The resonance is dark and complex, and there are rich overtones you can’t find in other woods. Mainly found in acoustic guitars, mahogany is the most common hardwood for the sides and back of the instrument. The open pores are more responsive than maple necks and remain much less dense. All Rights Reserved Registered Address – Dramatik, c/o Wesley Offices, 74 Silver Street, Bristol, BS48 2DS. How are the tones in your Tone-O-Meter measured? We did ash versus alder to hear the differences. The result is a bright and clear sound. The Alder one was the fuller sounding whereas the ash one was the one with the more snap and bite. There are also two synthetic materials to choose from. A mahogany neck is very stable due to the density of the wood, which reduces the risk of warping over time. It offers a bright tone with a moderate weight and highly characteristic grain patterns. Alder and Ash are fairly easy to differentiate by sight. I have this secret trick I use if my guitar is sounding "too bright" or something - I move these knobs on my amp called "treble" and "bass" around till it sounds better. The sound dies faster but sounds more clear in the small room, while the large room creates more echoes. Since Leo Fender first used them in the 1950’s, Alder and Ash have become the most popular tonewoods for construction of solid-body bolt-on guitars. Like alder, poplar is a type of wood that’s commonly used to manufacture many things. Angry Tele. The result is a guitar with a complexity of tones. The Main Reasons Explained, How Many Frets on a Guitar? Solid wood is another popular approach. Rosewood is one of the most popular choices in acoustic guitars. There are even manufacturers who saw a single piece of wood in half and glue it back together for this reason! DOH! However, it’s much easier to finish and highly durable. Alder: full and rich, with fat low-end, nice cutting mids, and good overall warmth and sustain.Alder is generally considered to be one of the "traditional" Stratocaster body woods. Ash can be difficult to work with, though; the pores must be filled before finishes are applied, and two swamp ash guitar bodies are more likely to differ from one another tonally than two bodies made of alder, which has a tighter, more consistent grain. Richlite is more expensive to produce, but the results are much superior than any organic wood. The midrange is much more similar to rosewood or mahogany though. It’s a gem and icon of the golden era in guitar making when manufacturers took bold steps. Alder has a strong, clear, full-bodied sound, with beefy mids and excellent lows. Swamp Ash is typically lighter, with Strat® bodies under 5 pounds. Manufacturers vary based on their approach. The process works much the same way as if you played the guitar in a small room, then in a large room. The Unova region, a place full of wonder and mystery. There are two main types of rosewood used to make guitars today: Brazilian and East Indian. Mahogany first became a popular material for guitars due to the attractive appearance and the fact that it was cheaper than rosewood, according to the World Resources Institute. Unlike rosewood, however, Pau Ferro has a tighter grain. However, ebony offers oilier pores, more brittle grains, and a stronger fundamental tone. In general, mahogany should absorb a bit of the string vibration as you play – much more than maple or some other neck wood types. Two of the most common materials used are alder and ash. The sound is better, however, when it comes to the upper mid-range. But also depends on wood piece and setup situation. 4 years ago. Koa is available in a wide range of colors, all of which include light and dark shades of rich gold. While some people argue that using two tonewoods won’t make a huge negative difference compared to a single wood, others believe that the gluing process in guitar manufacturing among multiple pieces leads to a stronger, more durable instrument. Soft ash is also commonly called ‘swamp ash’. 0 0. I have heard ash is brighter and that alder wood in suitable grain and quality is getting harder to come by and that ash is actually a better choice. Today, maple is common in electric guitar necks. However, bolt-on maple guitar necks produce less of a factor in the overall tone. Taylor is one of the few manufacturers to carry koa on many of their models. Because rosewood is naturally oily, stray overtones are quickly absorbed into the wood’s pores and the sound comes out much richer than maple. I think the wood may make a difference in tone but it would be tiny compared to the difference due to the pickup and string differences. Here’s a great video from the guys at Fender talking about different wood combos: You may see guitars made from a single piece of wood