ARGH Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Oh god,here we go again...another convo about wood,and all the whys and wherefor....then it degenerates into pro wood vs Paint..."COZ I DONT WANT MY BASS TO LOOK LIKE A TABLE" type posts.... Its dull,its like arguing over fretwire.....Move the P/U on any bass half an inch either way,and the whole instrument sounds totally different,change string guage...change brands within that guage..sounds different...pluck near the bridge...pluck near the neck...sounds totally different... I know of blurry horrid Maple Basses,I know of bright as a button Maple Basses..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='ARGH' post='436146' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:49 PM']Oh god,here we go again...another convo about wood,and all the whys and wherefor....then it degenerates into pro wood vs Paint..."COZ I DONT WANT MY BASS TO LOOK LIKE A TABLE" type posts.... Its dull,its like arguing over fretwire.....[/quote] Well, why are you reading it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='dlloyd' post='436132' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:34 PM']What about a bubinga Fender? There's no particular reason why you couldn't get a bubinga body made for a Fender and keep all other things equal.[/quote] Oh good grief..... I wish I hadn't said anything. Ok.... so your local shop has an ash and bubinga P-bass sat next to each other on the shelf do they. In the same colour too I suppose. I'm going now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='dlloyd' post='436155' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:52 PM']Well, why are you reading it?[/quote] Because I can see it coming...its like a dead body,you shouldnt,but you unzip the fly...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='thepurpleblob' post='436128' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:32 PM']Paint it black.... that'll fix all those marks in the wood [/quote] Now that would just be silly. Who wants a plain paint job anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Ive realised the possible reason for the op... He may be young,and probably has not been on this site long....Sorry its just Ive seen it before. Talkbass I think has done this to death. Origins of tone is Alchemy......mixed with science,and then you throw taste and style of play on top....with technique poor,great or otherwise. Wood does not govern tone...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='thepurpleblob' post='436156' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:53 PM']Oh good grief..... I wish I hadn't said anything. Ok.... so your local shop has an ash and bubinga P-bass sat next to each other on the shelf do they. In the same colour too I suppose. I'm going now [/quote] My local shop has very little of anything sat next to each other. People regularly replace pickups and bridges trying to 'improve' the tone on their basses... why not swap a body? Is there something inherently dumb in this question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='ARGH' post='436166' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:59 PM']....Wood does not govern tone......[/quote] I know you're not feeling up to much today, but please put IMO when you are arbitrarily dismissing everyone else’s views out of hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='ARGH' post='436146' date='Mar 16 2009, 02:49 PM']Oh god,here we go again...another convo about wood,and all the whys and wherefor....then it degenerates into pro wood vs Paint..."COZ I DONT WANT MY BASS TO LOOK LIKE A TABLE" type posts....[/quote] I have f***ed up there Ross Still I do know a luthier who says he can get a great sound out of a table, but it would play like sh*t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='chris_b' post='436172' date='Mar 16 2009, 03:07 PM']I know you're not feeling up to much today, but please put IMO when you are arbitrarily dismissing everyone else’s views out of hand.[/quote] Prove Im wrong and I might think about it.... Im not dismissing everyones views,some people agree with me,Wood does not govern tone,anymore than choice of nut or bridge material...The player,is the beginning....the rest is navel,frankly over discussed,and to be honest boring. What wood looks nice is different kettle of fish......Dr Dave rotten maple topped Shuker being one of my faves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR [size=1]pause for breath[/size] RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRINNNNNNNNNNNNNNG Move along folks, nuthin' to see here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='Rich' post='436197' date='Mar 16 2009, 03:25 PM']BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR [size=1]pause for breath[/size] RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRINNNNNNNNNNNNNNG Move along folks, nuthin' to see here.[/quote] Why bump it then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Ditto, errr... Oops me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 It was getting bumped anyway. Or nudged or kicked or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='GreeneKing' post='436209' date='Mar 16 2009, 03:34 PM']Ditto, errr... Oops me too![/quote] I'm not bored of the argument though! Personally, I find most talk about tone to be a load of rubbish. In a live band scenario, a bass just sounds like a bass to me, especially when going through the PA. Most important thing for me is how comfortable or "at home" I fell playing a bass. Some basses I pick up and they just don't feel right, even without playing a note. Other basses just seem to "fit". I don't mean purely on body shape, it can be neck length/width/depth, type of finish, pick up placement etc. I find you get get a useable tone out of most things. Likewise, if your more comfortable playing a bass made of exotic woods and you [i]think [/i]you can hear a difference, then great, its worth it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 It's a valid argument yes, but we've done it soooo many times before... "Another tonewood argument, my god is it the 16th of the month already?" [quote name='BigBeefChief' post='436214' date='Mar 16 2009, 03:40 PM']Most important thing for me is how comfortable or "at home" I fell playing a bass. Some basses I pick up and they just don't feel right, even without playing a note. Other basses just seem to "fit". I don't mean purely on body shape, it can be neck length/width/depth, type of finish, pick up placement etc.