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Any Basswood fans?


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Happy holidays, all! I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday week, whatever you're doing. For anyone who had to go back to work today, sorry about that.

 

I've been looking for a new Guitar, as a birthday present for myself, and I've been looking exclusively at ERG's, 7- and 8-strings. One thing I keep running into is that even many of the higher-priced ERG's are made of Basswood, which seems to also be the preferred wood for many budget Guitars. Having had a couple of Basswood Guitars, I found them lacking in something? Admittedly, the PU's may have been a factor, but overall, I've found that Basswood Guitars didn't have the voice that my Mahogany Guitars have. Even unplugged, my SG's have a distinct 'singing' tone when I hit a note. I'm only seeing a few Mahogany offerings out there right now, but none of the Basswood models I've tried have convinced me.

 

I know it's a softer wood, and easy to work with, so that's an incentive for anyone making mass-market budget Guitars, but the sound just doesn't reach me; I'm also dubious of any wood I can cut into with my thumbnail. It seems I'm not alone in this. Does Basswood have any fans here in the Forum, or is there anyone with a high-$$$ Basswood Guitar who can make an argument for it? Not like I need a decision today, so any info & opinions are welcome, it'll give me more to think about. Thanks, everyone.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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Can't help with that one Winston, can't say if I ever had a basswood guitar or not. My Agile Strat Clone might be basswood, I have no idea what the wood is in it, but my other guitars are ash, and mahogany bodies.
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Whole lotta basswood Fenders out there, so it has proven itself as a tonewood. Of course those all have a longer scale & a bolt on neck, compared to your Gibsons. I think you'll need to check those instruments out in person, but I also think other factors are going to be more important than the wood choice.

 

Scott Fraser
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The cheap basswood guitars you played would also have cheap hardware, fretwire and electronics/pickups. Maybe the body sounds fine or doesn't affect the tone that much.

 

My current number one Parts-O-Caster has a Squier Strat body that is thinner than a standard Strat body. It is made of some lightweight "mystery wood", probably selected for low cost. It is painted with some modern compound, a lovely robin's egg blue. The color and the light weight are why I chose it. With an 1 7/8" at the nut Warmoth Fatback neck and a substantial bridge, I am getting more of a "string tone" than a "wood tone". I like it.

 

Resonance when not plugged in is the wood vibrating, robbing the strings of energy in certain frequencies. Sometimes we like it and sometimes we don't. Consider the differences between a banjo, loud, sharp attack and very short sustain - and a Les Paul Custom (unplugged), not very loud, an even attack and long sustain. Those are two extremes, most electric guitars are more like the Les Paul but some may have characteristics that are found (at more extreme levels) with a banjo.

 

I've done guitar repair for decades and bought and sold around 500 guitars in my lifetime. To use one example, I've played Gibson Les Pauls that sung like a bird and Gibson Les Pauls that sounded like a wet log. I cannot explain this, probably specific pieces of the same types of wood exhibit variations based on wheree the trees grew, how the wood was dried, part of the tree, etc..

 

Resonance is comforting when playing a solid body acoustically. It may or may not translate into a good tone plugged in, essentially the resonance is simply wood vibrating at specific frequencies and robbing the strings of energy. Depending on your speakers, your tone settings and the volume you play, you could notice anomalies.

 

One of the great mysteries of "Guitar Universe" is how the old Danelectro guitars from the 50's-60's sound really great. The necks have two steel bars in them and most have a thick slab of Brazilian rosewood for a fret board. The bridge is super simple, not many parts to vibrate. But the body is two pieces of Masonite with a cut out poplar core, nothing "tonewood" about them. Really done that way because cheap.

 

I had a Cort Curbow 6 string bass with a body made out of some sort of multi-density foam with a thick plastic finish. It was a fantastic sounding instrument. I've also played disappointing guitars made with the finest "tone woods".

 

I agree you should actually play the very guitar that you wish to purchase for best results. I would try the basswood guitars right along with anything else that you find and see what you think/feel.

In the end, this guitar has to please YOU, the rest of us may or may not like different things about it. Cheers, Kuru

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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@Scott & KuruPrinoz - points well taken, thank you!

