# Attn: Basswood Haters....enough already



## Shannon (Jan 9, 2009)

Jeezus...we get it! You don't prefer it. Move on already. 

Some of the most revered guitars on this forum have been made with basswood. UVs, RG7s, EBMMs & many more. Somewhere within the last couple of months, this barrage of basswood hatred has hit & quite frankly (and I don't think I'm alone here), I'm tired of almost every thread getting inundated with the SAME PEOPLE spamming up the threads with basswood comments. 

You don't like it & it's been dually noted. Great, grand, wonderful.....now shut it.

/rant


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## ohio_eric (Jan 9, 2009)




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## yellowv (Jan 9, 2009)




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## renzoip (Jan 9, 2009)




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## darren (Jan 9, 2009)




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## ZeroSignal (Jan 9, 2009)




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## Anthony (Jan 9, 2009)

I don't give a shit about basswood, but I'm tired of the bashing. It's redundant, and nothing new has been said about it.


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## silentrage (Jan 9, 2009)

Rosewood, the new basswood.

Now get on it.


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## djpharoah (Jan 9, 2009)

Elysian said:


> Basswood still sucks
> 
> Won't see any basswood in shermans





[action=djpharoah] looks at thread title and then at the previous post...whuaa??[/action]


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## Anthony (Jan 9, 2009)

silentrage said:


> Rosewood, the new basswood.
> 
> Now get on it.


It doesn't give me the snap I want.


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## daybean (Jan 9, 2009)

on the *original post*


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## m3ta1head (Jan 9, 2009)

Seriously. I just mentioned this in another thread.


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## twiztedchild (Jan 9, 2009)

Basswood is growing on me.  I played a few BASSWOOD guitars that I thought sounded better then anythig ese I have played including my H-207


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## Shannon (Jan 9, 2009)

Exactly....there's nothing WRONG with basswood. It's just different. D'fferent strokes for d'fferent folks. Simple as that.


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## GH0STrider (Jan 9, 2009)

I think it's a pretty good sounding wood. the jp musicmans sounds amazing. I've owned several RG's that kicked ass. My only 7 is basswood and I love it so much I ownly feel the need to own 1. EVH swears by it. Love him or hate him eddie created one of the most desired guitar sounds ever. And he loves Basswood.


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## ohio_eric (Jan 10, 2009)

But Eddie's signature tone was created with a guitar made of ash.


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## F1Filter (Jan 10, 2009)

Not really a fan of Basswood per se. As I've been favoring both Mahogany and Alder bodies these days. But I'll be damned if something nearly magical happens with you get some good basswood combined with DiMarzio Blazes.



> I think it's a pretty good sounding wood. the jp musicmans sounds amazing.





I  the 1st gen JP7's with whatever pickup that was in the bridge.


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## djpharoah (Jan 10, 2009)

I think a lot of the people on here say boo to basswood because a lot more people on here say it. Having experienced my whorish hand at basswood guitars, I can say it totally varies for me - i had 1 UV that sounded like god and one that just sounded like ass. Tons of RG7620s that just didn't do anyhting for me & then suddenly one would just totally kill it in tone.

Then like any of my tendencies I fell out of love with basswood - now making a move onto mahogany.

I don't hate it its just not my cup of tea anymore. However this one JP7 I played was seriously enough to bring me back...


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 10, 2009)

Yeah elysian stop hating basswood


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## TomAwesome (Jan 10, 2009)

I think it's been more than the last couple of months, but yeah, basswood isn't a bad tonewood. Some people don't like mahogany or ash. That doesn't mean those woods are bad guitar woods outright.


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## CC323 (Jan 10, 2009)

I'm going to be getting JP7 soon, and I own/have owned a million RG's, but the one argument against basswood that I find even semi-reputable is that it _is_ a soft wood and hardware requires tightening into the body a little bit more often (6 months instead of 8? etc.). Not enough of a reason to scare me from it...

A thing I like about it is that it makes the pickups do the work, or: it exposes crappy pickups for what they are. I'll leave the wood-tone-coloring to those archtop guitars (a few of which I've owned...).

Seriously though, someone should great a group on here for Basswood fans...


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## TomAwesome (Jan 10, 2009)

[action=TomAwesome]is trying to figure out whether or not killian is joking.[/action]


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## Metal Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

djpharoah said:


> Then like any of my tendencies I fell out of love with basswood - now making a move onto mahogany.



I never really noticed the whole bodywood thing until i started noticing through my amp, my other guitars all sounded better than my basswood guitars, no matter what settings i had, or anything. Then i realized how big an impact tonewood made. In my band, the other guitarist has a RG7420 with EMGs that he uses for a backup guitar and i have a HR and a loomis with EMGs. One time at practice, i broke a string and had to use the RG. As soon as i plugged it in, despite the fact both guitars had 707s, and with the same settings on the amp, my low end just flubbed out and went all weak and wobbly. 

As far as 'hating' goes, i when someone asks "Which guitar should i get?" and there's an option for a basswood guitar, i always state my opinion as "Avoid it" for that reason. Others might have other advice or varying experience, but IMO, fuck it. Basswood is so variable, i'm not gonna chance getting the lucky piece or whatever, and wouldnt suggest for anyone else to do the same. Just as when people ask if they should get line 6 shit, or BBEs, i'm gonna give my opinion, just as others give theres. Thats why we're here, after all ;p


Also, for the EBMMs, like the Trooch 7's, most of the BFR ones are alder, and the regular ones have the pickups mounted in a "Mahogany tone Block", so its not a true basswood sound, same for the guitars like Suhrs and one or two other manufacturers.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 10, 2009)

Metal Ken said:


> I never really noticed the whole bodywood thing until i started noticing through my amp, my other guitars all sounded better than my basswood guitars, no matter what settings i had, or anything. Then i realized how big an impact tonewood made. In my band, the other guitarist has a RG7420 with EMGs that he uses for a backup guitar and i have a HR and a loomis with EMGs. One time at practice, i broke a string and had to use the RG. As soon as i plugged it in, despite the fact both guitars had 707s, and with the same settings on the amp, my low end just flubbed out and went all weak and wobbly.
> 
> As far as 'hating' goes, i when someone asks "Which guitar should i get?" and there's an option for a basswood guitar, i always state my opinion as "Avoid it" for that reason. Others might have other advice or varying experience, but IMO, fuck it. Basswood is so variable, i'm not gonna chance getting the lucky piece or whatever, and wouldnt suggest for anyone else to do the same. Just as when people ask if they should get line 6 shit, or BBEs, i'm gonna give my opinion, just as others give theres. Thats why we're here, after all ;p
> 
> ...




Could the low B flubbage be due to your Loomis's longer scale?


