Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: mbchepburn on May 08, 2011, 09:48:41 PM

Title: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: mbchepburn on May 08, 2011, 09:48:41 PM
Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :) Thinking about getting this for my new guitar to try and mix the best of both worlds. Don't want the main body to be mahogon since I already have a Mahogony guitar so thought this may be an interesting approach.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Denim n Leather on May 08, 2011, 10:02:33 PM
I think it will sound like butt.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: mbchepburn on May 08, 2011, 10:14:01 PM
Why do you reckon? Aparantly they did alder les pauls years ago with mahogony tops that were suposed to sound amazing, but they're very rare.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: mbchepburn on May 08, 2011, 10:15:23 PM
Oh and Petrucci uses alder/mahogony/maple bodies
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Sifu Ben on May 08, 2011, 10:29:12 PM
Petrucci's guitars I believe have a central mahogany toneblock with alder wings, which is somewhat different. I think you'd be better off using a rosewood type for a top.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Philly Q on May 08, 2011, 10:31:58 PM
Will it be a bolt-on or set neck?  And what will the neck/fingerboard be made of?  Those factors will also have a big influence on the tone.

I hadn't heard of the alder/mahogany Gibson Les Pauls you mentioned, but a quick bit of research has revealed the early Les Paul Studio models were mahogany with alder tops, never knew that.  Interesting.  :)

I believe some Epiphone LPs have alder bodies.  I don't know how they sound.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Denim n Leather on May 08, 2011, 10:34:18 PM
I believe some Epiphone LPs have alder bodies.  I don't know how they sound.
Like butt
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Philly Q on May 08, 2011, 10:37:26 PM
Nicky Butt?
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Telerocker on May 08, 2011, 11:41:31 PM
Any butt will do.  :lol:
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: mbchepburn on May 09, 2011, 12:48:19 AM
Yh Petrucci's guitar is mahogony block, alder wings and a maple top. Mostly his guitars are alder or Basswood, but he decided on the mahogony block to compensate for the chambers carved into the alder. (this is john petrucci's words not mine before anyone says it's a load of c**p lol.) The thing that confused me was how positioning diferent woods on a guitar body can achieve different tones. Why does a *insert your wood here* sound different as a laminated top, compared to it being a tone block or wings etc? I'd really like professional opinions here or people who think they have a good idea. I've posted in other forums and it attracts so many know it alls who know naff all and take the p*ss because it's not "good enough" for them and the best equipment in the world is only equipment "they" play. Sorry to rant on but I'd really like a serious debate etc. and I'm sure you know the people I'm on about :D
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: HTH AMPS on May 09, 2011, 01:26:11 AM
Any butt will do.  :lol:

will these do?

(http://www.funnydb.com/big_481218858136.jpg)
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: ericsabbath on May 09, 2011, 03:04:45 AM
I believe some Epiphone LPs have alder bodies.  I don't know how they sound.
Like butt

look at the 2mm mahogany top  :lol:
(http://images.orkut.com/orkut/photos/OgAAAJcYShjDOQVRAbVMTw97eZjTzYbRk7_lOLtjlDkbnP5mAQpmXIRDP23-XXlSiOZuxXXV765wcjsgVpiqeTjCIW0Am1T1UDr-EgPzHc5-Iz7ZFDFbUPbxJric.jpg)
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Philly Q on May 09, 2011, 10:57:14 AM
I believe some Epiphone LPs have alder bodies.  I don't know how they sound.
Like butt

look at the 2mm mahogany top  :lol:

And quite a few pieces of alder!  It's basically blockboard.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Jonny on May 09, 2011, 01:19:36 PM
I'd go for alder wings and mahogany. If you really wanted to use the two woods. And hopefully the alder will be lighter but you'll get the tone of mahogany.

If not, there are other 'top woods' that can be much better than alder. Apart from the fact that some can weigh a lot.

In some ways it's a waste in my mind, much like having rice and chips at the same time.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: _tom_ on May 09, 2011, 04:12:13 PM
My Epiphone LP is made of mahogany and alder - I don't know whether it's alder cap or mahogany cap, but it most definitely doesn't sound "like butt"  :roll: With Mules it sounds great, I'll have to find some clips!
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Alex on May 09, 2011, 04:14:46 PM
I think it will sound like butt.

