Basswood - Underrated?
- Thread starter Jackson Distortion
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Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
Some of my favorite guitars ever have had basswood bodies and floating trems. Pickup choice is critical; some pickups just won't behave the same way they do in alder.
Some of my favorite guitars ever have had basswood bodies and floating trems. Pickup choice is critical; some pickups just won't behave the same way they do in alder.
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
I suppose there are best grades of Basswoodm\, becasue some expensive guitars are made from Basswood( although the thick Maple Cap is a prerequisite it seems). Most of the Basswood body guitars I have seen are high gain machines, so you ain't looking for a whole lot of vintage tone from them, which is good casue you won't gwet it. IM not a huge fan f Guthrie Govan, but he is abviously a great guitar player , and he went to Mahogany / Roasted Maple?
I suppose there are best grades of Basswoodm\, becasue some expensive guitars are made from Basswood( although the thick Maple Cap is a prerequisite it seems). Most of the Basswood body guitars I have seen are high gain machines, so you ain't looking for a whole lot of vintage tone from them, which is good casue you won't gwet it. IM not a huge fan f Guthrie Govan, but he is abviously a great guitar player , and he went to Mahogany / Roasted Maple?
L
Little Pigbacon
Guest
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
The RG550 I had with Breeds was fantastic with mid-gain tones. It was just an unstoppable rock machine. Maple neck, maple board, no skunk stripe, AANJ.
The RG550 I had with Breeds was fantastic with mid-gain tones. It was just an unstoppable rock machine. Maple neck, maple board, no skunk stripe, AANJ.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
What's the grain usually like in basswood? Does anyone roast it first, because that can have a major effect on the tone. Driving out the water from the wood tightens up the grain structure.
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I think grain structure matters more than simple mass. That's why MDF or ply can sound deader than pine or ash, mahogany etc.
What's the grain usually like in basswood? Does anyone roast it first, because that can have a major effect on the tone. Driving out the water from the wood tightens up the grain structure.
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Obsessive Compulsive
New member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
Basswood used to be found in cheap guitars cause it's easy to work with. It's soft and doesn't wear the tools quickly, so less frequent replacement and sharpening and hence, lower production cost.
Basswood used to be found in cheap guitars cause it's easy to work with. It's soft and doesn't wear the tools quickly, so less frequent replacement and sharpening and hence, lower production cost.
Obsessive Compulsive
New member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
It's electric guitars, so the wood doesn't matter:
It's electric guitars, so the wood doesn't matter:
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Re: Basswood - Underrated?
https://www.unibw.de/lrt4/mechanik/mitarbeiter/ehem-mitarbeiter/hfleischer/deadspots-en
right, and that is the exactly the reason why all wooden electric guitars with the same pups/scale sound the same, no?
https://www.unibw.de/lrt4/mechanik/mitarbeiter/ehem-mitarbeiter/hfleischer/deadspots-en
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kramersteen
PowerMetalRaph
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
I saw the hat and i didn't hit play
I saw the hat and i didn't hit play
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
I wish I had a roasted one, maybe someday. lol
The grain of my American Basswood (1 piece body, no glue or anything) reminded me a bit of Spruce only not as tight of wood grain.
Here it is after thin Nitro finish
I wish I had a roasted one, maybe someday. lol
The grain of my American Basswood (1 piece body, no glue or anything) reminded me a bit of Spruce only not as tight of wood grain.
Here it is after thin Nitro finish
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
I should add here, although I don't know if this is because of the basswood body or because of some other factor (pups, 5-pc maple, titanium reinforced neck, etc...) but my basswood guitar is the best of all (I have 5 electrics) when it comes to shredding up to the 17+th fret with the bridge pup. On my other axes I have to switch to the neck pup to get good shred tones up there.
I should add here, although I don't know if this is because of the basswood body or because of some other factor (pups, 5-pc maple, titanium reinforced neck, etc...) but my basswood guitar is the best of all (I have 5 electrics) when it comes to shredding up to the 17+th fret with the bridge pup. On my other axes I have to switch to the neck pup to get good shred tones up there.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
From what I've seen of raw woods, the grain for Basswood really seems to vary as well as the weight. Mine above is super light–I need to weigh the whole guitar because it is super light. And yes, people describe the tone/reaction all over the place...many people love the JB in Basswood but I've tried it in multiple bodies and never liked it (love it in Alder.)
