Body wood comparison

Roland

It's always interesting when someone tests things. This is the same guitar with different bodies, one swamp ash, and the other OSB. You can see that the neck is the same one. The hardware was apparently swapped between the two bodies too. There's an obvious tone difference, and I definitely prefer the fuller sound of the solid body, but its not that great a difference.

https://youtu.be/CLfM76k1qgY

I didn't want this to become another tonewood debate, so I've posted it in Making and Modding.

Fuengi

Is there a link? 

poopot

Can’t hear any difference myself!

Kittyfrisk

See no comparison, hear no comparison... 

Fuengi

Roland said:

I didn't want this to become another tonewood debate

You've definitely gone about this the right way. 

MattNovak

One is more haunting than the other, no? 

Roland

Link reinstated

Danielsguitars

Anyone can use whatever they like, it's just wood not tone wood

I'm more interested in sustainable lightweight woods lately, my latest obeche body LP shape weighs a massive 3.68lb with more to come off, can't wait to try it

Jez6345789

I like the Fender custom shop videos when they did the cardboard and steel strats think someone did a concrete Strat and 3D printed as well. 

The good news was they all sounded like Strats lol

i love a nice bit of wood but ultimately it’s impact with electrics is often less audible than  changing to a different type of pickup.

butlike all things play what makes you happy

DiscoStu

A lot, if not most of, the tone comes from your fingertips.
I can make a £5000 guitar sound just as shit as a £50 guitar.

Sarge

It must have been really annoying to keep swapping over all the parts between takes. 

normula1

I used to have a reconstituted marble Strat body... I could only play it for 15 mins at a time due to the weight but it sounded great

Kalimna

I can't watch right now, as at work, but I'd like to see a comparison between different woods for the body with the same neck/electrics swapped between them. But in an effort to introduce a control, or at least highlight the importance of visuals, I would have the sound file swapped too without informing the viewer, to see what impact the eye's have on ones assessment of tone.

WezV

As somebody who definitely believes the materials used are important in the final tone of an electric guitar, I would still struggle to claim body wood made more than 5% difference to the tone of the guitar... I doubt it's  that much.  I think necks make more of a difference, but I'm still not claiming it would be night and day in a neck swap test.

Pickups will always have the most impact, closely followed by scale length.... always pays to focus on the string and pickup first as they are literally the driving force in the tone of an electric guitar.

So the vid.   They both sound like guitars.  They both sound like similar guitars, which makes sense since so much of the spec is identical.   There is a still a clear audible difference... not a massive one  but definitely a clear one.   The OSB body definitely pushes the normal teleness closer to the uncomfortable for my ears, I don't like its brashiness.... but it still sounds like a guitar.


The difference may be controlled with different EQ, gain, band settings... its even possible the OSB one could work better in some situations.


I'm gonna keep using wood that sounds resonant when I tap it  


Although I did know I guy who did a carved top OSB guitar  and it did look amazing when carved through all those random wood chips. 

Gizmo

I always find it baffling how some builders state that "build for tone" they must be clairvoyant TBH, becuase i can made a guitar sound different by just changing my pic...infact just changing the tip of the pick your using to attack the string or the postion of your picking hand or how about i just use my fingers.....how the "build for tone " guys can take those factors into account is beyound my mortal understanding

LastMantra

As long as it looks cool and fits the image you are going for it's all good. 

WezV

Gizmo said:

I always find it baffling how some builders state that "build for tone" they must be clairvoyant TBH, becuase i can made a guitar sound different by just changing my pic...infact just changing the tip of the pick your using to attack the string or the postion of your picking hand or how about i just use my fingers.....how the "build for tone " guys can take those factors into account is beyound my mortal understanding

Sure, but the tone is not purely decided by the way the guitar is played.  Technique is part of it, but this is a discussion about the equipment used.  One does not rule out the other.