Wooden "tone block"; what affects tone more?

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Purely hypothetical here, but let's say I like a body on the in stock section -  this one, for example - that's routed for a trem, but no cuts made on the top yet. Except, I'm not really a trem guy, I'm a hardtail, through body Vintage strat bridge kinda guy.  I know it's possible to shape a "tone block" out of wood, glue it into place, and then drill to achieve a hardtail on such a body.

But let's say I use a different wood than the rest of the body - on a poplar body, for example, I stick in a mahogany tone block, which the strings run through.  Would the presence of a different type of wood at the terminus of the strings affect tone more than the rest of the body?  Or would it be bad for the tone overall because the tone block isn't part of the same piece of wood as the rest of the body? 

Educated guesses, direct experience, & half-informed speculations are equally welcome.

 

[bpmorton777]

no.

have it routed for a vintage trem and block it so it is imobile.

Brian

 

[B3Guy]

yup. Clapton does that, so it must work fine.  :icon_thumright:

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Errr.... no, I'm not really asking about how to do it, I'm asking about the interaction of the woods with the resonance of the guitar.  Example: a solid metal blocked trem is going to affect the tone of an alder strat, but how would a solid mass of wood glued into place affect the tone if that wood was a different wood than the rest of the body.

Thanks for the advice though; as my wife would say to me when I say the wrong thing with the right intentions: "I recognize that you are trying to be helpful".  :icon_thumright:

 

[lafromla1]

"I recognize that you are trying to be helpful".   :icon_thumright:

I get that a lot too...it really means 'Stop screwing shit up and let me do it right'.

 

[stubhead]

I think the important thing to do is use a fairly dense wood, i.e. not pine... then the most important aspect would just be getting a really tight fit. In other words, large pockets filled with wood glue are what I would be most concerned about. Some kind of boat epoxy would fill the gaps nicely, but don't get it elsewhere, because it'd mess up the rest of the dye & finishing process.

Do just a little googling for "Jerry Garcia" + "Alligator" if you want LOTS of guesses.... :hello2:

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Do just a little googling for "Jerry Garcia" + "Alligator" if you want LOTS of guesses.... :hello2:

EEEEEEEEeeeenteresting!  That's kinda what I was thinking - not a whole lot of analysis of the tonal qualities in what I've read, but there's a lot to read.  I suppose I could go out & listen, but I'm not really a Dead fan. I saw that & remembered that at least a few guitarmakes (Godin comes to mind) make bodies with multiple woods in a bolt on body.  Dunno if they have a forum, but I'm too lazy to look today. 

I get that a lot too...it really means 'Stop screwing shitee up and let me do it right'.

:icon_biggrin:  It's funny, I've met lots of guys that can say more or less the exact same words in a way that says exactly what it means. Women?  [insert sexist generalization here].
:laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

I tend to doubt the type of wood the block was made of would make as much difference as the fact that a block of wood was glued in. I suspect it would have a slight deadening effect.

 

[jackthehack]

You don't need no stinking wood block; just some wood screws and quarters:

See this thread for full size pics: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13524.45

 

[-CB-]

Why go with wood, when you can go with something like steel, brass, aluminum... Either way its glued in.

How about just... pouring in glass filled epoxy - do that in layers though, or the heat is gonna play havoc on ya.

 

[NLD09]

This makes me wonder what a tremolo would sound like if you fashioned yourself a wooden trem block.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Would the orientation of the woodblock matter?  I mean if inserted one way, it would be consider crosscut.  We've seen or read how it matters with necks.  Is this the next tone secret?  In a Thurston Howell, IV voice,  "...all my trem blocks are cross cut."