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## CC323 (Jan 10, 2009)

Metal Ken said:


> I never really noticed the whole bodywood thing until i started noticing through my amp, my other guitars all sounded better than my basswood guitars, no matter what settings i had, or anything. Then i realized how big an impact tonewood made. In my band, the other guitarist has a RG7420 with EMGs that he uses for a backup guitar and i have a HR and a loomis with EMGs. One time at practice, i broke a string and had to use the RG. As soon as i plugged it in, despite the fact both guitars had 707s, and with the same settings on the amp, my low end just flubbed out and went all weak and wobbly.
> 
> As far as 'hating' goes, i when someone asks "Which guitar should i get?" and there's an option for a basswood guitar, i always state my opinion as "Avoid it" for that reason. Others might have other advice or varying experience, but IMO, fuck it. Basswood is so variable, i'm not gonna chance getting the lucky piece or whatever, and wouldnt suggest for anyone else to do the same. Just as when people ask if they should get line 6 shit, or BBEs, i'm gonna give my opinion, just as others give theres. Thats why we're here, after all ;p
> 
> ...


 
The regular Petrucci's are all basswood. There's the Koa BFR, and the Alder/Mahogany BFR. I think the difference between a JP and an RG is that the quality of EB/MM's lumber is much higher than that of korean/japanese non-JC Ibanez. While Basswood is quite tonally 'ambiguous', it's got the potential to kick a lot of ass IMO with the right setup. Also, I'm personally not a big fan of the Hard Ash on the Loomis, but tastes do differ...

Chris


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## poopyalligator (Jan 10, 2009)

Out of all of the guitars i have played the ibanez rg just seems to be right for me. I own some mahogany ones as well,and they do sound different. However i dont think that they sound better. The tone is different in a good way, as well is the basswood. So it is all really a matter of personal opinion. Basswood by any means does not suck on a guitar. It is slightly softer which i dont like because it can dent easier, but we all take care of our guitars right? My ibanez universe is basswood, and let me tell you, it does not suck.


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## Metal Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

Stealthtastic said:


> Could the low B flubbage be due to your Loomis's longer scale?



possibly, but it wasnt just the low B, it was the low end overall. 

CC23-I stand corrected. apparently, only the 6 string ones or something have the toneblock. Either way, BFR JP7 = drool.


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## killiansguitar (Jan 10, 2009)

Yeah, real slick, just delete my post. Whats a matter, did i offend someone?


Whoever deleted my post...........


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 10, 2009)

Metal Ken said:


> possibly, but it wasnt just the low B, it was the low end overall.
> 
> CC23-I stand corrected. apparently, only the 6 string ones or something have the toneblock. Either way, BFR JP7 = drool.



Oh alright. I have no opinion on basswood, yet.


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## Metal Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

poopyalligator said:


> My ibanez universe is basswood, and let me tell you, it does not suck.



Actually, my universe was what made me realize i didnt like basswood. I kept wondering my 300$ and 700$ guitars were sounding better than my 1000$ guitar


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## poopyalligator (Jan 10, 2009)

Metal Ken said:


> Actually, my universe was what made me realize i didnt like basswood. I kept wondering my 300$ and 700$ guitars were sounding better than my 1000$ guitar



Like i said it is all personal opinion. I have had mahogany jacksons, and mahogany schecters, and have been using my friends loomis model, and I still like my universe better than all of them. That is just me though.


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## El Caco (Jan 10, 2009)

Shannon

Reading Used666's thread earlier gave me the shits, it's no secret that basswood is not my favourite tonewood, or that I'm not a big fan of standard guitars or Aaron but that rubbish in his thread was rude. 

It's his thread about a guitar that he is buying, your preference for mahogany is as relevant in that thread as your opinion about salad. There is an appropriate place for tonewood discussion that thread wasn't it. 

Keep it constructive in the general forums, if you be a dick outside of OT don't be surprised if one of us decide to take action that you might consider being a dick. 

And Adam (Elysian), there are quite a few people on here who would be all to happy to tell you what they really think about some of your guitars with a  thrown in, the mods have taken action against some in the past, it goes both ways mate.


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## El Caco (Jan 10, 2009)

killiansguitar said:


> Yeah, real slick, just delete my post. Whats a matter, did i offend someone?
> 
> 
> Whoever deleted my post...........



That would be me, keep it up and I can turn that infraction into a ban.


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## Metal Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

s7eve said:


> It's his thread about a guitar that he is buying, your preference for mahogany is as relevant in that thread as your opinion about salad. There is an appropriate place for tonewood discussion that thread wasn't it.



In that situation, i'd agree. its his custom order how he wanted it. Dont rain on his parade and shit.


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## stuz719 (Jan 10, 2009)

Saying that one wood is superior to another or whatever is, it seems to me, largely irrelevant anyway, seeing as, for starters:

a) everyone has different tastes
b) there are so many other factors (neck wood, fingerboard wood, string gauge, pick, pickups, amp, natural acoustics, speaker etc.)
c) every tree is different...

Making sweeping generalisations about something as variable as how the grain of a tree develops and how it affects a complex physical interaction like it does in its use in a guitar by saying things like "basswood sukkz!!!" or "Agathis is tr00 and kvlt!" is pointless, in my humble opinion. 

Having said that Agathis is, indeed, obviously tr00 and kvlt.



(By the way, that last line was a joke...)


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## TomAwesome (Jan 10, 2009)

Though my Squier Strat VII sounds pretty decent now that it has DiMarzios in it. Not amazing, but decent.


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## noodleplugerine (Jan 10, 2009)

stuz719 said:


> (By the way, that last line was a joke...)





You wrote all that just to contradict yourself? :|

How different is Agathis hate to Basswood hate?


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## Metal Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

noodleplugerine said:


> You wrote all that just to contradict yourself? :|
> 
> How different is Agathis hate to Basswood hate?



Thats, uh, the joke, dude.


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## noodleplugerine (Jan 10, 2009)

Metal Ken said:


> Thats, uh, the joke, dude.



No, I think you're missing my point?


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## Mattmc74 (Jan 10, 2009)

Shannon said:


> Jeezus...we get it! You don't prefer it. Move on already.
> 
> Some of the most revered guitars on this forum have been made with basswood. UVs, RG7s, EBMMs & many more. Somewhere within the last couple of months, this barrage of basswood hatred has hit & quite frankly (and I don't think I'm alone here), I'm tired of almost every thread getting inundated with the SAME PEOPLE spamming up the threads with basswood comments.
> 
> ...



 Well said Shannon. I have a Basswood body RG7421 and I love it! It does have a different sound but the damn thing still slays!


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## killiansguitar (Jan 10, 2009)

s7eve said:


> That would be me, keep it up and I can turn that infraction into a ban.



