Tonewood Poll

  • Thread starter Thread starter veji
  • Start date Start date

What wood your guitar is made of has an effect on the sound

  • Agree

    Votes: 85 87.6%

  • Disagree

    Votes: 12 12.4%
  • Total voters
    97
received_5903012259806153~2.jpeg
 
Do your own tests to see. I would, but it seems redundant to get two different electric guitars with the same pickup in the same position. I like each one to sound as unique as possible.
 
scottosan said:
Any material has a dampening factor and a resonant peak.
Click to expand...

You can't hide from physics.
Isn't it more important that the carved neck and body individually have similar peaks to each other
than what material they're made from?
 
Geo said:
If anyone wants to spend 2K on a plastic guitar, then good luck to them.
Click to expand...
The irony being that people do use them and if you closed your eyes, you would never even know.

Some killer companies:
https://fibertone-guitars.com/https://aristidesinstruments.com/

scottosan said:
Claiming proof that it doesn't matter by referencing Youtube video and digital audio quality, is like putting a condom on and insisting that it feels the same. :D
Click to expand...
Holds about as much weight (or less) as just saying "trust me bro, it does".
:p
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Geo
Lookup wood density by species, and density of old growth vs second/new growth. Also there have been a fair number of studies analyzing vibrations applied to various woods.
If it doesn’t matter please build a pine LP with a beautiful mdf top, I’m sure it will sound fantastic.
 
Tone wood affects the sound more in acoustics that it does with electrics. I can tell the difference between a D-28 versus a D-18 blindfolded.

When it comes to electrics, there are many other variables that affect the sound/tone that “compete” in the tone. I’d say scale length affects tone more in electrics than the wood does.
 
For me it doesn't matter, what matters is does it sound good to me, does it do what I want it to do and how I want it to do it. I also have to like the look of it.

I'm not into fancy tops and wood that looks like furniture from the palaces of Europe, regardless of the sound.

I like what I like; and spend my money accordingly.

The tonewood argument will never reach agreement, just like relics. The electric guitar civil wars. :D

edit: also the price; the higher the price the higher my expectations.
 
rsm said:
For me it doesn't matter, what matters is does it sound good to me, does it do what I want it to do and how I want it to do it. I also have to like the look of it.

I'm not into fancy tops and wood that looks like furniture from the palaces of Europe, regardless of the sound.

I like what I like; and spend my money accordingly.

The tonewood argument will never reach agreement, just like relics. The electric guitar civil wars. :D
Click to expand...
I stick by these rules:
- Don't listen with your eyes
- If it sounds good, it probably does

So if a plywood squire into Peavy Bandit nails the tone, I couldn't give two shits of what folks on forums have to say about it haha.
 
Geo said:
Do you have one?
Click to expand...
Yeah I had a 070 for ages. I can promise you no one who listened to our album wrote into me to say "I could tell you used a plastic guitar and it ruined the album for me." Funnily enough no one cared/knew!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Geo
ghosty999 said:
Yeah I had a 070 for ages. I can promise you no one who listened to our album wrote into me to say "I could tell you used a plastic guitar and it ruined the album for me." Funnily enough no one cared/knew!
Click to expand...
Did you buy new and take a loss?
 
Geo said:
Did you buy new and take a loss?
Click to expand...
Let's just say it was on "permanent loan". (No I didn't steal it) haha. But honestly if you get the chance to try an alternative material guitar, diffidently try. The industry eventually will move to alternatives when rare woods become unsustainable to harvest.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Geo
I've tried (unsuccessfully, as the website isn't working) to buy a guitar with the following specs:

  1. Chambered aluminum body (painted high-gloss white)
  2. Carbon fiber composite neck
  3. Carbon fiber composite fretboard
  4. Headless
  5. Trem.

Koloss-GT-6H-copy.png
 
ghosty999 said:
Let's just say it was on "permanent loan". (No I didn't steal it) haha. But honestly if you get the chance to try an alternative material guitar, diffidently try. The industry eventually will move to alternatives when rare woods become unsustainable to harvest.
Click to expand...
There are very few instruments that I would turn down for free.

I get what you are saying but, that's not anything I would spend 2k on.
 
DemNuts said:
You can't hide from physics.
Isn't it more important that the carved neck and body individually have similar peaks to each other
than what material they're made from?
Click to expand...
My observation is that the neck is more important that the body. I've swapped lots of necks and my perceptions of the completed instrument seemed to follow the neck moreso than the body.
 
Last edited:
Geo said:
There are very few instruments that I would turn down for free.

I get what you are saying but, that's not anything I would spend 2k on.
Click to expand...

I would definitely try an Aristides or something like that, if they made a body shape that was my style.

All the aluminum guitars look like they're going to be dated and look goofy in two years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Geo
ghosty999 said:
Yeah I had a 070 for ages. I can promise you no one who listened to our album wrote into me to say "I could tell you used a plastic guitar and it ruined the album for me." Funnily enough no one cared/knew!
Click to expand...
I think you are conflating arguments here. Just because a guitar made of composite materials sounds good, that doesn't mean wood type doesn't affect the tone of guitars not made of composite materials. Beyond that, the query being polled is "What wood your guitar is made of has an effect on the sound", this isn't a question of what is better or good enough to a crowd. The question is, is there a difference...

I know two guitars that are "Identical", meaning same model, construction, made of the same woods, same pickups, strings, setup etc. can and likely will sound different. Perhaps it is only a subtle difference, but I don't believe any two of my guitars sound the same, even when they are the "identical". If I can hear a difference between two guitars that are "identical", I'm willing to bet that two guitars that are "different" will sound different too, even when the wood type is the only difference and yes I do have two guitars that are "identical" except for wood choice, and yes they sound different...
 
8len8 said:
I thought there was tons of evidence out there on the web already that it does.
Click to expand...
yes, and evidence to the contrary.

what's interesting is that those who have an interest in tonewood / exotic / high end wood are often on the "it matters side". that wouldn't have anything to do with profits, not at all, nope.

few will change their position, believe it matters or not, but it's always good for a discussion lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top