Where does electric guitar tone come from? (pt 1)

I would argue that controlling every variable except for one is exactly how you conduct an experiment. As a guitarist/bassist/producer by hobby and PhD biochemist by profession, I would argue that changing an experiment until you have controlled as many variables as possible is exactly what you’re supposed to do if you want to pass peer review. I get in theory that the wood of an electric guitar affects how the strings vibrate, but I think the point of Jim’s video was that the effect is far more negligible than people often say, and is at the bottom of the list compared to string type, scale length, pickups/electronics, and the position of the pickups. I would put the nut and bridge material up there too. I think this makes sense in theory and even if you can hear a difference in Jim’s video, it really is remarkably similar. And i think it’s a liberating thing to hear! I had been considering buying a whole new guitar for years, but after watching that I figured I could just buy cobalt strings and adjust my pickup height to see what that did, and I’m already so much happier with my tone that I don’t feel the need anymore. If anything I may buy some new pickups. I’m just saying, I think Jim’s approach was scientifically sound, coming from a scientist.

Pickups are only microphonic when not wax potted.

I don't think many are arguing the wood and construction don't matter, just that they don't overpower what you hear coming from the pickups and amp, you can't hear the wood on an electric guitar over the speaker of an amp and if you can, congratulations, you have the best hearing in the world, you get a gold star. You could easily hear differences in an A/B comparison between guitars but how much of that comes through in a mix with other instruments in a recording? The tone is from the pickups and the amp and it's easily changed with the volume, tone and an EQ pedal. Guitar tone in a recording isn't anything like a guitar tone on it's own and as an engineer I don't know how you don't mention that.

Prodbably nkt aveyr smrat guy ahha

My thoughts to this are under the second video. It's a lengthy comment, if anyone is interested, it's there.

I agree with that. The guitar is an electromechanical system. The vibration of the string is the result of the mechanical system “string + body + nut + neck” and the current generated by the pickups is the result of the electro magnetic system “string + pickup”. It is a complex system and each guitar has its own characteristic harmonic composition.

Actually, what you're doing here is expressing opinions. "I have 39 years of experience, so I know." Silly! Jim Lil simply set up this simple experiment: if I take a guitar, with a wood body and neck, and compare it to a guitar without a wood body and neck, but correct for all other variables, what's the result? Simple: they sound nearly identical. You say, "I hear things you cannot hear." Maybe so. But Jim proved, the things that most affect tone in a solid body guitar are: the strings, the pickups, and the electronics. Everything else results in little or no discernible difference.

I even found the tone changes based on the type of Pick you use. Ever notice that people that try to discount the tone properties of the different components are almost always trying to justify their cheap guitar and/or are not very good players? If you're not a good player then you're right. Everything you play will sound like poop, and in that sense sounds the same.

FFS it isnt that important, the differences are not so big and most guitars play better than more gitarrists out there, stop chasing tone and start writing.