Read the PM i sent you, i believe its the 3rd paragraph. You big tough mod, you.


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## TomAwesome (Jan 10, 2009)




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## budda (Jan 10, 2009)

some people like naps i guess .

it doesnt matter what bodywood you have... some pieces, even from the same tree, will sound better as guitars than other pieces. that's why you really do need to test out whatever you're going to buy. When buying new it's much easier to go through 40-50 guitars and finally find "the one" and bring that one home. I was talking to an amp builder yesterday for a while, and that whole thing came up - he played 40 or so guitars at a store until he found the good ones. His pacifica puts some people's $1000 guitars to shame.

i don't hate basswood - hell i have professionally recorded basswood and my tone was nice! (www.purevolume.com/deathcharge). granted the professional factor helps, but i have no complaints about the sound i got. I just vastly prefer mahogany.. it's my les paul side


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## drmosh (Jan 10, 2009)

thank you.


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## sevenstringj (Jan 10, 2009)

Basswood doesn't piss me off. Though I do find it curious that basswood guitars tend to come with Dimarzios, which are generally fuzzier (though more lively) than Duncans. What does piss me off is when Ibanez makes guitars for Fredrik Thordendal and Marten Hagstrom with neck-thru construction, alder, and Lundgren's, and then coughs up an 8-string with bolt-on, basswood, and EMG's.


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## killiansguitar2 (Jan 10, 2009)

Hi S7eve!


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## TomAwesome (Jan 10, 2009)

sevenstringj said:


> Basswood doesn't piss me off. Though I do find it curious that basswood guitars tend to come with Dimarzios, which are generally fuzzier (though more lively) than Duncans. What does piss me off is when Ibanez makes guitars for Fredrik Thordendal and Marten Hagstrom with neck-thru construction, alder, and Lundgren's, and then coughs up an 8-string with bolt-on, basswood, and EMG's.



DiMarzios just tend to work a lot better for basswood than Duncans do. As far as Meshuggah's guitars versus the 2228, those are the perks of having access to the custom shop! Also, the specs a lot of people on this forum would want may not appeal as much to the average guitarist. The 2228 is testing the waters of new territory while trying to appeal to as many people as possible, so that's why it is how it is.



killiansguitar2 said:


> Hi S7eve!



 You're going to get your IP banned.


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## El Caco (Jan 10, 2009)

He is changing his IP and has threatened to continue to do this indefinitely.


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## TomAwesome (Jan 10, 2009)

What an asshat.


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## killiansguitar3 (Jan 10, 2009)

Hi S7eve!! I missed you!


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## -K4G- (Jan 10, 2009)

wtf? What are you trying to prove dude?


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## budda (Jan 10, 2009)

but why? its not worth the trouble IMO.. but whatever.


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## TomAwesome (Jan 10, 2009)

Is it possible to set up a temporary filter so that new members have to be approved? Or is that something Alex would have to do?


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## drmosh (Jan 10, 2009)

lol, children and the internet


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## El Caco (Jan 10, 2009)

TomAwesome said:


> Is it possible to set up a temporary filter so that new members have to be approved? Or is that something Alex would have to do?



Alex would have to do that but I think it's going to have to happen after this episode.


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## drmosh (Jan 10, 2009)

s7eve said:


> Alex would have to do that but I think it's going to have to happen after this episode.



damnit, I hate it when some dumb children spoil it for everyone else


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## daybean (Jan 10, 2009)

this is basswood and it sounds awesome with the 6505


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## Ze Kink (Jan 10, 2009)

The quality of basswood varies, just as the quality of mahogany varies. I actually hate how everyone is now all crazy about mahogany, just because it is mahogany. There's so many different qualities and species that it is just stupid to say things like "mahogany > basswood". All the best mahogany that was used in the early Les Pauls etc. are protected anyway, e.g. Honduras mahogany. They mostly use stuff like Philippine mahogany and Laua mahogany etc. nowadays which is clearly inferior, and many guitar manufacturers have started labeling nato as mahogany too. You seriously think that when you buy a $500 and a $5000 guitar that are both mahogany, they'll really have same wood in them? You did know that good mahogany that is considered quality tonewood is actually supposed to be light, right?

Tl;dr:
Bad mahogany = bad
Bad basswood = bad

And of course Japanese instruments are gonna have lots of basswood, it's the most common wood there. It'd probably be really expensive to ship shitloads of heavy wood such as mahogany there, and so the guitars would be more expensive too. Unless it's crappy mahogany though...


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## Elysian (Jan 10, 2009)

this thread was an irresponsible thread to make. this is a discussion forum, and people have differing opinions. theres no harm in someone saying "its not bad, except the basswood", that kind of thing gets said of the time. making a thread like this, you had to know you were going to get some kind of a reaction from the site that wasn't just going to be one big circle jerk. apparently its too much to ask to be able to joke around in an absurd thread like this though, as i got an infraction for a completely harmless post. a mod should know better than to start a thread like this. like i told s7eve in pm, this forum went from being overrun by bullshit posts, to being overmoderated, literally overnight, this has gotten quite silly.


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## 70Seven (Jan 10, 2009)

I wanted to make a thread about this but I guess this is a better thread to ask this in.

How do you guys pronounce Basswood. Is it Bass, as in a Bass guitar, or Bas, as in Bastard? I heard people pronounce it both ways and I'm sure I'm gonna make the mistake someday.


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## hufschmid (Jan 10, 2009)

70Seven said:


> I wanted to make a thread about this but I guess this is a better thread to ask this in.
> 
> How do you guys pronounce Basswood. Is it Bass, as in a Bass guitar, or Bas, as in Bastard? I heard people pronounce it both ways and I'm sure I'm gonna make the mistake someday.



BAS


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Jan 10, 2009)

Elysian said:


> this thread was an irresponsible thread to make. this is a discussion forum, and people have differing opinions. theres no harm in someone saying "its not bad, except the basswood", that kind of thing gets said of the time. making a thread like this, you had to know you were going to get some kind of a reaction from the site that wasn't just going to be one big circle jerk. apparently its too much to ask to be able to joke around in an absurd thread like this though, as i got an infraction for a completely harmless post. a mod should know better than to start a thread like this. like i told s7eve in pm, this forum went from being overrun by bullshit posts, to being overmoderated, literally overnight, this has gotten quite silly.



i kind of agree, that you should be allowed to say, "i dont really like it because its basswood" and such, but you gotta be ready for the opposite side to voice their opinion(which is why this thread was made)


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## Randy (Jan 10, 2009)




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## silentrage (Jan 10, 2009)

I think you guys just need to admit that you're all tone whores and will change preference in wood every 2 weeks or when a butterfly beats its wings in India.


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## El Caco (Jan 10, 2009)

I don't agree Adam.

This thread was not irresponsible, it was needed due to the nature of the remarks being made. Like Ken said in the other thread there is nothing wrong with a statement such as I'm don't like basswood, that is a statement of taste or opinion, there is something wrong with attacking someone over basswood and there is something wrong with the religious way people state as if it is fact that basswood is crap. I am not a fan of Basswood but it is far from crap, great recording have been made with basswood guitars, basswood guitars have had great reliability despite being a soft wood, some people don't blink at dropping a serious amount of money on certain basswood guitars in some cases 10-15 years old because they have played them and know they are great, basswood guitars make great guitars for recording.

We want this to be an informative, laid back, friendly and fun community. A blanket statement presented as fact such as Basswood is shit and inferior is misinformation, it also makes the author seem ignorant. Stating that you do not like something and verifying it with a reasonable argument on the other hand does not. The constant bashing of basswood here makes the community look ignorant.

As I replied to your PM your comment about being over moderated is ridiculous, you have got away with your remarks in Aarons thread, this thread and created a thread in retaliation and only received a 1 point infraction which equals a warning that your posts were out of line. I highly doubt that you would have got away with it before the changeover and members have said to me that they think you should have been banned. Since becoming a mod with exception to spammers I have given a 3 day ban for repeated (prejudice based) abuse, I have given you and killiansguitar an infraction and I was forced to ban killiansguitar based on his follow up conduct. Since becoming a mod I have taken action against three people and accused of being light handed, I think that hardly qualifies as over moderation on my part.

As I said in my reply to you, these are the guidelines that we are operating under, have a look at when they were written, have a look at who wrote them, the only addition off the top of my head is that references are required in the classifieds, an addition that was made previous to the changeover.



> Sevenstring.org Site and Forum Guidelines
> Revised January 2006
> 
> The follong rules and guidelines for using this site and it's discussion forums may seem a bit overkill, but the bottom line here is "Don't be a dick, respect us and we'll do the same in turn". This site breaks eight million hits per month, and is funded by it's members and a handful of drunks who put many hours into this site and it's community. We curse, we spit, we scratch, we fart at the dinner table, but at the end of the day we're cool to one another and that's all that we ask. As the site grows and the community gets bigger, we ask that everyone stick to these basic rules for membership here. So kick back, crack a beer and dive into the discussions, but keep in mind that if you're a jackass, we'll ban your bitch ass and you'll be relegated to that "other" site which will remain unnamed but rhymes with "Marmony Placentral"
> ...



You should be able to see what you did wrong according to those guidelines, according to the guidelines the best outcome you could have hoped for was a firm warning, a 1 point infraction = a firm warning, you received the best possible outcome according to the guidelines that this site has always operated by. If you wish to ignore your warning and continue further action will be taken.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 10, 2009)

While I agree bashing it for no reason is dumb, a lot of people legitimately don't like basswood. It's a discussion forum last time I checked, should we tell people they can't say they don't like _____ (insert anything that can be debated lol) anymore as well?  Just sayin'.....


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Jan 10, 2009)

^thats my point too, bashing is one thing, but expressing your opinion shouldnt be stifled on a DISCUSSION forum


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## eaeolian (Jan 10, 2009)

djpharoah said:


> I think a lot of the people on here say boo to basswood because a lot more people on here say it. Having experienced my whorish hand at basswood guitars, I can say it totally varies for me - i had 1 UV that sounded like god and one that just sounded like ass.



That happens with every wood. Some are more consistent than other, but my *real* problem is with guitar builders not being selective about the wood they use, no matter what kind. At low price points, I expect 50 bad basswood guitars for the one good one, because, well, you're not selective on a $300 guitar.

A shitty piece of basswood in a $1700 UV or $1500 JEM is absurd.

(For the record, I have yet to hear a bad sounding JP7.)

Having said that, I've owned about 15 basswood guitars and the tone doesn't work for me. However, I'm not you...

(Shannon, now you know what it's like to be a Recto player! )


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## eaeolian (Jan 10, 2009)

s7eve said:


> He is changing his IP and has threatened to continue to do this indefinitely.



That's OK. We'll just keep banning him. He'll get bored eventually.


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## El Caco (Jan 10, 2009)

No of course not and I agree with you Matt



s7eve said:


> I don't agree Adam.
> 
> This thread was not irresponsible, it was needed due to the nature of the remarks being made. Like Ken said in the other thread there is nothing wrong with a statement such as I'm don't like basswood, that is a statement of taste or opinion, there is something wrong with attacking someone over basswood and there is something wrong with the religious way people state as if it is fact that basswood is crap. *I am not a fan of Basswood*......



I don't think there is anything wrong with


s7eve said:


> Stating that you do not like something and verifying it with a reasonable argument



If you start a NGD thread and I come in implying that your new purchase sucks because I think one of the specs is shit, how would you respond? If a mod then decides enough of this crap I'll start a thread and people come in and carry on the same way in that thread and then follow that up with a thread in retaliation with the purpose of mocking the mods thread, how do you think the mods should respond?

In my opinion regardless of who you are, if you start a thread celebrating your new purchase you should not have to worry about people starting shit in your thread, mate I'll be responding in a similar way to people who continue to ignore your requests and give you shit in your threads. This is a place where we come for good info and to relax and have fun, I'd hate to see members stop posting because other members are inconsiderate.


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## Elysian (Jan 10, 2009)

s7eve said:


> No of course not and I agree with you Matt
> 
> 
> 
> ...



on the same token, is there something wrong with saying "its nice besides being basswood"? all thats saying is you dig most aspects of someones new guitar, except for one. you mentioned my posts in used666's thread in pm, and in this thread, and yes, i made 1 pretty bad one, which i voluntarily had deleted after rereading it and realizing it was much worse than i initially thought, but my other posts in that thread were not offensive, or mean spirited, by any means.


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## darren (Jan 10, 2009)

Metal Ken said:


> Also, for the EBMMs, like the Trooch 7's, most of the BFR ones are alder, and the regular ones have the pickups mounted in a "Mahogany tone Block", so its not a true basswood sound, same for the guitars like Suhrs and one or two other manufacturers.



The BFRs are alder with a maple top, and the mahogany tone block is on the back of the body, running from the neck cavity to the bridge. The regular JPs are 100% basswood. The "Tone Block" is on the BFRs only.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 10, 2009)

s7eve said:


> No of course not and I agree with you Matt
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hmm I must have missed something on here recently!  I didn't see anyone crapping on a NGD thread, I agree that people shouldn't be doing anything like that in someone's new gear thread. I thought this thread was stemming from all the people disappointed that Ibanez was releasing the maple-board 7 with a basswood body since a bunch of people voiced their opinion of distaste with their choice.  If someone was shitting in a NGD thread that's a different story.


