throwoff

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1430305959' post='2760006'] So to clarify your position - the wood makes a difference, but the pickups are not very efficient at allowing that difference through to the amp. I fully agree that a pickup change can be one of the most dramatic changes in tone. Round strings to flats is another. But that doesn't mean wood differences aren't there, it's just that the differences are of a smaller magnitude. Those differences are even less noticeable (even pickups and strings) if an amp has such a powerful overbearing voice, like an SVT at full tilt. If anything that is a failure of the pickup system - failing to fully realise the tonal quality of a particular wood choice. [/quote] No, not at all. An acoustic instrument is designed from the ground up to amplify itself, in an electric instrument the wood is just a pretty holder for the pickups.

Good find! My best CrackConverters buy was a Jackson Dinky lefty from the 90's where they were made in Japan, had Duncans and a proper Floyd for £120

749 seems to be the going rate in the UK, that is a lot of bass for that kind of money. Hopefully I can find one in stock somewhere, I have wanted to buy a Baron H hollow for ages but even the Westside store in London doesn't hold a single lefty in stock, I refuse to buy one till I have had a plunk on it. Which is a shame to be told when you go into a store looking to spend money.

That is lovely. WANT.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1430238338' post='2759379'] Be dead easy to test. Get two (or even better, 3 or 4) 99% identical instruments, say alder body and ash and then run the signal into a 'scope. Ideally with a mechanical device picking the strings for uniformity. Use the exact same set of pickups and compare the 'scope trace. Then for control do the same with a contact mic attached to the bodies - not using the pickups. Do that with plucking the strings and with an impact / tuning fork test. If there is a difference on the 'scope then there is a difference. Whether that difference is actually enough to be detected by the human ear will also be answered by the 'scope readings. While you do that I'll nip into Sheehans lovely acoustic emporium and play a Taylor made of mahogany and then one made out of spruce and be completely not surprised by the obvious tonal difference. [/quote] Acoustics are a different kettle of fish completely. The instrument is designed to self amplify and as such the wood construction alters the tone. On electrics it really doesn't. I am sure somebody did your test a few years back where they stuck a Pre CBS set of Fender pups in a guitar and on a plank of wood and found no audible difference in the spectrum.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1430229789' post='2759215'] I've got a flamed maple Warwick. I changed the nut from the standard plastic one to a brass just-a-nut III and the tone of open notes changed significantly. I don't play many open notes, so I don't know if it was a good investment. But that's my 2p worth. I'm also curious how one can pick up to identical Fender USA standard P's and they do sound different. So maybe there is a variation in the windings of the pups? I doubt that. In these days of pups being machine wound in mass production factories. So it has to be down to the quality of the plyboard/alder etc used in the plank? [/quote] Again, I think almost all of it is in your mind. I think pickups can vary massively in the way they are wound, as well as the wiring, pots and so on.

[quote name='alembic1989' timestamp='1430226284' post='2759160'] Hmmm an interesting point of view. Makes me wonder why we bother with high grade ( or otherwise) instruments when (according to you) all we need to do is (for example) get some Fodera pick ups and loom...stick them in a cheap plywood 70s Jap body...and hey presto we'll have the Fodera tone. Are you sure my friend :-) [/quote] Yes, I am 100% sure, and the argument for two identical instruments sounding different doesn't take into account that even machine wound pickups are different between one and the next. People buy Foderas and the like because of the way they look, and you know what, I don't have any disagreement with that, I would love a heavily flamed maple Warwick Streamer for instance because it looks gorgeous and timber of those high qualities is of the same level of rarity as precious stones and metals. The mind is a powerful thing, people can be easily convinced something is better than something else just because of the price tag.

I'll just throw my regular cat amongst the pigeons and say I honestly believe that nothing in an instrument makes a blind bit of difference to tone than the pickups and wiring. However a good quality nut is a good investment. It will improve tuning stability and should last longer than a cheap unbranded plastic jobby

Basswood is a fine wood for building basses. The clue is in the name!

It might be chambered, A friend of mine has a Fender HM bass from around that period with a chambered body, it's silly light.

My old man has an Antoria Les Paul, I read up on them once and supposedly they were owned by Ibanez.

The Pro-Series was originally made in Korea, and frankly they are fantastic instruments.

As a left hooker it is usually the colour. I just don't like Sunburst or Black!

Once got asked to turn the drums down when I was running the FOH for a local pub that was trying to get involved in having bands on. Suffice to say they didn't do many more after that.

Nothing in the instrument makes a single bit of difference to the tone other than pickups and electronics.

If you want to make a few quid go to a scifi/comicbook/model shop and buy as many X wing miniatures game Millenium Falcons as you can. They are backordered till September in the UK and going on eBay for 50 quid a pop. 25 dollars in the US.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1428923234' post='2745916'] Yes but it's nowhere near a station... [/quote] Cab! Lift share with a friendly BCer! Bicycle!

The South East one is spitting distance from London on the train usually.

I think it looks like Ovangkol, it is a bit too anemic for Bubinga to be honest. The neck is 100% Wenge, with laminates that match the body wood. It should, I believe, be Bubinga on a Warwick of this age, but they were a little mad in those days, some stuff exists that shouldn't in terms of the catalogue specs. Could well be an artist or someone just asked for an Ovangkol body.

The same drummer actually once caught a knuckle on the rim of his snare half way through a set and when he came off the stick was 'glued' very well into his hand by the blood which had dried into a sticky wrap all the way round his hand. Left the most amazing pattern over his snare head. In fact that SAME drummer again also once hit the snare only for the head to break and his hand to get stuck in it which was utterly hillarious. I miss playing with him so much.

Our drummer once walked onto the stage, stepped onto the riser, lent onto the curtain covered wall behind the stage to steady himself and discovered that the curtain covered wall was actually just a curtain. It took us a good couple of minutes to rescue him