Any Love for Basswood?

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I was a long time mahogony snob- it absolutely sounds more resonant unplugged and has a wider frequency spread, although I usually have the bass turned way down on my amp.

Recently got a cheap basswood guitar (used to own RGs many years ago) and the tone is fatter and has a mid-push that my mahogony axes dont. It records great and I am able to bring the bass up on my amp.

I think the big difference is that notes on the lower strings /higher frets sound more complete (rounder), so it opens up that part of the neck - the notes are more intelligible there and less scooped. It absolutely has less bass, but its not getting in the way either. Anyone else enjoy basswood?

I used to think that Ibanez was using Satch and Vai endorsements of basswood guitars to help sell their cheaper models, but there may be something to using basswood for shredders.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

I like it just fine. It's not peaky, so it goes well with a lot of different types of pickups, regardless of whatcha heard.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

There's nothing at all wrong with a good piece of basswood. It's a very balanced, almost "neutral" wood IMO. It works especially well in bolt-on guitars with humbuckers, so it's no surprise it gets chosen for that.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Despite what some may say Bass wood is a great tone wood. My only gripe with it is the softness and fragile nature of it.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Que jerry and the haters.

I have played many awesome basswood guitars

Anderson says it best tho

''This wood gained popularity in the 80s and for a time was probably the most used wood for locking tremolo guitars. It is very light weight and produces a fairly even and full mid-range response throughout the entire band width. Many people feel it is extremely well matched with humbucking pickups because it produces a lot of the same frequencies that humbuckers easily reproduce. This is not to say that single coil tones aren't great as well. Toward the end of the late 80s, a few other species of woods were mistakenly thought to be basswood and this seemed to lead to a decline in basswood's popularity. However, true basswood does produce a very pleasing midrange tone and is the only type of basswood used here at Tom Anderson Guitarworks. Ifs natural color is light blonde to of white with little to no discernible grain. For this reason, an opaque paint color is usually chosen for a solid basswood body.''
 
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Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Rockstar216 said:
Despite what some may say Bass wood is a great tone wood. My only gripe with it is the softness and fragile nature of it.
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That was one of the things I disliked about the old 80s/90s RGs. They have square edges that would easily chip and dent. Seems like they should have rounded them some, the paint would have survived better. The other thing I dislikes was how the wood seemed to drink the finish or it would shrink over time so you could see grain under the paint (not mirror smooth). I'm sure there are some basswood guitars really finished well that stand the test of time.

I sold my last RG nearly 10 years ago because it was *obvious* it wasnt as resonant as mahogony, BUT now I am more inclined to want less frequencies for more overall clarity and can appreciate this unpretentious wood.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

I have a Squier Tele with a Hot Rails n and Quarter Pound b, and a Slammer Les Paul DC with a 490r n and Phat Cat b p'up. Both have basswood bodies and both sound amazingly great.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Reckon basswood's reputation has suffered due to its proliferated use on cheap MIC/MIK/MII guitars.

I have two basswood guitars, both very good. Does go well with high output pups, in particular.

Rockstar216 said:
My only gripe with it is the softness and fragile nature of it.
Click to expand...

Given how thick/hard most guitar finishes are these days, it's mostly a non issue, imo.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

I have two old Jems with Basswood bodies and once you get the ridiculous DiMarzios out of them that they come with they sound amazing.

My main Jem (Elle, the blue floral) was always described as "very treble sounding". :dunno:
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Lucy Diamond said:
I have two old Jems with Basswood bodies and once you get the ridiculous DiMarzios out of them that they come with they sound amazing.
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Are you sure you're not a women? hehe

They sound ****ing rad in my mahogany build. I haveNever tried a paf with basswood tho.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Not that I'm am a hater. I was, but that was plain ignorant. High end basswood guitars are obviously excellent instruments.

I think it gets a bad rap because there are so very many cheap guitars made with basswood that IMO, sound pretty bad.
While that may be true of Alder, or Ash as well, you seem to get better sounding low to mid level guitars from those traditional woods, and more of them.

I like Basswood more in Bass, then guitar.

All that having been said, Basswood is not for me, not that that matters to anyone else. If I get a high end guitar, like one in my Avatar or a Ernie Ball or Music Man one day, it'll either be Alder, Poplar or Mahogany. The tonal response of Basswood does not measure up to Alder or Mahogany , which is better ( 'better',not 'different').I'm stating this as fact, and not opinion... you've got to remember I'm a guy who does not believe in tonal subjectivity.(EDIT_ although Basswood could work best for a certain sound/style, IDK..obviously some great guitarists use it)

Some people are going to disagree, and Basswood is their personal choice, and thats okay, more power to you. One day( soon) when I rule the world ,I will burn all Basswood guitars and force everyone to play Alder or Mahogany under penalty of death. Till then ,you're safe.
 
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Re: Any Love for Basswood?

I love basswood, especially my Showmaster, loaded Jazz/Full Shred. If anything I wish I had gone Full Shred combo. But yeah, I love it now. I started loving both basswood and mahogany for what they are, provided the pickups are suited for them (like mahogany, either Jazz/JB or '59/JB for that sounds great to my ears).
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Are there different grades of basswood? Or do cheap basswood guitars sound that way because of poor hardware, setup, or electronics?

I recently demoed a slew of < $500 guitars, many of them basswood and they didn't sound appreciably different than high end basswood guitars. I fitted a lo pro edge to a cheap basswood guitar and it then sounded like a high-end ibanez.
 
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Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Heh, if it's good enough for Suhr and Anderson, it is good enough for me.

Although I have read that both of them prefer it with a Maple top to give it a clearer top-end.

Still good enough for me!!!
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

Robert Delahunt said:
I love basswood, especially my Showmaster, loaded Jazz/Full Shred. If anything I wish I had gone Full Shred combo. But yeah, I love it now. I started loving both basswood and mahogany for what they are, provided the pickups are suited for them (like mahogany, either Jazz/JB or '59/JB for that sounds great to my ears).
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I put a full shred set in my rg921. It kicks all sorts of butt. I especially like the way they "clean up" when the volume is dropped on my guitar.
I really like basswood after years of calling it azzwood.
 
Re: Any Love for Basswood?

My preferred wood combo is Alder with a maple top but once I saw Guthrie Govans new signature model (and saw it in person) was going to be Basswood with a maple cap that got me curious and intrigued. I like the focus alder has but might try that combo in the future.
 
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