Favorite Wood - Body

[VHTJay]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Thank you. A number of decisions made about guitars, even vintage ones, have nothing to do with tone quality. There's no reason to assume everything Leo and Ted did was based on a commandment from on high. Both made their share of bad calls too. Cost reduction, simplifying production, and competition were probably behind more decisions than anything else. They made business decisions based on what they had to work with at the time, and I'm sure there were plenty of compromises. Other things turned out right by accident.

Couldn't agree more! Heck, even take the fabled late 50's Les Paul's. The reason they chose Brazilian Rosewood for fret boards was because at the time, Brazzy was readily available....and cheaper than the ebony they were using on the Custom's! Now, Brazilian Rosewood is a fantastic fret board wood, but it certainly wasn't chosen back then for its tonal attributes!

As for body wood: a close 1 and 2 between Mahogany and Swamp ash. I just love the big and warm sound of Mahogany with its musical mids. That said, a guitar with a good piece of swamp ash is something else....so clear and resonant! Korina would be up there as well: similar to mahogany but a little brasher and brighter overall IMO!

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Couldn't agree more! Heck, even take the fabled late 50's Les Paul's. The reason they chose Brazilian Rosewood for fret boards was because at the time, Brazzy was readily available....and cheaper than the ebony they were using on the Custom's! Now, Brazilian Rosewood is a fantastic fret board wood, but it certainly wasn't chosen back then for its tonal attributes!

Well okay, but wouldn't they choose oak, for example, if all they wanted was "cheaper"? Remember, tonewood wasn't a new concept in the mid-20th century, it had been used for making musical instruments for ages already.

 

[VHTJay]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Well okay, but wouldn't they choose oak, for example, if all they wanted was "cheaper"? Remember, tonewood wasn't a new concept in the mid-20th century, it had been used for making musical instruments for ages already.

Ya they wanted cheaper. A cheaper TONEWOOD; which compared to ebony, Brazilian rosewood was at the time. Does that clarify?

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

No need to clarify anything, my friend. It's precisely the "it certainly wasn't chosen back then for its tonal attributes" thing I object to. Expense is always a consideration, I just wouldn't say it's the only one that matters.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Well okay, but wouldn't they choose oak, for example, if all they wanted was "cheaper"? Remember, tonewood wasn't a new concept in the mid-20th century, it had been used for making musical instruments for ages already.

Because oak isn't the easiest to work with. I love oak, my #1 has an oak body, but you have to be careful when working with it. They'd have to expect a lot of factory seconds because of many inevitable ****-ups with oak splintering. I was lucky getting it right the first time.

 

[vance]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Korina and Mahogany. Similar sounding tone woods and versatile. Can be effected by the neck wood, finger board, and top. I like this because you can tweak (not twerk) your guitar with other great tone woods.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

i'm shocked there's no love for swamp ash yet. i thought it was popular.

Swamp Ash and Popular are two separate types of wood.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Swamp Ash and Popular are two separate types of wood.

LOL Gotta love Crusty

 

[blueman335]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Swamp Ash and Popular are two separate types of wood.

Are you saying poplar isn't popular?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Well I like it for base ball bats.

Heavy ash and swamp ash are totally different tone wise.

It's important to note, however, that the only difference is the weight. They are the same species. The name "swamp ash" is simply used by people selling wood, to mean lightweight pieces of ash, because they know there is a market for the stuff. Ash doesn't grow in swampy areas any longer (the stands of it have been destroyed), nor is the tree any different than "northern ash." When you select swamp ash over northern ash, all you are really doing is selecting a lightweight piece over a standard weight piece. If there is any tonal difference that can be measured between the two, it comes down to differences in weight alone.

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

I like Basswood for some applications but mostly Mahogany... it seems to have a sold feel and balanced sound to it in my Ibanez

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

Ya they wanted cheaper. A cheaper TONEWOOD; which compared to ebony, Brazilian rosewood was at the time. Does that clarify?

No, and thats wrong. You are wrong. Brazlian certainly wasn't cheap and it was the fretboard wood chosen for the Standard of all guitars ever made the Les Paul "Standard".It was chosen out of a time honored tradition of old world skilled luthiery as a choice premium sounding guitar tonewood. Your post is absolutely absurd. Rethink it.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

1. Black Korina
2. Swamp Ash
3. Mahogany

 

[SongsForTheDeaf]

Re: Favorite Wood - Body

No, and thats wrong. You are wrong. Brazlian certainly wasn't cheap and it was the fretboard wood chosen for the Standard of all guitars ever made the Les Paul "Standard".It was chosen out of a time honored tradition of old world skilled luthiery as a choice premium sounding guitar tonewood. Your post is absolutely absurd. Rethink it.

Why do you hate Basswood again ?