Bass Wood For Body?

[ZiKi]

Hi, my uncle carves wooden ducks and he uses bass wood, i was wondering if bass wood is good for guitar bodies and what its pros and cons are. i might be able to get this cheap so. also, anyone have links to cheap guitar wood retailers or know of any in the new jersey area?

[westhemann]

yeah it is used in many guitars...ibanez,esp,and others.it is okay,i prefer alder...the only problem really is how soft it is....if you put a trem on it use large diameter insert studs to help keep it from pulling into the wood

[Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars]

Basswood is inexpensive. Ibanez uses it a ton.

[GregP]

The original Music Man Eddie Van Halen guitar used basswood with a maple top. I'd say you'll be in pretty good company if you use it.

[spirit]

...as does the current Peavey EVH model. Basswood is a very toneful wood, with a tone somewhere between mahogany and alder, if i remember correctly.

[westhemann]

umm...in my opinion not really "toneful"....it is lacking some mids and highs...but it is well balanced for metal/fusion/shredding...you need to use great pickups with it though.

i love alder,as i said.....it has much more to work with in the frequency department...easier to take out the "bite" with the eq than it is to add it.

but i do have a basswood guitar...it has a nice "creamy" sound with a tighter low end than mahogany,which is slightly "mushy" to my ears

[spirit]

hey i could be wrong. i'm pretty sure i quoted straight from the warmoth site. i'll have a look...........

[westhemann]

hey i could be wrong. i'm pretty sure i quoted straight from the warmoth site. i'll have a look...........

no that is what it says...i have a different opinion though.they are trying to sell it.

[spirit]

fair enough, and i suppose they are trying to sell it. although, i just had a look and its says this:

Basswood (Tilia americana): This is a lighter weight wood normally producing Strat® bodies under 4 lbs. The color is white, but often has nasty green mineral streaks in it. This is a closed-grain wood, but it can absorb a lot of finish. This is not a good wood for clear finishes; It is quite soft, and does not take abuse well. Soundwise, Basswood has a nice, warm tone.

turns out i am wrong! ah well, you live and learn, eh?

[westhemann]

you are not wrong...another site says exactly what you said...except maybe the toneful part.tom anderson guitars website if i remember correctly

[spirit]

oh, cool. but about the question, basswood is fine, for guitar building. just watch out, cause its soft

[Rendisha]

Hello. As I'm from Europe can someone give me some more info (mostly tone properties - is it same as basswood or close to) about european version" of basswood - Tilia europaea (Linden). We have it plenty here so why order it from U.S. and pay more for shipping than for wood itself.

BTW - I found out that it's denser than basswood

While basswood has an average weight of 27 pounds per cubic foot, European lime’s average weight is 34 pounds per cubic foot.

PS - I'm glad I've found this forum, it's great place for newbies to learn a lot.

[Guitarfrenzy]

The Saga kit guitar I first put together when I started was made from basswood. I found out quickly that it's easy to dent when you paint your guitar with lacquer or such. If your going with a basswood body then use a tough brand of paint on it or you'll regret it.