Does wood really affects the sound?(electric Guitar)

S

stonely0

New member
Dear all, been wondering lately after looking at all the guitar website and from shop sales assistance that the wood of an electric guitar affects the sound quality is it true?I did some research and realize the big gap in price from brand to brand even though some of the model have the same wood material specs.

For example a particular brand with the same material is cheaper then brand like Gibson and fender. I know the electronics plays a part but then wouldn't it means that the body is just an empty shell? what if a no brand guitar with the same material of brand like Gibson and fender and built to same specs of Gobson/fender with same electronic parts will it males a different in sound? how about if the metal hardware are the same and setup are the same?

I know for sure that accostic and classical guitar have a very obvious different when built on different wood but then electric guitar i can't really tell because i realize that testing the electric guitar in shops on a killer amp and high end pick ups all sound so good. yes i know the sustain may be different but then that can be compensate with pedals... so then why the such huge price gap? brands? peer pressure? collectable? limited edition?

can anyone thell me between this 2 model which is better?

Limited Edition: Epiphone’s Les Paul Custom Silverburst
http://www.electric-guitar-review.c...dition-epiphones-les-paul-custom-silverburst/

or a

Washburn Nick Catanese NC70
http://topguitars.info/guitars/view/533/122/default.html


Just trying to nail the myth
 
gibson and fender guitars cost a bomb cos 1stly they keep their wood for ages in a warehouse to age the wood. storing something in s warehouse for that long is gonna incur some storage costs. aged wood sound better than young wood, of cos with a young wood, u can always keep it at home and age it urself. 2ndly, since they sponsor loads of guitarists, we as consumers bear their advertising costs.

and yes, wood does make a diff. i've tested 2 extremes before on the same amp. an ash tele no matter how much i tweak the tone knob cant beat the lows of mahogany on the same amp settings. tested and proven. that being said, pickups, amps, electronics all play a part in tone as well. :)

as for those 2 guitars, it will depend on what kinda music u play. specs being pretty similar save for the pickups, i think if u play rock to metal, the emgs will suit u better. but if u play jazz to blues to abit of rock, the epiphone will suit u better. then again, as many will advise, do test both out 1st. the specs may seem similar, but the playability may be miles apart. O.O!!
 
different woods affecting tone is definitely NOT a myth.

try making a guitar out of chipwood. in fact the type of wood and even the way they are assembled together (3piece body etc.) affects tone quite alot.
 
stonely0 said:
I did some research and realize the big gap in price from brand to brand even though some of the model have the same wood material specs.
Click to expand...

When manufacturers label their wood specs, it may not be the whole truth as wood species varies. It's better to take what they say with a pinch of salt. At the end of day, it's all about cost of production.

For example, when a lower end MIC/MIK guitar claimed to be made of mahogany, chances are it's not really mahogany but possibly Nato - technically a "sister-species" of mahogany that is much cheaper. "Real" mahoganies from Africa or South America are more expensive and are usually used for higher end guitars.

Likewise for rosewood. Most mid to high end guitars would use the Indian or African (Bubinga) variety. The cheaper guitars are likely to use Indonesian rosewood (Sonokeling). It's more of a furniture wood than tonal wood, and luthiers prefer to use it for bindings or as veneer finishes for guitars.
 
yup wood does affect the tone. if you read up on how Les Paul invented the electric guitar you'll find something interesting there (when he hooked up a guitar string to a piece of railway track)

I'm inclined to think that each type of wood would accentuate a certain frequency range e.g. maple - bright tones, mahogany - warm, mid-rangey. and the pickups amplify that and add in their own characteristics.
 
..."the wood of an electric guitar affects the sound quality is it true?"

Yes, it's true. Different woods have different tonal qualities. It's no myth.

To use the Les Paul as an example. Since it's my favourite guitar nowadays.
If you noticed, Les Paul or copies of it always spot a maple cap and mahogany body.
Back in the days Ted McCarty found that maple and mahogany together provides the extra density and sustain. And that this particular combination gave the Les Paul it's signature thick, fat tones. And mahogany's emphasis on the midrange coupled with the brightness of the maple cap gives it the bite to cut through the mix.
A Les Paul with any other wood combination is no longer a Les Paul. It's just some guitar shaped like a Les Paul.

Similarly, rosewood will always give the player that wide dynamic range, extra lows and extra sparkle on the highs. Basswood would always have the 'out there' characteristic, etc.

