Wood, metal, plastic and oh yeah finger's = sound.

[Tone Slinger]

Hi, just wanted to get some opinion's/experience's with all the thing's that make up the tone/sound of a guitar. I am limited by my expierience with all the variable's, but on the other hand have seen alot. I know there are a lot of EVH fan's on this forum and guitar wise I have alot of opinions. I know that a plexi era Marshall with a couple resistor/capacitor tweak's with power tubes under saturation along with a 4/12 25 watt celestion's cab is a good basis for that sound. But how about the guitar. Not just the fact that it's a Strat, Destroyer or a Paul, What's the wood, bridge, pick-up and scale length. Just the difference in body wood makes as much difference in sound as say swapping el-34's for 6550's. You know you need all the spacing and length's right in guitar design to get thet neck single coil sound ala Hendrix,Roth, Malmsteen. Thats why putting a neck single coil in a Gibson won't do the trick, the difference in space from bridge, pick-up and nut is off. The resonance in wood's is a big factor. Eddie, as an example had his hard ash strat w/ bridge humbucker. Listen to back to back comparison song's like "You really got me" and "Ain't talkin' bout love". The Destroyer(Korina) was used on "You really got me" and the strat (Hard Ash)was used on "Ain't talkin bout love" The Destroyer's rhythm sound was a little looser and broader whereas the strat had more attack and bite. The solo in YRGM 'Chirp's on the high part as does "Feel yor love tonight" cause the wood's resonance peak couldn't react fast enough. The Ash never "chirped like that 'cause it has less resonance and more attack. Another example would be to listen to "outta love again" and "light up the sky" same guitar scenario( except the destroyer was cut to a flying star)"Light up the sky has much more attack and edge. The wood and difference in scale length contribute to this. Even in same build strat's one can tell the difference. For bridge single coil's Alder Has a broader, fuller sound than say Swamp ash( almost same in sound to hard ash except a little more resonance and slightly less attack and sustain)But a humbucker will retain more bite and clarity in the Ash as opposed to the Alder. Sorry for being so long winded, there's so many factor's involved . Let me know other opinions/idea's.