![]() ![]() MahoganyĪlongside maple, mahogany is a classic ingredient in both slab and multi-wood (or laminated) bodies, and is a common neck wood, too. White limba-as used by Gibson and Hamer-has a light appearance in its natural state, and black limba has a more pronounced grain. It’s a fairly light hardwood with a fine grain that’s usually enhanced in the finishing process to appear as an attractive array of long, thin streaks. The species is known generically as limba-an African wood related to mahogany, but imported under the trade name Korina. It also yields great clarity, definition, and sustain. ![]() ![]() Korinaīest known as the tonewood of Gibson’s radical Modernistic Series of the late 1950s-the flashy Flying V and Explorer-as well as more recent guitars that follow these templates, Korina is a warm, resonant, and balanced performer. On a well-made guitar, basswood can yield good dynamics and definition with enough grind to give the sound some oomph. There’s a muscular midrange, but also a certain softness and breathiness. Solid basswood bodies have a fat, but well-balanced tonality. It is a very light and fairly soft wood, and it’s light in color, too, with minimal grain. But basswood is a good tonewood by any standards, and it has been used by many high-end makers with excellent results. BasswoodĪffordable and abundant, basswood is particularly associated with mid-level or budget guitars. Both tend to be denser and heavier, and have a brighter, harder sound that might be more useful when cutting, distorted tones are desired.Īsh is traditionally used for single-wood, slab-bodied guitars, but has sometimes been employed by more contemporary designers in multi-wood (or laminated) bodies-most commonly with a carved-maple top, or as the top of a semi-hollow or chambered guitar with a back made from a different wood. It offers firm lows, pleasant highs, a slightly scooped midrange, and good sustain.Īsh from the upper portions of the tree has also been used, as has harder northern ash. The swamp-ash sound is twangy, airy, and sweet. Good swamp ash is both light and resonant, and generally carries a broad grain that looks great under a translucent finish. Ashīest known as the wood of classic ’50s Fender guitars, ash is most desirable in the form of swamp ash-wood taken from the lower portions of southern-grown wetland trees that have root systems growing below water level. Like ash, alder is most often used on its own as a body wood. It is typically used under opaque finishes, but some examples can look good under darker translucent finishes. Slightly brownish in its natural, dried state, alder’s grain isn’t necessarily unattractive, but it usually isn’t particularly interesting, either. Its highs sizzle slightly, but are rarely harsh, and it offers a decent amount of sustain. Alder has a strong, clear, full-bodied sound, with beefy mids and excellent lows. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |