The (B)Asswood thread

[Twisteramps]

Or a noticeably thicker/thinner neck.

I do think a bigger neck sounds much better than a thin. I know a les paul is kinda clunky for upper fret access, but that heel (and the ones on the post '95 PRS guitars) make a difference in my opinion tone-wise for the better.

Pete

[Spivonious]

EVH, Steve Vai, Joe Statriani, John Petucci and I am sure there are others that their signature guitars are basswood. They must not think its bad! Are they lacking tone in their sound? How can so many of us here love the older Charvel/Jackson Japanese import bold-ons and bash basswood? I don't get it.

And at least Petrucci's guitar is bolt-on!

[Rich#6]

And at least Petrucci's guitar is bolt-on!

???

[max]

I bet if you built a guitar with your favorite tone wood and had an identically routed and painted basswood body to swap in, you'd barely be able to tell the difference. I know some guys did this very experiment with Tele bodies a few years ago and they had a very hard time telling the woods apart and a Tele is much more substantial piece of wood

I read that too, I think this is it:

http://www.guitarattack.com/mythbusters.htm

[Spivonious]

???

Ernie Ball page

"Attachment 5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting"

So is Vai's

Check out the pics

I'm pretty sure Satch's is too, but there are no pics or text saying so on Ibanez's site.

It just goes to show how much tone is really in the fingers and not the guitar.

[Sunbane]

I read that too, I think this is it:

http://www.guitarattack.com/mythbusters.htm

Very nice article. I think the truth is in there!

[hippietim]

I don't think the nut is going to make much difference other than open strings. I don't think stainless frets make a difference either.

Pete

You're right about the nut. But for me, the open strings are pretty damn important.

Frets do matter - not an astronomical amount but you do definitely get slightly more sustain and a brighter tone out of stainless. I've done the A/B on this before. I think you'd notice more tonal difference in stainless frets than a basswood body.

[charvelguy]

I do think a bigger neck sounds much better than a thin. I know a les paul is kinda clunky for upper fret access, but that heel (and the ones on the post '95 PRS guitars) make a difference in my opinion tone-wise for the better.

Pete

I agree the neck size/shape and wood type does have some effect on tone.
I've had some very nice sounding Ibanez's bodies made of basswood. No complaints, those guitars had great sustain and good tone.
I think the age of the wood, how its dried and its porousness or tightness effects how it is sounds and intereacts with pickups and amp. Obviously, varying construction techniques too.. but there are plenty luthiers of bolt ons that make instruments which have massive sound and sustain characteristics which you would find in a older hand made set neck instrument. I think differences are perceptable, but minute in quality instruments. Then again, one can debate what defines quality.. a name? a wood choice? construction?
With good setups and differing the pickups suited to the guitar and your style you can find a suitable combination which works if the basic attributes of the guitar are fitting your demands and needs.

When did basswood start coming into play.. I recall reading something with Alan Holdsworth experimenting with different types of woods for finding 'his' tone in the early 80's. That would have been his Charvel to Ibanez days. I think he played a pretty big part in basswood coming into prominence in production guitars-especially for Ibanez and later Carvin.
Carvin used to be huge on using maple almost exclusively for electrics in the 70's-80's.

[charvelguy]

If I recall correctly.. I remember reading an article about a famous luthier from New York that built several guitars from plywood or used what would be considered 'cheap' wood in their construction, (were talking like pallets or box crates here). I think it was one of the D'xxxx (Italian) luthiers famous in the 40's-50's for jazz box types. His doing this was to prove that quality lies in the construction, not so much the wood being used.

Indeed there are many companies today that use laminates or unorthadox materials in their contruction. Ovation was one that was a pioneer in this area which took alot of heat when they came out as did Kramer. Yet an Ovations tone was something alot of artists wanted to record with.
Here's another luthier that uses 'plywood' laminate for strength in construction where he used solid pieces before...

http://www.mollinst.com/newweb/pizzarelli.htm

His account is he always associated 'plywood' or laminate with 'cheap' but his philosophy and mindset changed thru experimentation/use and the end result of what he constructs today is very far from that perception of plywood = 'cheap' (certainly the price isn't) in the final product.

My point is I think there are a number of variables to consider, not just solely the type of wood being used...as another point of contention.

[toejam]

How can so many of us here love the older Charvel/Jackson Japanese import bold-ons and bash basswood? I don't get it.

I've only owned the neck-thru models (6 and 5A) which were poplar.

[toejam]

When did basswood start coming into play.. I recall reading something with Alan Holdsworth experimenting with different types of woods for finding 'his' tone in the early 80's. That would have been his Charvel to Ibanez days. I think he played a pretty big part in basswood coming into prominence in production guitars-especially for Ibanez and later Carvin.
Carvin used to be huge on using maple almost exclusively for electrics in the 70's-80's.

Carvin? When did they ever use basswood? After primarily using maple, then they went to poplar, then eventually alder for their standard wood. And Holdsworth's Carvin models are alder bodies with alder necks. You can actually specify other woods for it if you want, but they don't offer basswood.

[kelly user]

it just striks me as a cheap wood, like aghathis. when i got my first real guitar my ec-2005. i did a crap load of research so if i have to point finger i say" ITS WAS WIKIPEDIA"

[charvelguy]

I must be mistaken toe, I thought Holdsworth brought basswood to the table at Carvin. I thought his models were basswood.I guess I was wrong.

[Dave L]

Well, Holdsworth at least was a fan of basswood back in the day... I remember seeing George Lynch saying that his first Charvel was basswood, per the recommendation of Holdsworth. George didn´t like it and traded it in for that maple Baretta of his, I guess.

I think a good quality basswood guitar is as fine as anything, and John Suhr seems to agree.