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The heretic thread approved by Roger Sadowsky or For those who pretend tone doesn't come from wood...


Hellzero

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1) It's in player's hands.

2) Neck represents the most significant parametre in the whole equation.

3) Player should test and find the best sounding instrument for oneself, not the others.

 

1b) It is possible to get bad sound from an extraordinary bass.

2b) The equation includes body, electronics, pickups, strings, not to mention the player...

3b) If you cannot feel and hear any difference, buy the cheapest one you like. Or the one that looks good.

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There's been some very entertaining alternative materials used to refute "tonewood" where the pickups strings and preamps have been retained and body and neck materials substituted.

 

Concrete

Plastic

Lump of 4x2.

My personal favourite: air, where the strings were tensioner between two heavy benches and the pickups supported under.

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I think it's true what he says - it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, as long as the player feels happy either way (like, 'this sounds warmer because it's rosewood!' or 'I just like the way this looks') then that's good. Same with our pedals - probably nobody else cares at all whether your envelope filter attack is adjustable or not. But in this day and age where everything is about convenience, similarity, efficiency and cost, I think we're lucky to have refuge in arguing about the nuances of something as minor as tonewoods, and if we feel empowered one way or the other, that's cool. 

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Posted (edited)
On 26/01/2022 at 17:12, Woodinblack said:

Hey, we haven't argued about this for over a month. here is something!

 

Yes, it proves that strings extended between two points with a pickup under does indeed make a sound, and therefor got tone.

 

Big news.

 

Who would have known. 9_9

 

It doesn't however prove that wood has no influence on the tone of a bass or guitar, that is not how logic works.

 

But it's impossible to argue with people who are ignorant to the basic laws a physics and how logic works.

 

Or well, I suppose not impossible, but nothing constructive will come out of it at least.

 

 

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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I cant help thinking modern electrical instrument websites such as our illustrious BC have muddied the waters so much everyone has lost sight of the primary issue of being a musician, that of .... "Practise and study.".

I dabble on the cello and playing a stringed instrument is all about practise, study and technique and absolutely not, what type of materials might be used.   In fact when you go to buy or upgrade your stringed instrument for example, you dont look at the makers label,  you think about how it looks, feels and sounds..It matters not a jot who made it. It boggles the mind that people involved in bass go on about this and that... At the end of the day its just bass. Think about that. Bass.

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A luthier with an obsession with the materials he selects and a passion for minutiae is no bad thing. I would not want to buy an instrument from someone who could not care less.

 

I think most players will be less interested in small differences, their audience even less so and their wives positively comatose.

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Posted (edited)

Roger could kill the conversation dead if he recorded a video where he picked basses at random from their stock and could show that basses made from the same woods sounded the same as each other and followed the maple=bright, rosewood=warm generalisations.

Edited by Doctor J
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5 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

A luthier with an obsession with the materials he selects and a passion for minutiae is no bad thing. I would not want to buy an instrument from someone who could not care less.

 

I think most players will be less interested in small differences, their audience even less so and their wives positively comatose.

Luthiers "dont care less", most are passionate about their work but it can get a bit silly as in the statement from Mr Sadowsky. Ive learnt in 45 years of playing bass that it really is in the fingers. A recent playback from a thing I did on a naff ole Squire P bass with dead flats, and the tone coming out thru the PA was tight..mid punchy, round, fat and extremely satisfying. I doubt there was a punter in the house who's emotions werent tugged by the experience.

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Posted (edited)

I’ve got 2 Sandberg Lionel basses that are pretty much identical other than the strings (and colour). Both alder bodies, maple neck with rosewood boards. They weigh the same to within 3oz. Both passive with Black label pups. They sound pretty different…the one with EBMM slinkies is smoother, less punchy, the one with stock Sandberg strings is much harsher - they’ll be coming off at the weekend.IMG_1562.thumb.jpeg.9a5bb153a0d34a2b8f8aac428dd7f7b1.jpeg

Edited by martthebass
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9 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

It doesn't however prove that wood has no influence on the tone of a bass or guitar, that is not how logic works.

The previous vids in his series compared tone of the original to the substutes. The 4x2 sounded just like the original. That's some exotic tonewood!

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OK, I'll say it one more time, here's the headline:

 

Man Whose Living Is Selling Very Expensive Pieces Of Wood Makes Claims That Expensive Wood Is Very Important For Tone.

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10 hours ago, martthebass said:

They sound pretty different…the one with EBMM slinkies is smoother, less punchy, the one with stock Sandberg strings is much harsher - they’ll be coming off at the weekend.IMG_1562.thumb.jpeg.9a5bb153a0d34a2b8f8aac428dd7f7b1.jpeg

Do they sound different unplugged to?

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Posted (edited)
6 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Can we have a 'do compressors actually do anything?' thread now please.

It's been a while...

I can prove they don't!

 

I've figured out a cunning setup where I play without any compressor whatsoever, but still sound great, and that'll prove once and for all that compressors are a scam!

 

Edited by Baloney Balderdash
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3 hours ago, Muzz said:

Man Whose Living Is Selling Very Expensive Pieces Of Wood Makes Claims That Expensive Wood Is Very Important For Tone

I said those very words over on TB...They did not like it. Its all very silly.

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1 hour ago, martthebass said:
4 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Do they sound different unplugged to?

They do.

Note for oneself: Too is better.

 

Is it the same kind of difference unplugged as well as plugged?

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