Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

[Soloist1]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

kmanick, my GMW archtop beast is going to be swamp ash. The wings at any rate. Swamp ash is lighter than most woods that guitars are typically made of. That's one reason I used it. The other was to offset the bright tone that the maple top is going to add. It cost me 50 bucks more for the swamp ash wings.

[etaeniura]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

northern ash is what they use to make baseball bats, right? So it has to be a very dense, heavy wood-kind of like maple. I believe the swamp ash is actually made form the part of the tree that is submerged in water, which I guess makes it less dense when it dries out.

[Deneb]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

I'll be getting an ash bodied Fender Strat Deluxe soon [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I see not a single reason for there to be a trem problem on a Mahogany guitar. Wasn't there a limited edition Charvel that was 1 hum, mahogany, floyd copy, reverse headstock, something of that nature? The Sl2HMAH line, and also the others mentioned here.

[ActionJackson]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe it´s because it´s always been that way, with strats having trems and gibsons not.
I don´t see a reason trems would not work as good in a mahogany guitar.
With that said i actually prefer alder, but i just can´t see a reason to not use a trem in mahogany.

Question for tune_up: Is alder any harder than mahogany? I mean a lot of basswood guitars have trems, and that´s a soft wood.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've also wondered if it was just tradition since the Les Pauls and Strats are the archetypical electric guitars.

Jackson seems to follow this model. In the USA series, everything with a Floyd is alder (except for the SL2H MAH) and all the fixed bridge guitars are mahogany. Interestingly, the KV2 with Floyd is alder, but the KV2T sans Floyd is mahogany.

I know many LP players do not like Floyds. One of the reasons I've read (other than the usual bitching about tuning) was that a floating trem does not transmit the tone like a fixed bridge.

[j2379]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

yes swamp ash is almost korina like in weight only slightly heavier if its a good peice. it is more expensive. IIRC swamp ash is actually the part of the tree thats submerged in water, since ash grows in swampy areas. as for Mah & floyds, the older guitars ive had with screw in posts in mahogany there always some cracking or the holes get alittle oval over time, now with the insert type posts i dont think thats an issue. Hamer has been doing Mah bodies & floyds for a long time now. & i like maple bodied guitars you can always turn down the presence & treble on the amp, but you cant add brightness to a muddy guitar.

[paddok]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

My GMW star is Mah. body w/ an OFR. It sounds fantastic, and I havn't had any problems yet!

[shreddermon]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

[ QUOTE ]
In the USA series, everything with a Floyd is alder (except for the SL2H MAH) and all the fixed bridge guitars are mahogany.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, but that's not entirely accurate.

PC1 - Mahogany, Floyd
SLS - Mahogany, Hardtail
SL1T, SL2HT - Alder, TOM

And that's just the current model lineup.

Yes, more often than not, it's true. But there are some exceptions now, and there have been a LOT of exceptions through the years - Charvel Reissues, KE2T, etc.

[axeman81]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Maybe it´s because it´s always been that way, with strats having trems and gibsons not.
I don´t see a reason trems would not work as good in a mahogany guitar.
With that said i actually prefer alder, but i just can´t see a reason to not use a trem in mahogany.

Question for tune_up: Is alder any harder than mahogany? I mean a lot of basswood guitars have trems, and that´s a soft wood.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've also wondered if it was just tradition since the Les Pauls and Strats are the archetypical electric guitars.

Jackson seems to follow this model. In the USA series, everything with a Floyd is alder (except for the SL2H MAH) and all the fixed bridge guitars are mahogany. Interestingly, the KV2 with Floyd is alder, but the KV2T sans Floyd is mahogany.

I know many LP players do not like Floyds. One of the reasons I've read (other than the usual bitching about tuning) was that a floating trem does not transmit the tone like a fixed bridge.

[/ QUOTE ]

My theory about the reason for this is simple: Why do people want string-through guitars? Because of the warmer tone you can get, as opposed to a locking trem. How do you further enhance this quality? Make the body out of mahogany.
So there you go...pretty simple IMO [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
Of course some Gibson owners whine about tuning but you would still have to setup a LP if you changed tuning...those arguments are mostly rooted to guitar tech ignorance or brand bashing.

- Rune.

[ActionJackson]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In the USA series, everything with a Floyd is alder (except for the SL2H MAH) and all the fixed bridge guitars are mahogany.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, but that's not entirely accurate.

PC1 - Mahogany, Floyd
SLS - Mahogany, Hardtail
SL1T, SL2HT - Alder, TOM

And that's just the current model lineup.

Yes, more often than not, it's true. But there are some exceptions now, and there have been a LOT of exceptions through the years - Charvel Reissues, KE2T, etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Shreddermon, I've just started playing guitar last summer and I'm really fascinated by all the different variables that differentiate guitars. Can you tell me about the about the hardtail bridge (which according to the website is a string-through design) and how it compares and contrasts with the string-through designs of the SLATQH and KV2T.

[shreddermon]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

Sorry, I can't tell you. I haven't ever played an SLS hard tail. I imagine it's more like a TOM - or better yet, a vintage trem - than a Floyd, but that's just an educated guess.

The SLATQH and KV2T should sound similar to my old Y2KV. A little darker tone than the usual, good acoustic sustain, largely due to the mahogany and TOM string-throughs. Not as bright as my KE2T, as it has alder body wings.

They're all cool, but I'm addicted to the tuning stability of Floyds. I'll trade that for any marginal difference in tone any day. Split the difference and get a PC1 - mahogany & Floyd. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[ActionJackson]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

What does TOM stand for?

Oh yeah. I've already got a Floyd on my DXMG. I'm just trying to educate myself and daydream a little, too.

[axeman81]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

Tune-O-Matic I believe. Don't think it'll tune itself though [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Deneb]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

I think everyone should send me their guitars, and I'll let you know what I think, and well return shipping may be a problem! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[guitarshredder]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

I hope this question doesn't come off as stupid, but how can I tell what wood my guitar's body is made out of??? I have a JDR-94 Dinky and someone said that is basswood, but basswood is light and my JDR-94 doesn't really FEEL light!?!?!?

[Bengal65]

Re: Why alder for guitars with tremolos?

ActionJackson writes...."Jackson seems to follow this model. In the USA series, everything with a Floyd is alder (except for the SL2H MAH) and all the fixed bridge guitars are mahogany. Interestingly, the KV2 with Floyd is alder, but the KV2T sans Floyd is mahogany."
AJ-You forgot that the PC1 Model (Signature Series)has a Mahogany body with a Quilt Maple cap and a OFR.