 

I used to work in Music Retail, and do set-up's & minor repairs, as well, so I've had a lot of Guitars, different makes, different models, and different price points, in my hands. Sometimes, I've been surprised by how good a "cheap" Guitar felt and sounded, and conversely, by how cheap an expensive brand-name instrument could sound and feel. FWIW, I never buy any Guitar I have not held in my hands and played, and I will pick up and try out anything that intrigues me, if I can afford it, no matter what it says on the headstock.

 

Still, my experience with Basswood Guitars, so far, has been uninspiring. In fairness, it may be that Basswood is the perfect tone wood for someone else's taste in tone. Thinking of the Fender models that have successfully used Basswood, I can think of few Guitars more different in tone than a Telecaster and an SG, at least to my ears. It may also be that budget Basswood Guitars are unlikely to sound any better than budget Mahogany Guitars, so comparing affordable import ERG's to my U.S.-made SG's (which I've heavily tweaked to my taste) isn't a realistic, nor fair comparison.

 

I'm going to keep looking, and trying different Guitars, including the Basswood ones, so as not to exclude anything out of mere prejudice. Thanks again for replying, and any other experiences or opinions out there, keep 'em coming.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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I'd always considered basswood to be a slightly bright but generally 'neutral' body-wood, tonally, for solid-body electric guitars...

 

That's what I've been getting from my research, as well. It may be that the 'warm' but none-too-bright tone of Mahogany is considered too dark for a low-pitched Guitar? Apparently, some builders swear by a Basswood body with a Maple cap, but I've yet to encounter one in any local Music store.

 

I'm looking at around $750-1000, even with used Guitars in mind, as I haven't been convinced by anything in the $500+/- range. Last resort, well, maybe next-to-last, would be finding a Guitar that felt right otherwise, and had a good unplugged tone, then upgrading the PU's. Last resort would be getting something else, altogether.

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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I have no experience with Basswood but will throw out a couple of ideas anyway...the wood would not be my 1st consideration and I [wood] try to [pick] the best guitar I can in my price range.

 

1). I'm looking for a guitar that looks good and feels good before I plug it in. It can be a little heavy though I like mine on the goldilocks side (i.e. just right). Most of the tone and overall sound is going to come from the pups. So I'll be looking forward to how it sounds when I plug in.

 

2). I would bring the amp I will be using to the store and take it in a private room with my top 3 choices off the rack (bring an AB switch if you have one).

 

3). If I can't find a good one for the sound I like, I would consider the added cost of upgrading the pups. Then look at the rack again and pick 3 in that new price range. Also include any used guitars off the floor in the top 3.

 

4). If Basswood wins that will tell you something with regard to why manufactures like it. I like ebony for the fretboards on my guitars.

 

5). Try some higher end models above your budget when making the comparisons to get an idea of the pups they are using.

 

I have seen some walnut bodies in your price range that look interesting...Good hunting, make a day of it, and have some fun while checking them out!

 

Walk on by if you don't find the right one right away. You can always come back again and continue the search. If you do find the right one in your hand, don't let go of it! :thu:

Take care, Larryz
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Since I don't have any experience with a basswood bodied guitar, I'm going to use this story as an analogy. Some years back I bought a Chinese made SKS rifle. I don't know what kind of wood Norinco (the Chinese manufacturer) used for that rifle stock, but it reminded me of basswood, due to its light weight and softness. Anyways, I took the stock off, stripped the old finish off, sanded it smooth, gave it a walnut stain, and then a few coats of satin polyurethane. The gun looked amazing, so I took it to a gun show to show off my refinishing skills. After just one day of that rifle being picked up, handled, and set back down, I discovered a few dents in the wood. I never took it back to another show. While basswood is technically a hardwood, it is quite soft, and I imagine that a guitar body made from basswood would be prone to scratching and denting with very little effort, much like the SKS stock. I personally would recommend another kind of wood that is a bit more durable, such as almost anything else. But that's just my opinion. Besides, some people like having a guitar that looks beat to hell.
I rock; therefore, I am.
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Many thanks to everyone who responded! Very cool, and very kind of you!

