Does Fender use basswood?
A small number of instruments with mahogany bodies were made in 1963 and 1964, and several mahogany-body instruments are made today. Many Japanese-made Fender instruments of the 1980s and ’90s had basswood bodies, but only very few models are made of basswood today.
Is basswood a good tonewood?
Basswood has been used in many high-end guitars for decades and is considered a great tone wood for instruments throughout the industry.
Is basswood really that bad?
basswood isn’t bad, it’s a matter of taste. I’d say the only two really BAD woods are plywood and agathis. gotta watch out for those agathis LTD guitars, look nice, sound shiite. Basswood can be great for guitar wood.
Why is basswood so cheap?
The reason basswood is used on cheap instruments is because it’s relatively inexpensive to buy poor quality basswood, and it is very soft, making it easy on tools. This means factories don’t have to worry as much about frequently replacing things like drill bits.
What type of wood does Fender use?
Alder is the most common choice for Stratocasters, Jaguars and Jazzmasters as well as the Jazz Bass due to its warmer balanced tone. More specifically, Red Alder is used by Fender as it is fast growing and readily available.
Is basswood better than mahogany?
Basswood is a light weight wood that is very soft and has quite dominating midrange but not much sustain and small envelope. Mahogany is actually probably the better from the two because it is resonant and pleasant and when paired with maple, it really shines.
Are basswood guitar bodies good?
But basswood is a good tonewood by any standards, and it has been used by many high-end makers with excellent results. It is a very light and fairly soft wood, and it’s light in color, too, with minimal grain. Solid basswood bodies have a fat, but well-balanced tonality.
Is Basswood lighter than Alder?
Basswood is lighter,less durable,and has a different tone than alder.By less durable I mean it seems to dent and what not easier than Alder.
Which is better basswood or poplar?
Poplar is one of the softest/lightest hardwoods, ranking down with Basswood. On the plus side, it’s pretty smooth stuff – kinda like Alder. Doesn’t require as much prep to finish. It’s normally finished opaque, as it often has green streaks that would interfere with most transparent finishes.
Is basswood heavier than alder?
Basswood is usually lighter than alder. Alder is usually lighter than northern ash, but swamp ash is usually lighter than alder.
Why is Fender not using ash?
In an interview with Guitar World, Fender’s Executive Vice President of Product, Justin Norvell, revealed that the difficult decision was made largely because of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle, a non-native invasive pest that has been destroying the unique “swamp ash” found in the American South – favored by Fender for …
Can you use basswood on a budget guitar?
It doesn’t help that a lot of budget guitars use basswood, and for a lot of guitarists, the only experience they have with basswood is cheaper budget guitars! Naturally, this skews the perception of basswood held by most people as they’ve never tried a high end guitar with basswood.
What kind of neck does a basswood guitar have?
A wide variety of guitarists during the 1980s used basswood body guitars, especially paired with bolt-on maple necks because of how well they cut through the mix.
Which is the best wood for a guitar?
This means factories don’t have to worry as much about frequently replacing things like drill bits. John Suhr, founder of Suhr guitars and a former luthier at the Fender Custom Shop has said many times that one of his favorite wood combinations for bodies is basswood with a maple top.
Which is better basswood or alder or mahogany?
Good pieces sound very good, and bad pieces can sound truly awful. Other commonly used woods like alder, mahogany and swamp ash don’t seem to suffer as much from a wide swing in quality. Lightweight cuts of basswood tend to sound much better than the heavier ones.