tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

[dasfonzie]

how would the tonal characteristics of swamp ash compare to those of hard ash? I've heard hard ash is very good for harmonics and crunchy kinda distortion.

I have an alder strat and a mahogany Les PAul right now, I want something different with my custom guitar (I have a neck and want a body for it)

I'm thinkin either a Custom shop EVH or Custom Custom is gonna go in the bridge slot

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

Swamp Ash is a bit brighter and more punchy. I really like it myself, more than regular ash.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

My Strat is hard ash ... weighs a ton!! Never owned a swamp ash guitar; I don't think they differ from each other as much as from other woods, such as alder. My alder guitar is very warm, with nice sustain. The bass is soft. The ash is brighter, and tighter. Great sustain on both. Easier to get artificial and natural harmonics from the ash guitar for some reason, but I'm not sure if it's necessarily the guitar. The ash guitar cuts thru the mix like a rapier; the alder guitar is more of a broadsword: massive and crushing, opposed to lithe and cutting.

(spelling edit)

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

I've been playing and comparing my three Teles alot lately: all have a one piece maple neck and two are very lightweight swamp ash and the other is painted candy apple red but supposed to be alder. It sounds and feels like alder.

The strings have a smooth, open, plucky, poppy sound with swamp ash...if it's lightweight.

If swamp ash is heavier, the tone lacks resonance and the highs may not ring as well or seem as lively and the overall tone might seem dull.

With Alder the overall tone seems a little denser and lacks a little of that "smooth pop" or "open" quality. The highs seem harder with more snap.

Overall, I prefer very lightweight swamp ash.

But alder with a well made maple neck with a Rosewood fingerboard can be great too. The Rosewood adds somes warmth and richness and a smooth, texture to the tone, I think....as in the tone of the 62 or 63 Strat SRV played.

I've never played a Fender style guitar with a swamp ash body and maple/rosewood neck...only one piece maple.

Lew

 

[dystrust]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

My Open-G Strat is Swamp Ash with a maple/rosewood neck. The tone is similar to Alder but with softer highs and a warmer midrange. Comparing Swamp Ash to Hard Ash is like night and day. Hard Ash is extremely bright with a rather scooped midrange and very tight bass reponse. I love Hard Ash for basses, but I hate it for guitars. Conversely Swamp Ash can be good for both, however it does not work well for basses with high output pickups.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

My Open-G Strat is Swamp Ash with a maple/rosewood neck. The tone is similar to Alder but with softer highs and a warmer midrange. Comparing Swamp Ash to Hard Ash is like night and day. Hard Ash is extremely bright with a rather scooped midrange and very tight bass reponse. I love Hard Ash for basses, but I hate it for guitars. Conversely Swamp Ash can be good for both, however it does not work well for basses with high output pickups.

Very enlightening! Thanks! Hmmm, I like the hard ash, esp for that Richie Blackmore thing ...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

Very enlightening! Thanks! Hmmm, I like the hard ash, esp for that Richie Blackmore thing ...

I don't. Great for baseball bats, furniture and hardwood floors. To bright, unresonant and heavy for guitars, IMO. Lew

 

[Zerberus]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

I don't. Great for baseball bats, furniture and hardwood floors. To bright, unresonant and heavy for guitars, IMO. Lew

Can work great as a top on Mahogany or Korina, or as a main body wood on a bass with a lighter, warmer Top. I even used it as a 1-piece neck thru with mahogany wings once on order. Very nice, a bit warmer than full maple, but not as warm as a Rosewood fretboard was my impression. But it was a bitch to finish that guitar :laugh2:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

Can work great as a top on Mahogany or Korina, or as a main body wood on a bass with a lighter, warmer Top. I even used it as a 1-piece neck thru with mahogany wings once on order. Very nice, a bit warmer than full maple, but not as warm as a Rosewood fretboard was my impression. But it was a bitch to finish that guitar :laugh2:

You're right, I had a old Music Man Bass for a long time that was made of Northern White ash, weighed a ton and would ring for days! Sounded great. I don't like it for guitars tho. Lew

 

[dystrust]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

Byakhee has a Hard Ash P/J bass with Hot for P-Bass and a Hot Stack Jazz. The thing sounds absolutely incredible, but tips the scales at just over 12 lbs.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

Byakhee has a Hard Ash P/J bass with Hot for P-Bass and a Hot Stack Jazz. The thing sounds absolutely incredible, but tips the scales at just over 12 lbs.

Cool as that might sound I don't know how anyone could play a heavy ax like that all night and not need a chiropractor and massage therapist the next day. :burnout: Lew

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

Hard ash is overly bright and harsh to my ears. The midrange often tends to be nasty sounding. In the 70s, quality control at fender went out the window, and many strats were built with very heavy ash. These are considered the worst strats ever made. You'll get sustain, but you won't like listening to the note.

Swamp ash is great wood for guitars. A little less lower mid than alder, with a clear, crisp top and a tight bottom.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

My Strat sounds great, altho it HAS been mod'ed.

As a side note, the mispelling in this thread (tonla instead of tonal) really irks me! lol

 

[dasfonzie]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

My Strat sounds great, altho it HAS been mod'ed.

As a side note, the mispelling in this thread (tonla instead of tonal) really irks me! lol

poop it won't let me fix it, all well

thanks for the input everyone i think i'm gonna try swamp ash, with a dyed finish to see the grain, now i just gotta find somehwere to get a body to fit an ibanez neck :smack:

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

I have one of each ash. The northern ash is bright, heavy, loud and agressive like maple. Swamp ash is mellow, lightweight, and a bit darker sounding than alder. It has a wide midrange sound with round punchy bass and attenuated treble frequencies.

Snowdog

 

[tone4days]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

how does the tonal characteristics of northern ash and swamp ash compare to the tone of the japanese variety of ash known as 'sen' ?

cheers,
t4d

 

[Byakhee00]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

Cool as that might sound I don't know how anyone could play a heavy ax like that all night and not need a chiropractor and massage therapist the next day. :burnout: Lew

Truth be known, with the nice padded strap i've got, i can play it standing for around 2 hours... after that i'll need to sit down or lean against somthing. It's a beast, but no worse than some of the heavy LP Customs i've played. However, if i was feeling particularly ambitious, i'd get myself a surplus load bearing vest, and hook it up to that. Personally, for P-basses, hard ash is the way to go, at least in my opinion. It weighs a ton, but it doesn't get all spongy the way that swamp ash does. Swamp ash IMO, is more of a Jazz Bass thing

 

[Humphrey Bear]

Re: tonla characteristics of swamp ash?

The body of my custom Jackson is made of Hard Ash. I will report back to you all about the sound when I get it.