Bass Guitar Accessories

How is the sound of a bass guitar created?

As with the electric guitar, the two main parts of a bass guitar are the strings and the pickups. Vibrations from the strings are received by the pickups, which turn them into electronic signals. These are then transmitted to an amplifier, which creates the sound.

All bass guitars generally work in the same way, although the materials from which they are made and their shape can have a sizable impact on what type of sound they produce and what genre of music they are best suited to playing.

The effect of wood on the bass guitar sound

The majority of basses are solidbody, meaning there is no space inside the body of the guitar to allow sounds to reverberate naturally as with acoustic instruments. The cheapest solidbodys are typically made from softer woods such as ply or plastic, with hard woods like maple, rosewood and mahogany used on more expensive models. As far as solidbody bass guitars are concerned, mahogany produces a dense and woody sound and fits in well with the country and blues style of music.

Rosewood on the other hand is generally considered to create a more metallic sound that is rich and complex in both the high and low registers. Meanwhile, maple has a flatter tone that can work particularly well when playing at a loud volume.

Hollowbody bass guitars are used, but are mostly for those who enjoy jazz and folk music, as they create a quieter, more acoustic sound better suited to this type of playing.