 

I've had previous experience with Basswood, as a material for model-building, and found it very soft. Architecture students could easily carve it up with X-Acto knives, and I found that I could make an impression in it with my thumbnail.

 

@Larryz - I'm with you, all the way, although I'll take a slightly broken-in used Guitar that sounds and feels right, over a shiny new Guitar that doesn't quite cut it. It has to sound and feel good unplugged, and it has to have some dynamic range when plugged in. For Amp tone, a good clean SS Amp will do for me to check out the sound. If a Guitar sounds thin through SS, I'm not going to bother running it through a Tube Amp, and fool myself with Tube tone. "I don't know, it sounded great through that 100-watt Stack in the store?"

 

@Sharkman - Sorry you had that experience, especially after all the effort you put in. Apparently, Basswood gets dinged very easily, and I'm not a fan of the relic'd look, whether genuine or contrived. While I'm good to my toys - all my Guitars live in HSC's, for example - any Guitar I'm going to play needs to be durable enough that I can have confidence taking it out with me.

 

In the mid-budget ERG range, $400-500, swapping out the stock PU's is a common upgrade, but I have to wonder if it's not false economy, at best, or lipstick on a pig, at worst? A decent set of ERG PU's will run me another $200+/-, then add in the cost of having them installed, $50-75 per PU around here, so another $100-150. At that point, I should just be looking at Guitars that sell for $750-1000.

 

 

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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@ Winston, +1 on upping the budget to get the pickups you like and/or finding a used one already having them on board. Epi came out with US made 57 Humbuckers on a ES-175 model for $1,000 and I grabbed one. The Gibson version goes for $4,000. Saved me the trouble of upgrading. From the comments so far, I would skip the Basswood as I hate dings, even if I do it LOL! +1 on using a clean SS amp for testing. I can take my battery powered SS amp to a store or a persons house to check out a guitar. I also take it to my Tech's house to check his work before bringing a guitar home or while standing by. His amp is always on OD and it fooled me once LOL! :cool:
Take care, Larryz
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Since I don't have any experience with a basswood bodied guitar, I'm going to use this story as an analogy. Some years back I bought a Chinese made SKS rifle. I don't know what kind of wood Norinco (the Chinese manufacturer) used for that rifle stock, but it reminded me of basswood, due to its light weight and softness. Anyways, I took the stock off, stripped the old finish off, sanded it smooth, gave it a walnut stain, and then a few coats of satin polyurethane. The gun looked amazing, so I took it to a gun show to show off my refinishing skills. After just one day of that rifle being picked up, handled, and set back down, I discovered a few dents in the wood. I never took it back to another show. While basswood is technically a hardwood, it is quite soft, and I imagine that a guitar body made from basswood would be prone to scratching and denting with very little effort, much like the SKS stock. I personally would recommend another kind of wood that is a bit more durable, such as almost anything else. But that's just my opinion. Besides, some people like having a guitar that looks beat to hell.

 

Guitars made of Basswood are almost always covered in a virtually bulletproof thick poly finish, though.

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Many thanks to everyone who responded! Very cool, and very kind of you!

 

I've had previous experience with Basswood, as a material for model-building, and found it very soft. Architecture students could easily carve it up with X-Acto knives, and I found that I could make an impression in it with my thumbnail.

 

@Larryz - I'm with you, all the way, although I'll take a slightly broken-in used Guitar that sounds and feels right, over a shiny new Guitar that doesn't quite cut it. It has to sound and feel good unplugged, and it has to have some dynamic range when plugged in. For Amp tone, a good clean SS Amp will do for me to check out the sound. If a Guitar sounds thin through SS, I'm not going to bother running it through a Tube Amp, and fool myself with Tube tone. "I don't know, it sounded great through that 100-watt Stack in the store?"

 

@Sharkman - Sorry you had that experience, especially after all the effort you put in. Apparently, Basswood gets dinged very easily, and I'm not a fan of the relic'd look, whether genuine or contrived. While I'm good to my toys - all my Guitars live in HSC's, for example - any Guitar I'm going to play needs to be durable enough that I can have confidence taking it out with me.

