An Easy Method to Create "Thunk" on any Guitar.

[Gabor]

Palm muting, in which the edge of the hand rests on the bridge, achieves much the same effect and is capable of nuance.

We can not discuss this without mentioning one of the master of this technic

[MattR]

Also could be "The Art of Thunk"

..Melodious Thunk

[Alter]

The traditional thunk sound though I believe is accomplished though the angle at which the pick hits the strings. The hollow body guitar helps a lot too! And the short sustain in jazz mostly comes again from muting the string with the pick immediately after the initial attack.

Another way (or a complimentary way), is developing a staccato attack with the fretting hand, releasing the pressure as soon as a note is played. This helps when playing with a 45 degree angle (a technique that facilitates speed, but not pick muting - although I've seen shred players mute that way). At least that's the way I've always tried to do it! To me palm muting gives a different sound..

[Sabicas]

Highly intriguing - I would find it especially interesting to hear A/B recordings of the same figure(s) played with and without your Thunkification device engaged.

Sure. I recorded two more snippets with the same guitar as before. As "vanilla" as possible with the neck+bridge pickups and tone and volume pots at 10 for clarity.

"Before" is without foam

[Sabicas]

"After" is with foam

[Gabor]

..Melodious Thunk

Also a famous quote "Don't believe every quote you read on the internet, because I totally didn't say that." It is from Albert Einstein the inventor of the lightbulb.

***

joke aside: I do respect Monk, but in case he really said that, he was definitely wrong. It is total nihilism, and although the statement can earn cheap popularity, the same time it is destructive, and has the literal meaning "I do not care". Indeed if one cares then she/he can do something for things go to a direction. Things not just happen.

[KirkP]

I think a wood bridge would be thunkier than a TOM.

[Danny W.]

From 1967, anti-thunk:

Danny W.

[MattR]

I recorded two more snippets with the same guitar as before.

COOL. I personally dig the envelope the foam puts on there in the after version, as an apples/oranges alternative to the before, and agree it's not the same result at all as palm muting.

Whether it be referred to as thunk or plunk, it doesn't have the same effect that I've heard when switching from a metal to a wood bridge either, and I'd also say it is a more dramatic contrast.

[Zina]

Maybe a new thread on the subject is needed. Two contributors only?

I use DADGAD about 1/3 of the time, standard 1/3 too, and the rest of the time EBDGAD and DGDGBD. But finger-style only (on electric though), so I won't have anything useful to you to contribute.