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## Cancer (Jan 10, 2009)

Here's something I to know. Primarily basswood is used because of it's all around tonality and because of the price. Is there an alternative? Given that, for the most part, you see basswood in a large amount of 750$ and under guitars, so it doesn't surprise me when advancing guitarist "grow out of it". 

I wonder if the "anti-basswood" sentiment has more to do with the lack of variety at that price point, as opposed to the wood itself.

Personally, I would be down for a new staple wood, even if it wasn't wood.


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## El Caco (Jan 10, 2009)

Elysian said:


> on the same token, is there something wrong with saying "its nice besides being basswood"? all thats saying is you dig most aspects of someones new guitar, except for one. you mentioned my posts in used666's thread in pm, and in this thread, and yes, i made 1 pretty bad one, which i voluntarily had deleted after rereading it and realizing it was much worse than i initially thought, but my other posts in that thread were not offensive, or mean spirited, by any means.



I highlighted the word comments in my PM, I went on to explain all your comments included in all three threads  Would it help if I put every comment you made including the deleted ones and our PM conversation here in one post so you can see it all together, I'm not the only one here that is having trouble understanding why you don't get it or why you need to drag this out in public like this but if you feel the need, continue please, it's only your customers who are reading and some of the newer members have now had the privilege of being enlightened regarding the past as a result. No reporting the post will not get it deleted, the post is a valid response to your claims.


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## Elysian (Jan 10, 2009)

s7eve said:


> I highlighted the word comments in my PM, I went on to explain all your comments included in all three threads  Would it help if I put every comment you made including the deleted ones and our PM conversation here in one post so you can see it all together, I'm not the only one here that is having trouble understanding why you don't get it or why you need to drag this out in public like this but if you feel the need, continue please, it's only your customers who are reading and some of the newer members have now had the privilege of being enlightened regarding the past as a result. No reporting the post will not get it deleted, the post is a valid response to your claims.



nope, its alright, i'm quite through with this conversation.


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## bulb (Jan 10, 2009)

god i cant believe this is such a big issue, i have played guitars with all kinds of woods that have sucked and been awesome, its not about the wood its about how its used in the guitar and how the pickups are matched and all the other little details

the pre dsonic jp series are some of the best sounding guitars i have ever played, and to me sound considerably better than their alder/mahogany tone block bfr counterparts, same goes for the silhouette and the luke for that matter!
on the flip side i have played plenty of basswood guitars that sound like crap

i dunno, i guess my point is that i like to actually try guitars out before i judge them, and it just seems silly to say oh that guitar is great except bad choice on the body wood, because for all you know, in that design it might be the best candidate for the job!

or maybe im just ranting and saying nothing...i dunno...ugh


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## El Caco (Jan 10, 2009)

Cancer said:


> Here's something I to know. Primarily basswood is used because of it's all around tonality and because of the price. Is there an alternative? Given that, for the most part, you see basswood in a large amount of 750$ and under guitars, so it doesn't surprise me when advancing guitarist "grow out of it".
> 
> I wonder if the "anti-basswood" sentiment has more to do with the lack of variety at that price point, as opposed to the wood itself.
> 
> Personally, I would be down for a new staple wood, even if it wasn't wood.



At that price point I think the main arguments in that price range have been in regards to Ibanez, and of course people will point out that other manufacturers are offering great guitars with alternatives at a great price. Another argument made refers to overpriced Basswood guitars. So yeah I think you are right that it has been due to the lack of variety especially with Ibanez but it seems this year that that the argument is not as valid any more considering the number of alternatives Ibanez and other companies will now offer.

The fact is now there isn't any real point in arguing, there are alternatives, if you don't like basswood you can get something else. If people stop buying basswood guitars they will make fewer of them, if they keep selling obviously people must still like basswood. Many of us have different taste in tone and not everyone plays the same or uses their guitar in the same way or wants the same thing out of it, I respect that. I'm not a big fan of the shrill 80's tone, most are, I like that dark chunky rhythm mahogany gives me among other things, each to their own.


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## Pewtershmit (Jan 10, 2009)

Wood is Wood, but it will sound different considering the other factors involved, especially on higher end guitars, where the construction is choice.

all in all it's about that individual guitar, you can't grab a low end Ibanez and not like the sound, then go well basswood is not for me, it's balls. There are a lot more factors involved, and using blanket statements like, basswood guitars are shit, is only going to hinder you from finding your dream axe.


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## darren (Jan 10, 2009)

FWIW, a lot of high-end builders like basswood, especially when combined with a maple top. When EVH was first developing his signature model with EBMM, they went through a ton of different wood options. Basswood with a maple top had a certain "magic" and that's what they went with.

Tom Anderson also sings the praise of basswood with a maple top.

I don't like pointy guitars, but i still think there are some hot ones out there. They're just not for me. And i don't question people's taste for liking them or make blanket statements like, "Nice guitar... too bad it's pointy." 

But if you don't like basswood, that's fine. We get it. Now can we just move on?


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## darren (Jan 10, 2009)

Cancer said:


> Here's something I to know. Primarily basswood is used because of it's all around tonality and because of the price. Is there an alternative? Given that, for the most part, you see basswood in a large amount of 750$ and under guitars, so it doesn't surprise me when advancing guitarist "grow out of it".
> 
> I wonder if the "anti-basswood" sentiment has more to do with the lack of variety at that price point, as opposed to the wood itself.
> 
> Personally, I would be down for a new staple wood, even if it wasn't wood.


Basswood is also popular with builders because with its relative softness, it's easy on tools.


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## Pewtershmit (Jan 10, 2009)

we could make this a basswood guitar appreciation thread. 

Cause frankly, my RG550 reissue, calls me all day long, and plays so well it inspires me.


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## wezv (Jan 10, 2009)

ah, what fun!!

Personally i choose not to build with basswood as i dont find it as pleasureable to work with as other woods (even if it routes easier) and i do not generally like the tone. Having said that i was recently blown away by 80's Fender contempory strat... most of the ones i have played have been crap but this particular one was much nicer. generally i find rather than basswood having a bad tone, its just so neutral that i cant really hear its own inherent tone the way i can with other woods - which can be beneficialy sometimes

I agree with the the comments about appropriate wood selection. You would expect that wood has gone through some kind of grading and that expensive guitars were not build with bad basswood, alder, mahogany or any other wood. The positive thing is that play enough cheap basswood guitars and you will find some that really sing


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## Elysian (Jan 10, 2009)

Randy said:


> Yeah? Because issues with your attitude and posting style are a new development?
> 
> 
> 
> EDIT:



i love how you edited the dark wolf's comment to make it look much worse than it was.


