Quick question about wood & weight

[JonatanOTG]

If I'm after a light weight body with pretty much 'standard qualities' regarding the sound (neither too much bass or treble), would alder be a decent option?  :icon_scratch:

 

[Cagey]

Yes. From Warmoth's site...

Alder (Alnus rubra):

Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its lighter weight (about four pounds for a Strat® body) and its full sound. Its closed grain makes this wood easy to finish. Alder's natural color is a light tan with little or no distinct grain lines. It looks good with a sunburst or a solid color finish. Because of its fine characteristics and lower price, Alder is our most popular wood and it grows all around us here in Washington State. The tone is reputed to be most balanced with equal doses of lows, mids and highs. Alder has been the mainstay for Fender bodies for many years and its characteristic tone has been a part of some of the most enduring pieces of modern day contemporary music.

[More here]

You should know, though, that the body ranks fairly low on the list of things that affect tone on electric guitars, so don't agonize over it too much. The pickups and neck are more influential.

 

[JonatanOTG]

Nice!  :icon_thumright:

Well, the body is the very core of the instrument itself, and the acoustic sound of the guitar comes from the body you know... That's how I think about it at least. But regarding the amplified sound you're probably right about the pickups. I've never heard that the neck should do more difference than the body though. But hey, I'm here to learn!  :toothy11:

 

[greywolf]

It all enters into the equation , and the right combination is magical. 
Alder is fairly lifght and quite resonant , good choice .

 

[JonatanOTG]

Sounds reasonable!

I've read that alder bodies are pretty consistent, not so much different from one another. At least compared to like ash, if I remember correctly. And that should make an alder body a good 'starting point' for my first build, plus it won't kill my back when doing gigs...  :toothy11:

 

[Cagey]

Nice!  :icon_thumright:

Well, the body is the very core of the instrument itself, and the acoustic sound of the guitar comes from the body you know... That's how I think about it at least. But regarding the amplified sound you're probably right about the pickups. I've never heard that the neck should do more difference than the body though. But hey, I'm here to learn!  :toothy11:

Actually, the pickups are the very core of the instrument. The body is just a mounting platform.

Sometimes, it helps to think of electric guitars not as guitars at all, but as tensilized spring steel wire mounts. It keeps you from getting sucked in by all the dogma and romance surrounding them, or being enthralled by their appointments.

An example of dogma would be something like the silly but widespread belief that there's a difference in tone between a lacquer and a polyurethane finish.

An example of romance would be the idea that "vintage" parts are a Good Thing, or the endorsement of someone successful at playing the thing adds some sort of "goodness" or value.

Appointments refer to such things as fancy finishes, unusual shapes or myriad controls.

Now, on an acoustic, it's different. The effect of the species, grain, grade, porosity, size, etc. of the wood, along with the construction, shape and finish are huge influences. But on an electric? Phbbt. The body weighs a million pounds relative to the strings, which means the strings aren't going to have much effect on the body. I'm not saying it doesn't make any difference, but it's minimal. The main role of the wood species on an electric has to do with what frequencies get filtered out or absorbed, and that happens primarily in the neck, it being the weakest, thinnest point.

 

[JonatanOTG]

Ok, I rather stay out of this discussion...  :toothy11:

But in the end I guess you're right.

 

[keeper006]

I've been building guitars for 20 years, and I will vouch that Cagey gives good advice. A drastic difference in body wood will slightly alter the tone in a solid body electric, but alder, basswood, ash, etc., the pups and neck will make a much more noticeable difference.

 

[MSP]

I've found wood type to make a noticeable difference, but I agree that the neck and pickups bring more into the equation, no questions asked.  What effects tone more, as far as bodies are concerned, is the shape and type.  So, a hollow-body Tele with an F-hole and a Les Paul will sound more different, even if they both had the same woods and pickups, than two Teles with one made of ash and one of mahogany. 

 

[JonatanOTG]

Just realized that basswood would be a cheaper and probably lighter (?) option, at least regardning a strat body. Is this due to 'worse' tonal qualities? Or is basswood just a more common wood than alder?

 

[Jumble Jumble]

It's less rare and less attractive but it's a perfectly OK wood to make a body from. Yes it's lighter, and in theory a little warmer than Alder or Ash. The main issue with it is, it's pretty easy to dent. You might not care about that though.

 

[JonatanOTG]

Ok, that makes sense. And it looks as it's not as heavily grained as alder or ash might be? I'm not sure if I've ever seen a basswood guitar with a transparent finish to be honest, people seem to favour them with a solid finish

 

[bagman67]

Basswood is a very plain-looking wood - runs from pinkish white to pale tan - similar to the lighter-colored end of the maple spectrum.  The grain is very low-contrast - the only variations in color are likely to be occasional mineral streaks.  It does not therefore lend itself to transparent finishes - the grain is just very boring.  Sample images here:  http://www.woodworkerssource.com/Basswood.html


Sonically, I have really liked the two basswood guitars I have owned in recent history -- a Fender Aerodyne Tele, and a Charvel Model 1A Strat copy (but not the Ibanez 540P I had when I was a young doofus).


Hope this helps.

 

[JonatanOTG]

Yeah those pictures look well, a bit boring, so to speak. Thanks for the info!

 

[keeper006]

Basswood is ideally used for loud high gain tone guitars, like all the "Superstrat" shred machines. The sound is smooth, without many sharp edges. Attack is moderate and sustain is "round and even" (I read that in a wood comparison scale, for what it's worth). It's just cheap because it grows everywhere, especially where Warmoth is, and as already stated, it's not pretty for dye or stain finish. If you're doing a solid finish, it's great. All the big companies use it because it's cheap, but I always think of Jacksons and Ibbys. Also a good choice if you're getting a laminate top of some more attractive wood.

 

[JonatanOTG]

Hm... Perhaps an alder top on a basswood body would be nice...  :toothy11: