alder Jem vs basswood Jem

[screamndemon69]

i sure this has been brought up lots of times- it's just easier to get the specific details starting a thread...
i'm just looking to find out if the alder Jems have more "body" to their tone than the basswood models? i have a DBK and a VBK (i love them both) and they sound thin next to my alder Strat and my mahogany Epiphone LP. i haven't had the chance to play a VSBL or VWH for myself to compare. i might sell off a few of my babies to get a VSBL if the "tone" is there. basswood just doesn't have the "body" that other woods tend to have. am i alone in this thinking? anyone who has these models and has done a comparison, please post some feedback. thanks!

[ukwan]

if only they made a mahogany jem..

[LoverMan]

I think it is most likely the PAF Pro pickups in the basswood Jems. I own a few EBMM Petruccis, and they are basswood. I don't find them thin at all, as compared to the basswood Jems. I also have the alder bodied Jems as well, and they venture on the thin side too, in my opinion. Mahogany is definitely my wood of choice, though I like them all.

[screamndemon69]

so are you saying the PAF pups are thin or toneful? my Epiphone has a JB in the lead and a '57 classic in the neck and they sound awsome! my VBK doesn't have the original pups but i think they did replace them with PAF and maybe an Evo. i checked the back of the pups and they have no marks or #'s on them at all. i have an Evo in the lead of my alder Strat and it is a marriage made in heaven! i was thinking that i would get a similar tone from a VSBL or a VWH.
check out the "custom Jem" thread i started - it should have pics of my mahogany Jem. i named her Jem77JPM - since it is a mix between the JPM and a Jem. she is sweet and i need to change the pups in her as well.

[UV]

Originally Posted by LoverMan

I think it is most likely the PAF Pro pickups in the basswood Jems. I own a few EBMM Petruccis, and they are basswood. I don't find them thin at all, as compared to the basswood Jems. I also have the alder bodied Jems as well, and they venture on the thin side too, in my opinion. Mahogany is definitely my wood of choice, though I like them all.

DBKs have Breeds in them. I like them better than EVOs. Nothing like the Paf Pros. I sold my Floral pattern because it sounded too dull. The Breeds rule!

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[screamndemon69]

i know it really depends on the sound your looking for and right now i'm not playing high gain rock but classic rock and a few modern rock songs. the breeds "rip it up" when i play the high gain stuff but sound a little thin for classic rock next to the Epi Lp.
i have a custom mahogany Jem guitar (Jem77JPM) that i'm am seriously considering a seymour JB for the bridge and a classic '57 in the neck to match the LP tone wise. i think i will still get a little different tone from the Jem. the thickness i get from the LP is awesome! if i can come close to that with my Wolfgang and my Jem77JPM, i will be awe-inspired!
i had a JB in an alder bodied Strat and it sounded like crap. it was to trebley and the gain was too hot to be smooth. the mahogany body of the LP must be a perfect match for the JB as it sounds sooo different than the Strat with a JB. i am starting to think i am finished with basswood guitars. the Strat now has an Evolution in it and that is a perfect match for wood/pup character (it has two stock Gold Lace Sensors in the neck and mid). i guess that almost answers my alder vs basswood comparison hearing an Evo in the alder Strat - smooth and not too much treble but hot enough output to keep it from sounding weak.
i guess the question now would be, "what is a good pup set for basswood that sounds thick and smooth?".
BTW- you gotta love Jemsite! i do! i learn more here than almost any other resource for guitars. you guys/girls ROCK!!
Todd