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## ghoti (Jan 10, 2009)

silentrage said:


> Rosewood, the new basswood.
> 
> Now get on it.



Sound difference is negligible. But ebony and maple both feel better (especially ebony), so I go with that when I can.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 10, 2009)

Oh yeah I forgot to mention in my previous post that the JP6 and JP7 models that had whatever the custom DiMarzio it was Ernie Ball was releasing them with originally is easily one of the best sounding basswood tones I've ever heard. Misha's JP7 is still one of my favorite 7-string tones that I've heard/played in person, that thing is nuts! I don't "hate" on basswood, I just don't prefer how it sounds with most pickups. Most basswood guitars I've heard seem to need the right kind of pickup to sound good and most of them don't have that pickup so I can see why a lot of folks actually hate it. Again, I don't hate the wood (as I said above the EBMM JP models with the pre-D Sonic pickups rock) I just prefer others for what I do and like.


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## Edroz (Jan 10, 2009)

HighGain510 said:


> I just prefer others for what I do and like.




yeah, i've also noticed the resale value of basswood isn't that great ...


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## HighGain510 (Jan 10, 2009)

Edroz said:


> yeah, i've also noticed the resale value of basswood isn't that great ...



Hmmm..... chalk up ANOTHER reason then!  

Oh yeah, another one on the +1 side is Ed's RG550DY!  Fuck me but I still want one of those guitars!


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## Rick (Jan 10, 2009)

Because Matt knows about resale value.....


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## Metal Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

s7eve said:


> No of course not and I agree with you Matt
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This is the reason i stay out of threads about:
-Korn
-Nu metal
-meshuggah
-PODs 
-Line 6 in general

To name a few


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## Randy (Jan 10, 2009)




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## Bobo (Jan 10, 2009)

Anyone else find they like having different woods for recording? Most of my guitars are mahogany, I like the deep tone, but I like mixing in my basswood and alder guitars for recordings. My main two guitars have the same pups, 1 mahogany, 1 basswood, and I love how they sound panned hard against each other for rhythm tracks.

I guess it just adds some separation for the guitars in the mix. Of course there's other ways to get some kind of separation, but I've tweaked my basswood tone to where it's ok to my ears. In short, it's nice to have more options for tone, and many folks have found they can get great tones with different woods. 

I have to admit though, if I ever get a custom, it'll probably be mahogany.


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## Drew (Jan 10, 2009)

Metal Ken said:


> Also, for the EBMMs, like the Trooch 7's, most of the BFR ones are alder, and the regular ones have the pickups mounted in a "Mahogany tone Block", so its not a true basswood sound, same for the guitars like Suhrs and one or two other manufacturers.



You're confusing the BFR's and the regular JP's, dude. The BFR's have a "mahogany tone block" with alder wings; the JP's are pure basswood.


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## bulletbass man (Jan 10, 2009)

I'm a guy who's owned several basswood guitars. I've also owned electric guitars made out of maple (yes solid maple as odd as it may seem), mahogany, alder, and have borrowed for a very long period of time a guitar made of ash.

I have owned basses made out of mahogany and currently have two basses (one alder and one basswood) 

For accourstics of used everything from the standard of spruce combined with rosewood to what I've found to be my favorite combination of cedar and black walnut.

Basswood is basswood. Well sort of. Of course there are the pieces of much nicer grain which have a far more pronounced mid section which gives that extra push which makes a basswood guitar sing and then there are piss poor pieces which sound dull. However all basswood guitars have a sound which gives consistent volume all around the fretboard.

All in all it's a tonewood. We can disagree as much as we like to and state our points as much as want to as well. Personally mahogany isn't my favorite tonewood as I far prefer Black Walnut to any tonewood (atleast that I have so far used). There is also a time and a place to state our opinions. If someone is looking for help when it comes to buy a new a guitar that is the time to say our views about different tone woods. When someone mades a NGD thread and you don't like the model or the specs of it that is not the time. Personally I feel no need for anymore basswood guitars in my collection. I already have my RG550MXXDY and my 7621. Both kick hell of a lot of ass in my opinion. But just because I like basswood and don't necessarily like mahogany (quite frankly it's not for me atleast when it's not combined with a brighter tonewood) doesn't mean it's my right to tell someone thier 2027x sucks because it isn't basswood. Because quite frankly I'd be wrong to do so and everyone regardless of thier opinions on whichever tonewood should agree with me on that.


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## wezv (Jan 10, 2009)

bulletbass man said:


> All in all it's a tonewood. We can disagree as much as we like to and state our points as much as want to as well.


 
i might have to disagreee with that one since the term tonewood is largely a marketing term. 

in all seriousness there is no grading system or market standard on what makes something a tonewood... is the fact it can be used to make guitars enough - that doesnt rule out many woods

To me tonewood is more applicable as a grading term when talking about acoustic instrument soundboards. Ideally you want it quartersawn, straight grained, maybe 20 grainlines per inch and and little run out as possible. 

You just cant talk about most electric body blanks in those terms


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## Metal Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

Drew said:


> You're confusing the BFR's and the regular JP's, dude. The BFR's have a "mahogany tone block" with alder wings; the JP's are pure basswood.



You know you're like the fourth person to say that after the post where i said "I stand corrected"


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## Arctodus (Jan 10, 2009)

If you have actives in a basswood body. Heck actives in general. Its not going to make a bit of difference what wood it is. Since wood doesn't transmit electrical signals.


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## Metal Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

Arctodus said:


> If you have actives in a basswood body. Heck actives in general. Its not going to make a bit of difference what wood it is. Since wood doesn't transmit electrical signals.



if this were the case, it wouldnt matter what pickup you have, which anyone with ears can tell is not true ;p


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## TomAwesome (Jan 10, 2009)

Arctodus said:


> If you have actives in a basswood body. Heck actives in general. Its not going to make a bit of difference what wood it is. Since wood doesn't transmit electrical signals.



Wrong. Like Ken said, then it wouldn't matter what wood you have regardless of what pickups are in the guitar. The wood the guitar is made of affects how the strings vibrate.


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## Ken (Jan 10, 2009)

Metal Ken said:


> if this were the case, it wouldnt matter what pickup you have, which anyone with ears can tell is not true ;p



Actually, the opposite is true. If that were the case, it wouldn't matter what the body was made out of. Rubbermaid could make them and sell them next to storage bins at whatnot. 

Could you imagine if they built bodies out of conducive material? Hell. Yeah.


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## Dusty201087 (Jan 11, 2009)

Arctodus said:


> If you have actives in a basswood body. Heck actives in general. Its not going to make a bit of difference what wood it is. Since wood doesn't transmit electrical signals.