 

In the mid-budget ERG range, $400-500, swapping out the stock PU's is a common upgrade, but I have to wonder if it's not false economy, at best, or lipstick on a pig, at worst? A decent set of ERG PU's will run me another $200+/-, then add in the cost of having them installed, $50-75 per PU around here, so another $100-150. At that point, I should just be looking at Guitars that sell for $750-1000.

 

 

Fully agree on using a nice, clean sounding combo amp. I gig with small solid state combos and stores always have them. If the guitar sounds good clean, it sounds good.

If a budget ERG sounds and plays good unplugged, it is good. The pickups would have to really suck to make it sound bad plugged in. Bear in mind that hot pickups can be too "hot" and unable to deliver more subtle tones.

There are ways around that usually. Lowering the pickups will smooth out and even up the response. If the pickup is too thick sounding and has all adjustable pole pieces you can remove the pole pieces under the wound strings on the coil nearest the neck and if needed, do the same for pole pieces on the unwound strings but on the coil nearest the bridge. That will reduce output and also reduce the size of the magnetic field, giving you a more "single coil" sound while remaining humbucking. Usually only needed on the neck pickup, at least for me. I like a punchier bridge pickup although I rarely use it by itself.

 

Consider buying a soldering iron and learing to solder. Swapping pickups is super easy and doesn't take long at all. People sell used pickups all the time, there are bargains to be had. They installed them, didn't like them and away they go. Their pain could be your pleasure.

 

Last but not least, if you haven't played an ERG it may feel strange. I do lots of string bending and some bends can be a step and half or more. What I found with ERG fretboards is that the slanted frets will change bending into something unfamilar. Down near the nut, when you stretch one of the high (unwound) strings, the slant of the frets lengthens the string, causing it to have a lower pitch. So you are fighting it, bending upwards towards your head will be a battle. Conversely, pulling a lower wound string down will shorten it and you will over-stretch. The opposite is true when you go up into the high frets.

 

In the end I just went back to my Fender style guitars. Currently building a baritone (warmoth neck is direct bolt on to Fender) for those low tones. Your mileage may vary! Cheers, Kuru

 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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@KuruPrionz - Thanks for that. Love the screen name, BTW!

 

Had not considered the issue of fanned frets vs. string-bending. I don't do a lot of string-bending, but it'll be interesting to experiment with that. Most of the ERG's I've been looking at have normal railroad-tie fretboards, although I've been curious about the multi-scale design. In my case, I'm more concerned with how it would affect, or alter my Tapping technique.

 

Part of what's driving this search is that I've owned maybe four or five ERG's in the last couple of years, none of which quite made the mark. One consistent issue has been scale length. I had an Epiphone 7-string Les Paul, with the standard Gibson scale, which didn't work too well for intonation on that 7th string. An 8-string with a 26.5-inch scale didn't fare much better. Good scale length for the 7th string, less so for the 8th, and so on. The wide, flat necks on the 8-strings really call to me for Tapping, while I also love the extended Chord voicings I can get with both 7- and 8-strings.

 

Two contenders right now are a used Ibanez 8-string with a 27-inch scale, and a used Schecter 7-string, with a 26.5-inch scale, both Mahogany bodies, both at area GC's, although they're in different directions, so I'm not likely to check out both in one day. If all else fails, there's always the PRS SE SVN, which may be my fallback position; Mahogany body, dual HB's, no trem and a 26.5-inch scale length. Oddly, it only has a 10-inch neck radius? It's been a long time since I bought a brand-new Guitar, so that would be a nice treat.

 

Thanks again, everyone, for responding. Going out for a look at that Ibanez today or tomorrow, will report back.

 

 

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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@KuruPrionz - Thanks for that. Love the screen name, BTW!

 

Had not considered the issue of fanned frets vs. string-bending. I don't do a lot of string-bending, but it'll be interesting to experiment with that. Most of the ERG's I've been looking at have normal railroad-tie fretboards, although I've been curious about the multi-scale design. In my case, I'm more concerned with how it would affect, or alter my Tapping technique.