The list goes on, just google 'Tonal qualities of wood' and you'll find lots of articles describing the difference in tone of various tonewoods.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I did some research and realize the big gap in price from brand to brand even though some of the model have the same wood material specs."

Of course there is a price disparity. You can't really compare them like these because the wood is not the only consideration.

What you're usually paying for in a guitar is:
-Brand
-Body wood
-Neck/ Fingerboard wood
-Hardware
-Electronics
-Workmanship
-Exclusiveness

A XYZ Les Paul copy and a Edwards Les Paul copy would obviously differ greatly in price.

You're always paying for the brand itself, be it for its exclusiveness, history, prestige or the simple assurance of quality that a brand conveys.

I mean, you'd have inherent expectations of high-quality and impeccable workmanship from an LV bag or a Panerai watch, right?

So even though a Edwards Les Paul Standard and a XYZ Les Paul may spot a similar combination of maple and mahogany, they are obviously on very different levels. And we have not even touched on the other factors yet.

Same kind of wood, sure.
But what about the hardware, electronics and the wood quality. There are many variants of maple and mahogany. How thick is the maple cap on the XYZ Les Paul copy? What grade is the mahogany. Is it high-quality Hondurian mahogany or a cheaper Indonesian variant?
And also one of the reason why a 59' Burst is so sought after is partly due to the wood quality. Old-wood is highly prized.
Back in the days the maple caps that McCarty sourced were from small lumber-mills and they were specifically cut to his orders. Back then even he had problems finding high-quality maple supplies of sufficient thickness. Fast-forward 50 years, everything is almost gone now, so just imagine the difference in quality of today's wood and the good old-wood of yesteryear.

And workmanship, this is a huge factor.
Does the XYZ Les Paul copy have a long or short tenon. Is the neck angle/ pitch set-up correctly? Is the neck set optimally so as to ensure maximum transference of the vibrations. Is the nut well cut? Are the fret well dressed, are the electronics well-done? Are the binding done right? Etc, etc.

Workmanship plays a huge role. That is why some people pay big-bucks for boutique made-to-order guitars. This is because they are looking for top-notch workmanship on their guitars that feel, play and sound great.

Hardware and electronics, are they similar on the Edwards and the XYZ Les Paul copy?
Edwards uses high-quality CTS pots, SD pups, Gotoh Hardware, etc. What does the XYZ Les Paul copy use?

And not forgetting the finishing. Some guitars spot nitro finishes instead of the usual poly finish. That plays a part as well.

Do you see now why the singular comparison of wood is an absolutely myopic way of comparing guitars?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"i realize that testing the electric guitar in shops on a killer amp and high end pick ups all sound so good. yes i know the sustain may be different but then that can be compensate with pedals"

I don't think anyone here has ever discounted the importance of a good amp. For all the years that I've been around here, the general advise that is given out is that a good amp contributes more to your tone that a good guitar.

And of course, pickups play a huge role too. But a poorly constructed guitar made of inferior wood would never compared to a well-made guitar with good wood, both in terms of feel and tone.

And again, not everybody plays high-gain. But I'd have to agree that playing on high-gain somewhat drowns the nuances and characteristics of your tone.

But the shortcomings of a cheaply-made guitar will become very apparent when it's going through a clean or slightly overdriven amp.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"what if a no brand guitar with the same material of brand like Gibson and fender and built to same specs of Gobson/fender with same electronic parts will it males a different in sound? how about if the metal hardware are the same and setup are the same?"

I'd liken the above to putting make-up on a pig. Still butt-ugly.
Also, have you considered the cost of putting similar high-quality hardware on a no-brand guitar. It'd tally up to almost the same as what you pay for a Fender or more.
Gibson, well, you're paying a lot just for the brand. But I've always thought that Fenders are very value-for-money.

I've done up a few project guitars. And I can safely tell you that if you're thinking of building a high-quality project guitar, you'd end up spending more than most store-bought guitars.

Good pups, electronics and hardware do not come cheap.

So at the end of the day, it's really up to you. You'd have to take into consideration your budget, your playing style and prioritize where to invest your money upon.
 
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I have to say that the reply Phil just gave is by far 1 of the best ever answers I have ever seen on Soft. You nailed everything spot on.

