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Post subject: Resonance
Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 7:09 am
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I tried a MIM Stratocaster the other day...that wasn't in the best condition, and then my buddy walked in to jam with a MIA vintage Telecaster...obviously we are comparing two guitars that are in completely different levels of quality here...but when I tried the Telecaster after playing the Strat for a bit I noticed the sound was projecting much clearer and for much longer...what causes this dramatic sound difference? The wood?

PS - It was the same amp, with same volume, effects, etc.


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Post subject: Re: Resonance
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:42 pm
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PlikityPlack wrote:
I tried a MIM Stratocaster the other day...that wasn't in the best condition, and then my buddy walked in to jam with a MIA vintage Telecaster...obviously we are comparing two guitars that are in completely different levels of quality here...but when I tried the Telecaster after playing the Strat for a bit I noticed the sound was projecting much clearer and for much longer...what causes this dramatic sound difference? The wood?

PS - It was the same amp, with same volume, effects, etc.


Yes the type and quality of the wood; it's shape, pickups; electrics, along with the nut, bridge and neck; they all combine to together to create the sound we hear.


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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 2:16 pm
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Well, mostly right.

Buy the wood for its durability, weight (comfort), and beauty. The electronics (pups, caps, pots), and strings have a lot more influence on a solid body guitar's tone than the wood it's made of. There are university studies that conclusively prove that solid bodies resonate at one frequency, where hollow bodies resonate at multiple frequencies. Besides the only moving parts in a well made solid body are the strings, since well made wound pups aren't microphonic like piezos, and, well, microphones.

The neck joint has an effect on the sustain as energy is lost if the joint is not tight. Neck through guitars generally have more sustain since there is no joint.

I suspect the Tele had pups with more "Quack" (diferent tonal characteristics). The pups are different on Strats and Teles anyway, though my '85 MIJ Telecaster has a Fat Strat pup configuration, and sounds more like a Strat. So the body shape really doesn't affect the tone that much either.
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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:14 pm
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telecaster1987 wrote:
Well, mostly right.

Buy the wood for its durability, weight (comfort), and beauty. The electronics (pups, caps, pots), and strings have a lot more influence on a solid body guitar's tone than the wood it's made of. There are university studies that conclusively prove that solid bodies resonate at one frequency, where hollow bodies resonate at multiple frequencies. Besides the only moving parts in a well made solid body are the strings, since well made wound pups aren't microphonic like piezos, and, well, microphones.

The neck joint has an effect on the sustain as energy is lost if the joint is not tight. Neck through guitars generally have more sustain since there is no joint.

I suspect the Tele had pups with more "Quack" (diferent tonal characteristics). The pups are different on Strats and Teles anyway, though my '85 MIJ Telecaster has a Fat Strat pup configuration, and sounds more like a Strat. So the body shape really doesn't affect the tone that much either.
Image

I bet we coulg get lots of discussion on how the type and shape of wood effecs tone of electric guitars. Les Paul Freaks swear they can here the difference between the different tops used on Les Pauls. There are those that feel floating pickups sound different than those screwed to the body of the guitar. In spite of what the university studies show this is a highly subjective issue for some that will always be mental chewing gum for a lot of people.
How the bridge is held to the body should influance the sound as well; does it rattle? Does it tansmit vibration to the body thus weakening the the energy in the string therfore the sound as well??
At one time JJ CAle used a hollow body ( no wood block I believe)with no back on it so he could more easliy change the pickups thus the sound. Look at Bo Diddly's Axe; A boxy square looking thing! I must agree the shape and type is probably moot in a lab; In a shop in San Francisco I saw an acoustic made from a loading pallet in 99 or 00; the guy just wanted to see what it would sound like; well it was boomy and had poor treble but it worked; just no as well as the more popular tone woods we're all familiar with.
I beleive Fender and Gibson as well as others offer simular designs made of different woods to create tone they feel are different from one another; some made of laminates and others made of solid or different woods.
So are the theories of construction of acoustics applicable to those of solid bodies? I think so even though I have little scientific evidence. But that's my opinion and not a fact.
One fact we all agree to is Fender builds a great guitar with great sound what ever your musical pursuasion!


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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:51 pm
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If the Tele sounded better than the Strat, it may be due to the difference in bridges. Guitars with tremolos always sound a bit thin to me compared with non tremolo guitars, and I think its due to the amount of wood that is removed from the body. Then if the tremolo is floating, I think that also affects resonance and sustain too..,

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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:02 pm
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every thing makes a differnce, one thing that we havent talked about her is the string gauge, that makes a lot of difference, and i feel like a tele has more growl and bite to it than a strat, for me anyway.......


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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:41 pm
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Wow, the concensus seems that lots of factors play into the tone, volume and sustain of a guitar. A couple of other things, a maple neck board vs. a rosewood board would make a difference. I think we've gone over body wood, strings, pickups, bridges, electronics. I made an interesting discovery a while back, though. I was planing down a tele neck to fit an aftermarket body, and I went too far. So, I planned it down a little farther and inserted a neck plate in the body pocket, between the neck and body. Get it? I had a cheapo Chinese body, and a Squire neck. I put in a set of Fender reissue Nocasters and man o man did that thing sing. My bandmates still comment on the great tone and sustain that guitar had. It had a bit less twang and a much more full tone. I'm tempted to do that again with another Partocaster. Anyway, the point is that there are many factors in the sound of a particular guitar, and sometimes the moon and stars just happen to align perfectly.

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