Please sell me on basswood...

oilpit · #1 02-18-2010, 01:27 AM

I have always sort of written off basswood as a cheap wood that really provided no tone whatsoever. I have even owned basswood guitars that I have really enjoyed, but still, whenever I see a guitar is basswood I always assume it is somehow inferior.

I have decided it is time to get rid of this somewhat absurd bias....but I am having a very difficult time doing it...

So I don't know how you guys are gonna do it, but I need your help on this one. Sell me on basswood!

rastachild · #2 02-18-2010, 01:39 AM

it's only wood man. if you want to be biased against it, i'm sure it's not going to lose any sleep over it. there are worse things to have a prejudice against, no matter how undeserved.

also, this has been kinda done to death. do a search in the jem forum. there was a huge thread about basswood a few years ago.

but...just to play along, basswood is used on a lot of high end guitars. it's the wood of choice for satch and vh's guitars and john suhr feels that basswood with a maple top provides a near perfect tone for a guitar. it gets a bad rap imo due to the fact that it's very soft (dents very easily) and looks kinda ugly due to the lack of figuring and intermittent green streaks. that's why it's usually capped with a veneer or painted. tonally, it emphasizes lower mids and bass and the highs are quite smooth. it seems to be somewhat picky on what pickups work in it, but same could be said for mahogony and people seem to love that wood. on the plus side, it's very light so you won't be breaking your back playing that 3 hour set.

PortlandAxe · #3 02-18-2010, 01:47 AM

1. I absolutely love the tone of my JS1200. Its DiMarzio PAF-JOE & FRED pickups really agree with the basswood body, tonally speaking.

2. I also love how light my JS1200 is, and I'd have to say its about the most comfortable guitar I've ever had to hold for any length of time.

I'm completely sold on the tone-quality of basswood because of it.

oilpit · #4 02-18-2010, 01:52 AM

I never even thought to do a forum search...guess I just assumed that on an Ibanez forum everybody would love basswood...

sorry to beat a dead horse...

Rodzo · #5 02-18-2010, 02:07 AM

I have actually always wondered how much it actually even matter. Since I paint guitars, I know how many coats of sealer, primer, basecoats, clears, artwork, and more clear is applied...Does it make a difference through all that? I can see on acoustic, but electric?

I'm not saying it doesn't - I'm asking? Can you tell a difference in sound of and alder guitar vs basswood that has an 1/16" - 1/8" thick layer of all kinds of different sealers, primers, paint and 2 part clears?

AxeHappy · #6 02-18-2010, 02:17 AM

Well, considering that no two pieces of wood are ever exactly the same no, it doesn't really matter. One of the biggest myths in Electric guitars.

Pickups, amps, effects, cords, picks, fingers, strings, electronics, blah, blah, blah. All of these are going to have more effect (and a predicatable effect) on your sound.

LonePhantom · #7 02-18-2010, 03:22 AM

Timber does make a difference, I know I can for sure notice the difference. It makes more of a difference than you think.

hellboar · #8 02-18-2010, 03:46 AM

If you're telling me you cant tell the difference between something like Mahogany and Alder, you might need to see an Otolaryngologist.

toneboy · #9 02-18-2010, 08:14 AM

First, why should anyone sell you on basswood? As far as I'm aware of, no one here is a member of the Basswood Growers of America so we have no personal stake in whether or not you like basswood guitars.

Heck, as far as I'm concerned, you not liking basswood just leaves more basswood guitars for the rest of us.

Second, if someone cannot hear the difference between different body woods then they can't hear the difference. Everyone hears things differently.

forest4 · #10 02-18-2010, 08:58 AM

I have to say that the good tonal qualities combined with the lightness makes it appealing to me. Ever try to last until 2am with a guitar/cement block around your neck? I ain't sittin in a chair half the night. Alder is for Strats which sounds thin to me, and Mahogany is a little too dark. Pickups are more of a factor than in other woods too IMO. Of coarse I'm borderline nutty about swapping them looking for the holy grail of tone, but I have a few really good sets that I'm happy with now. It's part of the journey.

toshiro · #11 02-18-2010, 09:00 AM

Suhr and Tom Anderson both use basswood for $2k+ guitars. It is an excellent tonewood, no matter what internet forum gurus say.

Relatively balanced tonally, with a slight upper mid spike, IMO.

blackspy · #12 02-18-2010, 09:25 AM

Let's see, EVH, Satriani, Vai, Gilbert, countless others ..., by choice, use basswood guitars. They can have guitars made of whatever they want, the rarest most sought after woods, or solid gold if they felt like it, yet they pick basswood.

That pretty much says it all. I wouldn't worry too much about what the "internet experts" say... if it sounds good, it's good.

RedTiger · #13 02-18-2010, 09:38 AM

Joe Satriani

Mr. Satriani is a fan of vintage guitars and owns Les Pauls and Strats. He hit it big when he was in his 30s. He is a player that spans between guys like Van Halen, George Lynch, DeMartini and Vai and Paul Gilbert. Go watch the Ibanez JS2400 video. 24 frets is a big deal for him, he says that he was always happy to have 22 frets compared to the old Strats he played.

My point? Joe isn't a stereotypical Shreddy McShredShred sweeper/picker who burst on the scene with a pointy basswood guitar covered in 2 inches of neon nail polish. He has some roots in actual blues and rock music and is just as much a tone connoisseur as anyone.

His signature guitar, the go-to instrument for all his live performances, is basswood. Make no mistake, he uses it for recording too. That should tell you something.

Hikey Mikey · #14 02-18-2010, 09:47 AM

Good thread even if it has been discussed extensively.

There are tone differences between species of wood. Of course every piece of wood is different but I can safely say, for example, that alder is a bit more on the treble side than basswood. Subtle but it's there, making alder a better choice for twangier/cleaner style music.

Basswood to me gives a very balanced, even tone that is a great building foundation for pedals/effects.

As others have pointed out, they are your ears and your dollars. Hope you find your great-sounding basswood guitar.

Peace

Mike

Philboski · #15 02-18-2010, 10:28 AM

It's all personal preference, and a lot depends on how things are set up. My old Roadstar was basswood, and it sounded pretty good but not great -- there was a warmth and thickness missing to my ears. But then I play my OLP Music Man, and it's one of the most lively, resonant guitars I have ever played (the flat mounted vintage-style bridge helps with this).

I mentioned my bias against basswood to my guitar building teacher, and he came out strongly in its favour. I have been considering a Green Meanie build ("Eat Em' and Smile" has one of my favourite tones on record), and would go basswood on that. I guess you could say I am coming around.

One of the disadvantages of basswood is that it is quite soft -- this is why Ibanez has such thick and difficult to remove finishes on their guitars, which in my opinion can hamper tone. This softness can also be a disadvantage when adding a locking trem -- the studs can oval the holes, or even crack the wood.

I personally like alder a lot -- it's balanced and full, with some extra mids, and it can take a lot of abuse. It's a great happy medium.

Now mahogany...the best sounding guitars I have ever played have been mahogany with a fixed bridge, and very thin finishes. Both were variations on a Les Paul.