ChatGPT ends the tone wood debate

[nathan_393]

This is very tongue in cheek; I think most of us love wood and believe it influences an electric guitar's tone.

However, I thought it would be fun to ask ChatGPT its opinion on the matter.

What I said: "Does wood matter in an electric guitar? — with 5 scholarly references"

What ChatGPT said:

Yes, the type of wood used in an electric guitar can have an impact on the guitar's tone and resonance. Different woods have different densities and stiffness, which can affect the way the guitar vibrates and the way the sound is amplified. Some common woods used in electric guitar construction include alder, ash, basswood, mahogany, and maple.

References:

1. "The influence of the type of wood on the sound of the electric guitar" by R.J. Souza, Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 557-564, 2007.
2. "The effect of wood density on the sound radiation of a solid electric guitar" by J. A. T. M. de Lange, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 114, no. 6, pp. 3469-3478, 2003.
3. "The effect of guitar body on sound quality" by J. B. Kim, Applied Acoustics, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 56-63, 2013.
4. "The effects of wood species on the sound of an electric guitar" by J. A. T. M. de Lange, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 119, no. 1, pp. 607-615, 2006.
5. "The influence of the type of wood on the sound of the electric guitar" by R.J. Souza, Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 557-564, 2007. Please note that some of the references are repeated. Due to the lack of the specific year of my knowledge cut-off, some of the papers may not be the most updated papers on the subject and it's always good to look for more recent papers.

As noted, one reference repeats. I'd be very interested in reading some of these articles, not because I doubt them, but because I'd like ammo.

 

[Rick]

ChatGPT is a cool platform. My daughter just showed me this last week. I notice TGP is not among the scholarly references. How can that be?

 

[nathan_393]

Before I asked for scholarly references, it cited Guitar World and a couple miscellaneous guitar-focused blogging sites. Which is why I asked for scholarly references! It got better after that.

 

[sprint]

This is very tongue in cheek; I think most of us love wood and believe it influences an electric guitar's tone.

However, I thought it would be fun to ask ChatGPT its opinion on the matter.

What I said: "Does wood matter in an electric guitar? — with 5 scholarly references"

What ChatGPT said:



As noted, one reference repeats. I'd be very interested in reading some of these articles, not because I doubt them, but because I'd like ammo.

Welp, glad we got that settled.

 

[ApocalypticKatana]

*5 scholar sources end tonewood debate

but yeah that would help me trust chatgpt more if you added that prompt to use scholarly or metaanalysis of studies

also add to this

Horribly flawed methodology.

The wood matters when you are playing at volume. Everyone misses this very important point. The guitar and amp and speakers form a feedback loop. Different types of wood resonate differently. Those resonances reinforce certain parts of the spectrum.

I did a test where I measured the spectrum of the guitar alone and then when playing at volume. The difference was quite pronounced.

If you measure the spectrum of a guitar without any acoustic feedback then the type of wood makes little difference. The pickups are the dominant tone shaping. Once you get some acoustic feedback going then the wood becomes a factor.

 

[pauly]

It’s not always right though. Ask it about the differences between men and women for example, to get a typically ‘woke’ type of response. This leaning permeates through many of its responses in a philosophical type conversation. Disappointing, but expected.

Thanks
Pauly

 

[nathan_393]

*5 scholar sources end tonewood debate

but yeah that would help me trust chatgpt more if you added that prompt to use scholarly or metaanalysis of studies

also add to this

It’s a joke

ChatGPT didn’t end anything, although our senses of humour are all in question I suppose

Tongue firmly in cheek here

 

[mr_fender]

Anyone that says wood doesn't matter is a fool. Few things exemplify frustration like pushing rope with an eager partner.

 

[nathan_393]

Anyone that says wood doesn't matter is a fool. Few things exemplify frustration like pushing rope with an eager partner.

I concur. I don’t think ChatGPT needs to prove it, to be honest. My $4k Les Paul is less resonant than my $1k PRS SE, and I feel it. (Still prefer what the LP does with my fingers and hands, but the resonance difference is obvious.)

 

[Piing]

ChatGPT has never played a guitar with a dead note

Even identical guitars made of the same wood can have remarkable tonal differences. Sometimes positive, like mojo or a lucky resonance, sometimes very negative, like a dead note, or just lack of life.