Why does low E on guitar sound so different to the same note on bass guitar?

[an-electric-heart]

I only recently found out low E on a bass is only 1 octave below low E on a guitar, meaning on bass second fret on D is the same note in the same octave as low E on guitar... So why do they sound so different?
I can't find an easy answer. It's obvious that a bass guitar has sub content that a regular guitar doesn't.

Sorry to sound like a noob, I have actually been playing for 25 years... so I'm not actually a noob. I just want to delve into the science of what can make the same note "bass" or "not bass".

[Erisian]

Thicker strings I presume.

[Saffran]

I think a bass string vibration in a certain frequency runs out of energy much faster because of its thickness.
A guitarstring keeps vibrating for much longer and thus produce a more energy rich sound.

[donkey tugger]

I think a bass string vibration in a certain frequency runs out of energy much faster because of its thickness.
A guitarstring keeps vibrating for much longer and thus produce a more energy rich sound.

Hmm, I would have thought the opposite; The tension on an A string on a standard bass will be round about twice that for the E on a guitar, given the thicker strings and longer scale. More energy to be released then and it vibrates for longer. I think....

[vurt]

same note on one of your bottom 3 (the thick ones) compared to the same note on the g string sounds different.

as mentioned above, the thicker strings, although producing the same frequency, have a different timbre.

weirdly, same thing happens when you inhale helium. it's the timbre that changes, but we often perceive it as a frequency shift
this happens because the helium doesn't alter the length of the vocal chords, but chills them, so they vibrate different but not higher? bloody physics.
i should be able to explain this better, im beginning to think i fluked my degree

[anttimaatteri]

I only recently found out low E on a bass is only 1 octave below low E on a guitar, meaning on bass second fret on D is the same note in the same octave as low E on guitar... So why do they sound so different?
I can't find an easy answer. It's obvious that a bass guitar has sub content that a regular guitar doesn't.

Sorry to sound like a noob, I have actually been playing for 25 years... so I'm not actually a noob. I just want to delve into the science of what can make the same note "bass" or "not bass".

as long as you able to hear the difference, no need to dive deeper^^- its a good sign tbh. some folks dont hear hear any difference. or at least they dont care to hear one.
its somehow like the difference between an empty string and the same note on the 5th fret. its all a combination of the stringtension, the string thickness and how the string is plucked. it all matters and sums up for the timbre at the end. ask coders of physical modeling synths about it ^^

[donkey tugger]

Whilst I was looking on the poogle I found some reddit page of moaning about people playing chords up the neck on bass. I think I'll pass..

[cryophonik]

It's a good question and, as a lifelong bassist, this question has crossed my mind before as well. I've never looked into it, but always assumed that it had to do with string thickness and tension and the resulting harmonics and timbre, not to mention all the other factors, like neck length, fretboard material, pickups, bridge, etc.

I do like the idea of asking physical modelers about it and I'm interested in hearing thoughts.

[Teksonik]

Why does a low E sound different on a Piano than on a Bass Guitar ?

[an-electric-heart]

Whilst I was looking on the poogle I found some reddit page of moaning about people playing chords up the neck on bass. I think I'll pass..

I actually play bass in a 90s style punk band. I play with a Jazz bass with a pick, have a really bright tone and mostly play an octave up (rather than going to the lowest notes on e), and yes, often play power chords on D and G.

[vurt]

Why does a low E sound different on a Piano than on a Bass Guitar ?

is the pianist girthy?

[Teksonik]

That's a very personal question so I did not ask....

[revvy]

Could be because we use fingers on (P) bass (with tort guard) and picks on guitar....

Guitar! How low can you go?

[an-electric-heart]

Could be because you use fingers on bass and picks on guitar....

There isn't as much difference between picked and finger tone as people make out, picked bass has a bit more of a sharp attack, but the basses tone is the basses tone, and doesn't change that much regardless of fingers or pick.

[elxsound]

same note on one of your bottom 3 (the thick ones) compared to the same note on the g string sounds different.

as mentioned above, the thicker strings, although producing the same frequency, have a different timbre.

weirdly, same thing happens when you inhale helium. it's the timbre that changes, but we often perceive it as a frequency shift
this happens because the helium doesn't alter the length of the vocal chords, but chills them, so they vibrate different but not higher? bloody physics.
i should be able to explain this better, im beginning to think i fluked my degree

I think this is probably the best explanation so far.

timbre. It'll sound different on other stringed instruments too. You don't have to stop with just guitars and bass, or the already mentioned piano (stringed too).