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Ok , this will probably start something but I have noticed a difference in tone with a difference of heel cap material . I recently fitted a heel cap to an acoustic as a final operation . Having played the guitar a fair bit before hand , I was familiar with the tone . After fitting a rosewood heel cap to a mahogany heel the tone has markedly changed for the better . Even rubbing a finger on the cap can be heard throughout the entire guitar . I have since read the information on this and there seems to be some division .
I can attest 100% to noticing a large difference in brightness and clarity , this is real . I am just a bit surprised at there being any difference at all . Ok there you have it . So , choose wisely , Peace .

Ok I'll bite, this has nothing to do with the Tone. You probably had a gap behind the heel prior to adding heel cap lol

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Is this a job for FFT and some blue tack?


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Man, you must have one heck of an ear. The only change in tone i ever hear is when i do my yearly string change.

The real test would be to remove the cap and see if the tone goes back like it was.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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Where to start.

Never mind, I'll pass, enjoy.....

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Yeah you’re gonna wanna ditch that wood heelcap and get a brass heelcap if you’re really serious about tone


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The only option is a tree that you fell yourself, stickered it and let it season for 45 + years.

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I think it is the glue holding on the heel cap that has the biggest impact on tone.

I don't doubt the OP heard a difference in tone because he has stated as such but the question is why? Because I can't for the life of me come up with a reason as to how a heel cap would affect tone. Perhaps OP should build a guitar with several snap in heel caps and run an experiment.

Audio memory is notoriously fallible and this has been shown time and time again in blind listening studies so, and I intend no offence whatsoever in saying this, I give no credence to claims of this type where there is a significant time gap (eg greater than 15 seconds) between the hearer listening to an instrument in each of two states.

I’m not saying there is no possibility that adding material to the heel would effect the tone. But in the case of this reported change, there’s no way to know if it was real, or imagined without a better test.

If we presume there was a change, how do we know the heelcap was responsible, rather than any one of a thousand variables, from subtle changes in RH and temp, strings seating differently at the bridge having been removed/replaced, a new instrument “opening up” (another reported phenomena that divides opinion) and so on. All of this would need to ge controlled for in a genuine test. If a change happened at it was due to the heelcap, was it because adding any heelcap changes tone? Would a maple heelcap change tone differently to rosewood? Would just sticking a lump of poster putty to the heel make a difference? Is more weight better? Should we be fitting lead heel caps? Carbon fibre?

To many known unknowns.

I don't doubt that somehow the tone got better. I have no idea why. Since it was just getting finished, it might have just found where it wants to be. Tensions set.

David, did you tune it up to pitch after putting the Rosewood heel cap on?

I am ALWAYS amazed when the G,B and high E strings get within a quarter tone of being in pitch, and they completely wake up. Just night and day.

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Why be normal?

What a lovely toast. I'll raise my glass and take it further: "To many unknowns!"

The heel cap would only make a difference if glued on with HHG.

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Somebody needs to do some heel cap deflection testing. Or heel cap Chladni patterns.

Is there a veneer between the cap and heel, or purfling? Surely that has to be taken into consideration!