Why is Basswood considered low end wood when it is on great ibanez guitars???

[trademe900]

Why is basswood considered a low end wood for electric guitars???

I mean, paul gilberts guitar, the rg bolt ons, vai's older jem... These are some of the most famous guitars...

Why is it considered low end??

The wood issue really confuses me... some say and swear that the wood has nothing much at all to do with electric guitar tone quality and it is just a marketing scheme, some think it does or just seem to say that...

Personally i have compared my basswood rg350 to my rga121 mahogany and maple top... and i am fussy with tone- there is no signature difference. So i am siding with 'wood makes no difference'. I read a huge article not so long ago on proving that this is indeed true.

Is it just basswood can get dinged easily or something??

[toshiro]

Basswood is soft and plentiful. It's mostly considered low-end because it's used mainly in cheaper guitars. Very few high-end builders use it, if at all. Tom Anderson, for instance.

It's softness makes it easy to cut, which causes less wear on the machines, therefore it's cost effective for large scale guitar manufacturing. It dings easily, and doesn't really have much of a strong tonality(which is good for high gain, where your amp and pickups are doing at least 75% of the work).

You're telling me you don't hear a difference? I hear a difference between my RGs, my S, and my Schecter C7(mahogany). Neither is better than the other, but they don't sound the same. I actually prefer Basswood's tone, because it doesn't have that 'slur' in the bass mahogany does.

[trademe900]

well there is a difference but i know its all to do with pickups, bridge type, action height, etc.

[JJEMMER777]

Originally Posted by trademe900

well there is a difference but i know its all to do with pickups, bridge type, action height, etc.

You forgot wood type

[zEr0]

Basswood kicks ass. I don't consider it low end...

[markg5150]

There is Basswood and then there is Basswood.

The quality of timber used by John Suhr and Tom Anderson is totally different from an entry level guitar.

[bancika]

Any basswood is soft. That's the biggest reason I hate it. It's advertised as great tone wood only because there is a sh*tload of it in eastern asia and it's easier for them to make people buy it than mess with other woods. Paint would chop off easier, tremolo posts would enlarge wood holes, neck doesn't stay as firm in the neck pocket, then infamous neck joint paint crack (mostly caused by soft wood + string pressure)...

[toshiro]

Originally Posted by bancika

Any basswood is soft. That's the biggest reason I hate it. It's advertised as great tone wood only because there is a sh*tload of it in eastern asia and it's easier for them to make people buy it than mess with other woods. Paint would chop off easier, tremolo posts would enlarge wood holes, neck doesn't stay as firm in the neck pocket, then infamous neck joint paint crack (mostly caused by soft wood + string pressure)...

Yes, it's soft, but I wouldn't go that far.

I have 2 15+ year old RGs sitting here with a few paint chips, but the anchors are perfect, there are no neck joint cracks.

I have a 1993 S540 made of mahogany with paint chips, and one chunk taken out bigger than every nick on both the RGs put together. The previous owner didn't take good care of it, or something. IN other words, abuse has a lot to do with it.

[IbanezGirl]

I agree with toshiro. I have a 20 year old RG that also has only a few paint chips (done by the original owner) and no neck joint cracks.

[Rich]

Paint chipping has nothing to do with the substrate. All it has to do with is the paint.

I've had plenty of mahogany guitars with NJFC's caused by shipping, just like basswood cracks are caused.

Thumb up their butt a-wipe "purists" are the only ones thinking basswood is inferior. Try arguing the point with the countless rock stars that have made it their #1 choice for body wood.

[IbanezGirl]

I agree with toshiro. I have a 20 year old RG that also has only a few paint chips (done by the original owner) and no neck joint cracks.
In this bad pic, you can see one little ding on the front, there are two others on the bottom side near the jack.

For it's age, i think it's in pretty good condition for a basswood guitar. It doesn't sound half bad either!

[JJEMMER777]

Originally Posted by Rich

Thumb up their butt a-wipe "purists" are the only ones thinking basswood is inferior.

It is kinda funy how people get all anal when talking wood types isn't it??

Jeeze...it's not THAT soft! The way some of you guys talk, you'd think lightly rubbing your fingers across the body will indent the wood It IS wood not marshmellow If you smack an Alder bodied guitar on the corner of the wall, it'll dent just as a Basswood bodied guitar would.

I say rather than listening to other peoples "opinions", experience it for yourself.

I've got 3, 15+ year old Basswood bodied Jems. No problems at all As Tosh mentioned, it's all common sense!! Take care of your guitar!

[mi2tom]

Nuff said, basswood rulez!

[Salamander In The Sun]

I adore Basswood's weight and tone. Of course, there's going to be a difference when you're comparing a lower end Basswood guitar with one made of something like American Basswood.

The people who say Basswood sucks are just blowing smoke.

[choubix]

benn told that basswood what not very "good looking" so you dont see the veins of the wood. you wont find a basswood guitar with a sunburst finish.