ok I'm going to get another G&L guitar...swamp ash vs alder

[esandes]

SD forum, just break it down for me; swamp ash vs alder body?

I have guitar bodies with both and love both woods.

custom G&L Fullerton Deluxe ASAT.

I am curious about their MFD pickups. They are ceramic and I usually stay away from anything other than A2 or A5. Do you have experience with it? I might just go with the single coils then swap them with SDs.

I also want to request a single piece body that is as heavy/dense as possible. Is that a feasible request?

What are your thoughts on string thru body in terms of sustain and resonance? My G&L Fallout has a saddle lock bridge but I wonder if a string thru would offer more resonance.

 

[Chistopher]

What are your thoughts on how the grains look?

 

[esandes]

The grain appearance isn't a big deal as I'm thinking of a solid color finish.

 

[Mincer]

Swamp ash generally has a more scooped EQ than alder. It is also generally lighter, too. Neither are heavy or dense woods, though.

 

[jeremy]

if you want heavy, go northern ash, not swamp ash. the mfd pups actually sound pretty good, id give em a try for a while before you think about replacing them.

i have a tele that has the option to top load or string through body, i dont notice much of a difference, but maybe string through has a touch more sustain? if there is a difference, its pretty subtle

 

[Mincer]

I have a Strat made of northern ash. It is heavy for a Strat but sounds fantastic.

 

[esandes]

the only substitutes G&L offers instead of alder are:
-swamp ash
-roasted ash
-lightweight American basswood
-okoume

based on what you said, Mincer, I'll go with alder.

Jeremy, thanks for sharing. I'll just stick with saddle lock. the break able will be lower compared to string thru but G&L's string thru bridge is the ashtray style but with great saddles. I'm afraid the ashtray style won't be as comfortable as their saddle lock.

here's the beautiful ashtray

 

[esandes]

that's the string thru ashtray. a solid design. brass saddles. no sting skip, no bent steel nonsense. Leo perfected bridge designs at G&L.

here's the saddle lock

like I said, i have this on my fallout and it resonates like a LP.

 

[esandes]

why can't i fucking edit my posts. it gives an error.

autocorrect error manually corrected to:
the break angle will be lower compared to string thru but G&L's string thru bridge is the ashtray style but with great saddles.

 

[Mincer]

It is one of the 'features' of the forum...it happens to all of us. Sorry!

 

[treedroppings]

I have a Strat made of northern ash. It is heavy for a Strat but sounds fantastic.

I think the Lite Ash Strat is northern ash. I’m rocking a paf style bridge pickup and it sounds like a very bright Les Paul, unless I switch it to parallel, blends well with the aps2

 

[Mincer]

I think the Lite Ash Strat is northern ash. I’m rocking a paf style bridge pickup and it sounds like a very bright Les Paul, unless I switch it to parallel, blends well with the aps2

Every Lite Ash Strat I've played has been kinda heavy.

 

[Artie]

why can't i ****ing edit my posts. it gives an error.

Once you post an image, even a "smiley", you can't edit.

But that's ok. We all knew you meant "angle." :smoker:

 

[GuitarStv]

I have a very light weight swamp ash body Jazz master (under 4 lbs), and it has soft highs and mellow lows. No mid-scoop at all - I'd say it's a little boosted in the mids.

 

[Ascension]

SD forum, just break it down for me; swamp ash vs alder body?

I have guitar bodies with both and love both woods.

custom G&L Fullerton Deluxe ASAT.

I am curious about their MFD pickups. They are ceramic and I usually stay away from anything other than A2 or A5. Do you have experience with it? I might just go with the single coils then swap them with SDs.

I also want to request a single piece body that is as heavy/dense as possible. Is that a feasible request?

What are your thoughts on string thru body in terms of sustain and resonance? My G&L Fallout has a saddle lock bridge but I wonder if a string thru would offer more resonance.

First off, my take on ash is I love real swamp ash and the lighter the piece of ash the better. Real swamp is one of the most resonate of any wood I have ever owned, heavy northern ash just sounds dead. Real lightweight Swamp ash is rare, and it's just alive and dynamic. The best sounding super strat I have ever owned by far is my real Swamp ash Orange 1995 Washburn MG 102. My Kiesel Delos is also a lightweight Swamp Ash body as is my Washburn Silverado Strat. I hate the sound of hard northern ash as it is just dead sounding, like maple but worse, not to mention very heavy and hard on the back on a long set. The MG 102 and it's right at 7 lbs.

 

[Ascension]

Every Lite Ash Strat I've played has been kinda heavy.

If it was heavy, is definitely was not real Swamp Ash. Real swamp as is from the bottom of the tree and underwater in a swamp. Hence, the swamp ash name, and it is quite rare. It's very lightweight and has a tone that is just magic very alive warm and expressive and if you ever hear and play a real swamp ash body guitar you won't forget it. The Best swamp ash body guitar I ever owned was my old Red Wasburn USA Silverado. Weight was at 6.5 LBS and was a very special guitar. I sold it years ago because I never used a guitar with true single coins at that time but regretted it. Hunted for years for another one and bought the Sunburst Silverado I have now a few years ago. Great guitar with a swamp ash body, but not the same and around 7.5 lbs.

 

[Mincer]

My Warmoth is most likely real swamp ash. That body is about 3.5lbs, and just sings.

 

[Seashore]

Huh. Both of the swamp ash guitars I have seem pretty dense, and whatever else they do, they don't "sing" without a lot of help. Both are multi piece maple neck-through, though, so I don't know how much if anything the body wings contribute.

 

[GuitarStv]

First off, my take on ash is I love real swamp ash and the lighter the piece of ash the better. Real swamp is one of the most resonate of any wood I have ever owned, heavy northern ash just sounds dead. Real lightweight Swamp ash is rare, and it's just alive and dynamic. The best sounding super strat I have ever owned by far is my real Swamp ash Orange 1995 Washburn MG 102. My Kiesel Delos is also a lightweight Swamp Ash body as is my Washburn Silverado Strat. I hate the sound of hard northern ash as it is just dead sounding, like maple but worse, not to mention very heavy and hard on the back on a long set. The MG 102 and it's right at 7 lbs.

Yeah, that kind of tracks with what I get from my light weight swamp ash jazzmaster. I'd describe it as like it's half way between a semi-hollow and a solidbody. Resonates well, sometimes I wish it had a harder attack that I get from heavier solid bodies though.

 

[jeremy]

Huh. Both of the swamp ash guitars I have seem pretty dense, and whatever else they do, they don't "sing" without a lot of help. Both are multi piece maple neck-through, though, so I don't know how much if anything the body wings contribute.

id guess the wings have less impact than the neck in that case, sound like cool guitars though