Ugh I hate this statement. Go play an Alder body guitar with EMG's and a mahogany body guitar with EMG's. You'll hear a difference, or atleast I do. Could I pick each wood out in a blind test with actives? No. Could I do it with passives? No. 

But like stated before I love how there is a ton of basswood hate (I'll be the first to admit basswood isn't my first choice, but nothing sounds _bad_ it just sounds _different_)then the EBMM JP in stealth black comes along and everyone drools over it. WTF? I thought 75% of the people around here hate basswood and won't touch it?


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## DrakkarTyrannis (Jan 11, 2009)

For what it's worth, my first "favorite" guitars were my ESP F-200 Baritones which had basswood bodies and I love them with a passion. If I had a choice in body woods for that guitar I wouldn't have changed a thing. I'm kinda interested to try a basswood Draco, hoping to cop some of that FB200 sound


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## Metal Ken (Jan 11, 2009)

Ken said:


> Actually, the opposite is true. If that were the case, it wouldn't matter what the body was made out of. Rubbermaid could make them and sell them next to storage bins at whatnot.
> 
> Could you imagine if they built bodies out of conducive material? Hell. Yeah.



thats what i was getting at. Hell yeah. 100% copper bodies.


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## TomAwesome (Jan 11, 2009)

Dusty201087 said:


> WTF? I thought 75% of the people around here hate basswood and won't touch it?



I don't think that's really it. Actually, because of UVs and 7X2Xs, I'd imagine basswood is one of the most commonly used woods on this forum. It's just that the people who hate basswood are a lot more vocal about it than the ones who don't hate it or who like it.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 11, 2009)

Wow, some of you girls get really defensive about your tonewoods


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## Harry (Jan 11, 2009)

I missed most of the argument and yelling, so I'm gonna just say what I think, and that basswood is okay


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## 7 Dying Trees (Jan 11, 2009)

I actually agree with the original sentimnts in the first post.

I like basswood, have some really good sounding basswood guitars that I love, have also had some that just haven't done anything for me.

However, I can say the same about mahogony.

oh, and how many times have people said that strats vary massively in terms of sounf? They're made from the woods people are poo pooing basswood for.

I've heard shit les pauls, heard shit strats. heard shit versions of lots of guitars, just ones where the wood just wasn't up to scratch.


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## hufschmid (Jan 11, 2009)

There is a good reason for using basswood if you are going to paint the guitar for exemple...

Basswood is a* 'non porous'* wood making finish much easier, you dont have to fill up the wood pores to make the surface smooth in order to apply the sealer....

Thats one of the reasons why this wood specie is so pupular in the guitar industry....

It can be a great wood and its light in weight.... 

In the past i have built several basswood guitars when i had them painted, they all turned out great


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## buffa d (Jan 11, 2009)

I happen to like the sound of my rg7620. 
I just installed a set of cold sweats in and it sounds insanely good. Especially on clean!

Just my two cents..


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## Scali (Jan 11, 2009)

I think both sides should just chill out.
People who don't like basswood have every right to dislike it, but they don't need to throw it in everyone's face everytime the word 'basswood' pops up.
People who do like basswood have every right to like it, but they shouldn't be so touchy when someone else says they hate it.

Just a bit of mutual respect and understanding, agree to disagree. That's what we need.


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## darren (Jan 11, 2009)

hufschmid said:


> There is a good reason for using basswood if you are going to paint the guitar for exemple...
> 
> Basswood is a* 'non porous'* wood making finish much easier, you dont have to fill up the wood pores to make the surface smooth in order to apply the sealer....
> 
> ...


This is why the alder-bodied JEM7VWH has a veneer of basswood on the front and back.


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## wezv (Jan 11, 2009)

alder desnt have pores to fill either (thats the main reason fender switched from ash to alder)... its also a bit more dent resistant than the average slab of basswood... not sure why anyone would bother veneering an alder body with basswood, doesnt make sense to me :?


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## alecisonfire (Jan 11, 2009)

now we need a thread for people who hate bass *players*

kiiiidding


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## hufschmid (Jan 11, 2009)

alecisonfire said:


> now we need a thread for people who hate bass *players*
> 
> kiiiidding


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## noodleplugerine (Jan 11, 2009)

darren said:


> This is why the alder-bodied JEM7VWH has a veneer of basswood on the front and back.



Did you just totally make that up? Or do you actually know that this is why?


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## ohio_eric (Jan 11, 2009)

7 Dying Trees said:


> I actually agree with the original sentimnts in the first post.
> 
> I like basswood, have some really good sounding basswood guitars that I love, have also had some that just haven't done anything for me.
> 
> ...



 QFT


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## darren (Jan 11, 2009)

noodleplugerine said:


> Did you just totally make that up? Or do you actually know that this is why?



Why would i make that up? They also quite often put a solid veneer of basswood on the front and back of basswood bodies. 

Over time, the finish can still "sink" slightly into the grain of the wood if the wood shrinks slightly under the paint. Some guitars may develop subtle visible grain or glue lines in their finish. (The glue in multi-piece bodies is harder than the wood.) 

Putting a veneer of basswood over the entire front and back gives the paint a more uniform surface to adhere to, and will prevent grain or glue lines from appearing over time.

JEM Specs- 7 Guitars



Ibanez said:


> _The JEM7VWH "has a super thin 0.5mm basswood veneer on the top and back. We do this with all alder woods because otherwise the finish would settle into the grain and have lines like a strat does in it after a few weeks. We do this with only alder wood that has a solid or metallic color on it. Just to let you know._


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## bulletbass man (Jan 11, 2009)

Scali said:


> I think both sides should just chill out.
> People who don't like basswood have every right to dislike it, but they don't need to throw it in everyone's face everytime the word 'basswood' pops up.
> People who do like basswood have every right to like it, but they shouldn't be so touchy when someone else says they hate it.
> 
> Just a bit of mutual respect and understanding, agree to disagree. That's what we need.


 

It's about where you post it that matters most. 

In a NGD thread it's completely uncalled for. If someone is asking what guitar they should buy then fine you can post your opinions on basswood. But still keep it reasonable. This isn't harmony central or ultimate guitar. Bashing things unnesccarily should be frowned upon. Post your opinion by all means but just saying Basswood sucks really doesn't help the person seeking opinions anyways. If that were so pretty much every guitar would be put in question since there are people who have varied opinions on everything.


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## stuz719 (Jan 11, 2009)

12 pages of "my tree's better than your tree". I appear to have timewarped back to the playground.


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## TomAwesome (Jan 11, 2009)

I think some of you are still missing the point. The point isn't that there's a problem with, "I like X wood better than basswood!" or "I dislike basswood!" sentiment. The point isn't, "Basswood is the best!" either. The issue being addressed is, "Basswood is inherently a shitty wood that just sucks in every respect and shouldn't be considered a real tonewood," sentiment, because it's not true, and it's just silly.


