Most 'versatile' tonewood?
- Thread starter V-Spot
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bryvincent
New member
Re: Most 'versatile' tonewood?
mahogany. never seen an acoustic guitar made of alder.
mahogany. never seen an acoustic guitar made of alder.
Re: Most 'versatile' tonewood?
Exactly. I've basically eradicated all of the Les Pauls from my GAS list because a strat with humbuckers sounds amazing as does a strat with single coils (obviously). I think the body wood is the #1 defining characteristic of a guitar.fusion101 said:
FretFire
SingedFingerologist
Re: Most 'versatile' tonewood?
I don't really think there is a supremely versatile tone wood. For one, each piece of wood will differ from the next, even in the same species (hell, in the same TREE sometimes). Also there can be several different variations of the same basic wood type that can make tonal differences (northern ash vs. swamp ash, etc).
The best you can do is make sweeping generalizations which might not even apply to 4 out of the 5 guitars at your local music store of that wood type. IMO there is no wood that is really all that close to being of an even or flat frequency response, which would be ideal if you wanted the axe to handle any style w/ just a pickup or amp swap.
Just look at the fact that many people in this thread have expressed distaste for basswood or say it's dull/lifeless, while several builders like Tom Anderson and Suhr absolutely LOVE a basswood body with a maple cap, claiming it to be the ultimate tone wood combination. I don't think it's a case of a most versatile, as much as there just being a "best for this application" type of thing.
I don't really think there is a supremely versatile tone wood. For one, each piece of wood will differ from the next, even in the same species (hell, in the same TREE sometimes). Also there can be several different variations of the same basic wood type that can make tonal differences (northern ash vs. swamp ash, etc).
The best you can do is make sweeping generalizations which might not even apply to 4 out of the 5 guitars at your local music store of that wood type. IMO there is no wood that is really all that close to being of an even or flat frequency response, which would be ideal if you wanted the axe to handle any style w/ just a pickup or amp swap.
Just look at the fact that many people in this thread have expressed distaste for basswood or say it's dull/lifeless, while several builders like Tom Anderson and Suhr absolutely LOVE a basswood body with a maple cap, claiming it to be the ultimate tone wood combination. I don't think it's a case of a most versatile, as much as there just being a "best for this application" type of thing.
DesertRose
New member
Re: Most 'versatile' tonewood?
its Mahogany right ? haha
its Mahogany right ? haha
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kherman
New member
Re: Most 'versatile' tonewood?
I would vote Alder.
It's a medium tone wood.
Maple can be too bright.
Mahogany can be too dark.
Alder falls in between.
With simple e.q.ing of your amp and adjustments of your volume and tone controls,
alder can deliver a wide variety of tones.
Poplar to me is a medium tone wood as well.
Just can be ugly looking do to mineral streaks.
I also disagree with the statement that it's just all in the player.
I feel the wood tone affects the way you choose to play.
I notice on brighter sounding guitars with a nice bite, I want to shred.
On darker guitars like an LP I want to lay back.
But that's me.
Kent
I would vote Alder.
It's a medium tone wood.
Maple can be too bright.
Mahogany can be too dark.
Alder falls in between.
With simple e.q.ing of your amp and adjustments of your volume and tone controls,
alder can deliver a wide variety of tones.
Poplar to me is a medium tone wood as well.
Just can be ugly looking do to mineral streaks.
I also disagree with the statement that it's just all in the player.
I feel the wood tone affects the way you choose to play.
I notice on brighter sounding guitars with a nice bite, I want to shred.
On darker guitars like an LP I want to lay back.
But that's me.
Kent
