Is choice in tone woods a factor any more?

[twonabomber]

Been off for a couple days and going through some of the local shops. Seen some decent looking cheap guitars, made a short list, then hit the innerweb to read reviews. Most of these were imports, and in the reviews I keep reading they probably have lesser quality tone woods.

BUT

Everyone slathers so much shit on their recordings...so does the wood matter? Today's effects can probably make a $100 plywood guitar sound huge. Or am I wrong?

[Nitro Express]

It's resonance. When I shop for a guitar I don't bother to plug it in at first. I will play them all unplugged listening to how they sound. When I find one that sounds good unplugged then I plug it in and see how the electronics sound. You can have the best pickups in the world but they can't make a bad piece of wood or a poor neck joint sound good. A good guitar will come alive because the whole thing resonates.

Another thing to check is hold the headstock and the body and see if they vibrate at the same frequency. If they don't you have a bad neck joint dampening the vibrations. It will be a dead sounding guitar. So pass those up.

[Coyote]

Everyone slathers so much shit on their recordings...so does the wood matter? Today's effects can probably make a $100 plywood guitar sound huge. Or am I wrong?

Well, the better the woods, the less FX one has to pile on the track to make it sound decent. But then again, most "songwriters" and/or "producers" can't tell the difference anyway (or don't give a shit). So I guess that's a yes?

[78/84 guy]

I think it might matter more for the front pickup ? Maybe not. If you put a good pickup in a cheap guitar you can make it sound good. You hear all the arguments, but for me the wood gives the sustain more than tone.