SE 245s...again

[Robert Lavin]

Hello,

Me again.

So I'm fortunate enough to have a pair of SE 245s. A 2011 maple topped and a 2015 plain mahogany.

I've posted a thread about my first impressions, but after a bit more playing I'd like to talk about it as bit more (sorry!).

Both have fresh strings of the same brand and gauge, action, pickup heights and pole pieces adjusted as identically as possible. Pickups are stock in both although the maple topped has pickup covers.

They do definitely sound different. There's more going on with the maple top - or rather the note I play doesn't stand out quite as much from the background harmonics.

The mahogany is more in your face. The played note is more prominent but there's less going on (less complexity?) in the overall tone.

I'm wondering why there's quite a marked difference, at least to my ears.

I'm not a huge proponent of the woods making a big difference on tone. I can see how the vibrations of the body might feedback into the strings and affect the tonal quality but I'm not convinced it's a huge effect.

So that leaves pickup covers vs no covers. Again. Not convinced by the covers affecting the tone per se but I can see that the actual pickup coils might be slightly further away from the strings (allowing for the thickness of the cover).

Or the nut. Stock nut on the maple cap, something that might be improved (it's white) on the mahogany, although it does look quite similar in form.

Or it's just general, but unsatisfactory from an understanding perspective, variation between individual guitars.

Anyone got any thoughts on this? Am I talking rubbish?

 

[AP515]

I think you just need to convince yourself that wood really does matter. Common thought says that mahogany will be stronger in the midrange and maple will have more high frequency content. That is what you just described. You just proved to yourself what people who hear a difference say the difference should sound like. It's not all that painful to be wrong about this. You have two great guitars and you can play each for the different tone they have.

 

[Robert Lavin]

Not painful at all. Being wrong is how you learn isn't it?

I was aware of maple topped guitars described as having more "bite" (nice, vague description there ), but I wasn't aware of mahogany having more midrange.

From an acoustic guitar perspective which is where I have more experience, I've always equated mahogany with mellow which isn't my experience with these two electric guitars. And yes I get that the way the sound is amplified is very different. But I suppose timbre and frequency response are two different things.

Thanks for telling me, in the kindest away, that I'm sort of taking rubbish!

I think you just need to convince yourself that wood really does matter. Common thought says that mahogany will be stronger in the midrange and maple will have more high frequency content. That is what you just described. You just proved to yourself what people who hear a difference say the difference should sound like. It's not all that painful to be wrong about this. You have two great guitars and you can play each for the different tone they have.

 

[Wakester]

I agree with @AP515. And, would add that there is a tonal difference between covered and uncovered pickups, which, i believe you are detecting as well. Either way, enjoy both guitars for what they can do and for their differences.

 

[Robert Lavin]

That'd where I'm at, but the sad truth have is that I probably need to move one of them on.

I agree with @AP515. And, would add that there is a tonal difference between covered and uncovered pickups, which, i believe you are detecting as well. Either way, enjoy both guitars for what they can do and for their differences.

 

[Wakester]

That'd where I'm at, but the sad truth have is that I probably need to move one of them on.

If you have to let one go, keep the one that best works with the music you play. Or, the one that best describes you as a player. It's a tough choice to be sure.

 

[Robert Lavin]

Yeah. I think I actually prefer the look of the plain mahogany, I like them simple but I prefer the tone of the maple.

It's all about tone right?

If you have to let one go, keep the one that best works with the music you play. Or, the one that best describes you as a player. It's a tough choice to be sure.

 

[Egads]

Yeah. I think I actually prefer the look of the plain mahogany, I like them simple but I prefer the tone of the maple.

It's all about tone right?

It's all about the guitar that speaks to you. Looks have to factor in. Nothing wrong with that. You have to want to play it to get the most out of it.

That said, if a guitar isn't giving up the sound you need/want, looks aren't going to change that.