Leo Fender, regardless of founding one of many largest guitar manufacturers nonetheless in enterprise in the present day, wasn’t really a believer within the variations between tonewoods. Actually, he chosen woods purely primarily based on their availability and affordability.

Fender based the model in 1946, when he established the Fender Electrical Instrument Firm. Afterward into his enterprise ventures, Fender and his colleagues repeatedly consulted native gamers to seek out out what they needed in a guitar, and one among them was Tim Bailey.

As Fender was organising his final model, G&L, he sat down with Bailey in his workshop and talked by the prototypes for what grew to become the F-100, G&L’s first guitar. Bailey was of the view that totally different physique woods in stable physique electrical fashions made minimal distinction in tone, and was stunned to seek out out that Fender seemingly felt that means too.

In an interview by Reverb, Bailey remembers what occurred throughout his time within the workshop, and most prominently what Fender needed to say about this matter.

“That’s why he used no matter wooden was obtainable for his physique blanks. Over time, Leo made his guitars out of pine, alder, ash, poplar, mahogany, and so forth. Once I requested why, he stated he most well-liked what was available – and inexpensive,” he says.

“And when he measured responses on his scope, he didn’t actually see variations between woods. Keep in mind, Leo was partially deaf by then, and he by no means discovered to play a guitar, which can have influenced his emotions on the topic. Nevertheless, I nonetheless agree with him.”

Seemingly a debate the guitar neighborhood won’t ever see the tip of, tonewoods are a sensitive topic for each luthiers and gamers. PRS Guitars’ Paul Reed Smith is only one trade determine who’s been vocal on the matter.

Matteo Mancuso, alternatively, only recently argued that “you don’t want to spend so much of time discovering the proper wooden for the fretboard or the proper pickup mixture”, however as an alternative, it’s how properly your guitar stays in tune and the way snug it’s so that you can play that issues.

Try the lastest merchandise from G&L and Fender.