The pros & cons of alder?

[solspirit]

Why is it the cheapest body wood?

 

[jeremy]

is it the cheapest? i like alder. to me its the classic fender body wood

 

[solspirit]

Ash is quit a few dollars more.

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[solspirit]

Ash is quite a few dollars more.

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[jeremy]

yet one piece alder has a big upcharge. i like swamp ash for my teles, alder for my strats. but that just cause its what fender did. and yes, i know the early strats were ash.

 

[Samick Lover]

Why is it the cheapest body wood?

I thought it was basswood or paulweenia?

 

[solspirit]

I thought it was basswood or paulweenia?

Pine?

 

[Mincer]

Alder grows all over the US. It also isn't used decoratively, as the grain is pretty plain. As a guitar wood, it sounds fantastic.

 

[Masta' C]

Hmm... Can you name a guitar wood that consistently doesn't sound good?

 

[Coma]

Hmm... Can you name a guitar wood that consistently doesn't sound good?

I talked to a luthier way back who claimed maple was fairly crap when used on its own in a body (as opposed to as a cap or for a neck). An all maple guitar would be very heavy and quite shrill. Allegedly.

 

[Chistopher]

Hmm... Can you name a guitar wood that consistently doesn't sound good?

Now that we have pickups with any EQ you want, and you can have any pedals you want into 1000 different types of amps; I don't think that's possible.

 

[RanchManSandy]

Now that we have pickups with any EQ you want, and you can have any pedals you want into 1000 different types of amps; I don't think that's possible.

Yeah, quick, somebody tell G Lynch he used shrill body wood for years

it is very very heavy, tho

alder is fine, its just kinda more "neutral" and flavorless than some other options. look up that tone test video Warmoth did some years ago

 

[Mincer]

I talked to a luthier way back who claimed maple was fairly crap when used on its own in a body (as opposed to as a cap or for a neck). An all maple guitar would be very heavy and quite shrill. Allegedly.

My Steinberger is all maple, and that's not the case. But it is sort of a different design choice.

 

[wevard]

Hmm... Can you name a guitar wood that consistently doesn't sound good?

What a wonderful way to rephrase the tonewood debate!

 

[Coma]

My Steinberger is all maple, and that's not the case. But it is sort of a different design choice.

Those would weight a lot less due to no headstock and bare bones body.

But yeah, its something I heard a long time ago from one guy. At this point, there's probably more unsubstantiated voodoo theory about tone wood floating around the internet than there are actual verified truths. I shouldn't be adding fuel to the fire.

 

[idsnowdog]

Ash is more expensive because the emerald ash borer beetle is killing many of the trees.

 

[idsnowdog]

The worst sounding wood I have found is Agathis. Squire loved using it in the early 2000s.

 

[jeremy]

ibanez did too. not a big fan

 

[Mincer]

Ash is more expensive because the emerald ash borer beetle is killing many of the trees.

Ash is also more expensive because nice pieces look really cool. Woods like Nato (an Asian 'hardwood') doesn't have very nice grain. Other woods require a lot of filler. I think you can build a guitar out of almost anything, but the trick is balancing looks, weight, and sound.

 

[JamesPaul]

Ash is also more expensive because nice pieces look really cool. Woods like Nato (an Asian 'hardwood') doesn't have very nice grain. Other woods require a lot of filler. I think you can build a guitar out of almost anything, but the trick is balancing looks, weight, and sound.

I had access to some rough sawn Oak which had been drying for 90 years. I thought that should look cool and make a super stable guitar body. Came up with a cool body design too. Then I went to lift one of the Oak boards. Might have been a candidate for the Guinness Record of heaviest guitar ever. Agreed, weight is definitely in that balancing equation!