[/quote] Absolutely. It's one of the very best reasons for getting a custom build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='BigBeefChief' post='436214' date='Mar 16 2009, 03:40 PM']I'm not bored of the argument though! Personally, I find most talk about tone to be a load of rubbish. In a live band scenario, a bass just sounds like a bass to me, especially when going through the PA.[/quote] Of course it's rubbish. When you're playing live 99.5% of the audience don't even notice that there is a bass there unless you stop playing. They could't care less about the tone. If I have two basses, one which is slightly brighter than another but no different in any other way, the only time I'll care is for about a second while I turn the treble down a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='dlloyd' post='436169' date='Mar 16 2009, 03:04 PM'] My local shop has very little of anything sat next to each other. People regularly replace pickups and bridges trying to 'improve' the tone on their basses... why not swap a body? Is there something inherently dumb in this question?[/quote] There is a marked increase in hassle factor in swapping bodies - all the parts have to be removed and transplanted. I changed the body of my Fecker Imprecision purely for cosmetic reasons which resulted in a total strip down and rebuild short of the machine heads. Also kinda difficult to do on set necks and especially so on neck throughs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 If a bass sounds like a bass sounds like a bass to the audience and thus tone is irrelevant then you might as well close down 3/4 of this forum! Good reading: [url="http://www.mtdbass.com/articles/quest_for_tone.pdf"]http://www.mtdbass.com/articles/quest_for_tone.pdf[/url] Obviously construction (which includes wood choices) has to make a difference otherwise all those shopfuls of basses wearing similar roundwound strings would sound identical unplugged - and I've played enough basses to know that is no way the case! How much you'll hear those differences when plugged in depends on the honesty of the pickups and amplification. Alex P.S. The reason ARGH trots out the same line on every thread regarding this is because he's taken the word of a hippy eccentric as gospel: [url="http://www.ctbasses.com/CTinterview.html"]http://www.ctbasses.com/CTinterview.html[/url] - good bass builder but not omniscient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toasted Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='BigBeefChief' post='436214' date='Mar 16 2009, 03:40 PM']I'm not bored of the argument though! Personally, I find most talk about tone to be a load of rubbish. In a live band scenario, a bass just sounds like a bass to me, especially when going through the PA. Most important thing for me is how comfortable or "at home" I fell playing a bass. Some basses I pick up and they just don't feel right, even without playing a note. Other basses just seem to "fit". I don't mean purely on body shape, it can be neck length/width/depth, type of finish, pick up placement etc. I find you get get a useable tone out of most things. Likewise, if your more comfortable playing a bass made of exotic woods and you [i]think [/i]you can hear a difference, then great, its worth it for you.[/quote] Wait, you actually [i]do[/i] play bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='alexclaber' post='436236' date='Mar 16 2009, 04:10 PM']If a bass sounds like a bass sounds like a bass to the audience and thus tone is irrelevant then you might as well close down 3/4 of this forum![/quote] It's not irrelevant, but it matters more to the player than the audience. There's nothing wrong with that. I like my bass to sound a certain way, and I tell myself that it compliments the song. The truth is, when we play live, very few people would notice if I swapped my £700 bass for a £100 bass. If having a 2mm wenge strip running through the neck of a bass means that your more likely to pick up your bass and play it in the evening, then its well worth it. I just think people are misguided if they think he has a big effect on the punters in a band environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='Toasted' post='436240' date='Mar 16 2009, 04:14 PM']Wait, you actually [i]do[/i] play bass?[/quote] Hardly. I stand there and hold it mostly. (ooerr) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreeneKing Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 This is where Joe comes in and tells us that removal of wood is the perfect answer to a good tone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='BigBeefChief' post='436253' date='Mar 16 2009, 04:26 PM']It's not irrelevant, but it matters more to the player than the audience. There's nothing wrong with that. I like my bass to sound a certain way, and I tell myself that it compliments the song. The truth is, when we play live, very few people would notice if I swapped my £700 bass for a £100 bass.[/quote] The one person that would notice would be you, and that might well influence how well you play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 [quote name='BigBeefChief' post='436253' date='Mar 16 2009, 04:26 PM']It's not irrelevant, but it matters more to the player than the audience.[/quote] I don't actually think it matters to the audience on a conscious level at all (apart from the bass players in the audience but they don't count - or is that drummers that don't count? Anyway...) It matters to the player because you are involved with the creation of the sound - generally I can get the sound I want out of most basses but if I'm going to pay for an instrument then I want the bass that fights me least in getting that sound (and note that often isn't the bass that responds to the lightest touch). Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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