sometimes, but they’re often comprised of many tonewoods. The material in the neck can amplify the body wood and highlight special features in the grain to pair well aesthetically as well. Quote; Link to post Share on other sites. A type of black hardwood, wenge is stiff and strong. I have 3 Swamp Ash guitars, all of which are light, resonant, killer sustain, and sound awesome. The tone and grain qualities are similar to mahogany, but it’s heavier and more resilient. Married Man’s Guide to Buying Without Lying. It’s truly a beautiful and highly versatile instrument. Expect your guitar to sound twangier, but not quite as big sounding. Commonly known as Honduran mahogany, this type of wood is often associated with Gibson guitars. All rights reserved. They have a great impact on the sound your guitar produces. It’s commonly used to create ukuleles, but the pricier wood is also found on special and limited-edition guitars. Laminated wood, as the name suggests, is made from multiple thin layers of wood that are meshed together by a luthier using adhesive and pressure. They also feature more wood on the back and sides than the top. Today, expect to see korina as a body wood in Reverend Guitars’ electric models. It can sound similar to Ash but without the complexity in overtones. Solid Strat® bodies of Northern Hard Ash usually weigh 5 pounds or more. A rich caramel swirls through the wood, and the fret feels like ebony or rosewood to your fingers. Alder vs Ash. ToneRanger Most Honored Senior Member. However, soft ash offers a warmer feel. Perhaps the most common comparison to consider is between laminated and solid wood. Walnut is a dense wood with sparkly brightness, like koa. It’s stain, heat, and scratch-resistant. 2. The snappy tone is brighter than other less dense wood types. Swamp Ash is usually light, lighter than alder. 0 0. “I would say ash has a great sound, especially when you are jamming at home by yourself. Lv 4. The result is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It’s ideal for warmer, fatter guitar tones. The neck of a guitar made with Richlite is less likely to fluctuate or curve because the material is synthetic. The top end is often brighter as a result. The sound has plenty of bite, brightness, and ideal sustainability. The tone is snappier and the attack more immediate as a direct result. Tonewoods either eliminate or amplify the frequencies your strings produce, affecting the overall tone of the instrument. This is what produces strong and stable functionality, but it’s less reactive to environmental changes than other hardwoods. The sound is warm, with damp high sounds. So, what you described is what I'd more or less expect from it to be like. Solid Body Telecaster: Available Options . Ash Vs Alder. Guitars have different types. In time, the wood develops grains that continuously deepen and change. A place where you can find your hopes and dreams and make them reality. Color and variety alter from piece to piece, but all types of rosewood are highly attractive. For a brighter tone and more sustainability than rosewood, Pau Ferro is an excellent alternative. You can find them in both electric and acoustic guitars, and the tonewood is highly resilient against wood rot or warping over time. It is often considered as the other "traditional" Stratocaster body wood. It also looks great with sunbursts. Some manufacturers simply can’t afford to import korina. 4 years ago. Today, according to Thalia, mahogany guitars come in three main varieties of hardwood. Ash is also very porous so will need grain filling whereas it's not essential for alder. The guitar sound is warm and rich, with plenty of volume and resonance. It won’t wear out over time. This lead to a bias that excluded how the dang thing sounds plugged it! Laminated wood can warp quickly, depending on the environment around you. However, mahogany is more common because it’s widely available in large quantities and available inside the United States. If you are a do-it-yourselfer interested in finishing your own guitar body, there are some very important differences between Alder and Ash. When it comes to building an acoustic guitar, there are many ways to arrange and utilize wood. Walnut also appears excellent when you use oil finishes on the wood, providing players with a beautiful instrument. Lots of people think that ash Strats sound a lot like Telecasters. Rosewood is rare and highly expensive, so creating a guitar out of classic rosewood would be nearly impossible due to the price. The percussive overtones during the pick attack are tremendous and can sustain a long time. Overall, ebony fingerboards sound excellent on a guitar with a long neck (as long as the hardwood isn’t a hardwood like maple or bubinga). I'm sure ash