Users' questions

Is Basswood good for guitar bodies?

Is Basswood good for guitar bodies?

Affordable and abundant, basswood is particularly associated with mid-level or budget guitars. But basswood is a good tonewood by any standards, and it has been used by many high-end makers with excellent results. Solid basswood bodies have a fat, but well-balanced tonality.

Is maple a good wood for guitar body?

Maple is a very hard type of wood with good tonal qualities and good sustain. Guitar necks are traditionally made from the dense wood of maple, in part because of its strength, and in part, because the material can highlight and amplify the wood in the body.

What wood is best for a guitar body?

Not all woods are the same because they each sound different due to varying weights and densities, but the best woods for electric guitars are mahogany, alder, basswood, maple, koa, rosewood, ash, and walnut.

Do maple guitars sound good?

It is well known for making an instrument sound bright and loud, and generates a tight, focused tone with little overtone presence. As a tonewood, maple provides excellent separation where every note sounding at the same time has clear definition.

Is basswood really that bad?

basswood isn’t bad, it’s a matter of taste. I’d say the only two really BAD woods are plywood and agathis. gotta watch out for those agathis LTD guitars, look nice, sound shiite. Basswood can be great for guitar wood.

Why is Rosewood banned?

CITES are a governing environmental body that look after endangered wild fauna and flora. In 2017 they restricted the sales of Rosewood across international borders to crack down on illegally made furniture, which also affected guitarists. This law was lifted on November 26 2019.

What is the most expensive wood for guitars?

The most expensive of all the tropical woods. Macassar Ebony, Maple and Walnut deliver very similar acoustic results at a fraction of the price of African Blackwood. African Blackwood is a member of the Rosewood familyhas long been credited by guitar builders as the ”holy grail” of tonewoods.

Is maple a good tonewood?

In addition to its stunning visual appeal, maple is also a highly regarded tonewood. The tone and sound maple instruments produce are unique because the tonewood has amazing strength and is quite dense. The unique curls or strips in the bigleaf maple wood make it visually appealing and desired by instrument builders.

Which tonewood has the most sustain?

If you want to most sustain, ebony or maple is the way to go. Rosewood is a little soft, and soaks up sustain more then a good solid rockwood maple.

Which is better alder or basswood?

The mids of alder aren’t as pronounced as basswood, but there is more emphasis on the highs and a bit more breathing room for the lows. Alder is overall a bit more dynamic than basswood, making it suitable for a wider range of sounds, but it’s mostly found in Fenders and Fender style guitars like Squiers.

Which is better for a guitar, maple or basswood?

basswood is nice, though it is a bit softer and sometimes dents easier. It all depends on whether you like the sound. It is more porous than maple, and I believe sometimes it is used in maple to make laminate tops/backs for semi hollow body guitars. jazzandmetal? Member

Is there a basswood body with a maple cap?

Isn’t a basswood body with a maple cap “possibly the holy grail of tone” according to the Suhr website and Andersons best selling drop top guitar? There must be something good about it. Isn’t Scott Hendersons older Ibanez basswood as well?

Which is a better wood mahogany or basswood?

Basswood is a light weight wood that is very soft and has quite dominating midrange but not much sustain and small envelope. Mahogany is actually probably the better from the two because it is resonant and pleasant and when paired with maple, it really shines.

What kind of wood do you use for a guitar?

Several [Fender] Japanese reissue models use Basswood [as body material]. Produces a light (body wt less than 4 lb.) guitar though some people find the sound to be too “dark”. Basswood is a very soft wood and cannot handle a lot of abuse. Ideal for loud high gain tones [when used as body material]. The sound is smooth, without many sharp edges.