BKP Mules playing Comfortably Numb Solo

[treefella]

[Quote}
I had to hunt for my Gibson LP. I came across several 'dead' ones along the way and I only just learned that my Epi LP has a basswood body.
My MIJ strat has amost certainly got a basswood body - as has my Samick Strat.
[unquote]

Yeh, there are loads of 'dead' guitars around, even identical ones from the same manufacturer. When I bought my US Stratocaster they had 15 in the shop. I tried everyone of them and didn't plug one of them in - reason? I just listened to the sound of the'wood' and picked the one which sounded nicest and sustained the best. Incidentaly, basswood is actually an excellent material for a guitar. Leo Fender chose it for his first Fender Strats in 1953 because it was cheap and then discovered that it actually resonates really well and produces an excellent guitar!

[Scotty477]

My Epi LP and MIJ Fender Strat both have excellent resonance. The Samick one slightly less so.

I can only think that the Samick one has an inferior cut of basswood to the other 2? The odd thing about the Samick is that it appears to have a mahogany neck and is a bit heavier than my Fender.

Nice point about the early Strats. I didn't know that.

[Philly Q]

Incidentaly, basswood is actually an excellent material for a guitar. Leo Fender chose it for his first Fender Strats in 1953 because it was cheap and then discovered that it actually resonates really well and produces an excellent guitar!

I'm no Fender historian, but are you sure about the basswood?  :?  Maybe Leo Fender used it for some prototypes, but everything I've read says that all the early ('54-'56) Strats were ash, until they switched to alder in the middle of '56.  

As far as I know basswood was never used for US-made Fenders (at least until the modern era of hundreds of different standard/deluxe/reissue/signature etc Strat models).


(Oh by the way, I never said, I really like the tone on the clip that started this thread!!  :oops:  :lol: )

[Henk]

I don't know why some people on this thread seem to be slagging off mass produced guitars - most of the well known and respected guitarists use them.   Also, what's the problem with Jap guitars. Is is a globally well known fact that the Japanese take enormous care and pride in their workmanship, just look at an authentic Samurai Sword or a Yamaha Grand Piano or a Honda motor car and you'll see the build quality surpasses most others. That's the whole point I was trying to make about the Orville in the first place, it's built the same way as a '59 Les Paul but with Japanese quality control which in my humble opinion makes it better than alot of the Gibsons out there. Just listen to the sound clip and judge for yourselves!!

I commented mainly on the materials used, japanese guitars are very well made otherwise. Actually the japanese had the most modern wood routers and machines, so there.

I personally would like to hear an example of a well known and respected guitarist using a standard MIJ production guitar. Ive heard of endorced quitarists who play a production model that is 'custom' crafted, but never a normal production MIJ one.

Anyhow, it still remains a kind of a 'what if' discussion, MIJ guitars are very good considering their pricerange, if not they would not be sold in the huge numbers they are being sold.

[Henk]

Incidentaly, basswood is actually an excellent material for a guitar. Leo Fender chose it for his first Fender Strats in 1953 because it was cheap and then discovered that it actually resonates really well and produces an excellent guitar!

I'm no Fender historian, but are you sure about the basswood?  :?  Maybe Leo Fender used it for some prototypes, but everything I've read says that all the early ('54-'56) Strats were ash, until they switched to alder in the middle of '56.  

As far as I know basswood was never used for US-made Fenders (at least until the modern era of hundreds of different standard/deluxe/reissue/signature etc Strat models).


(Oh by the way, I never said, I really like the tone on the clip that started this thread!!  :oops:  :lol: )

Basswood does not grow in the USA, Fender used alder and ash, Fender japan started using Basswood since they had to import alder and ash and the cost of that was just too high. Basswood was a logical choise to use, and by all means is a great tonewood, especially suited for harder types of rock or even metal.

[treefella]

Incidentaly, basswood is actually an excellent material for a guitar. Leo Fender chose it for his first Fender Strats in 1953 because it was cheap and then discovered that it actually resonates really well and produces an excellent guitar!

I'm no Fender historian, but are you sure about the basswood?  :?  Maybe Leo Fender used it for some prototypes, but everything I've read says that all the early ('54-'56) Strats were ash, until they switched to alder in the middle of '56.  

As far as I know basswood was never used for US-made Fenders (at least until the modern era of hundreds of different standard/deluxe/reissue/signature etc Strat models).


(Oh by the way, I never said, I really like the tone on the clip that started this thread!!  :oops:  :lol: )

Basswood does not grow in the USA, Fender used alder and ash, Fender japan started using Basswood since they had to import alder and ash and the cost of that was just too high. Basswood was a logical choise to use, and by all means is a great tonewood, especially suited for harder types of rock or even metal.

