Basswood....on a strat?

horsehead

So, I've had a number 1 strat for a few years now. It was battered and caught in a fire and a bit of a partscaster, but boy does it play and resonate like a god! 
I also couldn't remember the body wood, so I got in touch with the last owner and asked the question, to which I got the reply.....



Basswood


.... I was stunned. It's a basswood? But, but, but....it sounds so good? It has a lovely mid to high range that just sounds amazing to me.

But it's a basswood and I just can't handle the news! I thought it was ash. Goes to show what you know! 

Whitecat

I think basswood is John Suhr’s favourite body wood. If that’s not an endorsement I dunno what is. 

PhilKing

My favourite partsocaster is basswood.  It has a great tone and sustain.  Mine has an ebony fingerboard and is HSS too, so pretty removed from the real strat specs.

Bellycaster

Aren't Japanese Strat Bodies made from Basswood?

My Wolfgang is Basswood and does sound great, obviously Eddie approved.... totally different Guitar though.

I'd love to hear a Basswood Strat.

brooom

I've played several early 90s MIJ reissue strats with basswood that were quite nice. So no complaints really. The best examples are usually lightweight and quite resonant with even frequencies.

Adi

My Jackson SDX Adrian Smith is basswood and it sounds glorious with SD JB in the bridge,  it's a very heavy guitar too 

Redlester

Japanese Fenders are generally basswood unless specified otherwise. 

I think I read somewhere that Jeff Beck’s main stage Strat is basswood as well. 

My Japanese  Strat Is basswood. It’s fine. Sounds just like a Strat in fact. 

dindude

No snobbery for me, it’s a fine body wood, and a much better weight than the alder that guitar companies use these days. 

Z28

Nothing wrong with basswood I'd say! And it's light too! 

jeztone2

Basswood is fine. As someone else mentioned it’s very even across the frequency spectrum. 

skullfunkerry

My Soloist is basswood. It feels & sounds great, I have no complaints 

stickyfiddle

It's good wood. Sounds a lot like Alder iirc. My MIJ Tele is basswood and it's ace.

ThePrettyDamned

Basswood is fine, but boring.

Not in sound, but looks! I think that's partly why it's not popular - it's really ugly, plain, has green streaks I think as well? 

Ibanez use basswood a lot, for the satch sig for example. Nice and light, resonant and makes a guitar. 

I played one of those see through plastic BC Rich guitars once and it was heavy as hell, but surprisingly fine sounding. 

Sassafras

What's wrong with basswood?
Unless you can only play guitars with a natural finish with distinctive wood grain, it' a fine wood.

horsehead

It wasn't the fact that anything is wrong, but I was shocked at my own prejudice of it

Dominic

I think most EBMusicman guitars are Basswood

Redlester

ThePrettyDamned said:

Basswood is fine, but boring.

Not in sound, but looks! I think that's partly why it's not popular - it's really ugly, plain, has green streaks I think as well? 

I believe basswood is the US term for the type of wood we call here lime. Its plainer looks plus other qualities lend themselves well to woodturning, carving and the like. 

I once saw an exhibition of work by a famous British (dutch born) wood carver called Grinling Gibbons. He used lime a lot. One of the standout pieces was a 'lace cravat' actually carved out of this wood. Incredible skill and artistry. 

I doubt the Fender custom shop despite their skill would be able to carve you matching neckwear for a custom basswood Strat. 

Lestratcaster

My affinity Strat is basswood. Very heavy but great resonance and sustain. Didn’t realise what wood it was til last year funnily enough.

earwighoney

I have a Tele Hybrid with a Basswood body and it's a heavy beast but it sounds fantastic it's definitely more resonant than my Alder body Tele which is a little flat.

Philly_Q

To be a bit contrary, the only basswood-bodied guitar I've ever owned was an MIJ '60s Strat and it was rubbish.  Looked great, but sounded like it was made of soggy cardboard.

But I'm not claiming basswood is a "bad" wood, I think I just had a bad guitar.  The pickups weren't good, I felt the hardware was kind of "soft" (although that's just an impression, based on no scientific evidence).  It was like someone had found a picture of a 1962 Strat and copied it without really knowing what materials they were supposed to use.

I've often read that basswood is a neutral, balanced sounding wood (if you believe wood has a sound) which perhaps makes a good platform for things like the Ibanez guitars with locking trems and relatively high-output pickups.

Schnozz

For me, the one to avoid is Sen Ash.

I think Basswood and Nato are fantastic alternatives and I quite like the tightness of Poplar - Works well for rhythm.

I'm exploring Pine at the moment.