+1

If it sounded good, we would have seen more models with that combination out there.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: tomjackson on May 09, 2011, 05:06:01 PM

Personally I think it could sound good as long as the wood was good quality and the body well made.

Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Denim n Leather on May 10, 2011, 12:05:27 AM

Personally I think it could sound good as long as the wood was good quality and the body well made.


And you use pickups that will seriously editorialize the tone. Get it right from the get-go and then put the most transparent pups you can into it.

Why start off with a tonal handicap??!
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Oli on May 10, 2011, 01:02:02 AM

Personally I think it could sound good as long as the wood was good quality and the body well made.


And you use pickups that will seriously editorialize the tone. Get it right from the get-go and then put the most transparent pups you can into it.

Why start off with a tonal handicap??!

I'm sorry, but this post literally makes no sense! Transparent pickups? unless you're talking about Lightwave pickups, or using a typically 'sterile' pickup such as an EMG, there's no such thing as a 'transparent' pickup.... there's no such thing as a 'tonal handicap'. There's horses for courses, that's why there's no perfect guitar that suits everyone.

And considering you're a moderator on here, wouldn't it have been nice to actually not sh1t up someones' thread? We complain when someone new comes and posts loads of cr@p, but then when someone actually tries to get some conversation going on a topic which hasn't been discussed before, all you can think of to say is to say that it would 'sound like butt'?

Honestly, your 'holier than thou' attitude is a little pathetic.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: tomjackson on May 10, 2011, 01:23:37 AM

Personally I think it could sound good as long as the wood was good quality and the body well made.


And you use pickups that will seriously editorialize the tone. Get it right from the get-go and then put the most transparent pups you can into it.

Why start off with a tonal handicap??!

A tonal handicap to you could be something good to somebody else....


Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Denim n Leather on May 10, 2011, 02:01:15 AM

Personally I think it could sound good as long as the wood was good quality and the body well made.


And you use pickups that will seriously editorialize the tone. Get it right from the get-go and then put the most transparent pups you can into it.

Why start off with a tonal handicap??!

A tonal handicap to you could be something good to somebody else....



Oh, absolutely. And even the worst sounding thing could be amazing in a certain context. I just think that this guitar would sound like butt. Opinions were solicited, and that's my opinion.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: Denim n Leather on May 10, 2011, 02:02:43 AM

Personally I think it could sound good as long as the wood was good quality and the body well made.


And you use pickups that will seriously editorialize the tone. Get it right from the get-go and then put the most transparent pups you can into it.

Why start off with a tonal handicap??!

I'm sorry, but this post literally makes no sense! Transparent pickups? unless you're talking about Lightwave pickups, or using a typically 'sterile' pickup such as an EMG, there's no such thing as a 'transparent' pickup.... there's no such thing as a 'tonal handicap'. There's horses for courses, that's why there's no perfect guitar that suits everyone.

And considering you're a moderator on here, wouldn't it have been nice to actually not sh1t up someones' thread? We complain when someone new comes and posts loads of cr@p, but then when someone actually tries to get some conversation going on a topic which hasn't been discussed before, all you can think of to say is to say that it would 'sound like butt'?

Honestly, your 'holier than thou' attitude is a little pathetic.

Just because you don't understand me doesn't mean I'm not making any sense.

Your post is also incredibly hypocritical ... you are doing the very same thing you are accusing me of doing.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: _tom_ on May 10, 2011, 10:01:34 PM
Couple of really old clips I found from my alder + mahogany Epiphone LP with Mules :) It doesn't sound quite as fat as my all mahogany one but to be honest it's not too far off - the Laney isn't the fattest amp ever anyway

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15027660/Soundclick%20DLs/tomrogersuk%2Blaneymules.mp3
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15027660/Soundclick%20DLs/tomrogersuk%2Bdragonaut.mp3

I think both of them were recorded with an SM57 going straight into my laptops soundcard so the production obviously affects the tone a bit! Sounds great in the room and most importantly sounds really good in a band situation.
Title: Re: Alder Body with Mahogony Top. Discuss. :)
Post by: gwEm on May 10, 2011, 10:37:32 PM
you got some great tones from that Epi of yours Tom, we remember your clips well