alder vs. maple on mahogany?

[rguser]

let's say I get a fender strat neck new off ebay and order a warmoth body for it. so getting a high grade alder body would be just like getting a new strat except my choice of pups and bridge (HS + wilky VSVG). so I am thinking getting a soloist body with mahogany back and carved maple top. how would that compare to an alder body, tone wise?

can't afford a custom charvel w/ strat head so this is my plan B, LOL
is a fender deluxe neck as good as a san dimas?

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: alder vs. maple on mahogany?

let's say I get a fender strat neck new off ebay and order a warmoth body for it. so getting a high grade alder body would be just like getting a new strat except my choice of pups and bridge (HS + wilky VSVG). so I am thinking getting a soloist body with mahogany back and carved maple top. how would that compare to an alder body, tone wise? can't afford a custom charvel w/ strat head so this is my plan B, LOL is a fender deluxe neck as good as a san dimas?

Uh, didn't someone say alder was a tad bright / clear, mahogany was warm, maple bright? I dunno.

"Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its lighter weight (about four pounds for a Strat® body) and its full sound."

"Mahogany is a fine grained wood with good musical properties. The tone is warm and full with good sustain."

I don't think maple tops (due to why they're used and how thick they normally are, i.e. they're usually thin) do much to color the guitar, but if you want, you have the link now, you can go look at the wood descriptions. I mean, everything colors the sound, but I don't usually mentally consider the top when I consider the wood and overall tone. Just my weird mind.

Just for the heck of it: I have an agathis (mahogany-wannabe from the orient) with maple top and maple neck with rosewood fretboard with a JB+Jazz setup with the pole piece screws flush with the top of the bobbin, and I love the way that guitar sounds. I only screwed the pole piece screws flush with the bobbin so it was easier to adjust pickup height, but that makes the pickups a little less bright. I dunno, my setup works for me. Most the stuff with woods and pickups ends up being adjusted for on the effects, the pole pieces, pickup height, tone knobs and pots, and amp EQs.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: alder vs. maple on mahogany?

Everything works that's true.
If the maple is thick enough (Warmoth carved tops) it adds attack... try comparing a Les Paul with and without a maple top...
Tone wise.. a mahagony body with any figured maple top and a maple neck would be a very bright guitar.. I think that a 2 humbucker set would be better for it the singles...
If you go for a maple fretboard it would be even brighter...
You can order a chamberd body.. it would make the sound softer- "rounder"... IMHO these would still be a rather bright guitar...

 

[rguser]

Re: alder vs. maple on mahogany?

Tone wise.. a mahagony body with any figured maple top and a maple neck would be a very bright guitar.. I think that a 2 humbucker set would be better for it the singles...
If you go for a maple fretboard it would be even brighter...

that's a good point. thanks.
a thick maple top is very hard mechanically.
maybe that's why EBMM's maple tops are 1/4", that's thicker than a cosmetic top (1/8") but doesn't overwhelm the ash or basswood on the axis supor sport.
so I guess solid alder body is really good and affordable after all because I now find solid ash or mahogany are not the best for an all around bolton, too mushy on the top.

 

[tone?]

Re: alder vs. maple on mahogany?

i have a one piece mahogany body super strat and one piece maple neck and the guitar sounds pretty damn amazing. and not just to my ears. USACG built

i do think however that alder might be a better match. i am building another and will have it in a month so i will tell you the differences.

i do think that maybe a rosewood board might be a better match for it tho.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: alder vs. maple on mahogany?

Tone wise.. a mahagony body with any figured maple top and a maple neck would be a very bright guitar..

I disagree. Mahogany is warm. I have something very similar (if you consider agathis to be "commercial grade mahogany" like most websites) and it's not bright.