Luthite vs. wood

zEr0 · #1 03-12-2003, 07:24 PM

I was wondering how luthite compares tonewise to other woods like basswood or alder. Does it compromise sustain???

I'm really sorry if this has already been answered somewhere else and I'm wasting forum bandwidth but forum search just gave me too many options and I couldn't find an answer.

THX

vaijem777 · #2 03-12-2003, 07:36 PM

I haven't found too much of a difference tonally between my JS10th and any of the JS1000s that I've had. To my ears, the luthite JS10th seems to "breathe" a bit more- it almost seems a bit more Strat-like tonally. Both sound great, and I can get just as much sustain from the luthite as I've been able to get from any basswood model.

Rich · #3 03-12-2003, 08:18 PM

I actually disagree, I don't think it breathes as well as basswood, it's got a darker tone and just doesn't scream like a 1000 on the Fred, way smoother, not near as much "bite". Sustain, no difference

SilverSurfer2 · #4 03-12-2003, 09:08 PM

I find the 10th to have a "muddier" or "bassier" tone to it, especially when the neck pup is on. My Js1000's tone has more edge and bite to it and less muddy tone. It sounds brighter and more strat like. As for sustain, i've got fatfingers on my Js's, so the sustain is pretty much equal.....overall, they give great sustain. If i had to choose, i'd pick basswood over a luthite body.

vaijem777 · #5 03-12-2003, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich

I actually disagree, I don't think it breathes as well as basswood, it's got a darker tone and just doesn't scream like a 1000 on the Fred, way smoother, not near as much "bite". Sustain, no difference

Hmmm...wacky! Must be my amps.

darren wilson · #6 03-13-2003, 12:01 AM

I asked Jim Donahue about Luthite once a couple of years ago, and he described it to me as basically a dense slab of solid foam-like material.

He said it had very little natural resonance on its own. Knock on a piece of wood and it goes "thok!" and has a ring to it. Knock on a piece of luthite, and it goes "poonk." and doesn't resonate at all. For this reason, Jim said luthite guitars and basses tend to rely more heavily on their electronics for their tone.

kevb · #7 03-13-2003, 05:13 AM

"Thok"

"Poonk"

darren wilson · #8 03-13-2003, 08:53 AM

Those are my words, not Jim's, by the way.

Go tap on a few Ergodyne basses and you'll see what i mean.

saTa · #9 03-13-2003, 01:40 PM

i actually have no clue what luthite actually is (i know, 10ths are made of it, but i don't know what it's made of)

and i actually do not know, what basswood is, couldn't find it in any dictionary but it think it's linden... is it?

i know my 90th is made of basswood, tho... and i wonder if there's any difference tonewise to a js1000 since it's the same wood and the same pickups... the other hardware doesn't really make too much difference in sound, does it? well, the trem perhaps... a bit? dunno, pls tell me

vaijem777 · #10 03-13-2003, 01:51 PM

Basswood is basswood. There should be no difference in tone between the JS90 and the JS1000 (at least, there weren't in the ones I had).

Luthite is more or less a composite material. As for the exact makeup of the composition, I'm really not sure. Some sort of synthetic polymer I'm sure.

In comparing my basswood guitars to the Luthite of the JS10th last night, the luthite STILL sounded more "open" to my ears. However, given the choice, I keep going back to the acrylic JSY2K everytime!

Rich · #11 03-13-2003, 02:19 PM

The ebony board gives the 90th just slightly more punch

saTa · #12 03-13-2003, 03:20 PM

right... gotta love the ebony fingerboard

chrome hardware looks somewhat better but we're discussing sound, i guess

since the 90th is my first js (first ibanez at all :P) i really can't draw a comparison, only played the js100tr once and the js2000cg twice and on different amps so i really cant compare anything.

disassociative1 · #13 03-14-2003, 08:23 AM

I don't know how this compares to what others think, but I find the js10th to have a nicer tone. On the Fred it screams, and it is wonderfully and creamy with the PAF PRO and in the middle position.

I just find that it suits me better than the JS1000, although I do think that the JS1000 has killer tone as well. It just doesn't get quite as creamy and smooth (to my ears anyhow).

(EDITED to correct crimes against the English language!)

kagevz7 · #14 04-20-2003, 08:25 PM

I owned a js10 for a while and I can tell you from experience,after a while,the 10th begins to sound like what it is.PLASTIC.Thats all luthite basically is.The only reason for doing so is so Ibanez could make a chrome satriani model where the chrome would stick and not peel like Joe's guitars are doing.Ibanez didnt want the hassle of plating wood obviously ,so they decided to use luthite because chrome readily sticks to it.This is what the retailer told me Ibanez told him about it before I bought the guitar.But, if you want a guitar that sounds like joe's chromes go get your js plated.

SilverSurfer2 · #15 04-20-2003, 09:43 PM

I had my Js1000 plated and it sounds more like a wood bodied guitar tone.....and not the tone of a luthite Js10th. It is heavy, but i like the tone better on a plated wood body.