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## yellowv (Jan 11, 2009)

I had an alder bodied LTD which was a top line LTD to boot that had visible lines in the wood under the paint. Looked like shit. And that was an $1100 guitar. Probably only visible b/c it was black but my black RG2610 nor the 7620 I used to have had anything like that.


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 11, 2009)

yellowv said:


> I had an alder bodied LTD which was a top line LTD to boot that had visible lines in the wood under the paint. Looked like shit. And that was an $1100 guitar. Probably only visible b/c it was black but my black RG2610 nor the 7620 I used to have had anything like that.


what LTD is that? KH-602 ?


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## Emperoff (Jan 13, 2009)

alecisonfire said:


> now we need a thread for people who hate bass *players*
> 
> kiiiidding


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## Scali (Jan 13, 2009)

TomAwesome said:


> The issue being addressed is, "Basswood is inherently a shitty wood that just sucks in every respect and shouldn't be considered a real tonewood," sentiment, because it's not true, and it's just silly.


 
I think the issue is that guitarists are some of the most conservative people on the planet... and basswood just happens to be a relatively new wood in the guitar world.
Guitarists always like 'the old stuff' better. Fender and Gibson are the only REAL guitar brands, and tube amps are the only REAL amps, etc.
Therefore it's logical that they also see alder, maple, ash and mahogany as the only REAL tonewoods.
I guess it's just because they grew up with the old stuff, and that is their frame of reference. Anything different is inherently worse.

Aside from that, you cannot deny the fact that the choice of basswood doesn't really stem from its tonal qualities, but from its other advantages:
Soft wood, easy on the tools.
Non-porous wood, easy to finish.
Relatively cheap wood.
Lightweight wood.

So well, basswood doesn't have a whole lot going for it. 
The same can be said for woods like agathis or poplar.

Regardless, I've found that some manufacturers can build really great-sounding guitars out of just about any wood.
One of my favourite guitars is a poplar guitar with a set maple neck and fretboard. Somehow this combination and construction really makes that cheapo simple poplar wood work. Likewise, I've played some basswood RG550s with a maple fretboard, and I can really appreciate that sound.

If people would have a more open mind about certain things, they wouldn't miss out on so much.


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## TomAwesome (Jan 13, 2009)

Scali said:


> I think the issue is that guitarists are some of the most conservative people on the planet... and basswood just happens to be a relatively new wood in the guitar world.
> Guitarists always like 'the old stuff' better. Fender and Gibson are the only REAL guitar brands, and tube amps are the only REAL amps, etc.
> Therefore it's logical that they also see alder, maple, ash and mahogany as the only REAL tonewoods.
> I guess it's just because they grew up with the old stuff, and that is their frame of reference. Anything different is inherently worse.



Normally I might agree with you, but this is sevenstring.org. This is a collection of the guitarists who thrive on what is newer, different, and better.



Scali said:


> Aside from that, you cannot deny the fact that the choice of basswood doesn't really stem from its tonal qualities, but from its other advantages:
> Soft wood, easy on the tools.
> Non-porous wood, easy to finish.
> Relatively cheap wood.
> ...



It is probably a bit easier to tool and paint, and it is lightweight, but basswood has plenty going for it otherwise. Darren made a really good post elsewhere:



darren said:


> Just go to Tom Anderson's site and read what they have to say about basswood and maple-topped basswood:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Scali (Jan 13, 2009)

TomAwesome said:


> Normally I might agree with you, but this is sevenstring.org. This is a collection of the guitarists who thrive on what is newer, different, and better.


 
You'd think, but even here I've seen plenty of guys saying that tubes are the only way to go, or be overly sensitive about what kind of neck-joint a guitar has, or won't want a tremolo because it would destroy the tone... and indeed, who don't like basswood.



TomAwesome said:


> It is probably a bit easier to tool and paint, and it is lightweight, but basswood has plenty going for it otherwise. Darren made a really good post elsewhere:


 
Like I said, some manufacturers can make any wood sound good.
As the last line says, a lot of the time basswood is used on cheap guitars that don't really sound good... just like agathis or poplar for example. Alder and mahogany won't be found on really cheap guitars because the wood is too expensive for that. And even on a relatively cheap mahogany guitar, like the Ibanez S series, the mahogany just sounds like mahogany. It's almost as if mahogany is a guarantee for decent tone, no matter how the guitar is put together.
Alder isn't quite the same, even the more expensive US Strats often don't sound all that great. Heck, I never liked the sound of any Strat. They always feel dead to me. But my alder RG, that's a whole different story. Ibanez just made it work somehow.


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## hufschmid (Jan 13, 2009)

Shannon said:


> Exactly....there's nothing WRONG with basswood. It's just different. D'fferent strokes for d'fferent folks. Simple as that.


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## Koshchei (Jan 13, 2009)

I don't like basswood because it's not durable. That's my only reason. It's a damn soft wood.


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## Pewtershmit (Jan 13, 2009)

And everyone knows a soft wood is a bad thing!


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## JerkyChid (Jan 13, 2009)

Basswood has no bass 
And EQ helps though


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## Toshiro (Jan 13, 2009)

JerkyChid said:


> Basswood has no bass
> And EQ helps though




I, for one, am glad it doesn't smell like a freshwater fish.


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## Koshchei (Jan 13, 2009)

Pewtershmit said:


> And everyone knows a soft wood is a bad thing!



Indeed it is. Unless you're 14 and have to get up in class and solve a math problem, where your mom is the teacher.

Actually, my issue was just with durability and structural integrity. I've seen a few Ibanez basswood bodies where the bridge stud holes have worn themselves out of round just from string vibration and the pressure of the bridge, basically necessitating some expensive guitar surgery or a new body. This should not be an issue with any guitar ever.

Tonewise, I can't tell the difference between sponge and korina with the amount of gain that some people use, so I have nothing to say in favour of or against basswood.


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## yellowv (Jan 13, 2009)

D-EJ915 said:


> what LTD is that? KH-602 ?



Alexi 600


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## Jim713 (Jun 20, 2009)

I know this is an old thread, but my current axe is Basswood RG2EX1, and I put a Super Distortion in the bridge and this thing is a BEAST. I think that depending on wood and the tone you are looking for, pickups can give you an edge in making your guitar sound good to your ears. I tried a Bill Lawrence L500L, a Dimarzio Drop Sonic, and a JB before I found the Super D, and it made this guitar a monster. So much grind, a bit of compression, and the EQ of the Super D made up for the softer tone from the basswood. I think just find the right combo of guitar, pickup, and effects that work for you and run with it. We as guitarists have so many options at our disposal, we should use them and find what truly makes us happy as a player.


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