Alder or Soft Maple?

[TSE]

I don't have experience with either because I play only Ibanez basswood RG type guitars. Want something new! Looking into Warmoth.

This would be for a soloist style, bolt-on guitar body with a fixed ToM bridge and a Duncan Distortion bridge pickup. The neck is also maple. Music style is extreme metal stuff, all genres.

Looking for the pros and cons for these woods in regard to hardness or durability, weight, and of course tone.

I lean towards brighter tone, but not thin. Bright, yet not piercing and rich if that makes sense?

Any input would be heplful, thanks.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

Swamp Ash would actually be a good wood for the tonal properties you describe. Alder is a bit warmer of a tonewood, but brighter than Basswood. It has been used for that "strat sound" for decades. I really don't know much about soft maple....only with the hard maple, which would be really really bright.

Ash is harder to finish but can have some of the sickest grain patterns you have ever seen. If you want to see an example, I can post a pic of my strat pre-finish. Swamp Ash is generally a bit lighter than Alder, but varies from piece to piece of course. Alder is a much easier wood to work with and finish, but is generally only done in solid colors as the grain patter is somewhat plain.

Both would work well for your purposes. Mahogany with a maple cap may be the best of both worlds.

 

[BrockSamson]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

Look at the Jackson Soloist, and the materials used in them. That way you can get a real good idea as to what you are looking at as far as expected tone.

Warmoth is awesome. I just wish they would do set necks and offer installation and finishing. But then again, by the time you price out a build, it may just be cheaper to buy a real USA Jackson to begin with.

I ran into that when looking at the Rhoads model Jackson V's from Warmoth. By the time I got everything in the cart plus finishing and without any electronics, it's just easier to buy a real Jackson Rhoads model and get a set-neck, real mother of pearl inlays and binding, which Warmoth doesn't seem to offer on the 10-16" radius necks.

 

[TSE]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

Look at the Jackson Soloist, and the materials used in them. That way you can get a real good idea as to what you are looking at as far as expected tone.

Warmoth is awesome. I just wish they would do set necks and offer installation and finishing. But then again, by the time you price out a build, it may just be cheaper to buy a real USA Jackson to begin with.

I ran into that when looking at the Rhoads model Jackson V's from Warmoth. By the time I got everything in the cart plus finishing and without any electronics, it's just easier to buy a real Jackson Rhoads model and get a set-neck, real mother of pearl inlays and binding, which Warmoth doesn't seem to offer on the 10-16" radius necks.

I was going to go with Jackson, but their maple flame/quilt tops don't come close to Warmoth. And a lot of their guitars are just solid colors or some kind of custom paint job. I really like the look of a maple flame top with green dye and black burst edges. Or a maple quilt with blue dye would look fantastic too.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

I say go with the Soft Maple, judging from your style. I don't know much about it, soft Maple , that is. Its not really utilized extensively AFAIK, although I am aware off the the different main species of Maple, one being "hard", and the other "soft",.
You gotta realise a lot of the 80's guitars were hard maple bodied, and George Lynch used or still uses hard maple bodied guitars, and EVH used a similar Hard Ash Guitar for VH1 is the common belief, so I think you'd' be good with the Maple for your style.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

This is a good link I have found. Explains all the wood tonal differences

http://www.jemsite.com/jem/wood.htm

 

[marvelous_seven]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

This is a good link I have found. Explains all the wood tonal differences

http://www.jemsite.com/jem/wood.htm

Explained by the coolest man of our own Frank Falbo!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

Go for the Alder...it'll be far less picky about pickup choice.

 

[BrockSamson]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

I was going to go with Jackson, but their maple flame/quilt tops don't come close to Warmoth. And a lot of their guitars are just solid colors or some kind of custom paint job. I really like the look of a maple flame top with green dye and black burst edges. Or a maple quilt with blue dye would look fantastic too.

I hear ya there. I bought a Warmoth Strat body recently that has a quilted top on it. I just prefer Jackson for how they play and sound, vs what they look like.

 

[TSE]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

That link hepled, thanks Alex. I guess I can't go wrong with alder. And since I'm using a DD(JB wind) it should work out well. Frank makes basswood sound much better than a lot of the bad things that people say about it. It's decent, but I'm looking for tighter, solid lows than what basswood has to offer though. Not more low, maybe less, like less of the loose bass and replace it with tight, more low-mid kind of bass. If that means anything?

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

alder.

 

[TSE]

Re: Alder or Soft Maple?

alder.

Hey, that's what I said! At, least it was a helpful desription as why to use alder.