basswood vs. poplar

Best tone wood for budget basses

  • Basswood

  • Poplar

  • Plywood

  • Particle board

  • Carrots

  • Broccoli

Results are only viewable after voting.
#84
pie_man_25 said:
Which is interesting because even in tree form I call it basswood. But not bass as in bass guitar, bass as in bass the fish. So it's fish wood.
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Basswood makes for great honey, too.
Basswood-Blend jpg.jpg


  • I got an old P/J with a mahogany body that has taken the abuse well.
 
#87
I voted basswood because my 5 string is made out of it and it's two pounds lighter than my Jazz Bass. And..it still sounds good. Basswood is also very easy to work with - it carves easily without splintering.
 
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#88
The guy that made my custom Telecaster mini bass guitar used poplar and I find it a little too heavy. I also have swamp ash and basswood that are definitely lighter. I'm planning to have two more bodies made and I'm pretty sure I'll choose alder, but that depends on what's available at House of Hardwoods in Culver City.
 
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#90
Jeff Scott said:
You say particle board is absurd yet you want to build a bass from plastic wood (oxymoron?). I didn't realize one could buy trees in a can! Would you post pics of the plastic wood tree? Where does it grow best? :smug:
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No. The type of particle board I was thinking of has a rather high ratio of glue to wood chips. Glue dries to a solid consistent mass. Strong and no dead spots. That got me wondering how Plastic Wood brand wood filler (readily available in my area) would perform as a substitute for carbon fiber (which is strong and consistent with no dead spots, but costs a fortune and isn't a viable alternative for a one off experimental project with a high likelihood of some unforeseen failure). I don't believe glue based products or carbon fiber are plant based materials, so I doubt either one comes from trees. I think they probably grow best in a lab or chemical factory not too far from the fertilizer used on the vegetables you ate for supper last night. So there may be a connection after all.
 
#92
Jeff Scott said:
I have an acoustic guitar with a paulownia top; I was, initially, going to buy a guitar that also has paulownia b&s (there were several to choose from) but decided to get one I was shown that has cocobolo b&s, instead. Great sounding instrument. :) This luthier has been making a lot of instruments with paulownia that fingerstyle players, in particular, love, for a couple of years, now. Paulownia is used for making kotos, so it is a natural for acoustic stringed instruments. My guess on the solidbody guitars is the lightweight factor is what players like about them.
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Yeah, the light weight is definitely a big plus. It's also very resonant, another big plus. Of course we've seen many times that some folks disagree that resonance matters in an electric solidbody instrument, and of course there are many other factors that also matter ... my own experience is that resonance does matter, both in the amplified sound and in the feel of how an instrument plays. For those whose mileage on this varies, that's fine, you don't have to make the wood a consideration for sound when you buy or build a solidbody. Personally, I notice this factor. Paulownia is a nice wood in this respect. And super light!
 
#96
DaveAceofBass said:
Supply vs. demand. That doesn't say anything about the quality of the tone.
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I never mentioned tone in my post, because it is the last thing that should be considered when selecting a body wood. I mentioned the price because at $5 a board food an Alder body blank is not exactly inexpensive. It cost as much or more than ash or maple.
 
#97
Hopkins said:
I never mentioned tone in my post, because it is the last thing that should be considered when selecting a body wood. I mentioned the price because at $5 a board food an Alder body blank is not exactly inexpensive. It cost as much or more than ash or maple.
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Oh, one of those people, eh? ^_^
 
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#98
TyBo said:
Oh, one of those people, eh? ^_^
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This is what happens when I post in the non technical sub forums. I never learn my lesson.

I never commented about tone, I commented about the price of the materials. I won't let this turn into a ridiculous "tonewood" argument.
 
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#99
Hopkins said:
This is what happens when I post in the non technical sub forums. I never learn my lesson.

I never commented about tone, I commented about the price of the materials. I won't let this turn into a ridiculous "tonewood" argument.
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Well, you did comment about tone, read your post. You also commented about price of materials ... which may have been your main point, but was not the only point you put forward. Just sayin'. But we don't have to have an argument on that
 
#100
I can't believe Basswood is ahead of Poplar 60 to 46 in the poll.
Basswood is so soft that it does not hold screws well and it's easy to dent, that does not seem like a good choice of wood.
Poplar is plenty light, machines well, takes paint well, but is far more durable than Basswood.
I have a bass with a body made of Basswood and the bass is fine but I know I have to very careful with it.
Is the weight of a bass really that big a deal? If the body is too light the neck dives.
I understand not many people want to gig with a T-40 every night but I just don't see the point of Basswood.
Ash, Alder and Poplar are all great choices that I would pick over Basswood every time.
 
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