Thumbs up!
 
bf0502tr said:
gibson and fender guitars cost a bomb cos 1stly they keep their wood for ages in a warehouse to age the wood. storing something in s warehouse for that long is gonna incur some storage costs. aged wood sound better than young wood, of cos with a young wood, u can always keep it at home and age it urself. 2ndly, since they sponsor loads of guitarists, we as consumers bear their advertising costs.
Click to expand...

They age their wood?:confused: Since when? The tree is already more than 10 years old when felled, and in some cases like Brazilian Rosewood, much much older when it collapses.

What's a few more months in storage going to do to it?
 
wow thank you for the good insight. helps me very much. Personally i like Gibson but now they have the Epi series that makes the selction of this brand more complicated. I have to agree that the true beauty of the guitar still comes from the clean sound w/o gain and ofcourse from a good amp:)

Now i have a better idea... in short, we pay for what we get. Measure usage first then consider quality. a balance of usage and quality have to be compromise. It's not easy shopping for a guitar. im into all mode of playing, soft to heavy but mostly when im alone at home i play in clean mode becz i feel... er that kind of feeling i can't describe when i get from hearing the notes coming out of the amp in clean mode. I hope u guys know what i mean.

I prefer thick tone, in clean or gain mode. I hate tone that are too trebly it makes my hair stand on end. I read that the head stock of Gibson style produce more sustain compare to a strat style headstock, anyone can verify that?

Also how about ebony wood for fretboard? compare to rosewood and maple wood?
 
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Ok base on what i read here and in this website http://www.ehow.com/about_5368389_types-woods-electric-guitars.html

http://www.warrguitars.com/2007/12/wood-tonal-qual.html

i think i know what i want.

I'm a sucker for sustain and heavy guitar rather then a light one so Mahogany is the one for me:P body and neck in Mahogany with either a rosewood or ebony fretboard. that's my perfect guitar i can imagine:)

Oh by the way come across this video... wow using both his left and right brain in playing this guitar. Awesome... http://www.warrguitars.com/artist_series/
 
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Whitestrat said:
They age their wood?:confused: Since when? The tree is already more than 10 years old when felled, and in some cases like Brazilian Rosewood, much much older when it collapses.

What's a few more months in storage going to do to it?
Click to expand...

i thought they keep in store for a few years?? :???:
 
"I'm a sucker for sustain and heavy guitar rather then a light one so Mahogany is the one for me:P body and neck in Mahogany with either a rosewood or ebony fretboard. LP/Gibson style headstock, LP style body (if it's not a gibson):P that's my perfect guitar i can imagine:)"

I suggest you check out the Edwards line. Or one of the much sought after 80's Tokai, Greco, Orville, Burny Les Paul copies.

"I read that the head stock of Gibson style produce more sustain compare to a strat style headstock, anyone can verify that?"

It's not exactly the headstock style; like the Les Paul open book headstock design versus the strat's headstock design. That's just cosmetics.

If you noticed the Les Paul's neck is at an angle while the strat is straight, hence the need for string-trees on the strat.

Well, I'm sure the angle thing contributes but again it's not the only factor.

Aside from the wood used and body construction, there's also the fact that the Les Paul has a set-neck versus a bolt-on neck on the strat.

And the scales of the Les Paul and the strat is different too. The shorter scale of the Les Paul makes bending a lot easier, responds quicker to the touch, and enable smaller hands to span larger distances.

Tonally, the strat's longer scale equates to a higher string tension, it's louder and more powerful, has better definition and note separation, allows for heavier attacks and has a brighter and tighter sound.

On the contrary, when playing chords, the notes 'blend' on the shorter scaled Les Paul. While as mentioned, on the longer scale, there is that distinct note separation.

I hope that helps. (:
 
Aside from the wood used and body construction, there's also the fact that the Les Paul has a set-neck versus a bolt-on neck on the strat.

Now that you mention i notice that too. LP uses a telon instead of bolt right? The length of the telon into the body also affects the tone. if im not wrong.

And the scales of the Les Paul and the strat is different too. The shorter scale of the Les Paul makes bending a lot easier, responds quicker to the touch, and enable smaller hands to span larger distances.

more speedplay.

Tonally, the strat's longer scale equates to a higher string tension, it's louder and more powerful, has better definition and note separation, allows for heavier attacks and has a brighter and tighter sound.

so playing a strat require precise fingering and finger strength rite? or should i say that mistake in fingering/notes will be amplified? but how about lowering the action of a strat will it still have higher tension? from this i sort of can tell that a strat will sound much better in clean mode.
 
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