or alder would sound great, also, but the basswood and the slightly strong ('62-ish) pickups give it a wonderfully warm sound. This means you won’t find any deep, breathy sub-low tones. A popular wood choice for necks and fretboards, maple is highly recognizable due to the grain patterns, moderate weight, and bright tone. The color is distinctive. The wood drains quickly, making it very susceptible to splitting during the drying process. Like basswood, alder is a lightweight type of body wood with soft and condensed pores. The only downside is the steep price. Some tonewoods are more popular among electric or acoustic models. Combine a koa neck with an ebony fingerboard for the best warm sound. Compared to hard ash, maple is just as dense. On Alder, the grain is closed, making it a good candidate for amateurs and budding luthiers. The manufacturing process can take longer, as it requires closer attention to detail and careful handling of the materials. It also stimulates the weaker end of the instrument. Anonymous. Basswood is lightweight, but due to a low overall mass rather than large wood pores. Like hard ash, maple is dense. They last longer and they come with better resonation. Compared to rosewood, ebony fingerboard woods are bright, durable, and sustainable. No slapping just finger style playing, we were curious about the differences. Those who play ash-bodied Teles say that it makes a difference and ash sounds better. Why Do Tonewoods Sound Different From Each Other. "Welcome one and all to Unova's ultimate battle to become champion. Rosewood guitar necks smooth out high tones and offer ideal sustainability. The boards have a brittle grain that requires the skill of a professional to hand fret the guitar. I took my 1980 Strat and swapped out the old and very heavy ash body for a Warmoth alder body. My 5 cents. Finally, fingerboard woods are located on the fretboard. However, when referring to swamp/hard Ash, we are actually talking about the region where Ash trees grow instead of a particular type of wood. Sonically, Alder will produce more attack and presence with its emphasised upper-mids, resulting in it sounding a little bit punchier than Ash. The most common material used for a guitar fretboard, rosewood sounds rich. My point is, the rosewood fretbrds are tonally distinct from the maple by a large margin, and its not so much the Basewood bodied '62s vs ash/alder '57. Basswood tends to soften the high notes, on the other hand. Appearance-wise, maple is light and typically configured in a beautiful way. Ebony boards are rare in machine-made guitars. The bright highs can really pop, and it has a strong upper midrange. A man-made synthetic material, Richlite is a wood substitute when a more durable, harder wood is required. Bill said: After years of analysis of thousands of players' observations, the following two definitive facts have emerged: 1. Best Online Guitar Lessons in 2020 – Reviewed & Ranked, Fender Serial Number Lookup – Find When & Where Your Guitar Was Made, Why are Some Guitar Pickups Angled? Alder’s enduring popularity as a tone-wood is mostly due to the fact that its sound is so well balanced across the entire sonic spectrum. Like Alder, the tone of Ash is musical and well-balanced, with perhaps just a little more “pop”. Ash is like ... more rock and roll, punchy, kicks your butt kinda sound. The sound is bass-friendly and warm, ideal for sweet and responsive mid-range tones. I used to prefer ash in past, now I'm more on alder side. Taken on average, Alder is the lighter weight of the two woods, with Strat® bodies usually weighing in at around 4 pounds. Ash comes in two varieties: Northern Hard Ash and Swamp Ash. Each plant, and each piece of wood, displays inconsistencies and imperfections in varying shapes and sizes. The solid wood also sounds better because it offers a uniform grain, thickness, and a more resonant tone with better vibration. Many of the classical or vintage guitars use a mahogany type of wood. I have American Pro in Sienna Sunburst and the body is made from Ash, they are now using Roasted Pine I believe. On Alder, the grain is closed, making it a good candidate for amateurs and budding luthiers. It’s also stronger than maple. I had luck to compare ash vs alder on one wood sensitive amp. Fender claims to use swamp ash in many of their guitars in the 1950s. It’s a distinct sound with the character found in many acoustic guitars, like the early Beatles recordings the band created using mahogany Gibson guitars. However, keep in mind that everyone has a different preference. A Fight For Champion! Ash. Solid wood comes with bonuses over laminated wood in terms of durability. Luthiers also tend to despise working with korina tonewoods. You may occasionally find a piece of poplar with a stunning grain pattern if you try. Ash is one of the most common tonewoods for electric guitar bodies. Like rosewood, Bubinga is a tropical wood. Other models at the time, like the high-end Martin D-28, came with rosewood sides and back. Guitar bodies made from a single piece of wood tend to come with a higher price tag. The right choice for your guitar may depend on your budget, preference, and what type of music you play. It offers a rich variety of both purple and brown colors, and the material has been used to create guitars for decades. Body wood, or the types of wood used to create the back and sides of a guitar, does more than look pretty. Lower-end models, like the D-18, came in mahogany. Sound-wide, the tone is balanced and consistent as well. The sound offers more percussion and perfect tonal combination. Maple’s tone is highly reflective and bright, with more energy pushing toward the body wood. Ash is another wood type favored by Fender besides Alder. A wenge fretboard is normally played raw, with no finish. Squire Vintage Modified 72 Thinline. On the other hand, the prominent grain figures of Ash lend themselves better to translucent colors, which allow the grain to show through and enhance the beauty of the guitar. Ash is often finished in bursts as well. It’s also ideal to combine with an ebony fretboard to add brightness. This makes achieving a nice-looking finish a much more difficult project for the average Joe. The material is non-toxic and the guitar neck will never warp. The lower outer frequencies mean the mid-tones become more pronounced. Like to hear some opinions. It’s a medium-weight wood, although quality cuts of alder used for guitar bodies will often weigh less than denser cuts of ash. They remain more in the mid-range rather than the high side, which results in a musical sound for a beginner guitarist or a less expressive one for guitarists who play hard picking blues music. The wood is perfect for bass necks with warm lows and strong midrange tones. The color is lighter and richer as well. Although, it’s lighter than maple and the tone is very bright. Let’s check ’em out. If the specs on the website are correct, this negates all the comments about pine vs alder as both bodies are alder." Of course weight can vary for all these woods, depending on many factors. It’s very warm. However, swamp ash is more difficult to find than alder or new ash. Maple Top on Basswood. Posts: 124. Because Alder’s appearance is more plain, it is the better candidate for solid color finishes. However, acoustic models gain most of their sound from the wood choice. Both types of ash tonewoods offer an open grain, which means the instrument also comes with a fair amount of preparation to make sure the grain is properly filled in the factory. The instrument is still heavy. Many people agree that certain woods come with a brighter or fuller sound than other types, but it’s hard to say exactly why they sound different from each other. Various manufacturers typically favor a type of wood, but there are tons of different options available in both exotic and alternative kinds of wood. Ash is one of the most common tonewoods for electric guitar bodies. Basswood/Maple produces a very rich, full sound with great low, middle and high end. As with ash, it’s impossible to discuss alder without making reference to Fender, which first used alder prominently in the late ’50s and early ’60s. There are spaces between wood grains, where the density of the wood (and amount of space between the grains) varies in different wood types. Basswood tends to soften the high notes, on the other hand. In contrast, Ash is a light cream color, with much darker and more pronounced grain figuring. Then, you must determine which type of design you enjoy. Gibson pioneered fretboards using this hard and consistently sustainable material in the mid-90s. I took notice at band practice last year - I'd typically been playing a 52RI - Ash & Maple, but for a change of pace I broke out my MIJ Foto Flame - Alder with Basswood Cap, rosewood board, and it had every bit of the same harmonic chime. Loomis's are not Swamp Ash, they are Northern Hard Ash, which is a heavier alternative to swamp ash. Does it make any difference to the sound? It’s so similar to rosewood, in fact, that companies like Fender even started using it as a replacement for rosewood fretboards in their Mexican-made models. 1 decade ago. Fingerboards come in three common natural wood options: ebony, maple, and rosewood. Ash will give you a comparably rounder and … However, unlike basswood, alder can retain high notes and provide space for low tones. Like Alder, the tone of Ash is musical and well-balanced, with perhaps just a little more “pop”. With a less dense wood, the sound offers more sustain and a darker resonance. He's a multi-instrumentalist and loves researching, writing, and geeking out about music. lighter pieces are usually more sought after for resonance, and by no means lesser quality Another rare and expensive option, like rosewood, the sale and circulation of Bubinga was recently restricted to protect the wood from a drastic reduction in numbers. The wood offers strong grain markings, making the appearance stunning. Most companies offer both solid and laminated wood tops on their acoustic guitars. In this complete guide to guitar woods, we group each type according to whether it’s used in the body, the neck, or the fingerboard (some, such as rosewood, appear in more than one category). A sustainable wood, Pau Perro is increasing in popularity after the regulations restricted the use of some wood types – like rosewood and Bubinga. However, it’s noticeably lighter in color than rosewood. This is by far the most popular body wood combination for all of our Drop Top models. Feb 19, 2005 #16. calibre2001 Tele-Meister. The wood pieces used to create an acoustic guitar are typically thin enough to manipulate into any design shape. It offers chocolate brown stripes and a very hard, coarse texture with open grains. The tone difference from those 2 things alone can be huge. The rich appearance is dark and proven popular among guitarists. Basswood is a common body tonewood because it’s inexpensive and ideal for a factory setting. But what guitarists are more concerned about is the type of material used to make the guitar itself. Ash, on the other hand, has an open grain that absorbs a lot of finish. Those who play alder-bodied Teles say that it makes no real difference. Dagan8, Apr 28, 2011 #25. Guru; Members; 1 11,390 posts; Members; Share; Posted October 18, 2009. Fender Thinline Telecaster Vs. The result is an overall better tone with sustain. However, it’s a bit more on the warm side. View In-Stock Alder Strat® replacement bodies, View In-Stock Swamp Ash Strat® replacement bodies. Swamp ash was used on Fender guitars until the mid-50s when alder was chosen as its successor. Korina is well renowned in the guitar industry as the tonewood of choice for the original Gibson Explorer and Flying-V guitars. The warmth of this tonewood is like rosewood with the brightness mahogany brings. It works really well with single-coil pickups, producing a clean, transparent sound that’s easily tweakable. The scooped middle frequencies are bright and balanced, and the sound has more balance at the top. Ash was my tonal preference, it has a little more of a scoop in the mids. Alder is our most popular body wood. Swamp Ash is our second most popular wood. Cosmetically, Ash has a more inconsistent but straight and visible grain that looks great with natural and transparent finishes whereas Alders tight grain is less visible but very consistent and is usually finished in solid colours. In comparison the grain is tighter, producing a much brighter tone. This tonewood is durable, attractive, resonant, easy to work with, and relatively economical. dlcyh55, Jun 29, 2011 #1. Many restrictions lifted last year, but this wood may still be pricier and take much longer to produce. Where it differs is in the sweeter top end. Unlike some other types, maple wood has a uniform grain. It’s easy to: The softwood offers tight grains that often dampen and soften sharp hight tones, which can level out thin sounds like a knife-edged tremolo. In terms of sound, mahogany adds a parlor type of warm tone. Source(s): https://shrinks.im/a9PrC. In terms of guitar sound, koa is balanced and warm. The grain should be different enough to tell visually. Quite similar were the results when I A/Bed some Jazz-bass copies (same shape, alder vs ash bodies). The reason for such is because different materials, like the variety of woods used to make the guitar body, will give away different sound or tone qualities. Wood is an organic material, which means the shape and density change as the plant grows. It’s one of the most expensive and heaviest woods in guitar creation today. Poplar tonewoods are understated and minimalistic in appearance. The wood’s qualities make it stable and highly sustainable while offering a bright tone. The wood configuration, particularly when it comes to the body of the guitar, isn’t as vital for electric guitars. Wryan . Different types of wood may sway toward a particular imperfection as a part of their genetic makeup or characteristics, and this distinguishes the sound each wood type creates from the other. Up in the northern eara lies a stadium that at this moment was full of people cheering, waiting for the battle to become champion to begin. Single woods are also more likely to warp over time and can show more imperfections in the wood. Compared to basswood, an alder body comes with a wider scope of tones overall as well as fewer mid-notes than basswood. Ash, on the other hand, has an open grain that absorbs a lot of … Alder has more of a peak. Boris Bubbanov Most Honored Senior Member. The traditional wood used for Fender necks, maple is ideal because it’s strong, hard, and dense. We like them both :) ©2021 - Zinginstruments.com. Compared to maple, walnut tonewood is slightly warmer. Messages: 8,303. Knowing the properties of each will help you craft the sonic and visual personality of your guitar body. However, the Brazilian type is expensive. Similar to alder, basswood is nearly mid-range. What tones do you want, I think clean sounds are better with ash and overdrive with alder. The grain pattern takes on a swirl, where the larger rings and sections around the outside enhance the strength of the body. Tbh you need one of each! The Answer Might Surprise You, As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases Members; Angry Tele 1 Posted October 18, 2009. Expect to pair multiple kinds of wood for the best results. You can see the divide down the middle of the instrument when it’s in the case. 1 0. mumper. Your choice of guitar tonewood is a subject of great discussion among guitarists, as different woods affect your sound in different ways. A maple fretboard comes with a tremendous amount of high overtones. Koa produces a tone that’s comparable to maple and mahogany. In fact, strat bodies made of rosewood can easily weigh over six pounds. Some guitar models divide a solid piece of wood into two mirroring sections, which is often used for guitar tops. But there’s a warmth to … Side by Side comparison of Sire V7 4ST Bass - Alder vs Ash. You can expect the tone to become softer and warmer over time, making walnut the ideal alternative to koa. Chapter 1: Ash Vs Alder! The best part about koa is the stunning appearance, which makes it highly sought-after. Alder vs. Ash, if it matters at all, is so far down the list of things that influence your tone it's not even funny. Its timbre is a bit more of a fundamental tone with fewer overtones than the more traditional body woods. However, the price is often worth it. Ebony frets cost around 10 times that of rosewood. Some guitarists prefer a single piece of wood for both the neck or body of the guitar for purity sake, however. It’s not too warm or too bright but lies somewhere in the middle range. Finish. While guitar necks are traditionally made using maple, there are many types of woods found in this portion of your instrument. Copyright © 2021 Warmoth Guitar Products. Ash is the brighter of the two woods, and on average is lighter weight, it also has a more distinct and prominent grain pattern to it. Since owning the original '60 Jazzmaster (neck date 9/60) i've always known to play a guitar unplugged/acoustically for its tone/sound quality because basically this is whats amplified. However, it’s primarily used for neck shafts in guitars or a coarse fretboard. When you are playing with a band and need to cut through, the alder has a better peak and allows you to claim more space in the song. However, maple is an easier wood to finish because it has tight and highly durable grains. You can create a clean, transparent sound with single-coil pickups easily. The high overtones are similar to rosewood, but the resonation comes with more fundamental mids and low-mid ranges because of the multi-density stripes. These two woods share many similarities, but also have some important differences. Is this a human ear judgement or done by looking at spectrograms or by measuring the amplitude of sound waves, etc.? If you are a do-it-yourselfer interested in finishing your own guitar body, there are some very important differences between Alder and Ash. Alder. However, rosewood is a very hard wood that’s much harder than maple, and the porous nature allows the tone to become warmer. However, unlike basswood, alder can retain high notes and provide space for low tones. For example, the Classic Vibe Thinline features a mahogany body, while most solid body telecasters use ash or alder wood. Swamp ash tonewood comes from trees with roots below the water level in Southern swamps, so the wood is lightweight and porous. There are many reasons using multiple tonewoods can boost your instrument’s performance. He's also got an unhealthy obsession with vintage VW Campervans. Ash is a tonewood that comes in two main types: The most popular option is hard ash due to the bright tone and high sustainability. Hard maple is tough on factory equipment though, which makes it commonly only used for slim guitars.

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