Alder Strat vs Swamp Ash Strat? which do you prefer?

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veji
veji
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I have been on a strat kick after watch Mateus Asato/John Mayer/Joe Holmes/Eric Johnson/Vito Bratta

I am looking at SSH pickup config.. which do you guys prefer Alder strat vs swamp ash strat? which do you prefer?why?
 
Not exactly apples to apples, but I recently switched from alder strats to playing Swamp ash teles, both with humbuckers and similar style vintage tremolo systems. The ash i prefer by a long shot, just seems to sing better acoustically and I love the way it sounds through high gain amps.
 
My Anderson is SSH and is an alder body and it resonates like crazy. However, every traditional strat or tele I've ever bonded with have all been ash. Like the post above, they just ring in your hands.
 
Findthetone1 said:
My Anderson is SSH and is an alder body and it resonates like crazy. However, every traditional strat or tele I've ever bonded with have all been ash. Like the post above, they just ring in your hands.
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what spec is your anderson? can you share the spec sheet? So if you had to do it again would you go with swamp ash?
 
I don't think I could ever tell the difference from only body wood. Some just sound nicer than others. With a Strat, I'd just run the racks and pick the one that you like best. Sometimes it's surprising that it'll be one of the cheaper models, at least thats been my experience.
 
I didn’t have mine built. I found it at a local Anderson dealer. I’m not sure what I’d do if I had one built. At this point I’m probably 50/50 on a strat. A tele would absolutely be ash though
 

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I know it’s not traditional Strat, but I’ve had 3 Ash super Strat guitars (Ibanez, Mayones and Caparison) that just could not get to sound right to me. I must have tried 10 different pickup combinations in the Ibanez. It was the RGR652AHBF Prestige, should have been a perfect guitar, but always sounded brittle to me. Maybe it was a dud, but since then I don’t even think about trying another ash guitar. It’s a shame because I love the look and feel.

however many love em, so maybe a me problem...
 
stratjacket said:
I know it’s not traditional Strat, but I’ve had 3 Ash super Strat guitars (Ibanez, Mayones and Caparison) that just could not get to sound right to me. I must have tried 10 different pickup combinations in the Ibanez. It was the RGR652AHBF Prestige, should have been a perfect guitar, but always sounded brittle to me. Maybe it was a dud, but since then I don’t even think about trying another ash guitar. It’s a shame because I love the look and feel.

however many love em, so maybe a me problem...
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Did any of them have Floyds?
 
I much prefer alder. I had a GMW with a swamp ash body and floyd that just sounded kinda muted and muddy compared to my other super strats with alder bodies. Not that it wasn't resonant but it didn't sound as good through my amps.
 
From my experience, ash can vary a lot. In general I don’t like it except on Tele’s, but sometimes it can be very good. Like others said, I usually find it too hard and brittle sounding for strats and also has a midrange quality to it that I don’t like, but the good ones I’ve tried were very resonant and not like those other ones. Even with the really good ash ones I’ve tried though, I’d still easily choose the best alder examples I’ve tried. My friend had this real ‘57 Strat (alder body) that was hands down the best Strat I’ve tried

Alder to me gives the quintessential Strat tone. I’ve got some HSS strats with maple, Koa and redwood bodies that also sound great to me, but kind have their own flavor/take on Strat pickups, while my alder ones just have that milkiness and other qualities that I don’t know how to describe, but only alder Strats seem to be able to get it for some reason. That all being said, there have still been plenty of bad sounding alder strats I’ve played, but all the best ones I’ve tried were Alder
 
Findthetone1 said:
I didn’t have mine built. I found it at a local Anderson dealer. I’m not sure what I’d do if I had one built. At this point I’m probably 50/50 on a strat. A tele would absolutely be ash though
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cool. how are you liking the sc1 pickup and hf2? do they have good enough output or do you feel they need more?
 
veji said:
cool. how are you liking the sc1 pickup and hf2? do they have good enough output or do you feel they need more?
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It took awhile to find the sweet spot height wise for the neck SC1. I think I'm finally there and am really liking it. The HF2 is a very versatile pickup but I am leaning towards trying a little hotter one as long as it still splits well.
 
Not long ago I would have said Alder. I have had Swamp Ash guitars and always sold them. Recently I got a guitar with a roasted Satin Swamp Ash body and I now feel much differently. The guitar is extremely resonant through the body. Of course it will always be the sum of the parts.
 
I prefer alder by a long shot. I have always found ash to be a bit scooped in the mid range.
 
glip22 said:
Not long ago I would have said Alder. I have had Swamp Ash guitars and always sold them. Recently I got a guitar with a roasted Satin Swamp Ash body and I now feel much differently. The guitar is extremely resonant through the body. Of course it will always be the sum of the parts.
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Its weird how it works. Alot of people never bond with ash strats and then bam, one day the right one shows up and it all comes together.
 
veji said:
I have been on a strat kick after watch Mateus Asato/John Mayer/Joe Holmes/Eric Johnson/Vito Bratta

I am looking at SSH pickup config.. which do you guys prefer Alder strat vs swamp ash strat? which do you prefer?why?
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Vito used an ash bodied Fender strat for Pride, with a Floyd and a JB with a 250K volume pot.

I prefer ash, but I’m getting tired of the weight. Alder sounds great with the right pickup and amp.
 
paulyc said:
Vito used an ash bodied Fender strat for Pride, with a Floyd and a JB with a 250K volume pot.

I prefer ash, but I’m getting tired of the weight. Alder sounds great with the right pickup and amp.
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This one is very light weight and very lively. The wood selection and how it is treated/dried I am sure has much to do with it.
 

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