 250k pots in a Les Paul will sound thin & bright. It will no longer have that fat, warm signature Les Paul sound. Wood does contribute to the tone, but not nearly as much as the electronics.
FiveEightSevenEight 6 months ago
@lovescarguitar Nope, it's going to sound like a Strat. The Strat tone comes from the pickups.
michael72986 2 weeks ago
@FiveEightSevenEight But I'm still a beginner at all this. so maybe you're right.
lovescarguitar 6 months ago
If you change the pickups on a Fender
Strat to humbuckers, gone is your Strat sound. But if you change the maple fretboard to rosewood, or Ash body to Poplar, then you would still have a Strat sound, just a slightly different Strat sound. Why? Because the electronics make the biggest impact on the tone.
OddTimeMan 2 years ago 4
So why nobody builds LesPauls of maple and strats from mahogany? Or better, build strats from plywood, and tune electronics so that it sounds like real strat. Because maple lespaul will not sound lespaul, and mahogany strat will not sound like a strat, regardless of all the voodoo electronics you can put in. Poplar strat is possible because the poplar and ash are very similar soundwise. That is all. I can see no point in arguing further because I am arguing with some voodoo.
mikeyz75 2 years ago
You clearly don't know what you're talking about. There ARE Fender Strats made of mahogany, and there ARE Gibson Les Pauls made of maple. Google it. And there ARE Strats made of plywood too...they're called Squiers and Starcasters. They all still sound like they're supposed to sound.
OddTimeMan 2 years ago 2
@OddTimeMan Some of thoese plywood guitars are actually pretty good. I sent a Squier start to my luthier to get it set-up correctly and now it plays and sound just as good (if not better) than my USA Strat. Tone is mostly in your fingers tho.
4JayeP 1 year ago
@mikeyz75 Your playing technique has more effect on tone than anything else. Irregardless of what your play, you are going to sound like YOU no matter what. I've seen complete pieces of junk sound magical and I've seen '58 Les Paul sound like crap. It's mostly the player.
4JayeP 1 year ago
So if I'm looking for a type wood to give me a lot of sustain but not make me fall over from the weight after half a gig, I want what? I am going to paint it not stain it so theres that. I play some Satriani style type of stuff along with some blues and heavier solo stuff. What do you recommend?
theultimaterockr 2 years ago
im trying to make a guitar for playing metal. what woods should i use?
MetalHead1495 2 years ago
No wood, metal only.
froibaad1 2 years ago 2
Comment removed
smokingbob34 2 years ago
this video was very helpful, since I'm working on a Fender mustang project. Thank you.
alsgh422 2 years ago
i love the way that aproximation, opinion, generalisation and subjective conclusions are presented as fact! seriously, people should chose with their ears and their hands, not their eyes or their brains, wood is far to clever to let us humans find a way to define it properly. a good guitar is a good guitar, no matter what wood it is made from.
JmJones2 2 years ago 4
Well said. I've been telling people for years to ignore all the "theories" out there because the proof is in the pudding! Unfortunately, there are too many brainwashed people out there.
FiveEightSevenEight 2 years ago 2
So true. The guy who started Modulus basses went in with the idea that most of the stuff you hear from supposed "experts" is just wrong and started experimenting on his own. He came up with some pretty wild instruments. The guy who builds Zachary guitars built one from an IKEA pine coffeee table top and it sounds great.
rbilleaud 2 years ago 4
very good vid
i know where u got all that wood info from =)
tpcardoso 2 years ago
what about morning wood?
final632 2 years ago 3
Swamp ash Very dense wood are you kidding.
lidesnowi 2 years ago
Whats your opinion on Teak as a tone wood
HAAG 2 years ago
Thanks for this video! I used this knowledge and recently purchased a Special Edition Fender Koa Telecaster. It has a Koa top and a Basswood body. (hopefully a bit more beefy than usual) This video helped sell me on this guitar. The stock Seymour Duncans sure help!
ifallelsefails123 3 years ago
KOA wood is pretty!
Raul48819 3 years ago
i heard korina wood is posionous....
is that true?
StanwoodSpartans 3 years ago
great, helpful vid thanks for posting!
mink787 3 years ago
Thank you very much for posting this video. It has answered a lot of my questions!
itaffy13 3 years ago
what would the best tree be for a steel 12 stringed, someone please answer
Cumbulu 3 years ago
can i make a guitar with the treble side say mahogany and the bass side maple?
tragictravistie 3 years ago
sorry, not possible. Or to say the least, wouldn't work.
itaffy13 3 years ago
doubted it would... maybe with a bouble neck
tragictravisty 3 years ago
What are you guys talking about? You can do it. Would it be beneficial? Probably not, but it would work.
Wang0Phat 3 years ago
by mixing different woods in that fashion you will probably end up with uneven vibration through the instrument resulting in an unbalanced tone. if you're looking to,say, brighten up the top end but keep the bottom end nice and fat, you might want to try making a hollow chamber on the treble side to give you a more open sound on those string whilst leaving it solid on the bass side to give you a tighter response in your bottom end.
lancedeboyle 3 years ago
I noticed that whatever wood I use, it always sounded crappy. Then I realized, no, it's just that I suck.
TadMoody 3 years ago 35
Thanks man, I've been looking online for a new guitar, and had no idea what features to want..... until now :)
GrannyWhackers 3 years ago
which wood, pickups, strings will give me more harmonic overtones?
StanwoodSpartans 3 years ago
13 gauge strings, lots of different pickups, look on dimarzio's site, because their signature sound is steve vai, who extensively uses harmonics, and as for wood, all of these woods will give overtones, but different ones, the warmer woods give lower overtones, the brighter woods, higher overtones.
tragictravistie 3 years ago
thanks man you described the woods very well
im 14 years old and ive just put together an ibanez and im trying to get materials to make a gibson flying v with a bigsby bridge
cgcgames 3 years ago
Yeah same here.. thanks alot man great vid :)
superchiken1 3 years ago
Thank you so much for this you have taught me so much.
JazzGuitarist2007 3 years ago
Great videos and very helpful tips, thanks much for all your efforts.
kherstrams 4 years ago
mmmmm Swamp Ash.
wallis222 4 years ago
r u related to sarah molten btw good vid
pokerjokester 4 years ago
Don't get too caught up in wood types. When it comes to a solidbody electric guitar, 90% of the tone comes from the electronics! Tone makes a big differene in acoustical instruments, but not so much with solidbody electrics. My friend has a cheap plywood gtr with upgraded electronics (pickups & pots), and it sounds as good, if not better, than my expensive guitars. And I have a gtr made from solid mahogany, but it's bright sounding. How can that be? Mahogany is supposed to by warm? ELECTRONICS!
xuworldent 4 years ago 2
The electronics are a big part of the sound. Wood does makes a difference though.
I don't think anyone would deny that you can make a bright guitar from mahogany. But, for example, I have a semi-hollowbody with a mahogany center block. It's got a lot of sustain for a semi-hollow and doesn't feed back nearly as much. Other guitars, with a similar profile and woods for the body, with a maple center don't sound the same(all with Gibson 490 and 498 pups).
SxSDeath 3 years ago
Okayy...
Great video! useful to watch as I hardly knew anything about the less common woods.
miked1988tele 4 years ago
Who is Bob Molton?
rlta04 4 years ago 2
Hey thanks!
iThrash88 4 years ago 2
This is great!!!
jaymie77 4 years ago 2
thanks for this man.
guitarman666 4 years ago 2
good stuff
Mickrophagist 4 years ago 2
I love you.
christianptrsn 4 years ago 2