I thought Basswood was for cheap guitars?

57Deluxe

Well, not so in these new Fender Japan Modified models it seems... £1300 for a Basswood Tele...

https://www.fender.com/en-GB/electric-guitars/telecaster/jv-modified-60s-custom-telecaster/0251900353.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20220621_MadeInJapan_UK&utm_term=fender&src=email25DT062122uk&smtrctid=4d8d44d4-e8c7-11e6-a1c3-5bbf6e29d4ad

Rocky1991

Musicman use it loads of guitars 3x the price mate 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/music_man_axis_super_sport_roasted_amber.htm

ICBM

Why do you think that? All original Ibanez JEMs have basswood bodies.

Funkfingers

Basswood was THE first choice for a good many Eighties shred guitar bodies. 

What made it cheaper was that it grows around the Western Pacific rim, thereby avoiding the expense of importing from North or South America.

The majority of Ibanez Gilbert, Petrucci, Satriani and Vai signature electric guitar bodies are made from basswood. Most of the back of the Edward Van Halen Axis/Wolfgang/whatever body is basswood. 

The recently introduced JV Modified series instruments are staying true to the original 1982 specs by using basswood.

tekbow

The Ibanez JS1000 was basswood and cost £1250 in 1994, and as @Rocky1991 ;; mentioned, Musicman have used basseood for years, including the EVH model.

Either Suhr or Anderson said they thought basswood and maple was the ultimate tonal combo, and while I'm dubious of that claim or tonewoods Having a massive effect on sound, we know what those guys charge for guitars.

rze99

I have an ‘85 MIJ 62 Custom Tele and it’s fab. Indistinguishable from alder. 

Whitecat

Basswood is John Suhr’s favourite body wood apparently.

TrentGuitars

Body wood doesn’t really affect cost for solid bodies unless you’re talking figured woods. These days most are selected for lightness and to a degree the sound.

Kittyfrisk

Why do we in the UK & Europe still refer to European Lime or Linden wood as 'Basswood' ?

BillDL

Some guitar makers, for example Sigma, also refer to basswood / lime / linden as "Tilia".

Unless specified as Swietenia I wonder how many people actually know which of the many mahogany-like woods were used in their guitar construction.

victorludorum

Jeff Beck's number one is basswood I believe, but then again he likes Johnny Depp's playing and singing, so maybe he's not the best judge... ;-)

Sporky

Kittyfrisk said:

Why do we in the UK & Europe still refer to European Lime or Linden wood as 'Basswood' ?

Because it's the recognised name in the guitar building world. 

Redlester

Sporky said:

Kittyfrisk said:

Why do we in the UK & Europe still refer to European Lime or Linden wood as 'Basswood' ?

Because it's the recognised name in the guitar building world. 

This- we just take our prompts from the dominant guitar culture (i.e. US) for this use of the term. 

There's nothing 'cheap' about it, save perhaps a residual association with 'budget' guitars. But this is mainly a reflection of how relatively abundant this wood is. 

The simple fact is that lime/ basswood has been known for hundreds of years as being a relatively light, very stable, and ultimately very, very workable wood. Check out the carving work of Grinling Gibbons for instance in 17th/18th centuries. He worked almost exclusively with lime because it was malleable but tough.


Add all that into the guitar making context- where lime can be a tonally 'balanced' wood for electric guitars, and you have a real winner. 

It is used widely in the Japanese Fenders, always has. I have one and there's no compromise on quality or tone. Underneath a nice think coat of lacquer it looks and sounds like a Strat. 
 

Neil

One thing I have heard re basswood is that because it is a softer wood it doesn't hold a screw as well as alder etc and can more easily strip out.

True or not?

WezV

Neil said:

One thing I have heard re basswood is that because it is a softer wood it doesn't hold a screw as well as alder etc and can more easily strip out.

True or not?

partly true.  It still holds a screw well enough, but repeated use of those screw holes can cause the threads to fail.   this is true of many woods

It dents a bit easier, and that lack of resistance to compression can cause issues on things like trem posts.  It's also less pleasant to finish.  It can be quite fuzzy in the grain and drink up a lot.  You may think its smooth, then apply a finish and all those little microscopic bits of fuzzy grain swell quickly.  Generally it needs something harder and more durable than nitro

andy_k

One of my favourite older guitars, one of my first, is a Japanese Fender Squier, from when they did a 50's and 70's version, with a 3 bolt neck ( mine was the 70's obvs ), and I always thought they were using ash for the transparent finish and alder for the solid colours ala Fender.
It is a fairly heavy body, and doesn't seem as soft as some of my later Peavey and EVH stuff, and my recent experiments with comparing ash and alder on frankensteins led me to believe I preferred alder as a body wood, for it's tonal signature.
I guess there's no real way of knowing now, outside of lab experiments on individual pieces, but there's definitely something in between mahogany and swamp ash that I like about it.

jasonbone75

I had a basswood blue floral JEM from new for almost 30 years. I used to pick it up by the trem and wave it around by the bar. It was rock solid and stable. It lived in different countries and stayed in various storage as well.

As WezV said "partly true" because if everything is done properly you can expect a great performing guitar.

Also, my JEM was one of my heaviest guitars but then I don't play clunky old designs that belong in a museum 

imalrightjack

Long chat:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/71752/basswood-is-only-for-cheap-rubbish-guitars-suhrly-not/p1

CaseOfAce

I bought the JV modified 50s version custom tele earlier this year - I wanted a tele again but didn't want to pay silly Custom Shop prices - this was the pick of the bunch in the shop for me and so I took this home and couldn't stop playing it.

I only learnt after it was basswood (I'd already assumed poly coated) - and was about to pick up the cork (ain't a real tele is it?) - and then came to my senses.

Gigged it thru a hot rod deluxe and few pedals Friday night and to my ears I don't think I've ever sounded better thru my rig. It sounded gorgeous....

There was a time when I wouldn't even consider something unless it was period correct with a nitro finish...  

VimFuego

"and was about to pick up the cork" not seen that expression before, I love it, gonna try and drop that into as many conversations as I can!

Re the OP, despite knowing that basswood is as good as aldar etc, I really struggle to overcome some completely irrational prejudice against it. And it is complete prejudice in my case, I've never even held a basswood guitar, let alone played or owned one. So I'm glad this topic came up and people who's opinion on this matter I respect have chipped in.

Stuckfast

I want my guitars to be made of guitarwood. Basswood is for basses obvs.