veji
Active member
any experience with alder and swamp ash? Should I go with alder back or swamp ash back with walnut top and a maple neck and a maple board? Thanks
thenine
Well-known member
Suhr recommends ash with maple/maple but Ive had good results either way. Not sure about how adding a walnut top will effect the tone.
Shawn Lutz
New member
Swamp ash gets my vote...not a big fan of alder really. I'd even take regular ash over alder. I have nothing against alder but all my tone monsters are of a different wood types.
I have a couple swamp ash bodies and they are a bit heavier than my regular ash bodies.
What type of guitar are you looking at? I have great luck with mahogany bodies with maple tops super strats with both maple necks with 1 piece maple and maple necks with ebony fretboards.
I have a couple swamp ash bodies and they are a bit heavier than my regular ash bodies.
What type of guitar are you looking at? I have great luck with mahogany bodies with maple tops super strats with both maple necks with 1 piece maple and maple necks with ebony fretboards.
veji
Active member
Hear many people recommend me swamp ash..but it be honest I'm going for that 80s shred or modern metal and to my knowledge none of them used swamp ash. A handful of them do use alder ....when I think of swamp ash,.,I think country music/fender tele.
A
Alex_S
Active member
Well walnut wasn't used much in the 80s, so it might depend on what sound exactly are out for and how close you wanna get. Also many things in the 80s were done on basswood guitars. (Good basswood not the crappy one used in today's cheapos). For ash vs alder it also depends on the rest of the guitar (a lot)! Pickups and hardware can overemphasis strengths and weaknesses.
Btw, I doubt that significantly more alder then swamp ash was used for recordings back then. People used often what was available in the studio or through friends and sounded good. The "analytic approach" on woods etc. wasn't that popular back then. Having said that, many guitars produced in the 80s where alder, I think more than ash. But I think even more used basswood.
Btw, I doubt that significantly more alder then swamp ash was used for recordings back then. People used often what was available in the studio or through friends and sounded good. The "analytic approach" on woods etc. wasn't that popular back then. Having said that, many guitars produced in the 80s where alder, I think more than ash. But I think even more used basswood.
J
jharpersj
Well-known member
I have a nash s-81 maple/lite swamp ash (2 hums, floyd) and had a twin which was alder. The ash one was way better, alder wasnt bad but ash was more lively, punchy and with better bite and a bigger bass. me I vote ash !
rickenbacker198
Active member
Swamp Ash all the way, my favorite solid guitar wood.
these woods do have a different sound
generally..
ash is more open sounding more treble and bass, less mids.
alder has good mids and low mids, not as much treble and no deep bass.
imho
these woods do have a different sound
generally..
ash is more open sounding more treble and bass, less mids.
alder has good mids and low mids, not as much treble and no deep bass.
imho
T
tripstan
New member
Basswood with a maple top. 