What gives a telecaster "twang"

[dNA]

I know you don't.  The question was designed as a possible provocation to to encourage your exploration to see what's really resonating, and how it effects tone.   

My postulation is simply - the most resonant part, is the part that resonates most.  On an acoustic guitar - the top.  On a solid body, the neck.  On a thinline, the neck and body.  On a chambered guitar, mostly neck with some body.   Its proportional of course, where the acoustic is all about top, and the solid body is very very much about neck (2nd only to pickups)

Well I understand that, except that resonance is an acoustical quality. Magnetic guitar pickups don't pick up the acoustics of a guitar - they pick up the vibrations from the strings. The vibration of the strings is influenced by the woods, because of the way they are dynamically connected to the body and neck. The point i was making earlier is that the wings or outermost parts of the body aren't under the direct tension from the strings, so that the outermost parts of the body aren't really influencing the sound coming out of your pickups. As such, I didn't think the additional body mass of a tele would have any real influence on the sound. In retrospect, I don't think I was right tho, because even if the vibrations of the "wings" isn't directly feeding the strings in some way, the presence of additional mass around the center will affect how that central piece resonates.
I wasn't saying anything about neckwood one way or the other. I don't think...

I wish I was better at  describing/explaining things. I have such a strong visual in my mind and it all seems to clear to me.

 

[-CB-]

And again I say... the body isn't resonating nearly as much as the neck.  The mass of the body does make a difference, you cant selectively vibrate part of a plank of wood - but to a large degree, once you get to a certain point, extra wood isn't gonna make a difference.

On a thinline... what you're describing is probably more true, because the structural element is the center.

 

[dNA]

And again I say... the body isn't resonating nearly as much as the neck.   The mass of the body does make a difference, you cant selectively vibrate part of a plank of wood - but to a large degree, once you get to a certain point, extra wood isn't gonna make a difference.

On a thinline... what you're describing is probably more true, because the structural element is the center.

so you're saying in a solid body electric the neck is actually producing more of the sound you hear (acoustically) than the body?

 

[Dan025]

i feel that the neck creates the tone(majority) and that the body radiates it.but any sound leaving the guitar is energy leaving the strings and the body does resonate to some extent so im not saying that the body is insignificant.

 

[dNA]

i guess i would imagine you wouldn't hear much from the neck, because your hand being in constant contact with it would dampen it a lot. but then the body of a guitar is always touching your body as well.
now that i think about it, i'm surprised some electric guitars sound as naturally loud as they do

 

[-CB-]

And again I say... the body isn't resonating nearly as much as the neck.   The mass of the body does make a difference, you cant selectively vibrate part of a plank of wood - but to a large degree, once you get to a certain point, extra wood isn't gonna make a difference.

On a thinline... what you're describing is probably more true, because the structural element is the center.

so you're saying in a solid body electric the neck is actually producing more of the sound you hear (acoustically) than the body?

YUP.  Been there, done that, swapped necks, swapped again, and yet again, am convinced.  #1 pickups, #2 neck in that order, for tone....the body, on a solid body, is somewhat down the list.

 

[Dan025]

well the neck is less rigid allowing it to flex and vibrate at it's own frequency, the body(solid body) being more massive and rigid shouldn't be resonating like the neck but will vibrate due to the neck and the strings and emit the sound more than any other part of the guitar, but why concern yourself with the audible acoustic properties of an electric instrument. seems to me that the resonant properties that may or may not be audible without amplification that feedback to the strings are more important.

now that i look this thread is about telecaster twang, i feel everything has some impact, neck profile, slim headstock design, scale length all make the neck resonant and impact the signature telecaster tone. the vintage bridge is ferromagnetic steel so microphonics make up part of the twang, especially considering that it is held on by 3 screws in line at the rear of the bridge and string tension only. the front of the bridge just lays there on the body and prone to vibrating. i cant think of anything else that hasn't been covered already.

 

[dNA]

but why concern yourself with the audible acoustic properties of an electric instrument. seems to me that the resonant properties that may or may not be audible without amplification that feedback to the strings are more important.

that's why we were exploring the subject. to contemplate what does effect the vibration of the strings as opposed to what is being heard acoustically. Then i guess we detoured a bit.



so i think essentially i got what i wanted out of this thread. I can make a build w/ a tele body and neck, but without the traditional tele sound. win win in this case

 

[-CB-]

I think you'll find that the body wood on guitars with the same neck and pickups, makes a whole lot less of an effect than you might imagine - unless its chambered or thinline.  I dare to say, the type of strings will make a greater impact.

