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October 2002
Posts: 56
| Aside from different pickups, what makes different types of solid body guitars (Strats, Teles, Vipers, etc) sound different from one another?
With acoustics, I understand that body size/shape, materials, bracing (etc) create different sounds from different guitars.
If the pickups are the components that make solidbodies sounds distinct, then would putting Viper pickups in a Strat make the Strat sound like a Viper?
Alina |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Every single part of a guitar's design, construction, materials, hardware & electronics have an influence on the sound, not just the pickups. Putting Viper pickups in a strat wotldn't be a bad idea, but it will still sound like a strat. The Viper has 24 frets, a Strat has 21 or 22 depending on year of manufacture. On a strat the neck pickup sits right under the 2nd octave harmonic node point, this is not possible on a Viper because of the extra frets, so compared to a Strat the pickups are placed in different positions under the strings and relative to each other. This is one of the reasons a Viper sounds different to a Strat. That and the all maple construction and glued & bolted neck joint.
The main influence apert from the pickups is the body & neck materials. Maple sounds different to mahogany for example. Neck joint is another factor, set neck guitars sound different to bolt-ons or through-necks. Weight also has an influence, and in my experience the best sounding electric guitars I've played have also been the lightest. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15676
Location: SoCal | Temp:
Interesting points. And I think your right about the construction of the guitar making up a lot of the sound. When I put Deacon p/u's on my Viper, it didn't radically change the sound -- instead it just kinda pushed it a little in a different direction.
As to the weight of a guitar, seems to me that Gibson has always pushed the weight of a Les Paul as the reason for it's sound. But just because a company says something, doesn't mean it's true. |
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Location: Scotland | There was a time, especially in the mid-late 70's with replacement brass hardware & multi-laminate bodies, when received wisdom was that weight equals tone & sustain. Players gave themselves serious posture problems toting "customized" Les Pauls that weighed in at 14 or 15 pounds. While a certain amount of mass is good for tone & sustain, too much, either in the wood or hardware actually damps the string energy and kills tone. Idealy what is needed are materials with a high strength to weight ratio. I.E. light but strong. Pick up a PRS or Parker Fly and compare the weight to a 70's Les Paul or Strat. If you can find a 50's LP Special or Junior or 50's swamp ash Fender at a vintage dealer you'll be amazed at how little they weigh and how good they sound, even unplugged. That's always a good test for an electric guitar. If it rings acoustically it'll sound great through an amp, and in my experience it's the featherwieghts that have the acoustic resonance. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Good point there, Tempy!
Out of the plethora of guitars that we tried at Al's, one was a Hamer custom order in that baby shit Telecaster beige color.
This thing had PHENOMENAL sustain unplugged!!!
(but that color . . . . . . ) |
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August 2002
Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I have a Parker Fly Deluxe (Paul T. mentioned above) and I love it. One of the real attractive features to me, was the feather-light weight f the guitar. Surprisingly, it has a nice warm, fat sound, despite it's extremely thin body and overall light weight (the guitar has a wood top, and a carbon fiber neck through body). The neck is incredible to play (my favorite electric neck EVER), the frets are guarenteed not to wear, and the piezo pickup plus humbuckers give it a wide range of sound.
I understand that these guitars are an acquired taste, and a lot of people do not like the looks. But everyone who's ever been to my place to jam falls in love with it, and can't believe the sound that comes out. It's just surprisingly good.
My non-"O" 2 cents.
Johnny |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | If anyone were to offer me the ability to own ANY electric, I'd probably take the Fly. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7233
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Agreed about the weight can also dampen, it's a fine balance. B.C. Rich (the handmade original ones) did this with light solid woods and a neck-thru design. All of the tranference techniques for getting the bridge, nut, neck and pickups to "play together" was accomplished because they were all attached to the same piece of wood. The bodies were thin and light. My 10-String weighs less than my Viper. But I have a Bluebird style viper (it's foam, just not Blue) that weighs even less anything else except maybe for my Traveller and has great sustain.
Actually the traveller is a good example too. There is hardly a body involved, and the headphones are "sound powered" yet it has great sustain when used like that. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | That was the some of the point of the Ali/foam construction of the UK2/Bluebirds, light but rigid, with the bridge & neck attached to a central lightweight aluminum casting. Didn't work entirely, certainly not as well as Ken Parkers guitars, but 9 out of 10 for effort, especially back then. |
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Electric guitar sound
