Basswood Guitars (Charvel)

[Dmoney]

Since getting my Charvel I've totally changed my outlook on what guitars I like.

I've had my eye on a Charvel 375 Deluxe. It's a HSS setup which appeals to me. the Floyd on it is made by Schaller.
J90C humbucker and J100 singles
Cheery sunburst body with rosewood neck. Maple top.
The body is basswood. for some reason I always associate basswood with lower quality instruments. Now I have a good grasp of my mahogany les paul custom and the alder body maple neck/board charvel... how would this basswood with maple cap and maple neck/rosewood board sound?

I'm guessing I have the wrong idea about basswood. I really hope I can get one cheap.

[Madsakre]

From warmoth's webpage:

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 since there is little figure. It is quite soft, and does not take abuse well. Sound-wise, Basswood has a nice, growley, warm tone with good mids. A favorite tone wood for shredders in the 80s since its defined sound cuts through a mix well.

[Dmoney]

that was kind of putting me off, and then kind of redeemed itself. I think these things are maple/basswood/maple sandwiches, though how think the maple is... I don't know. sounds like it might be cool though.

[Philly Q]

I know they're probably not your favourite players, but basswood is good enough for the likes of Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, John Petrucci and Edward Van Halen!   

I've always thought of it as a "neutral" sounding wood - no particular characteristic tone of its own, so it's good for guitars where the pickups do most of the work - like superstrats.  You don't see many vintage-style "tone monster" guitars made from basswood.

Must admit the only basswood guitar I've actually owned was a Japanese Strat - it was pretty dull-sounding, but maybe that just proves it's not so suitable for vintage-style guitars.

[Andrew W]

I had a Charvel EVH guitar for a while which was basswood and I agree with Mr Q, it's a neutral wood that does combine with humbuckers well to make quite a punchy, middy sounding guitar. The other thing is if you have a superstrat with locking this that and t'other, having a light weight body really is a bonus. Horses for courses I think really.

No idea what it does with single coil pickups though, my guitar had just the one humbucker.

[dave_mc]

yeah i agree with philly.

I have a basswood rg470... pretty neutral-sounding. It's pretty middy, though it's not as bright as alder or ash, yet not as warm as mahogany (and not as much bass). Of course the (sub-par) trem and bolt-on maple neck are probably having an effect on the tone too.

I think cheaper basswood on cheap instruments isn't meant to be too great. But a lot of the high-end builders really like basswood- I'm guessing good basswood is pretty nice.

[_tom_]

I've only had one basswood guitar (a Charvel incidentally) and it sounded a bit cr@p no matter what pickups were used - scooped and a bit fizzy.

[gwEm]

I've only had one basswood guitar (a Charvel incidentally) and it sounded a bit cr@p no matter what pickups were used - scooped and a bit fizzy.

yeah, i've never had luck with it either

[Dmoney]

this is what I'm thinking might happen. seems like a gamble even if the whole thing is put together well.

[darkbluemurder]

I had a basswood guitar in the late 80s. Maple neck w/ 22 frets, HSS, Schaller Floyd Rose. I used a Di Marzio PAF Pro, then later a Fred as humbucker and two PJ Marx humcancelling single coil size pickups. That was an inexpensive yet nice guitar. Sometimes I wish I still had it.

Cheers Stephan

[Oli]

Got a Charvel here myself, love it, it's my go-to guitar for when I just fancy a noodle-- no probs with the tone, i've actually got it wired pickup > output with no controls, so i'm at the mercy of the guitar when it comes to tone.

[Transcend]

I find basswood if used on a good guitar generally turns out really well. It has a nice amount of midrange snarl and is very balance in the lows and highs.

It also works extremely well with virtually any medium-high output pickup in my experience other than the Nailbomb that just sounded flabby & loose

[Philly Q]

It also works extremely well with virtually any medium-high output pickup in my experience other than the Nailbomb that just sounded flabby & loose

That's interesting, for some reason I always imagined the Nailbomb would be the go-to pickup choice for for things like Jems/RGs.

[Telerocker]

I had a JEM 77FP in the early nineties. Pretty good sounding plank. Neutra, quite balanced sounding. Missed some depth though compared to alder and mahogany/maple.

[Transcend]

It also works extremely well with virtually any medium-high output pickup in my experience other than the Nailbomb that just sounded flabby & loose

That's interesting, for some reason I always imagined the Nailbomb would be the go-to pickup choice for for things like Jems/RGs.

That is exactly what i thought too.

I have been so determined to make the Nailbomb work i have tried it across many guitars as i have friends who have guitars with Nailbombs that sound excellent.

For me it has never worked out though which is a shame.

I guess in my experience i've just found it to be too picky about what it goes in