 

Part of what's driving this search is that I've owned maybe four or five ERG's in the last couple of years, none of which quite made the mark. One consistent issue has been scale length. I had an Epiphone 7-string Les Paul, with the standard Gibson scale, which didn't work too well for intonation on that 7th string. An 8-string with a 26.5-inch scale didn't fare much better. Good scale length for the 7th string, less so for the 8th, and so on. The wide, flat necks on the 8-strings really call to me for Tapping, while I also love the extended Chord voicings I can get with both 7- and 8-strings.

 

Two contenders right now are a used Ibanez 8-string with a 27-inch scale, and a used Schecter 7-string, with a 26.5-inch scale, both Mahogany bodies, both at area GC's, although they're in different directions, so I'm not likely to check out both in one day. If all else fails, there's always the PRS SE SVN, which may be my fallback position; Mahogany body, dual HB's, no trem and a 26.5-inch scale length. Oddly, it only has a 10-inch neck radius? It's been a long time since I bought a brand-new Guitar, so that would be a nice treat.

 

Thanks again, everyone, for responding. Going out for a look at that Ibanez today or tomorrow, will report back.

 

 

And all of the above is part of the fun!!! We are all playing the same instrument but we are doing different things with it. I like that.

 

I am not much of a tapper, I used to do the "tap with the edge of the pick" thing that Frank Zappa was doing way before Eddie Van Halen was at it.

As I gravitated towards taller frets and eventually scalloped fretboard, I found tapping got weirder. I guess having a check on depth of strike was a comfort zone thing for me.

 

Here is my good friend Brian Kenney Fresno playing a Warr guitar, which was designed for tapping. There is some crazy stage antics at first, he starts really playing around 6:50 in.

Watching him sing, play bass, chords, and melody while footswitching loopers and effects pedals makes my tiny little brain hurt!!!

 

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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I have 2 basses with basswood bodies...they are from the eighties, and have seen some use...one was my main for over a decade.

 

The one that was my main is pretty beat, but it's really more finish than anything... The other looks very good, but the color has aged. No major dings, dents, or damage to speak of.

 

I would describe the tone as neutral, but colored towards lower mids and lower-medium treble. The pickups are active, but controls are v/t/b, pretty simple.

My main saw use on a few recordings, a live performance on the radio, and several hundred gigs with no structural or mechanical issues.

 

I actually bought the second one just to make it fretless, and it is good for that, too, although that one seems more subdued.

 

I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here.

 

 

 

 

 

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Steve Vai's JEM & Universe guitars have basswood bodies, at least the ones he plays are, as are Joe Satriani's JS guitars. They ain't that cheap. Basswood is a tight-gained wood, which means it should reflect more vibration than, say, mahogany. But it's very light, so it will resonate more readily than heavier, open-grained woods. I think basswood bodies do tend to be a bit warmers than like maple, which is tight-grained but heavy, and tendds toward brightness.

And yes, it's not as pricey as more exotic woods, like rosewood or ebony. But it's not necessarily inferior, just a different flovor.

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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Like Wraub, my only experience with basswood is on a bass, my Spector legend. It had a couple of dents in it, which made it a mark-down for the dealer and I got it much cheaper than I expected. It has a bubinga top, another relatively soft wood. That said, it hasn't gotten many more marks on it in the 10 years I've had it, and it has a satin finish which I would expect to get marred. It does seem to have an upper-mids & treble brightness moreso than my other basses. But I also contribute part of that to the bolt-on neck.

 

Considering that we are bassists saying "it's an ok wood", it might be in your favor, as you're looking at ERG's which cross over into the bass territory?

 

While basswood might not be the first wood I would desire, I'd give another one a try. The only wood I've played that really made me go "yuck" was agathis. Every guitar or bass I've played with an agathist body has just been dead sounding and feeling. Fortunately, I haven't heard of many made with that in a while.

"Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion)

NEW band Old band

 

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I am seriously impressed by the wealth of experience reflected in the responses to my post! Thanks, everyone!

