Paul Davids tonewood video

Tannin

As promised some time ago, Paul has put his tonewood video out to go with the body shape one some weeks back.



I enjoyed it but found it a little underwhelming. I think there was more interest in the shape one, this pretty much restricts itself to two sorts of spruce and just three back and sides timbers (it really missed a cedar top). It's a great introduction, well produced and beautifully played as all Paul's videos are, but there won't be much in it that anyone here won't know already. Worth watching just the same. 

As an aside, Mrs Tannin watched it over my shoulder and that led to a little blindfold listening to my guitars  - no talking, just strum a chord and pick out a few notes on one while she had her back turned, then do the same on another. She found that there were clear differences between my half-dozen (which between them have 6 different tops, four different body types,  and six different back and sides timbers) and ... who knows? She might even see her way clear to seeing that I really need a Sitka Spruce and Blackwood 808 to go with them. 

(Maybe.)

(Don't hold your breath.)

(But you never know.)

TheMadMick

I watched this and thought to myself - have they taken into account the different construction of various guitars. How would that interact with the various tonewoods? Would one tonewood react better to one method and more poorly to another? To many variables methinks.

I ask, 'cos I have tried Eastman guitars and I've been completely underwhelmed although many others seem to love them.

chrisT

I think there’s perhaps a promotional aspect to Paul’s vid.

guitarjack66

chrisT said:

I think there’s perhaps a promotional aspect to Paul’s vid.

Yes,I thought this too. Featuring only Eastmans and focusing on the sound is not a true reflection of all brands using the same styles(video number one of the series) and woods(video number two.)

drofluf

TheMadMick said:

I watched this and thought to myself - have they taken into account the different construction of various guitars. How would that interact with the various tonewoods? Would one tonewood react better to one method and more poorly to another? To many variables methinks.

I ask, 'cos I have tried Eastman guitars and I've been completely underwhelmed although many others seem to love them.

I suspect the construction is important if not more so than the choice of wood. There’s a similar ongoing debate over the merits of carbon vs. steel vs. Aluminium as a frame material with one side saying that aluminium gives a harsh ride compared to say carbon whilst the other side will give examples of uncomfortable carbon bikes. 

It’s a similar dynamic here with the added variable that no two pieces of, for example, will identical. It’s the skill of the builder to bring out the best in the materials that they’re working with. 

Tannin

guitarjack66 said:

chrisT said:

I think there’s perhaps a promotional aspect to Paul’s vid.

Yes,I thought this too. Featuring only Eastmans and focusing on the sound is not a true reflection of all brands using the same styles(video number one of the series) and woods(video number two.)

Not as such. In the first video I think Paul says upfront that he's gone with Eastman because Eastman was able to provide one guitar of each body shape in (almost) the same tonewoods. Not many companies could do that.

BillDL

I liked some of Pepijn 't Hart's descriptions of the typical sounds and tones commonly produced by the different wood types.  He's very fluent and is obviously well used to discussing this kind of topic in depth given that he's Eastwood's (sorry, watched Clint in "Unforgiven" last night) Eastman's Global Production Manager, but I found some of his metaphorical descriptions quite refreshing.

guitarjack66

Tannin said:

guitarjack66 said:

chrisT said:

I think there’s perhaps a promotional aspect to Paul’s vid.

Yes,I thought this too. Featuring only Eastmans and focusing on the sound is not a true reflection of all brands using the same styles(video number one of the series) and woods(video number two.)

Not as such. In the first video I think Paul says upfront that he's gone with Eastman because Eastman was able to provide one guitar of each body shape in (almost) the same tonewoods. Not many companies could do that.

Do you believe other brands would sound the same as Eastman guitars with the same wood?