Definitely a soft wood–I got nervous sanding the one above because it was so soft. Went with a Wilkenson and don't really use the trem–don't see any issues with the trem post on this one. Plus, my old '86 Charvel is Basswood and no issues with the 2 post Kahler on it. That being said, I've seen several old Charvel bodies where the wood split at the posts.
From what I've seen of raw woods, the grain for Basswood really seems to vary as well as the weight. Mine above is super light–I need to weigh the whole guitar because it is super light. And yes, people describe the tone/reaction all over the place...many people love the JB in Basswood but I've tried it in multiple bodies and never liked it (love it in Alder.)
Definitely a soft wood–I got nervous sanding the one above because it was so soft. Went with a Wilkenson and don't really use the trem–don't see any issues with the trem post on this one. Plus, my old '86 Charvel is Basswood and no issues with the 2 post Kahler on it. That being said, I've seen several old Charvel bodies where the wood split at the posts.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
That is an interesting observation. I don't shred, so that is not something I would notice.
That is an interesting observation. I don't shred, so that is not something I would notice.
rgand
New member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
I don't overdrive anything. I like the clean sound of something like ash or alder. Although not my choice for a guitar, I do realize that basswod has its place. Warmoth just recently added roasted swamp ash as one of their body woods. If you guys are serious about wanting roasted basswood, how about emailing or calling them? They're businessmen. If they get enough requests, they might start offering it.
I don't overdrive anything. I like the clean sound of something like ash or alder. Although not my choice for a guitar, I do realize that basswod has its place. Warmoth just recently added roasted swamp ash as one of their body woods. If you guys are serious about wanting roasted basswood, how about emailing or calling them? They're businessmen. If they get enough requests, they might start offering it.
treyhaislip
Well-known member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
I asked them several times to carry roasted bodies and they said they were looking into it but wouldn't be available for a long time. Ended up forgoing the roasted body and doing a Tele project based off of something else. So glad they offer the roasted bodies, hopefully they will expand it to Basswood but the foreseeable future projects for me don't involve Basswood.
I asked them several times to carry roasted bodies and they said they were looking into it but wouldn't be available for a long time. Ended up forgoing the roasted body and doing a Tele project based off of something else. So glad they offer the roasted bodies, hopefully they will expand it to Basswood but the foreseeable future projects for me don't involve Basswood.
devastone
New member
Re: Basswood - Underrated?
I think there is a lot of variation in the basswood that is used for guitars. My old Ibanez RGs and JEMs (i only have my rootbeer JEM left FWIW) always seemed heavier than some of the new cheaper basswood guitars. Mine have always sounded good. Yes, it is a little soft, but with a finish it's not going to ding any easier than anything else. An oil finish, yeah, it will dent pretty easy. Mine all have had some version of the Ibanez Edge trem on them too, but I never noticed of the posts getting loose, I did have some of the old screw type floyd posts get really loose in an old ESP with an ash body, I had to drill and dowel that one.
It comes down to personal preference, I've had basswood, ash, alder, mahogany, and even hard maple bodied guitars and have never had a problem getting good usable tones out of them.
I think there is a lot of variation in the basswood that is used for guitars. My old Ibanez RGs and JEMs (i only have my rootbeer JEM left FWIW) always seemed heavier than some of the new cheaper basswood guitars. Mine have always sounded good. Yes, it is a little soft, but with a finish it's not going to ding any easier than anything else. An oil finish, yeah, it will dent pretty easy. Mine all have had some version of the Ibanez Edge trem on them too, but I never noticed of the posts getting loose, I did have some of the old screw type floyd posts get really loose in an old ESP with an ash body, I had to drill and dowel that one.
It comes down to personal preference, I've had basswood, ash, alder, mahogany, and even hard maple bodied guitars and have never had a problem getting good usable tones out of them.
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