How/why is the tone of an electric guitar affected by the type of wood it’s made from?

Question

The pickups convert vibrating strings to electrical signals, so how would the type of wood they’re embedded in affect the tone? (Or even a hollow vs solid body?)

In: 15

Answer 1

It doesn’t make a ton of difference in the same way it does with conventional guitars but it can affect how the strings vibrate, which in turn affects the sound. After all the strings are under tension and being held in tension by the body of the guitar. If the guitar body vibrates, the strings vibrate, and if the strings vibrate, the guitar body vibrates. This can affect the sound that’s produced.