skipclone 1 Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 One of my main guitars has an ash body. It's a wonderful instrument. https://www.guitarworld.com/features/fender-will-no-longer-use-ash-bodies-for-production-line-guitars-we-found-out-why-and-what-woods-will-be-used-instead Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 I have an ash Tele body and have owned 3 or 4 ash Tales over the years. I love my wood guitars, and the beetle eating the trees is tragic. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted March 28, 2021 Author Share Posted March 28, 2021 This is mine. I have the maple fretboard version. https://www.killer.jp/guitar/kg-scary.html Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertbluesman Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Nice guitar Skip. Quote dbm If it sounds good, it is good !! http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=143231&content=music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 I like your guitar, Skip! I need to get a Floyd equipped guitar up and running. After years of not having one, I really miss it. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Having to cut down a tree to see if you can use it is why Bob Taylor started using all the light colored ebony in the tree as opposed to just the pure black Ebony for his fret boards. I knew they would touch on this subject in the article when discussing saving as many Ash trees as possible. Using the stored Ash for their period correct guitars. Ash is also a pretty wood for sunburst Fenders. The painted models which is most of what, Fender already uses Alder for. This saves on cutting down Ash trees and you're not going to see the wood through the many coats Hot Rod painted colors. Sorry to see the change as lots players prefer sunburst Ash models and natural wood models. But, if it's good for the environment (especially in the South Swamp Ash zone). I'm all for it! I like Leo's attitude "99% functional and 1% pretty is what's important" (paraphrasing)...Cool guitar Skip! Quote Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Even before this news, I was seriously considering buying a good Swamp Ash or Roasted Swamp Ash Telecaster styled body while I can, to build a nice vintage Telecaster/Broadcaster-based guitar from parts. I'm still on the fence right now, debating if it's that important to me that such a Tele-build be made with a Swamp Ash body, as opposed to, say, Alder; I may just prefer the somewhat warmer, stronger-low-ended tone of Alder. Then again, even if I do decide that I'd prefer Alder in the long run, I could probably wait just a bit and regain much- maybe all?- of the cost of said Swamp Ash body. NOT that I have any designs on price-gouging or taking advantage of the situation- it's just further incentive to sway me over the fence to buy a Swamp Ash body now. Anyone else's thoughts? Quote Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Get a one piece swamp ash body, the lightest one you can find. Warmoth should have something for one. Finish it with a thin, clear finish to protect the wood but leave options for anybody that has other ideas. "I may just prefer the somewhat warmer, stronger-low-ended tone of Alder" - this is why amps have tone controls. That one piece swamp ash body will hold it's value, possibly become more valuable. Put a one piece maple neck on it - with a skunk stripe. Counting the skunk stripe the entire guitar will have 3 pieces of wood, total. Warmoth makes those necks too, with lots of options for radius, nut width and the carve of the back of the neck. You can get exactly what you like. Another thin, clear lacquer finish on that. Hardware and electronics of your choosing. Won't be cheap but what's not to love? Alder will never grow large enough to make a one piece body, it is a tall skinny tree that grows like a weed - inexpensive due to supply. You can clear cut a stand of alder and 6 or 7 years later you'd never know it. That's why Leo chose it when ash got a little more expensive than alder, he was a nickel and dime dude for sure. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted March 28, 2021 Share Posted March 28, 2021 Get a one piece swamp ash body... How big of a deal do you think its being a one-piece is, as opposed to being a center-seamed, more or less 'book-matched' two-piece body? (NOT laminate-top, laminated layers, veneers, none o' that crap.) I note that the vast majority of vintage Broadcasters, "N0casters", and Telecasters have two (or more?) piece bodies... "I may just prefer the somewhat warmer, stronger-low-ended tone of Alder" - this is why amps have tone controls. It also occurs to me that while more lows and low-mids can be added for the most part, and that highs can be rolled-off, some of that inherent ping and ring and attack of Swamp Ash can't really be ADDED on top of the tonal qualities of another wood that has less or little of that to begin with. And I am a player who appreciates and