 

[imminentG]

How bout a tele with a wenge neck?! Totally ordering it in a week or two. And, YEAH, I've got TWANG  :guitaristgif:

 

[DangerousR6]

How bout a tele with a wenge neck?! Totally ordering it in a week or two. And, YEAH, I've got TWANG  :guitaristgif:

Been there, done that....

:icon_biggrin:

 

[dNA]

I think you'll find that the body wood on guitars with the same neck and pickups, makes a whole lot less of an effect than you might imagine - unless its chambered or thinline.  I dare to say, the type of strings will make a greater impact.

is that to say in the case of a hollow or chambered body, the wood has more of an effect on the sound - or that simply being chambered or hollow is having more of an effect?

 

[-CB-]

Both - except much less for chambered.  Chambered is a way to retain structural rigidity and reduce weight.

 

[dNA]

Coming back to this topic, i wanted to reflect on my experience with my thinline build.

I put together a thinline with walnut body and birdseye maple neck. Acoustically, the thing was bright, thin, "snappy"... blah. I put pure-nickel 12 gauge strings on it and got it sounding pretty balanced with more lows and less attack, but it wasn't what i was going for (in terms of sound or setup.) I eventually picked up a neck from the showcase - Goncalo Alves w/ Pau Ferro fretboard. It's fuller and more even, but the guitar still has this snappy (or twangy) quality to it and I find the notes sustain with a certain midrange emphasis that I don't find pleasant for melodic playing or sustained arpeggios. I've also done a bit of changing in the electronics to see if that helps, but I find that the guitar's natural qualities still come through and I'm not happy with it.


I can honestly imagine someone else picking up this guitar and saying it sounds great, if it responds to their playing style. but whatever it is, it doesn't fit me. and I'm wondering to myself if this is a matter of numerous elements, or a single element. I've been wondering if the bridge's material and design could really be the source of these tonal qualites, or if it's the walnut body. Just thought maybe somebody would have thoughts on that

 

[Paul-less]

Actually it's the shape. People don't look at the major details sometimes....
Like if you put a confederate flag on the roof of your vehicle, you gain about 20HP.

You guys should see my Honda Civic....




Ha, but seriously, my educated guess would say it's that tele bridge that I hate/love, the tele pickups, and finally wood choice.

If you did a rosewood/mahogany tele, with a TOM and buckers, you WILL NOT get "twang", unless you really try. Hell, I can get a decent tele sound out of my EMG's using my Fender Twin ~Amp.

 

[pabloman]

All of you self proclaimed experts are overlooking the easiest and most dramatic factor to all of this. It's the strap buttons! I ordered a set of tele buttons for my El Pablo and instant twang. I used a strat screw for the upper bout button an I am able to get SRV tone out of it. I take the buttons off and the guitar looses all character so I get an EMG tone.  :rock-on: It's such a cool mod.

 

[-CB-]

Very true...

I have two guitars with the same pickups... one a Fender made 52ri with a very light ash body and fairly slim neck of maple, the other is made from Warmoth parts, goncalo slim neck and mahogany thinline body with maple top... same pickup set.

The Warmoth made one is a whooooole lot warmer.   But... take the same two guitars and swap the necks (I have) and you nearly, but not quite fully, reverse the warmth.  Maple neck on the thinline - very bright, and the goncalo on the reissue solid body... very warm.

Recently, I had a goncalo neck on an ash thinline that was just too warm.  I replaced it with maple, and whoooa!  Great tone, brilliance at the top end restored.  The goncalo neck will go on a solid body I'm putting together.

So much of the tone is in the neck....  

 

[swarfrat]

No comment on the twang, but if you're trying to save money... hollow anything jacks the price up because of the laminate top required. Even same wood non-exotic tops charge for hollow + tops.  I've been eyeing various hollow tele's for a while now.

 

[pabloman]

The twang comes from the hillbilly playing it.

 

[Mor Paul]

The twang comes from the hillbilly playing it.

Hey, now, I like a bit of twang when I'm playing my rock music!  :toothy10: