fguihen Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 from browsing theese forums it seems clear that you class basswood as an inferior wood. why??i have an ibanez made from basswood and i wouldnt change it for anything. its tough, it sounds good, it isnt too heave. the only problem i see is there is very little grain pattern, but if your painting your axe, then that makes no difference. maby you preferr other woods for your own reasons, but dont put down basswood, just cause YOU dont like it. anyone got anythin to add? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 The main reason people don't like Basswood is because it dents, and dings easily. I learned this the hard way. So basically if people would use a tougher finish on their guitars instead of the lacquer that's been praised by most of the guitar community(hint: especially companys that make a living off selling that kinda paint), then you wouldn't have those problems with basswood. I'm not sure what kinda paint Ibanez uses but I know what I'd use on that type of wood if it was me. The newest automotive paint is what most manufactures use nowdays, because they want the best durable shiny finish they can get. Fender and PRS come to mind. So my feeling is that Basswood is a good wood, but your only getting peoples opinion of the wood who mostly use Lacquer paint on their guitars, which isn't a good paint for Basswood in my opinion. That's all I got to say bout that.. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I didn't know lacquer dents easily? Anyway, I have nothing against basswood - my RG is made of it and I love it. I don't know if my RG has that inferior lacquer mentioned above but I haven't had any reason to complain over the past 15 or more years of use/abuse. It is true that you don't see many people here using it though. I don't remember anyone bad mouthing it - certainly not as much as lacquer was just bad-mouthed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 You got my thinking about what paint Ibanez uses on their guitars, so I decided to do some research and called a service tech at Guitar Factory in Florida and asked him if Ibanez used lacqer. He said, " lacquer is a softer finish and that's why Ibanez used component polyurethane paint exclusively nowdays. It's a much harder finish, but there is some downsides to it. With the lacquer, you can touch up problems easier and will be less noticeable. If you try to touch up a polyurethane job, the paint coating is like a hard plastic and when you spray another coat over it to touchup, you might can see the thin layer of paint in some spots, simply because it won't bond with the other layer. The good thing is that poly holds up so good that you don't have as many touch up work to do anyway, but if you do about the only thing that works like a charm is CA glue or otherwise known as superglue. Anways, to answer your question. Basswood is alot stronger wood with poly on it, thus Ibanez uses it." That was his exact words... So at least I can now see how Ibanez hasn't had the problems you are hearing about with Basswood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I didn't know lacquer dents easily? I never said lacquer dents easily. I said Basswood dents easily, and you need a stonger finishes so it doesn't. That's all I was saying. Just that, if your gonna use Basswood you better use Poly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 OK - a bit touchy on the subject of lacquer vs. poly? Don't worry - it doesn't matter to me - whatever you like. So, did Ibanez use polyu on their RG's back in the early/mid 80's? I thought that stuff wasn't used until fairly recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 OK - a bit touchy on the subject of lacquer vs. poly? Don't worry - it doesn't matter to me - whatever you like. So, did Ibanez use polyu on their RG's back in the early/mid 80's? I thought that stuff wasn't used until fairly recently? It would have been some sort of two part paint, no doubt. They are just sooooo much easier to use in the mass production enviroment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I think mainly the basswood haters are people looking for naturaul finishes. BTW 6 months on bsb conversion an no scrathing denting etc... Some blood stains but that happens to all guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 One of the reasons I assumed it was lacquer was due to the number of chinks missing and cracks that have formed over the years. I don't blame the finish whatever it is - but I thought the 2 part polyu was too hard to have the problems that my RG has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 One of the reasons I assumed it was lacquer was due to the number of chinks missing and cracks that have formed over the years. I don't blame the finish whatever it is - but I thought the 2 part polyu was too hard to have the problems that my RG has. assuming the timber was correctly dried..... Remember that type of paint technology was new back then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 OK, thanks - sorry for the hijack. I forgot how the poly vs. nitro thing can really kick up a storm so I don't want to get that started. Whatever works for ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Dave-what color is the RG? They had some metallics that were sort of a powdery undercoat with a gloss topcoat. The undercoat was soft and regardless of the wood type it was like painting a gloss coat over a piece of rubber. It dented really easily. And I have an alder Proline that has that finish and dents real easily. Alder's not much harder than basswood, but the point is, those metallics were sensitive no matter what the wood was. As for basswood, it is a wood of convenience. It is well known that the Asian factories didn't choose basswood for its rich tonal character. It was plentiful and cheap, and very easy on router bits. That said, it's not bad. But because of it's softness it can't reflect crisp, sharp highs or deep, extended lows. You can still capture those frequencies with your gear and pickups, but basswood is a sort of midrangey, "plain" sounding wood. Ten of my guitars are basswood Ibanez's. But I have them because I like other things about them. I've never built with basswood unless it was maple capped. With a maple top I think its great. The top puts the cutting attack back into the guitar, and it almost de-emphasizes the pronounced mids, because there is a lamination. The point is, many people like basswood and request it. It's a "favorite" for a lot of players, even famous endorsers. I'm just saying that's coincidence. It didn't start out as a highly revered tonewood. Plus, over the years, as the big factories have shovelled basswood at us consumers, we've come to accept it as a "normal" sound, and I feel that Dimarzio makes their pickups and descriptions with basswood in mind. As more artists used basswood, it became a sound we prefer. But if you look, it's mostly high gain or heavily processed players using basswood. Another thing that happened over the years is we used up "old growth" basswood. I like basswood that's a little darker tan color, and denser, while "new" basswood is real yellowish green, and softer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEdwardJones Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 The point is, many people like basswood and request it. It's a "favorite" for a lot of players, even famous endorsers. I'm just saying that's coincidence. It didn't start out as a highly revered tonewood. Didn't they all? If memory serves, Leo Fender used alder because he could get alder cheap, not so much because it sounds good. Everything sounds good to someone. I think whenever you hear someone arguing for or against a different wood you're arguing *OPINION*. Take it for what it's worth, y'know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I think basswood has a fairly balanced tone, and do like that. Its srength is a minus to me. I would stain it tho. I think it would look like light mahogany or white limba if done right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Didn't they all? If memory serves, Leo Fender used alder because he could get alder cheap, not so much because it sounds good. Everything sounds good to someone. I think whenever you hear someone arguing for or against a different wood you're arguing *OPINION*. Take it for what it's worth, y'know? Yeah that's true. I guess in a way basswood is like ALDER II: THE SEQUEL Maybe agathis will be the next basswood, and then some tree that is just now starting to be farmed heavily in some country will be the next agathis! There are generalizations that can be made that aren't opinion though, like "X" is brighter or darker than "Y" etc. So long as you have a reference point you can have somewhat meaningful discussions. Plus some other factual statements like "many basswood guitars suffer from tremolo studs pulling forward because of its softness" can be made. Like I said, it isn't bad, because no wood is inherehtly bad sounding, since art is subjective. I just find basswood to be very plain sounding, not really adding its own character to the sound. You know, like it posesses the absence of all that makes the other traditional woods sound unique. (doesn't have maple's brightness, mahogany's warmth, swamp ash's toothy attack, etc) Maybe that in itself is a "tonal character" that I just can't see because I'm looking for an exaggeration of a certain frequency area or attack characteristic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 That's why it works well with a maple top. It has a slightly creamy sound, and I think if people were smart, we'd add some hardener to our holes in it. Ed Roman HATES basswood, yet loves the Parker fly....which is basswood. So FWIW, I happen to like it when used right. Evo's soung GR8 with basswood, but not with ash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Baswud maks a BLEEEECH bloos guitar, it's only gud for METAL MUSC! Cince I a bluus guy much so, I hate basswud, baswood is SUK woOD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maher Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Bass wood isnt good for a blues sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Bass wood isnt good for a blues sound? not in my opinion...not enough mids....it does make a smooth metal sound but i am not a fan of it...i prefer alder,but i really prefer basswood to mahogany,unless the mahogany has a maple cap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Its guud for FISHIN MABE!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I can't seem to say anything nice here. Don't want to start a S**t storm but does it really matter? I can see choice of wood being really crucial for building acoustics, and any other hollow bodied stringed instruments. Guy is going to spend all kinds of money on expensive woods for his solidbody electric and then plug in a bunch of pedals. hey you metalheads! after you plug in all that electronic stuff 99% of your so called "tone" is now in the pedals, pickups and likely, your head! Maybe a little bit in the fingers if you can make the magic. You would get the same sound by mounting pickups on a 2X4. And what the hell is a "creamy" sound anyway? I envision someone noisily milking a lactating woman. I don't care, I'm going away for 2 weeks, so just cool your heels and keep churning out those guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 And what the hell is a "creamy" sound anyway? I envision someone noisily milking a lactating woman. Hahahaha, that mayd me laff!!~! Wud about sumwun milkin a lactatin BASS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 I can't seem to say anything nice here. Don't want to start a S**t storm but does it really matter? I can see choice of wood being really crucial for building acoustics, and any other hollow bodied stringed instruments. Guy is going to spend all kinds of money on expensive woods for his solidbody electric and then plug in a bunch of pedals. hey you metalheads! after you plug in all that electronic stuff 99% of your so called "tone" is now in the pedals, pickups and likely, your head! Maybe a little bit in the fingers if you can make the magic. You would get the same sound by mounting pickups on a 2X4. And what the hell is a "creamy" sound anyway? I envision someone noisily milking a lactating woman. I don't care, I'm going away for 2 weeks, so just cool your heels and keep churning out those guitars. just because you don't "get it" doesn't mean everyone else in the world doesn't... my opinion is,if you really think that you get the same sound by mounting pickups on a 2 by 4,then maybe you aren't the most qualified to talk about tone maybe you are tone deaf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 it dents mega easy before you get any finish on there, i just like experimenting with it cause you can make some pretty light guitars with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 Basswood is sounding like the ideal wood for a workhorse guitar project... It's cheapish... It's easily routed... It dents easily (yippee! Faster authentic battle scars!!)... It sounds good with a maple cap (all part of the plan anyhow)... I'm sold! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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