What exactly is Basswood?

[Inazone]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

I have four Jacksons made of basswood, and in terms of tone, I would consider it the jack-of-all-trades tonewood. With a mild pickup like a JB or Screamin' Demon, my basswood guitars sound great. Less high end than alder, a little less low end than mahogany.

[Chasbo]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

I am pretty sure bass-wood is the opposite of treble-wood, and most definitely has nothing to do with morning wood, or different woods of that genre. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/eyes.gif[/img]

Chuck

[Child Of Norther]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

Originally posted by Chasbo:
I am pretty sure bass-wood is the opposite of treble-wood, and most definitely has nothing to do with morning wood, or different woods of that genre. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/eyes.gif[/img]

Chuck

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">holy fuck, that was the funniest thing i've read in a while [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[markb]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

Basswood is a type of Linden (Tilia). You probably know the tree, it is very common in front lawns. Usually quite large leaves (6-8 in. across) like a squat teardrop shaped. Smaller leaf usually referred to as Linden and larger as Basswood. You might also know it as Lime tree? (Not the citrus version)

[JACKSONFREAK]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

WOke up with wood?
Lets not forget that most if not all the Model Series Charvels were made out of Basswood. Not to mention Musicman guitars, Peavey Wolfgang, and some of the current line of JAckson. As wellas the aforementioned Tom Andersons'

Gil

[cmanningjr]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

I currently own a Wolfgang and have No Probem witht the tone whatsoever..It's all a matter of opinion I guess... [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Chasbo]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

I was really surprised at some of the responses to this topic and so I decided to do some research on the subject myself. A trip to a local college library yielded totally pointless information that practically bored me to tears. I was asked to leave after falling asleep at a table while reading some book titled "Basswood: Reflections of a Dead Tree".

Disgusted, I left the library in a funk and went down to my local "Guitars R Us" chain to ask one of their techs to explain it to me. Apparantly, as they were primarily a Gibson dealer, they said only a fool would play with a basswood made instrument. Real guitars were made out of mahogany. I was once again asked to leave. grrr...

This was getting me nowhere, so I went home and decided to ask one of my redneck buddies what basswood was. "Skeeter" (his real name is way too redneck for me to use on a public message forum), is a local odds job guy who has alot of experience with clearing trees off lots that are going to be used for new homes. He is like a Picasso with a chainsaw. Anyhow, I asked "Skeeter" what basswood was and he told me he "weren't" sure, but his "grandaddy" might know as he was the repository of all learning and knowledge on the subject of "wood".

Problem is, that his grandaddy is a bit strange and lives by himself in a deserted toolshed converted into a hermitage. Skeeter said the last time he tried to stop by to pay his respects to the "ole coot" he got a "tail full of shot", or some such frightening thing. He suggested we use Strategy to get in to see the old guy.

We took my truck down to the package store and got a couple cases of something called "Billy Beer" that they had buried under a tarp in the far corner of the storeroom. Skeeter said it was sure to make the old man smile and we would get to talk to him with this sacrifice. The people at the store were super happy it seems, cause they just laughed when I paid for it.

Well, we took the cases to the vacant lot where the old dilapidated toolshed/hermitage was and snuck up to the front door with the beer and Skeeter yelled in to his grandaddy that we needed some help drinkin up some Billy Beer. The old man practically burst out of the door with a wild look in his eyes and screamed something semi coherent to us along the lines of "whar is it, ya durn fools, gimmee it!"

After we showed him the beer, he lowered the awfully large Shotgun that was pointed at us and cackling, invited us inside to sit a spell. I swear their weren't two more relieved guys than Skeeter and me when we followed the old guy inside.

Anyhow, the old guy wouldn't talk at all until he finished off a couple beers, then he sort of glared at us, and fingering the shotgun asked us if we were too good to drink with him. We immediately grabbed a beer each and popped the top and took a big swig. About 5 mins later after choking up the last of the vile stuff I became cognizant of the old man laughing at me as Skeeter was beating me on the back trying to get me to stop choking. "What in the hell is in that stuff!" I exclaimed. Skeeters grandaddy just laughed at me and said city youngsters like me couldn't hold our liquor. I took really tiny sips after that.

Anyhow, by this time the old man had finished 5 or so beers and had loosened up a bit. So Skeeter told him I had a question about wood. The old man asked me what I wanted to know. So I asked him what basswood was and was it any good to make guitars out of. He just stared at me real serious like for 5 minutes and then said "Ya damn city fool! You cant make a guitar out of a bass's damn pecker!"

Anyhow, shortly after I left the old man and Skeeter and came home to type this up for you guys. So there you have it definitively. Basswood is a fish's erect wang and is a poor material to make guitars out of. I hope you guys appreciate the lengths I go to help this forum out.

Chuck

[Creepy]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

Wow, great story. The sad thing is, I live in Southern Indiana, and I know quite a few "fellers" just like Skeeter and his Grandaddy. I kept expecting him to mention something about having a perty mouth.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

Chasbo... [img]graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img] HI-LARIOUS stor-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

i prefer basswood over poplar any day!!!!


via and satch both play basswood ibenhads. the charvel model series, and fusion's are also basswood. (fusion xl has a thin maple cap)

~JW

[pro-fusion]

Re: What exactly is Basswood?

Basswood guitars seem to have a very 'expressive' tone for soloing, with the highes rounded off, but not being overly thudding in the low end. I prefer guitars with a bit more 'snap', however. But I have a basswood guitar along with my neckthroughs, and I do use it for certain things.