In our multimedia feature Deep Overwater, expert luthier Chris May says the choice of wood is extremely important: "The big thing that a lot of people get wrong with electric instruments is they think it’s down to the pickups and the electronics. It’s not.

"The fundamental tone comes from the instrument. It’s not just the wood, it’s the metal in the machine heads, it’s the bridge, it’s every part of that instrument. A brass bridge as opposed to an aluminium bridge - both are good, but one will weigh more than the other and will subtly affect the sound."

Dr Andrew Elliott, research fellow at the University of Salford’s (UK) Acoustics Research Centre, says that science is not wholly conclusive on the question. “One issue is that two measured sounds can appear to be almost identical when presented graphically, but differences may still be perceptible," he says.

"Perception is individual and difficult to measure."

It is hard to believe that someone such as May, who has dedicated his life to making guitars for the best in the business, would simply invent the idea, especially when the quality of the guitars are consistently and independently verified by sound engineers, contemporaries and punters.