A question for those with 'good ears'.

Three-ColourSunburst

I saw this illustration on another thread and it caused me to wonder whether those with ears that are so sensitive to the harmonic balance of a given note that they can even tell one type of wood from another also notice the tone of their instrument changing from note to note, as the nodes of the various harmonics in each note played align with the pickup they are using and so do not become part of the signal.

The illustration shows an open string and the 4th harmonic, but the same thing would happen to all the fretted notes and the harmonics they contain. Also, in many more cases the strength of the harmonic, if not lost altogether, would be diminished due to the pickup not aligning with the centre of the node.

Can anyone notice these harmonic variations when playing, or does the guitar seem to have a consistent timbre?

Thanks!

http://www.frudua.com/immagini/4thharmonicen.jpg

Sassafras

Yes.

ThorpyFX

Trolllolololol 

Three-ColourSunburst

Sassafras said:

Yes.

Ooh, you are such a card!

Gassage

You need good ears?

Graham Rowntree is on his way. He has the best ears.

Three-ColourSunburst

ThorpyFX said:

Trolllolololol 

Not at all. There is obviously a lot of harmonic variation in the signal of an electric guitar, so it seems reasonable to ask if anyone can perceive these differences.

Bridgehouse

Three-ColourSunburst said:

ThorpyFX said:

Trolllolololol 

Not at all. There is obviously a lot of harmonic variation in the signal of an electric guitar, so it seems reasonable to ask if anyone can perceive these differences.

Indeed, but the real question is:

If it sounds good does anyone care?

skaguitar

I've read these posts ( especially the now infamous tonewood debate ) with interest and I must be a very simple man because I either play a guitar and like the sound it makes or I play a guitar and I don't like the sound it makes...

ThorpyFX

Three-ColourSunburst said:

ThorpyFX said:

Trolllolololol 

Not at all. There is obviously a lot of harmonic variation in the signal of an electric guitar, so it seems reasonable to ask if anyone can perceive these differences.

You are making a dig with your first sentence. “Ears that are so sensitive”. Looking for a rise from people. There is literally no point getting in a discussion with you on this subject or any related to guitar tone because you have no doubt already made your mind up and won’t consider any other position. 

Bridgehouse

Also, are you on a personal challenge to create the most new threads with the same subject but just very subtly different?

Here's a few more suggestions:

- Does the type of fretwire affect tone?
- Does body shape affect tone?
- Does ambient temperature affect tone?
- Does relative humidity affect tone?
- Does having fat or thin fingers affect tone?
- Does the position of my belt buckle affect tone?
- Can anyone here notice the difference when a pickup is moved by 1mm away from the bridge?
- Does anyone think I should get out a bit more?

Bridgehouse

I missed one:

- Does being called Tony affect tone?

Sassafras

Do you actually ever play guitar or do you spend all your time trying to prove that guitarists are a bunch of mugs? (Which has never been in dispute).

mbe

Three-ColourSunburst said:

Can anyone notice these harmonic variations when playing, or does the guitar seem to have a consistent timber?

Yes. All my guitars have wood going right the way through from front to back and top to bottom.

UnclePsychosis

The timbre of an electric guitar isn't consistent across every string and fret. 

Anyone who was more interested in playing than trolling internet forums would be aware of that. 

imalrightjack

What's the fourth harmonic?

I'm out.

Gassage

What's the difference between a @Three-ColourSunburst ; and an Uzi 9mm?

An Uzi only repeats itself 16 times a second.

Bridgehouse

Gassage said:

What's the difference between a @Three-ColourSunburst ; and an Uzi 9mm?

An Uzi only repeats itself 16 times a second.

And an Uzi doesn't have an apparently infinite magazine clip...

Voxman

Yup, I definitely have the lobes for that as my passport picture will verify :

MartinB

UnclePsychosis said:

The timbre of an electric guitar isn't consistent across every string and fret. 

Anyone who was more interested in playing than trolling internet forums would be aware of that. 

Very much this, the way the timbre changes across the range is part and parcel of the sound of the instrument.  Any time the timbre of an instrument is consistent across all of the notes the results are curiously unmusical, like an early sample-based digital keyboard or a poorly programmed synth patch. 

Three-ColourSunburst

ThorpyFX said:

You are making a dig with your first sentence. “Ears that are so sensitive”. Looking for a rise from people.

Not at all. In the 'tone wood' thread we had some claiming they could clearly heat differences between different species of wood used to make a solid-body electric guitar, and others saying they heard no difference. It follows that if some have more sensitive hearing than others, than this sensitivity would be expressed in other ways as well, and I wondered if this was the case.

Legionreturns

Bats would make the best guitarists if only they could reach the neck