enjoys an electric solid-body guitar that I can play unplugged and still have the pleasure of a good lively, responsive, ringing yet woody tone... That one piece swamp ash body will hold it's value, possibly become more valuable. Put a one piece maple neck on it - with a skunk stripe. Counting the skunk stripe the entire guitar will have 3 pieces of wood, total. Warmoth makes those necks too, with lots of options for radius, nut width and the carve of the back of the neck. You can get exactly what you like. Another thin, clear lacquer finish on that. Hardware and electronics of your choosing. Won't be cheap but what's not to love? I'm debating between Warmoth's one-piece "Vintage Construction" type, and their "Modern Construction" type that would have separate neck and fretboard pieces. Quote Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 Get a one piece swamp ash body... How big of a deal do you think its being a one-piece is, as opposed to being a center-seamed, more or less 'book-matched' two-piece body? (NOT laminate-top, laminated layers, veneers, none o' that crap.) I note that the vast majority of vintage Broadcasters, "N0casters", and Telecasters have two (or more?) piece bodies... "I may just prefer the somewhat warmer, stronger-low-ended tone of Alder" - this is why amps have tone controls. It also occurs to me that while more lows and low-mids can be added for the most part, and that highs can be rolled-off, some of that inherent ping and ring and attack of Swamp Ash can't really be ADDED on top of the tonal qualities of another wood that has less or little of that to begin with. And I am a player who appreciates and enjoys an electric solid-body guitar that I can play unplugged and still have the pleasure of a good lively, responsive, ringing yet woody tone... That one piece swamp ash body will hold it's value, possibly become more valuable. Put a one piece maple neck on it - with a skunk stripe. Counting the skunk stripe the entire guitar will have 3 pieces of wood, total. Warmoth makes those necks too, with lots of options for radius, nut width and the carve of the back of the neck. You can get exactly what you like. Another thin, clear lacquer finish on that. Hardware and electronics of your choosing. Won't be cheap but what's not to love? I'm debating between Warmoth's one-piece "Vintage Construction" type, and their "Modern Construction" type that would have separate neck and fretboard pieces. It's not so much the tiny amount of glue and 2 pieces of wood as it is the "bling" of it being one piece. One piece bodies have always been less common and more valuable. That will not change. And you can rest assured that Leo Fender was not turning down ash that was wide enough to make one-piece bodies. It costs less to skip the glueing planks together step, no? Leo loved saving money. You missed one - Vintage Modern Construction. https://www.warmoth.com/pages/CustomNeck.aspx?style=4 In maple they will do a one piece neck. It has the 22nd fret on the overhang and a couple other nice features. I do like having that extra fret, if you are playing in E or B minor or A whatever, it's nice to have that extra note up there. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 And, FWIW (since we are way off topic anyhow!!!), I've got 2 guitars and one bass with Warmoth necks. My Tele neck is from the late 80's and has been one of my giggers since then. I don't know how many Warmoth necks I've installed or worked on but it's quite a few. In the long term they are well worth every dime. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted March 29, 2021 Author Share Posted March 29, 2021 Thanks for the comments. FWIW, I set out on a quest to get a guitar that would not make me look at other guitars and think, that's what I SHOULD have bought. I wrote down a short list of musts. The first one was, a one-piece body. Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfergirl Posted March 29, 2021 Share Posted March 29, 2021 This is my Fender Deluxe Player Strat it's Ash. I didn't know that,when I got it, I just wanted a red Stratocaster. The grain doesn't show as good as on yours or as it would on a sunburst, but I think it's a beautiful guitar. My other guitar is a Squier Strat, basswood I believe. Quote Jenny S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted March 30, 2021 Author Share Posted March 30, 2021 Ya, it's a lovely guitar. I considered several MIJ Strats before I found the one I have. I think the takeaway is, if you have an ash guitar, hang on to it. Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted March 30, 2021 Share Posted March 30, 2021 I didn't read the article yet, but saw the news a few months ago, so probably it's the same information, in that it will be reserved for special models, custom shop, on-demand orders. There's always a substitute available for most woods. I have chambered ash for my Tele, and solid ash for my P-Bass. And I wouldn't have it any other way on those models; I do feel it makes a big difference in the tonal balance on the oldest Fender design concepts. My G&L 5-string bass is Swamp Ash, which can be lighter or heavier but usually is lighter. It works well on that model, and though the pickups are sort of like the MusicMan StingRay, it gets it towards a P-Bass sound. I have swamp ash for my Bass VI as well. Mine is a Schecter Hellcat, 3rd generation (with in-house Schecter pickups that emulate Jaguar PUP's). Nothing to compare it to, so I don't know if Alder would work just as well. I bought the Schecter after years of watching Fender, as the Fender model isn't feature-accurate nor is the Squier, and I actually prefer the sound and feel of the Schecter to either current Fender offering. I don't like ash on J-Basses; I feel that it destroys the tonal balance of that particular design and also makes it awkward due to the combination of weight and the narrow neck. Not sure if there are other guitars that often go with ash; I'm more familiar with it on Teles and a whole slew of bass guitar models. Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 Well I don't know what you saw but, the article lays out the reasons for their decision. Sad situation, it doesn't look like much can be done in the short term. Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Oh, it's the article I read, now that I've clicked and seen the date, which is 20 April 2020, almost a year ago! Quote Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 At least I resisted the temptation to call it 'Kiss your ash goodbye..." Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 At least I resisted the temptation to call it 'Kiss your ash goodbye..." Eshpecially consherning kishing shomeone's shwampy ash... Quote Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted April 4, 2021 Author Share Posted April 4, 2021 I haven't had ash many thinksh ash you drink I did... Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KuruPrionz Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 Ash the World turns, Ash is to Ash is, Dust too Dust. Quote It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 Do you know how to catch an elephant? You dig a hole and build a wood fire in it. Throw in a can of peas. When the elephant comes to take pee, you kick him in the ash hole! (Now that was funny when we were in the 1st grade LOL!)... HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OUR FORUMITES! Quote Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 What do politicians and active volcanoes have in common? They're both ash holes! Yes you can steal-but cite your source haha Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 I recently picked up a project Tele body that's ash with a black limba top. It's about 90% complete, but I may want to remove some wood still because it's crazy heavy. Swamp ash it is not, but 2 piece center seamed ash it is, most of the holes and routes are done.There's some scratches in the top that need removed, so it'll need refinishing, so I may take some wood off the back. Or, I'll just build it out and marvel at the weight of it. Quote I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 Black limba-interesting choice. Photos when the time is right please. Quote Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Hmmmmm... Scientists find genes to save ash trees from deadly beetle Quote Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyalcatraz Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 That"s good news! It would be slow going, but it speaks well fot the future. Quote Sturgeon's 2nd Law, a.k.a. Sturgeon's Revelation: âNinety percent of everything is crapâ My FLMS- Murphy's Music in Irving, Tx http://murphysmusictx.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Saving trees from destructive beetles is always a great idea for the environment and fire prevention. We have a ton of pine trees destroyed in California forests by beetles every year... Quote Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Black limba-interesting choice. Photos when the time is right please. I thought so, too. The body is about 90%, I could build it out as is and call it a relic, but I think it wants better than that. It definitely could use some tlc, but for the price I couldn't pass it up. I might remove some wood from the back, as the body is a little thick and heavy for my tastes. Considering a single humbucker (possibly two) and a 22 fret Jackson slab rosewood 'board pointy (early 90s replacement neck) on a hardtail. Either black or nickel hardware. I may just throw an old Invader pickup in it and see what I get. Quote I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfergirl Posted May 16, 2021 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Hmmmmm... Scientists find genes to save ash trees from deadly beetle Does this mean I won't be able to sell my ash bodied Strat to send my children to college. Quote Jenny S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.