Yeh, I was talking bollocks about them being made of basswood, it was alder and ash but may I correct you on one point there. The latin name for basswood is 'Tilia Americana' and it's also known as 'American Linden'.  I quote from Wikipedia: "Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest species diversity is found), Europe and eastern North America"

Oh, and thanks Philly for your kind words re the tone of the clip!

[Kilby]

Henk:
For a guitarist that used a standard MIJ fender, Francis Dunnery used one for the 1st It Bites album. Though I can't remember if it was a MIJ Squire or Fender (it was 20 years ago)

[Twinfan]

Jeff Healey used a JV Squier Strat as his number one for a long time.

Billy Gibbons used a few Tokais (with tape over the logos!) for a little while.

Slash's main stage guitars are two '88 Les Paul Standards.

[Philly Q]

Robert Fripp has used a Tokai LP (with a Kahler) for over 20 years.

Kirk Hammett had a black Fernandes Strat as one of his main guitars during the mid-80s.

And, remembering an interview from my very first issue of Guitar Player (Oct 1981!) Peter Frampton toured with a variety of off-the-shelf Fernandes Strats and LPs after losing some of his older guitars in a plane crash.

I'm sure there are many others!

[Henk]

OKOK, ill shut up after this, i love my JV!  :harp:

Yeh, I was talking bollocks about them being made of basswood, it was alder and ash but may I correct you on one point there. The latin name for basswood is 'Tilia Americana' and it's also known as 'American Linden'. I quote from Wikipedia: "Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest species diversity is found), Europe and eastern North America"

When American linden is used in guitars it does not say the body is made out of basswood but out of american linden. Only very very few are made with that though like some mexican fenders and such.

[treefella]

OKOK, ill shut up after this, i love my JV!  :harp:

Yeh, I was talking bollocks about them being made of basswood, it was alder and ash but may I correct you on one point there. The latin name for basswood is 'Tilia Americana' and it's also known as 'American Linden'. I quote from Wikipedia: "Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest species diversity is found), Europe and eastern North America"

When American linden is used in guitars it does not say the body is made out of basswood but out of american linden. Only very very few are made with that though like some mexican fenders and such.

Why does it say that when everybody has heard of Basswood guitar bodies and i guess not many people have heard of American Linden?

[Henk]

Because MIJ bodies made out of Tilia Japonica(Japanese Lime) are allready called basswood guitar bodies, or whatever hybrid those japanes grow commercially.

Its simple really, same types of woods but due to their origin are called different. Think ash vs swamp ash vs sen or maple vs hard maple or mahagony vs korina vs nato vs agathis or australian blackwood vs hawaian koa, endless list really.

And i think, not sure though, in the USA basswood has a bit of a negative ring to it and american linden probably sound much more exclusive i guess....

[Scotty477]

My understanding is that basswood is basically the same the world over, with only slight variations in appearance.

It doesn't matter if it's Tilla Japonica (Japanese Lime) or Tilla Americana (American Linden). They are for all intent and purposes the same.

Basswood also appears to be a Western European term for this wood - not Japanese.

This is taken from wikipedia, which given it's nature can't be accepted as 100% accurate.

In the same wiki entry I noted with interest that it states that basswood gives more sustain than alder in a guitar  :o

Given all this I've decided to devote the rest of my life to the study of the Tilla genus of trees and will only play guitars, drive cars and wear clothes that are made entirely of basswood.

All hail the mighty Basswood!      

 :D

[treefella]

Because MIJ bodies made out of Tilia Japonica(Japanese Lime) are allready called basswood guitar bodies, or whatever hybrid those japanes grow commercially.

Its simple really, same types of woods but due to their origin are called different. Think ash vs swamp ash vs sen or maple vs hard maple or mahagony vs korina vs nato vs agathis or australian blackwood vs hawaian koa, endless list really.

Wow!, your quite an arboriculturist Henk, most impressive!

And i think, not sure though, in the USA basswood has a bit of a negative ring to it and american linden probably sound much more exclusive i guess....

Not at all, the basswood body of my Ibanez rings beautifully although that's probably Tilia Japonica not Americana

[treefella]

My understanding is that basswood is basically the same the world over, with only slight variations in appearance.

It doesn't matter if it's Tilla Japonica (Japanese Lime) or Tilla Americana (American Linden). They are for all intent and purposes the same.

Basswood also appears to be a Western European term for this wood - not Japanese.

This is taken from wikipedia, which given it's nature can't be accepted as 100% accurate.

In the same wiki entry I noted with interest that it states that basswood gives more sustain than alder in a guitar  :o

Given all this I've decided to devote the rest of my life to the study of the Tilla genus of trees and will only play guitars, drive cars and wear clothes that are made of basswoood.

All hail the mighty Basswood!      

 :D

(All together) "HAIL THE MIGHTY BASSWOOD"