Basswood or Plywood?

[Rich#6]

I always read that the charvette model 150s are plywood (I think that's what this is). To me this looks like basswood. The neck pocket is the only place there is any wood showing.
Opinions please.

[nhspike]

Boy that sure looks like real wood to me Rich.
I think there were some rumors that not "all" of the charvettes were plywood???
This "wood" seem to confirm that rumor.

[shobet]

It looks like real wood to me in those pics.

[DonP]

Not all were plywood.

You got a good one.

[El Chiguete]

Can someone post a pic of what a playwood whould look like?

[nhspike]

No pic, but you would see distinct sandwich/layers in a pocket like that instead of wood grain.

[Sunbane]

Can someone post a pic of what a playwood whould look like?

PLYwood, not playwood. "Ply" means that it's a laminate consisting of thin wood layers that were glued together to make a larger chunk. It's common in construction because of its strength, but is not renowned for its musical properties.

This is a poor pic, but you can see the layers in the neck pocket:

http://www.emando.com/images/builder...e/IM001552.JPG

[Newc]

General Knowledge Point:
There are two types of "ply" wood. One is also known as particle board, where various leftover chips of wood are soaked in glue and pressed into sheets which are laminated onto one another. This is what is used in construction.

For guitars, they take several thin yet solid sheets of tonewood and laminate them. These are not made of the wood chips like particle board (though stripping a Chinese junker may prove otherwise).

[nhspike]

Where does MDF fit in?
Is that more like sawdust that's pressed into sheets?
Seems real fine (the bits of wood).
And...
Did anyone ever use that for guitar bodies?
I know is common to use for sub-woofer boxes.

[rjohnstone]

Eck... MDF is mostly glue. But yes... it's essentially saw dust and glue compressed into boards. Dead from a tone perspective.
The stuff Newc is talking about is called OSB.

[Cygnus X1]

Where does MDF fit in?
Is that more like sawdust that's pressed into sheets?
Seems real fine (the bits of wood).
And...
Did anyone ever use that for guitar bodies?
I know is common to use for sub-woofer boxes.

Research "Danelectro", I think.
If they don't use it, it sure seems like they did.

[El Chiguete]

Yet the Dano sound is unike and I want one!

[noomnus053180]

Judging from the neck pocket it looks like alder.I'm not sure of the wood type but that is not plywood

[Newc]

Dano used Bakelite - a plastic of some sort.

[fuel0707]

According to danguitars.com in their history section, here's what Dano's were constructed from:

Constructed simply of wood, vinyl, masonite and Formica, Danelectros used "lipstick tube" metal pick-ups that were literally purchased from a lipstick-tube manufacturer. The guitars were made simply, with no pearl adornments or expensive wood.