Tonewood v Semi-Hollow

Mr Grumpy said:
My undergraduate degree was in electronic engineering, and I've always loved sound, hi-fi and guitars.

The first point your son made, I fully agree.

The second point your son made, I don't disagree. It's subjective, we are human beings and have different neurocortical 'specializations'/trends (call it what you want). I think my hearing is really good, I've always relied on that as my major sense at night, etc. My wife, her hearing is not so good. Her eye sight is probably not as good as mine either (I'm probably a tad over average in that department). Her sense of smell blows me away, it's so much better than mine. Tactile-wise, we are different again, but it's harder to define. Humans are complex. I try to study, research and understand stuff related to human beings in their environment and their cognitive biases (or some such word) - it's bloody difficult, I have some opinions which I can't well back up, but I don't know...
Click to expand...

Interesting observations!

To me, the whole tone wood debate is a fun bit of academic forum sports. I get a kick out of it.

But, at a real-world, practical level, the type of wood doesn’t really enter my mind when I consider a guitar to buy. The style, aesthetics, workmanship, feel, ergonomics, and general sense of quality play a much larger role in my decision making. The only time I seriously consider wood type is for aesthetic reasons.

In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever chosen or wanted a guitar based on any anticipated tone wood considerations.

But, I’ll gladly bat the topic around on a guitar forum!
 
smitty_p said:
Neither. His point was simply that our ability to hear a difference is a different matter from the question of whether any vibrational changes actually occur. He wasn’t saying you would hear a difference or that you wouldn’t hear a difference. Rather, these are two separate questions.

Essentially, there are two topics.

First, would there be a change in vibrational characteristics? He postulated that there would be.

Second, can we hear the difference in those vibrational changes with our human hearing? He wouldn’t say. He just left it as being a different consideration - the idea being it requires its own testing.

That’s why I said we’re back at square one!
Click to expand...
So the strings shake the wood, but he does not postulate whether this translates into tonal differences. But tonal differences is the topic, or more accurately, differences in tone depending on the type of wood vibrating. We all can all envision the wood vibrating.

I encourage all those who believe in tone wood to take some blind tests. There are plenty online. No need to report your results as nothing is ever resolved. Maybe you will feel differently, or maybe not. The most important part of percieved tone is how it makes you feel anyway
 
Every time I see a Gibson with a maple neck I refuse to buy it - that won't have the Gibson sound!

Then, everytime I'm repeatedly tuning a Gibson, I wish they'd change that weak mahogany neck to a nice strong maple neck... :)
 
ACTUALLY ITS THE SHAPE -- yeah thats it the SHAPE of the guitar -- or maybe its just the shape f the headstock.......

UHM -- Grumpy --- the SGJ series has a MAPLE neck --- thing holds tune like a CHAMP even w/ the Bigsby-------and I assure you it SOUNDS like an SG ;)
SGJ with bigs.JPG
 
RVA said:
So the strings shake the wood, but he does not postulate whether this translates into tonal differences.
Click to expand...

Sorta, maybe. He just didn’t speculate on how detectable it would be to human hearing, one way or the other.

It’s really no more complicated than that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RVA
eSGEe said:
ACTUALLY ITS THE SHAPE -- yeah thats it the SHAPE of the guitar -- or maybe its just the shape f the headstock.......

UHM -- Grumpy --- the SGJ series has a MAPLE neck --- thing holds tune like a CHAMP even w/ the Bigsby-------and I assure you it SOUNDS like an SG ;)
View attachment 37444
Click to expand...

Terrible, it's not a real Gibson! :)

In my belief..., if the Gibson has a perfectly set neck and well cut nut (and set up well) then the neck can be really stable. My 2018 junior had a thin neck but stayed in tune great. But, a maple neck tele just stays in tune for years... It's the wood! :) I know RVA will agree. :)
 
Somebody should get a 3/4" x 5" x 24" piece of Mahogany, Maple, Ash and whatever else floats your boat from Rockler. Mount a tuning peg, pickup, bridge and single string and record the sound.
 
Cadorman said:
Somebody should get a 3/4" x 5" x 24" piece of Mahogany, Maple, Ash and whatever else floats your boat from Rockler. Mount a tuning peg, pickup, bridge and single string and record the sound.
Click to expand...

Johan did something similar to that. But, his sound tests are all done with some degree of overdrive. I wish he would done some tests completely clean.

But, it’s interesting, nonetheless.

 
eSGEe said:
I have come to the belief (promoted by astute scholars of the muse) anything that alters the strings vibration (and there are 1 million things that can affect and effect that in a guitar-- and the space in and around the guitar on any given guitar) start from the string itself and let the listing blossom out ward to the thickness of the fingers playing it-- callouses... do they effect it????is tone altered literally by the density of the air in the room -- or the outdoors-- or...is a SMOKE filled Dank Bar how SRV got his TONE -- ??? was it different at Mantreaux outdoors than in his garage back home in Texas? (Im guessing yes)--- -is the TONE we seak not possible since much of the tone we all like was recorded in the 70's on equipment that is outdated obsolete or not used -- analog vs digital vs ---whatever is more than that --

look its infinite--

then factor in the electronics beyond that ORGANIC realm of metal and wood that make up the guitar and you add in another INFINITE realm of possibility-- from the electricity (volts amps blah blah) the type of wire or filler in the caps or the .......potentiometers-- cabinet wood speaker....ugh

and then factor the "rig" -- pedals and .....boosters and DISTORTIONS......

and what you have is an endless argument for what makes this or that persons/instruments tone different---

I say plug the damn thing in and play and get on with it -- lifes too short to look at pie charts on whose wood is bigger (mine is so just be quiet ;))
there.

NOw if your board go to a motorcycle forum and start an WHICH OIL should i use THREAD ------ its about as fun -- and often times borderline violent....


In closing if anyone has a guitar with substandard wood -- or they dont like the wood etc...... PM me and Ill take it off your hands and dispose of it properlike ;)


that was a LONG walk to solicit free gear---
Click to expand...


You do use AMS/Oil? if you don't you should!:D
 
As far as I'm concerned its the best oil on the market. I was a Dealer for AMS/OIL back in late 70s early 80s , I could tell you some stories. They have been around long before any of the oil company's started dabbling in synthetic lubricants.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top