Why do humans like/dislike...

Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

The only thing i don't like about Basswood is that it doesn't come straight from the tree with a Maple top :9:

Seriously, I don't OWN a basswood guitar but I've played more than a couple (mid-end and up) and they all seemed fine to me but I always gravitated to the ones with a maple top, even the thinner ones because of the added top end.

Since I haven't owned, used and abused one I can't comment on the durability or whether a poly finish applied in the screw holes too would help or not.
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

Because it's cheap, lightweight and ubiquitous. People falsely believe that guitars need to be made from hardwoods which are heavy and highly figured to make a good solidbody. They also equate Basswood with poor quality entry level guitars and they think that since Basswood is more tonally neutral that pickup choice determines the tone of the guitar and not the materials used.
 
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Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

i really like basswood. everytime i catch myself thinking it's a cheaper, lesser wood, i remember my mm axis is one of the best sounding guitars i own.
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

I'd love to be able to swap the agathis body of my RG-120 with a basswood one. I've even contemplated getting a body from Warmoth, but I don't think that the bolt pattern of the neck would match up.
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

Demanic said:
I'd love to be able to swap the agathis body of my RG-120 with a basswood one. I've even contemplated getting a body from Warmoth, but I don't think that the bolt pattern of the neck would match up.
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They dont... warmoth uses only a standard strat or standard tele neck pockests and bolts
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

For the guitar guys who really know tone woods and combinations, they'll tell you that there's formulas for creating great tone out of wood. When something is soft, you need something hard to balance it out. Alder is sort of the middle ground.

Just like mahogany, basswood bodies sound best when mated with a maple cap. Guys like Suhr and Anderson explored this in depth and they're right. The added punch of a maple cap or veneer is how to counterbalance the soft attack that mahogany, basswood, poplar, and pine have.
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

Gearjoneser said:
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Just like mahogany, basswood bodies sound best when mated with a maple cap. Guys like Suhr and Anderson explored this in depth and they're right. The added punch of a veneer .
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That 16th inch is all the difference eh? What does the glue add? I can see a cap that has some mass making a difference but if that sheet of veneer does then things like binding and inlays have more effect than they say
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

Edgecrusher said:
That 16th inch is all the difference eh? What does the glue add? I can see a cap that has some mass making a difference but if that sheet of veneer does then things like binding and inlays have more effect than they say
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I thought Suhr flat tops were at least 3/16".
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

Both Suhr and Anderson use 3/16" tops. Apparently that's enough to change the sound.

In my experience with a couple Warmoth bodies, a 1/16" veneer top doesn't change much. I would say less than the super thick finish Fender was using in the 90s.
 
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Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

Personally...the wood is too soft...my experience has been that Basswood dings easily, Floyd Rose Posts collapse, etc...but, that said, I do own one Basswood Guitar - 1998 Squier Venus which has a String Thru Body/TOM Set up and it's really a great guitar...light as heck too...which is good since it actually was a gift to/belongs to my Daughter.

1998 Squier Venus - really like it for an inexpensive unusual guitar, plus, it's got a GREAT feeling and playing Neck. It's got a Seymour Duncan APS-1 Neck/Pearly Gates Trembucker Set, String Thru Body and TOM, set up with .12-.52 Strings. I'm in the "love it" category. Great Bang for the Buck acquisition.

 
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Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

I had a Japanese RG1550. Sweet sounding thing.
Liked the tone, hated the softness of the wood. I can see one of the floating bridge's pivot points coming off in 10 years.
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

I have to say a lot of great replies on here. I'll add my 2 cents. Back when rock n' roll first started in the late 50's/early 60's the go to guitar sound was really, really bright. I mean, listen to those early recordings with Strats and Rickenbackers. Those were some bright sounds. Maple/Alder/Ash all worked in favor of that sound. But as rock n' roll changed in the 70's going into the 80's, medium to darker sounds were needed/wanted. So that's when basswood started getting used more.

Let's be honest, we've all seen on the boards where some players are convinced that only vintage stuff is any good. So any deviation from that can't be worth two spits in their opinion. That's why, players will off-handedly dismiss anything outside of the norm. Even if vintage equipment is not good for getting modern sounds.

That's the short, short version, but I think you understand what I'm trying to say.
 
Re: Why do humans like/dislike...

Hi,
Jeff Beck's 2 favorite strats are both basswood. That man gets any sound he feels like. Even without his Klon on and just using his guitar through a tuner, reverb and then straight to his lower watt Marshalls, or Blues Jr.'s or whatever mood he is in that night. Listen to Beck play Hammerhead on the Crossroads guitar festival.
Also +1 with what Kramersteen said, and everyone else. I like basswood first cause it is light weight (back stuff), but found the same as everyone is tending to say, it is "sparkly, but has good mids also, and that is good enough for me to love basswood. I agree mahogany is a grab bag. My SG has a heavy, tight grain and my Les Paul Jr. is very soft by comparison. I also have a mid '60's L. Paul Custom and that mahogany is hard as ROCK! I am sure that was the intention on the Jr. as it would be cheaper wood, but it says a lot that you can find THAT MUCH difference in mahogany if you look for it.
Also, I have a basswood Squire deluxe 2 fulcrum post-I pulled the posts out and as fast I can I let loose with super glue down each shaft at a time and crammed the post back in, I could see the super glue each time soaking into the wood quickly so I think there will be NO tone or frequency loss. After I pushed the posts back in I tried it the next day, and I swear it sounded tighter, probably all in my head though.
SJB
 
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