Where does the tone come from?

[Desmund Nichols]

Just curious, what has the most impact on the tone of the basses? Is it the tops, the cores, necks, fingerboard, or electronics? Which part carries the biggest factor in tone?

[Jason Wilson]

Hi, I am not sure it comes down to any one thing. And changing any one of the components could really effect the sound i.e. pickups, pickup placement, electronics, strings, wood. etc
The only real way to find out I guess, and timely & expensive is get a bass, and change one piece at a time, then replace & try something else & record each time.
But I think wood, neck, fingerboard, frets, electronics, pickups, pickup placement will all have an effect on the sound. But all of those things together make "the sound".

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jason Wilson

Hi, I am not sure it comes down to any one thing. And changing any one of the components could really effect the sound i.e. pickups, pickup placement, electronics, strings, wood. etc
The only real way to find out I guess, and timely & expensive is get a bass, and change one piece at a time, then replace & try something else & record each time.
But I think wood, neck, fingerboard, frets, electronics, pickups, pickup placement will all have an effect on the sound. But all of those things together make "the sound".

The Top, neck and fingerboard. The parts closest to your hands, strings and pickups. The pickups reproduce the sound given to them from the strings that come from the wood. Something like that. I think! .. lol

[Desmund Nichols]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

The Top, neck and fingerboard. The parts closest to your hands, strings and pickups. The pickups reproduce the sound given to them from the strings that come from the wood. Something like that. I think! .. lol

OK, so the core plays a small role in the natural tone of the bass?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Desmund Nichols

OK, so the core plays a small role in the natural tone of the bass?

I think the Core flavors the top and color of its sound, width of notes, etc.

It (the core) will also enhance similar frequencies shared between the woods or tone down the opposites between them.

[Franck Callebert]

Maybe from the fingers ?

Just put your bass in some differently experienced hands, and you will discover another sounding ...

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Desmund Nichols

Just curious, what has the most impact on the tone of the basses? Is it the tops, the cores, necks, fingerboard, or electronics? Which part carries the biggest factor in tone?

All of the above. However, the biggest factor is the player.