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Yes.
Basically, the more A means more figuring. I believe that there is no "international code" in qualifying the number of A. Single A means little figuring, whereas AAAAA means high figuring. What I noticed from the pictures of the woods in the Warwick options list, is that more A also means a more consistent figuring. I generally prefer AAA over AAAAA. The figuring on AAA looks more natural and woody whereas with AAAAA, it looks a bit "factory made". It's all up to what you prefer. 8)
Basically, the more A means more figuring. I believe that there is no "international code" in qualifying the number of A. Single A means little figuring, whereas AAAAA means high figuring. What I noticed from the pictures of the woods in the Warwick options list, is that more A also means a more consistent figuring. I generally prefer AAA over AAAAA. The figuring on AAA looks more natural and woody whereas with AAAAA, it looks a bit "factory made". It's all up to what you prefer. 8)
JanVanHove
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Maple, quilted maple, birds eye maple, flamed maple, all have the same tonal characteristics. Only the appearance change between a 100 euro pliece of straight maple and a 1000 piece of AAAAA flamed maple.
The only maple that should have a different tone (from what I understand of wood and tone, which is not much...) is spalted Maple, since those black lines are actually faults in the solid grain of the wood...
Anyone care to confirm this? Or Am I completely wrong?
The only maple that should have a different tone (from what I understand of wood and tone, which is not much...) is spalted Maple, since those black lines are actually faults in the solid grain of the wood...
Anyone care to confirm this? Or Am I completely wrong?
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JanVanHove said:
I've read something similar. But I've also read the opposite. There may be structural differences between tonal properties of say AA Flamed Maple and AAA Flamed Maple, but then again, there may be structural differences between the AAA Maple of a tree that lived in America, and the AAA Maple of a tree that lived in Africa.
I think Ken Smith said that the reason he doesn't use woods like Buckeye Burl is because those aren't tone woods. Usually, there are voids in these woods that are filled with something like epoxy, and that cannot be good to sound.
I think I've read on the Pedulla site that AA Flamed Maple is growlier than AAA Maple............
I wouldn't be surprised if all of this can be compared with wine. A grape is a grape, and it needs water, air and sun. Just like a tree. Nevertheless, you have good wine years and bad wine years...........
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the A scale does just say something about the look of the wood.
sure, when the wood looks different, it has different physical properties, and so it should sound different.
but in this case, that really is so little, that there might be a bigger difference between different age or different location of the wood.
i think, that differences between AA and AAA can't be heard, because strings, frets, bridge, pickup windings, pickup height, density of the pickup windings, magnetization of the pole pieces inside the pickups, pickup height, total length of wire used for the electronics, and all that stuff, WILL be different from bass to bass.
so maybe you hear that electronic influences and hear a difference, but i don't think that one can hear such little sound differences of the wood, used for ELECTRIC basses....
nevertheless:
the more A the wood has, the more contrast there is in the grain, and the more uniformity there will be in the grain.
like someone said before: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA might look too perfect.
and if you choose between A and AAA, then AAA really has the better grain, more contrast and the streaks don't look chaotic.
the same with AA and AAA.
maybe you can't see that much of a difference between AAAAAAA and AAAAAAAA.
(correct me if i'm wrong)
now, about what florin said:
if flamed maple was soft maple, then it wouldn't be used for necks, right ?
and let's not forget, that there is normal maple that is soft maple, and normal maple that is hard maple. one is french, one is american.
for example.
i would say, the faster the tree grows, the softer the wood. but the speed of growth doesn't need to have to do with the grain.
so i would say:
fast growing flame maple is soft maple, and slow growing flame maple is hard maple.
what do you guys think ?
sure, when the wood looks different, it has different physical properties, and so it should sound different.
but in this case, that really is so little, that there might be a bigger difference between different age or different location of the wood.
i think, that differences between AA and AAA can't be heard, because strings, frets, bridge, pickup windings, pickup height, density of the pickup windings, magnetization of the pole pieces inside the pickups, pickup height, total length of wire used for the electronics, and all that stuff, WILL be different from bass to bass.
so maybe you hear that electronic influences and hear a difference, but i don't think that one can hear such little sound differences of the wood, used for ELECTRIC basses....
nevertheless:
the more A the wood has, the more contrast there is in the grain, and the more uniformity there will be in the grain.
like someone said before: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA might look too perfect.
and if you choose between A and AAA, then AAA really has the better grain, more contrast and the streaks don't look chaotic.
the same with AA and AAA.
maybe you can't see that much of a difference between AAAAAAA and AAAAAAAA.
(correct me if i'm wrong)
now, about what florin said:
if flamed maple was soft maple, then it wouldn't be used for necks, right ?
and let's not forget, that there is normal maple that is soft maple, and normal maple that is hard maple. one is french, one is american.
for example.
i would say, the faster the tree grows, the softer the wood. but the speed of growth doesn't need to have to do with the grain.
so i would say:
fast growing flame maple is soft maple, and slow growing flame maple is hard maple.
what do you guys think ?
Ian
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Seriously, I ate a Canadian brunch a few weeks ago, prepared by a friend who spent 6 months in Canada, and I did put maple syrup on EVERYTHING. It was awesome.
To remain in the topic, I have to say that I chose AAA flamed maple for my forthcoming Streamer LX Custom... First I wanted to pick up AA but at the end of the day I told myself that it could only look better...
To remain in the topic, I have to say that I chose AAA flamed maple for my forthcoming Streamer LX Custom... First I wanted to pick up AA but at the end of the day I told myself that it could only look better...
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so, it's not a cliche with the maple syrup ?
i hardly dare to ask, but what do canadians brush their teeth with ?
going for AAA surely was a good decision.
i know what i'm talking about...
but did you see both woods next to each other, in order to compare ?
i hardly dare to ask, but what do canadians brush their teeth with ?
going for AAA surely was a good decision.
i know what i'm talking about...
but did you see both woods next to each other, in order to compare ?
JanVanHove
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iuserneim said:
It is a cliché...
I only put it on pancakes...
And we canadians brush our teeth with a pine branch, like all good northen-woodsmen do!
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Ian said:
Hey hey,
that's some cunning lingo here. 8)
