Author Topic: How is pine as a tone wood? (Read 46962 times)

Ratrod · « **on:** June 27, 2008, 07:20:14 PM »

A nice question for the luthiers here.

Squier introduced a pine Telecaster this summer NAMM.

I'm interested but how is pine as a tone wood? What are it's characteristics?

Here's a link BTW: http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0303025507

Elliot · « **Reply #1 on:** June 27, 2008, 09:21:41 PM »

Apparently its like Alder, not as bright as ash but not as warm as basswood - some early Broadcasters were made from it.

It might be agathis, howerver - that is from the pine family. In any event those new Squiers are getting great reviews from the USA.

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #2 on:** June 27, 2008, 10:20:36 PM »

I have an Explorer made from Brazillian Parana Pine which is a variant of that species.

Some of you will have played it and know how great it sounds
Loaded with old spec Holy Divers (not unlike a ceramic Rebel Yell)

Philly Q · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2008, 10:42:58 PM »

Quote

Squier’s Classic Vibe Telecaster ’50s puts classic “blackguard” Telecaster vibe into a gorgeous Vintage Blonde-finished pine-body guitar—you’ll be hard-pressed to tell whether or not you are holding a premium ash-body instrument.

Maybe I'm being thick and missing something here, but isn't pine lightweight and extremely soft? :?

The stuff I've used for building bookshelves takes a dent if you breathe on it too hard....

badgermark · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2008, 10:50:18 PM »

Check out the TDPRI forums- a tele forum and they build loads of pine teles, they practically spuff over pine teles.

indysmith · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2008, 11:13:30 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Quote
Squier’s Classic Vibe Telecaster ’50s puts classic “blackguard” Telecaster vibe into a gorgeous Vintage Blonde-finished pine-body guitar—you’ll be hard-pressed to tell whether or not you are holding a premium ash-body instrument.

Maybe I'm being thick and missing something here, but isn't pine lightweight and extremely soft? :?

The stuff I've used for building bookshelves takes a dent if you breathe on it too hard....

Yeah I always thought pine was a softwood

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2008, 11:58:45 PM »

Quote from: indysmith

Quote from: Philly Q
Quote
Squier’s Classic Vibe Telecaster ’50s puts classic “blackguard” Telecaster vibe into a gorgeous Vintage Blonde-finished pine-body guitar—you’ll be hard-pressed to tell whether or not you are holding a premium ash-body instrument.

Maybe I'm being thick and missing something here, but isn't pine lightweight and extremely soft? :?

The stuff I've used for building bookshelves takes a dent if you breathe on it too hard....

Yeah I always thought pine was a softwood

Pine isnt that far removed from Spruce which is considered a great tonewood
Bob Benedetto built a fine jazz guitar out of construction grade pine and it sounded great .

Q: What's the difference between a rock guitarist and a jazz guitarist?

A: A rock guitarist gets to play three chords in front of thousands of people...

ilÿti · « **Reply #7 on:** June 28, 2008, 12:02:11 AM »

and a jazz guitarist gets to play thousands of chords in front of three people.

Good one.

..but also made me sad.

WezV · « **Reply #8 on:** June 28, 2008, 01:16:04 AM »

it really depends on the pine in question... i wouldnt be heading down to your local B&Q for tonewood

parker have been making fly's from spruce for quite a while... and obviously almost evey acoustic in existence has a spruce top. ( infact i worry about alll you peeps gassing after ibanezes acoustics with pretty hardwood tops, mahogany just about works but it really needs to be a softwood for an acoustic top)

spruce is a great tone wood, its a little soft to hold a screw well for an electric guitar bridge (see the yamaha RGX for a way round that) and it dents really easily... and dare i say... most people would find it too light as a solid body electric.... but it is a softwood..... so is redwood which is also used in guitars more and more of late... both these woods make great electric guitars

douglas fir is another softwood which might work for electric guitars.. i know melvyn hisc--k (the writer of the bible) has been experimenting with it, even for necks

so pine,,, yeah, why the hell not... but it still has to have good grain structure to work with... i would be looking for at least 10-15 grain lines per inch rather than the 1-2 you see on the sponge you can buy from the average diy shop, and it would need to be really dry and stable (unlike teh sponge you buy from the diy shop). antique pine can be great because it generaly comes from older trees which means straighter grain, less knots and its more likely to be dry... works better with lower powered pickups for something very acoustic sounding as well

Will · « **Reply #9 on:** June 28, 2008, 01:20:17 AM »

Anyone remember the 13 string Superbass 'person' ?
that was neck through pine :P

WezV · « **Reply #10 on:** June 28, 2008, 01:33:41 AM »

yeah, necks and pine is a whole other issue

basically if you choose the right bit of wood there is no reason for it not to work but with pine you are fighting against the odds.... not a problem with bodies (right bit of wood)... a bit more thought needed with necks ( an exceptional piece of wood)

indysmith · « **Reply #11 on:** June 28, 2008, 01:36:43 AM »

Quote from: Will

Anyone remember the 13 string Superbass 'person' ?

That guy was HI LA RI OUS

gingataff · « **Reply #12 on:** June 28, 2008, 04:47:01 AM »

I'm sure I read something recently that Leo Fender used pine on his first guitars.

Twinfan · « **Reply #13 on:** June 28, 2008, 09:44:39 AM »

Correct Ginga - the first Broadcasters were pine. As were the Fender combo cabinets of the Tweed era.

[/TF geek off]

sgmypod · « **Reply #14 on:** June 28, 2008, 09:49:42 AM »

have a pine cab/combo and love it sounds great