Bass Porn

[Wombat-metal]

With ferrules there’s less metal between the string and the wood than with a bridge, but I’m not really claiming it’s making a huge difference. But I feel it makes more of a difference.

I notice the sustain more to be honest. But this is just feelings and impressions, nothing scientific. I know enough wave theory to know a denser wood will propagate a wave better than a lighter wood. But no clue how that affects sound if it does at all.

One area it does matter is durabiltiy. This bass we’re discussing, while it looks cool, also looks fragile, and how long would it last gigging on the road?

[MC-Canadastan]

A denser wood will likely have a higher resonant frequency as well, so it may be a bit brighter. That seems to be the opinion of ash and maple bodied basses. BUT, that’s hearsay on the interwebs, which is even less reliable than good old fashioned, traditional hearsay. Also, I probably couldn’t tell the diff anyways. Additionally, to really test this, you’d need two identical basses, size, shape, electronics and hardware as well as dimensions: all except he tonewood. Only that would give an accurate measurement.

[Wombat-metal]

I’m not making any claims on brightness, just that a denser material transmits sound more efficiently. The speed of sound is faster at sea level than 20,000 feet because the air is more dense. And it is faster in water than air, and faster still in solid objects such as wood. The denser the object the more effciently it conducts sound. How that affects tone, I don’t know enough to make a conjecture.

[Bersist]

Cookie monster came for cookies but left with a newfound appreciation for electric basses that are stealing that upright look, oh and he also took 2 bites.

[T_dub]

@Al1885

Tonewood is not a myth, it just not that important for tone.

The amount of difference it would make, would really only be applicable to acoustic string instruments, and extremely well trained ears, and even then, you would probably need to have side by side testing to hear the difference. Its not like you could walk in on a classical violinist or guitarist playing in a room, and go, oh yeah, sounds like the violin is poplar and the guitar is mahogany………

The person that has the different instruments and can hear the difference, would be able to hear the difference on their own instruments, if they had 4 of the same Jazz basses all with different tone woods, but even then, if he walked in on a person playing a Jazz bass, probably couldn’t with absolute certainty, tell you what tone wood it was.

True, if you see the instrument, and know the make model and year by sight, you might know what it is, or if you saw the classical guitar or violin or cello, and recognize the instrument with your eyes, and you may know what wood that instrument is made from, but that is your eyes telling the brain what wood it is, not the ears, so assume all that, is to be in blind tests as well.

I know I will never be able to tell the difference., and would only care in natural clear coated or oil finished bodies, and would go by what pleases my eyes, because my eyes will tell my brain the
Wood grain and color that looks best, sounds and feels best.

Same way my brain will always tell me the orange bass sounds better then the mint or sea foam green bass.

[John_E]

@Al1885

Tonewood is not a myth, it just not that important for tone.

There is a corollary discussion on this topic in the saxophone world, regarding plating (nickel, silver, gold) on brass or raw brass or lacquered brass or RE-lacquered brass and the inherent tone you get from each (and the loads of marketing crapola behind it). Vintage horns with darkened over time lacquer play darker, silver horns play brighter, gold brighter still. The brass used before WWII was magical and now has less whatever in it, etc. It is all pure B.S. Tone goes like this for saxes….person, mouthpiece, ligature (only in holding the reed properly or not), reed, sax neck design, sax bore design, sax brass thickness across design. Add on top of that that a sax setup can ruin the tone across all of those in the hands of an incompetent tech, which is the biggest determination of tone of a sax and if you buy one IMO.
I was in a store once and a guy was playing a black nickel plated horn and went ‘oooooh, this is so dark’ (note: it is good we can’t go around slapping people upside the head for stupidity in public).

@Lanny’s latest video here Post your covers! (2019-2022) - #4861 by Lanny proves how you can manipulate your tone WAY beyond the wood of the bass.

[Lanny]

@John_E

how you can manipulate your tone WAY beyond the wood of the bass.

Thanks @John_E - John…. The sky’s the limit!! When it comes to bass, we all play such an awesome instrument that has so many different variables……. We can do so, so much with this instrument…… We should all just use our imagination and let it all flow!!... I’ve never in my life played such a “versatile” instrument…. I LOVE playing bass!!

Keep On Thumpin’!
Lanny

[Al1885]

That said there’s noticeable differences in the tone with different fingerboard materials. When used with a more reactive strings like round wound on a fretless.

I love Wenge because it’s stiffness and it’s hardness Stiffer material seems to give you the extra mawh. For this the newer sometimes cheaper materials are better. Richlite, Enonel, and of course carbon fiber.

I think it the way the strings react to the surface that makes for different experience.

[Old_WannaBe]

Less talking; more porn!

[John_E]

Purple sparkle, aluminum pickguard, crazy tiger maple neck.
Fender CS Masterbuilt Dale Wilson 66 Jazz Bass
Dig the white binding on the neck too
For sale on TB right now, $6500 too rich for me, but sweet as heck to look at.

[howard]

That’s one of the best looking J-style basses I have ever seen.

[John_E]

Nice deal for the price, cool color

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[Wombat-metal]

Reverend Triad

[howard]

Wow! Love it. Tele-style control plate, cool color, really cool shape. Three great thumbrest spots. What a cool looking bass.

I love it. I’m not a huge J/J fan but they make their own and three might be interesting, with the 5-way splitter.

[Wombat-metal]

Reverand Mercali

They have a number of interesting designs.

[howard]

Yeah these are super cool, thanks for pointing them out! Hadn’t seen them.

[howard]

Ooh.

MM and reverse-P on a hollow body shortie!

[John_E]

@Wombat-metal

They have a number of interesting designs

And per an email I got recently, now available with candy at sweetwater.

[Wombat-metal]

I know. Looks so interesting

[Mac]

Really liking the look of these Dolphins from Warwick