 

From the responses I've seen here, I strongly suspect that part of my own issue with Basswood has more to do with the particular Guitar models I've been looking at, and the price point of those Guitars. It may be time to start over and take a fresh look at, or listen to, some of the ones I'd already passed over.

 

Happy New Year to all!

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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EVH guitars have a lotta basswood in them. My go-to guitar of late has been a parts caster that Juanita had built for my 60th, a few months before she passed. It has a cedar top and I believe a basswood body, a generic Canadian neck, prolly from Godin. It is almost weightless! Love the sound and the playability meets even my fanatical standards. Great for long gigs. Luv my my LP's and other heavy pieces, but a full gig takes more outta me these days. I concur with others here who suggest quailty electronics. They have building solid bodies out of everything from aluminum to Lexan to drywall to graphite, and they all sound great. Don't be put off by the softness if you want a light, bouncy guitar.
Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never!
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My go-to guitar of late has been a parts caster that Juanita had built for my 60th, a few months before she passed. It has a cedar top and I believe a basswood body, a generic Canadian neck, prolly from Godin. It is almost weightless! Love the sound and the playability meets even my fanatical standards. Great for long gigs.

 

Give us some photos and a video or two of you and that guitar in action, Reif! I'm sire you'd posted some pics of it before, but give us a refresher, my friend!

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

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My dear wife has suggested that I might get much more out of another Synth, or some new FX, than another Guitar right now. It's a reasonable thought, especially as I haven't been convinced by any of the ERG's I've tried, as yet.

 

In fairness, on-hand stock is limited; ERG's aren't nearly as popular as Ukuleles. (Seriously, I see those little 4-stringed twangers everywhere!) Most local stores, whether GC's or independents, have only a few models on hand at any time, generally budget models, at that. Among the Used offerings, I see way too many of the Schecter Demon 7's, enough to make me wonder if everyone who buys one trades it right back in?

 

There are always January sales, and there's usually a run of trade-in's after the holidays, as people get rid of old gear that's been supplanted by newer, better gear; good time for scavengers like me. I'll keep looking, and report back if I find anything interesting. Thanks again for all the responses! Hope the New Year is treating you well!

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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...I haven't been convinced by any of the ERG's I've tried, as yet.

 

...on-hand stock is limited; ERG's aren't nearly as popular as Ukuleles.

 

Isn't that so often the case with more interesting, progressive-edge instruments and equipment? It can be tough to 'try before you buy'! :crazy:

 

Do keep us posted. And continue to rock on those synths and fuzzes and all that.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Have you looked into or tried any Legator ERGs? Most models don't appear to be basswood, and they have several that are fanned fret scaling. Good reviews, too; and not overly pricey. Of course, I don't see many used ones showing up on GC's site...

"Am I enough of a freak to be worth paying to see?"- Separated Out (Marillion)

NEW band Old band

 

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@Danzilla - I'm suspicious of the Legator brand, because I don't see them anywhere but GC, kind of like those budget Mitchell Guitars. FWIW, none of the nearby GC's carry them in-store, so I haven't been able to check them out at all, other than seeing them online. I'd consider anything that I can put my hands on, IRL. Agile has a number of models that look very inviting, including some LP-style bodies with multi-scale fretboards, but for now, there's no way to try one without buying one.

 

Not giving up on the search, so much as waiting until I see some new models, or something used catches my attention. I'm not prepared to settle for 'just alright', if waiting and allowing for a higher price point will get me what I want, whatever the material.

 

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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Balsa-wood is used for models. Not Bass-wood.

 

Yes, Balsa wood is used for models, but the Art Supply store where I worked also sold Basswood for Architectural models. It was darker, with a more distinct grain, and slightly harder than the Balsa wood. Even now, if you do a web search on Basswood for Architectural models, you'll find many links, and articles on how to use it. I don't mind admitting when I'm wrong about something, but this is a product I've held in my hands, and sold to Architecture students. Here's just one link - Model building materials: Basswood

 

I'd also seen the article you linked to, when I was doing my research on Basswood Guitars: it was one of the more favorable articles.

 

"Monsters are real, and Ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." Stephen King

 

http://www.novparolo.com

 

https://thewinstonpsmithproject.bandcamp.com

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