Want a more woody tone from your solid body?

[Runepune]

I have a solid body that I like to use for jazz. I do have an archtop, but I just prefer the ergonomics of the solid body.

I put flatwounds on the solid body, but it still didn't sound "woody" enough. Just more dead.
As pickup's really don't capture much body resonance at all, I figured the "woody" thing could partly be due to the resonance of a hollow body absorbing vibrations and affecting the decay/sustain.

I cut a thin slice of a sock and threaded (?) it between the strings a cm or so from the bridge. Wohaa...woodyness deluxe It resulted in a snappier attack, and faster decaying sustain with less overtones. Really liked the tone! Sounded very old school from a new solid body.

Better use a reasonably clean sock, though.

[lawson-stone]

I have a solid body that I like to use for jazz. I do have an archtop, but I just prefer the ergonomics of the solid body.

I put flatwounds on the solid body, but it still didn't sound "woody" enough. Just more dead.
As pickup's really don't capture much body resonance at all, I figured the "woody" thing could partly be due to the resonance of a hollow body absorbing vibrations and affecting the decay/sustain.

I cut a thin slice of a sock and threaded (?) it between the strings a cm or so from the bridge. Wohaa...woodyness deluxe It resulted in a snappier attack, and faster decaying sustain with less overtones. Really liked the tone! Sounded very old school from a new solid body.

Better use a reasonably clean sock, though.

Make sure the sock is the same brand as the ones worn by your favorite player, or better yet, get one of his socks, and DON'T wash it. It'll fix yo right up.

A set of Thomastik 12's on my otherwise stock Telecaster and it sounds plenty jazzy for me.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Woody ... or woolly?

[Runepune]

Woody ... or woolly?

Cottony!

[Dennis D]

.......Say it isn't so - - anyone else suddenly imagine the dreaded 'worsted vs virgin wool' discussion ??..... : )

[coolvinny]

I suggest the best solution is swap the saddle for a wood saddle. I did this on my Slaman Pauletta (Daniel Slaman Pauletta - CR Guitars) at Daniel Slaman's suggestion; he made the rosewood saddle and sent it to me. It made a massive difference especially on the high E and B strings. I've found this makes a huge difference versus just using, say, nylon saddles.

Also in my experience flatwounds don't necessarily help to get a woody tone out of a solid body. I've had much better success with roundwounds (wound G). Also I pretty much always go up one string gauge for my high E and B. I think I've got D'Addario 11 nickel round wounds on my Pauletta, but with a TI orphan wound G (from a set of Bebop 12's I think) and then 12/16 for the high E/B.

[Runepune]

I suggest the best solution is swap the saddle for a wood saddle. I did this on my Slaman Pauletta (Daniel Slaman Pauletta - CR Guitars) at Daniel Slaman's suggestion; he made the rosewood saddle and sent it to me. It made a massive difference especially on the high E and B strings. I've found this makes a huge difference versus just using, say, nylon saddles.

Also in my experience flatwounds don't necessarily help to get a woody tone out of a solid body. I've had much better success with roundwounds (wound G). Also I pretty much always go up one string gauge for my high E and B. I think I've got D'Addario 11 nickel round wounds on my Pauletta, but with a TI orphan wound G (from a set of Bebop 12's I think) and then 12/16 for the high E/B.

Yeah, wooden saddle would surely help. I can't install that on this one though. It's a Godin with 6 piezos in the saddle(s)

I had the sock threaded between strings on the other side of the bridge to get rid of the high pitched notes that the piezo picked up. Figured I'd check how it sounded with the end of it threaded on the other side. Thoroughly enjoyed that sound

[Jimmy blue note]

That's ONE way to get a warmer sound.

By the way, I made rosewood and ebony saddles that fit Nashville TuneOMatic bridges and I also have used wooden archtop saddle bridges on Gibson post bridges on both solids and semi hollows. I cut the base broad enough to accomodate adjustable saddle pieces. Sounds really woody.
Those woodworking chops really come in handy!

[TPMCD]

I suggest the best solution is swap the saddle for a wood saddle. I did this on my Slaman Pauletta (Daniel Slaman Pauletta - CR Guitars) at Daniel Slaman's suggestion; he made the rosewood saddle and sent it to me. It made a massive difference especially on the high E and B strings. I've found this makes a huge difference versus just using, say, nylon saddles.

Also in my experience flatwounds don't necessarily help to get a woody tone out of a solid body. I've had much better success with roundwounds (wound G). Also I pretty much always go up one string gauge for my high E and B. I think I've got D'Addario 11 nickel round wounds on my Pauletta, but with a TI orphan wound G (from a set of Bebop 12's I think) and then 12/16 for the high E/B.

I do the up-one-gauge thing for my Telecaster, and it definitely "feels" more jazzy, I suppose it probably does sound more jazzy as well. I think I've got John Pearse 11 nickel would or something like that, and then yeah, threw on orphaned 12 and 16's.

[Stefan Eff]

I‘m always amazed that one doesn’t want overtones and a longer sustain from his guitar.
I prefer a full hollowbody tone with Sustain and Overtones.

[pauln]

Lowering the pickup height increases its "aperture" - so more length of string to which the pickup responds, which means a more complex collection of overtones. On a solid body guitar this kind of mimics the woody tone of interaction of strings with the complex resonate effects of a hollow body.

To get the effect you have to lower the pickup quite low. To prevent it from falling into the body cavity, press a finger against the edge of the pickup as you lower it. If you feel the screw let go, keep holding until you restore purchase.

Some additional nice advantages resulting from this that go well with the woody tone; a little less string/pick noise, a little better amp tone from allowing a higher amp volume setting, and for amps with reverb, a little more ambient less splashy sound.

[steve burchfield]

tED gREENE WROTE ME A LETTER TELLING ME THAT HE HOLLOWED OUT THE WOOD UNDER THE PICKGUARD OF HIS OLD TELES AND ADDED HUMBUCKING PICKUPS. i AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THIS MOD DOES SOUNDWISE BUT HE THOUGHT IT WAS DESIRABLE.

[lammie200]

You can also use a piece from a compression sock to get some compression out of your tone.

[Runepune]

I‘m always amazed that one doesn’t want overtones and a longer sustain from his guitar.
I prefer a full hollowbody tone with Sustain and Overtones.

Oh, I do want that, usually This was just a quick way to get a snappy, old school kinda tone.

Lowering the pickup height increases its "aperture" - so more length of string to which the pickup responds, which means a more complex collection of overtones. On a solid body guitar this kind of mimics the woody tone of interaction of strings with the complex resonate effects of a hollow body.

To get the effect you have to lower the pickup quite low. To prevent it from falling into the body cavity, press a finger against the edge of the pickup as you lower it. If you feel the screw let go, keep holding until you restore purchase.

Some additional nice advantages resulting from this that go well with the woody tone; a little less string/pick noise, a little better amp tone from allowing a higher amp volume setting, and for amps with reverb, a little more ambient less splashy sound.

Definitely! I lower the pickups on all my guitars. Less string pull too.

[Jimmy blue note]

You can also use a piece from a compression sock to get some compression out of your tone.

If you take your wool socks and wash them in really hot water, you can get distortion from them, especially if you dry them on really high.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I figured out how to get Clapton's "woman tone"!

[Rob MacKillop]

Wool socks and gut strings: a perfect combination...or not.

[garybaldy]

I think I'll try the sock idea on my budget (that's all I have!) archtops!

[citizenk74]

Lowering the pickup height increases its "aperture" - so more length of string to which the pickup responds, which means a more complex collection of overtones. On a solid body guitar this kind of mimics the woody tone of interaction of strings with the complex resonate effects of a hollow body.

To get the effect you have to lower the pickup quite low. To prevent it from falling into the body cavity, press a finger against the edge of the pickup as you lower it. If you feel the screw let go, keep holding until you restore purchase.

Some additional nice advantages resulting from this that go well with the woody tone; a little less string/pick noise, a little better amp tone from allowing a higher amp volume setting, and for amps with reverb, a little more ambient less splashy sound.

^^^^^^^^ This. Also, surgical tubing over the bolts dampens any potential tinny rattles. I frequently shim and/or otherwise dampen tune-a-matic type bridges. Any vibrating metal part that is not a string is not a team player; the exceptions would be things like the e.g. L-5CES tailpiece. Carry on.

[linleechiun]

Parametric eq helps, at least try sweapable mids control on some "metal pedal".

[citizenk74]

Parametric eq helps, at least try sweapable mids control on some "metal pedal".

[Ray175]

I figured out how to get Clapton's "woman tone"!

You have to use silk stockings to get that sound...

[nopedals]

I have always stuffed foam between the bridge and the bridge cover on my P bass, trying to make it sound like an acoustic bass, a not uncommon mod, I think.

[Litterick]

It is nice to see a solution that is not a pedal, although it is pedal.