Wood Experts: Please help! (Pickup related)

[bubbahotep2k3]

In order to choose the right pickups I need some wood help. I have searched this forum and the internet for true information about the tonal qualities of Indian Cedro as a guitar body wood.

The two opinions that I keep finding are these:
(1) Indian Cedro is similar to Alder but brighter.
(2) Indian Cedro is similar to mahogany

Can any of you wood experts tell me the real deal?

It would also be helpful to know which tonal areas Indian cedro is weak and strong.
For example, does it have good low frequencies or poor low frequencies?
Does it emphasize the mids or are the mids mostly lacking?
And is the high end really more than alder or not?

If you own a Jackson Guitar made of Indian Cedro your comments would be especially helpful as that is the body I have (and I am pairing it with a Jackson bolt on neck made of rock maple and a rosewood finger board). There is no trem, it is hardtail with string thru body. (My guess is that this guitar will be bright, but I would like to hear from the wood experts.

Thanks so much for your help,
Bubba

[LtKojak]

Re: Wood Experts: Please help! (Pickup related)

In order to choose the right pickups I need some wood help. I have searched this forum and the internet for true information about the tonal qualities of Indian Cedro as a guitar body wood.

The two opinions that I keep finding are these:
(1) Indian Cedro is similar to Alder but brighter.
(2) Indian Cedro is similar to mahogany

Can any of you wood experts tell me the real deal?

It would also be helpful to know which tonal areas Indian cedro is weak and strong.
For example, does it have good low frequencies or poor low frequencies?
Does it emphasize the mids or are the mids mostly lacking?
And is the high end really more than alder or not?

If you own a Jackson Guitar made of Indian Cedro your comments would be especially helpful as that is the body I have (and I am pairing it with a Jackson bolt on neck made of rock maple and a rosewood finger board). There is no trem, it is hardtail with string thru body. (My guess is that this guitar will be bright, but I would like to hear from the wood experts.

Thanks so much for your help,
Bubba

This particular kind of wood is mostly used to acoustic guitars, precisely for the harmonic table or top. It's a snappier kind of wood, warmer and louder than spruce, the closest sounding example.

Anyway, you worry too much. Just get the darned guitar and fine-tune the outcome to your liking with the help of swapping the p'up's magnets.

HTH,

[GilmourD]

Re: Wood Experts: Please help! (Pickup related)

Do you have any other guitars to compare it to?

If so, why not play them side by side UNPLUGGED. That's going to give you the best basis for your tonal comparisons.

[bubbahotep2k3]

Re: Wood Experts: Please help! (Pickup related)

Thanks guys but I have not assembled the guitar yet (bought parts off ebay). I could put old pickups in it and test--that will work. However, it takes a while and I guess I would like to try to get the right pickups the first time around.

I guess not many people know about Indian Cedro. Kojak, I have heard the Indian variety is different from the Spanish Cedro.

Maybe I will contactl jackson guitars and ask them.

[GilmourD]

Re: Wood Experts: Please help! (Pickup related)

Thanks guys but I have not assembled the guitar yet (bought parts off ebay). I could put old pickups in it and test--that will work. However, it takes a while and I guess I would like to try to get the right pickups the first time around.

I guess not many people know about Indian Cedro. Kojak, I have heard the Indian variety is different from the Spanish Cedro.

Maybe I will contactl jackson guitars and ask them.

The Squier Vintage Modified SSH Tele is made of Indian Cedro, if I remember correctly. That's the one with the mini humbucker in the neck, Strat stack in the middle, and Tele stack in the bridge. If you could get your hands on one of those to try out it might give you an indication of the tone.

[bubbahotep2k3]

Re: Wood Experts: Please help! (Pickup related)

Well, I finally assembled the Indian Cedro RR body with the Jackson maple neck and .... Indian cedro is light in weight (the entire guitar weighs about 7.4 pounds) and the tone is bright. It is similar to alder, but brighter. I really like the tone with the JB in the bridge, very warm and punchy. I find that Indian cedro resonates very well. (It might be cheap to buy in India, but cedro is a good tone wood after all!).