tegs07

Possibly it’s called Tonewood so luthiers don’t get a load of 2x4 beams delivered when they make their order. Maybe due to how the wood is graded, sawn and shaped. Whatever the reason that’s it’s name.

You may have discovered a niche marketing opportunity for yourself

Tonewood = generic name for a shed load of woods used to make instruments. Does wood have acoustic properties = yes Will one wood vs another magically transform your instrument into a legendary syren like creature = no will it make you more sexually appealing = no Is there a load of marketing hype = sure that’s what people do to sell stuff. is it still known as tonewood by luthiers and guitar companies the world over = yes

The thing is they are not saying anything false. The woods do have those characteristics. Whether or not they influence the sound on a solid bodied instrument is another matter. It’s like the bike analogy plenty of road cyclists spend a fortune changing all the components to make the bike lighter. Will this make them faster, better cyclists? I doubt it they would save more cash and weight by skipping pudding. At least Rosewood, Kia etc look nice.

As the making of musical instruments long predates the invention of electricity is it possible that certain woods were selected for their suitability for this purpose. These woods are now collectively known as Tonewoods. Specific factors such as density will affect the tone produced by the wood. These woods all have varying acoustic as well as aesthetic qualities. These may diminish when used to make a solid bodied instrument but the wood remains a Tonewood.

It is pretty extensive... some of these I have never heard of.. Timberline-Exotic-Hardwoods-TONEWOODS-LIST-2020.pdf

I’m happy with that now onto hi-mass Bridges .... 😀

Not sure about not sounding good. To relieve lockdown boredom I have done a few bass builds one was with a Squire which seems to be made up of loads of bits of wood glued together with ply front and back. Moving pickups between a 3 piece ash body and the squire there was a slight change in the way it sounded to my ears. It’s subtle but was there. Not enough to make a huge impact granted and I am sure if played loud in a room full of people would have no noticeable difference. Edit: long answer made shorter does wood choice influence sound made.. possibly. Does it matter for appearance and weight ... definitely.

Shall we just rename tonewood to luthierwood then everyone will be happy. It’s just wood used to make instruments and is selected for its strength, appearance, weight and yes acoustic properties among other things.

The frame for the Danelctro is most likely made of Poplar... Masonite / Poplar combo is often used by Danelctro.

Thanks for confirmation. So basswood is a good tonewood as is mahogany and Ash. If I was a luthier and was tasked to make a solid colour light weight bass I would pick basswood. If I were building a heavy dark wood instrument then mahogany if I wanted stain and oil to highlight the grain then Ash. All tonewoods, all different instruments and I am pretty sure they would all sound slightly different as well.

Isn’t tonewood just a generic catch-all term for a raft of different woods used to make musical instruments? If you are interested in grain then yes the choice matters. I would think that a luthier’s choice of tonewood would be less to do with the tone of the wood and more to do with the type and appearance of the instrument they are making. In terms of my own mucking about at home the different necks on different instruments make a subtle change in tone. Would this be noticeable in a live venue? I doubt it. Would it sound different played on the toilet? All changes to an instrument IMO may influence the sound it makes, how significant that change is will be open to debate. Edit: The use of luthier implies small, bespoke builds. Large manufacturers will be more concerned with supply, costs and consistency amongst other things when selecting tonewood.

Yep, I had that on watch but stopped when it hit £200. Nice basses those but a lot of work to get it back to its former glory even if the neck is straight with working truss rod etc.

True. That’s were it gets difficult with the whole “eat the rich” debate. My views have mellowed as I have got older.

Definitely there is no right or wrong answer... buy whatever works for you.

It’s tricky... I suppose the key to this is excess. I see no reason why Bill Gates should drive a car as $hit as mine but if your average billionaire just hides out on a private island avoiding tax and spending the excess on their next home / luxury yacht then yes I do have an issue with it ...

Bit like the whole vegan vs organic vs locally farmed vs factory farmed difficult to be “right” or ethical when there are so many factors at play.

Ah I do love a radical vegan. Nothing like living on an island surrounded by fish and with a climate perfect for sheep and dairy and being lectured about what you should eat ... Disclaimer I am a reformed vegetarian in remission...

Maybe they just dreamed of owning one since they were 12, spent 30 years slogging through work, raised a family and could finally afford their childhood dream? The world isn’t just 1 dimensional... Edit: before you comment no I don’t own a fancy German car .. wouldn’t mind one of those air cooled 911’s though

Nothing if you’re happy with it. Don’t replace any of the electrics or hardware then if you go of it in a couple of years you can sell it for a 50% loss. Some one else may have bought a scarce MIJ 80’s Fender and sell that in a few years for a 20% profit. There is no right or wrong answer here.

I suppose this depends on whether you are buying a bass that is a workhorse, an aesthetic indulgence or an investment. I know people that are happy to spend £2.5K on a gaming monitor... a second hand Rickenbacker looks like a bargain compared to that, or a MIA limited edition.. buy wisely and you can sell it on several years later for a profit, Edit: I have never spent nor am I ever likely to spend more than £1000 on a bass.... but what appears expensive is relative. A friend who had been a lawyer for a couple of years whilst I was at uni had a thing for older Rickenbackers .... I thought what he was spending was utter lunacy but he could afford them then and if he still has them now they would be worth some serious cash.

Tricky because we don’t know what method is used to get the average.There is also likely to be a huge disparity in wealth and very big variations between rural and urban incomes which could really distort the figures.