What wood are Fender Strats made of?

Alder is the most common choice for Stratocasters, Jaguars and Jazzmasters as well as the Jazz Bass due to its warmer balanced tone. More specifically, Red Alder is used by Fender as it is fast growing and readily available.

What type of wood is used in Fender Stratocaster?

Most commonly alder or ash. Other woods have also been used. Most commonly maple or rosewood.

What wood are Fender guitars made of?

There are three main types of wood that Fender has used on its guitars from the early days to the present—ash, maple, and alder.

What is a Fender Strat made out of?

Modern Stratocaster bodies are still made of the same woods the originals were made from over 60 years ago: alder and ash. Most contemporary Strats are alder, while the Strats featured in the Deluxe range feature ash bodies.

What is the best body wood for a Stratocaster?

Alder body

Alder is used in most Fender Strats mainly because of its light weight and it’s easy to finish due to minimal grain lines. Alder is also the most neutral sounding of the commonly used wood types with a full tone, well balanced lower end a hint of mid range.

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Is alder better than basswood?

The mids of alder aren't as pronounced as basswood, but there is more emphasis on the highs and a bit more breathing room for the lows. Alder is overall a bit more dynamic than basswood, making it suitable for a wider range of sounds, but it's mostly found in Fenders and Fender style guitars like Squiers.

Is ash better than alder?

Sonically, Alder will produce more attack and presence with its emphasised upper-mids, resulting in it sounding a little bit punchier than Ash. Ash will give you a comparably rounder and slightly mellower tone with chiming highs that aren't too bright.

Is alder a heavy wood?

It's a medium-weight wood, although quality cuts of alder used for guitar bodies will often weigh less than denser cuts of ash. Alder has a strong, clear, full-bodied sound, with beefy mids and excellent lows.

Is basswood lighter than alder?

Basswood is usually lighter than alder. Alder is usually lighter than northern ash, but swamp ash is usually lighter than alder.

Is alder a good tone wood?

As a tonewood, alder offers a full-bodied, clear tone, balancing low, mid and high frequencies. Though it's somewhat lacking in the treble, its upper-midrange really shines through. Overall, alder is very balanced through the fundamental frequencies and critical overtones of guitar and bass.

Is Fender still using ash?

It was recently announced that Fender will be phasing out ash for production-line electric guitar models. The company statement explained that “in order to uphold our legacy of consistency and high quality we, at Fender, have made the decision to remove Ash from the majority of our regular production models.

Does Fender still use ash?

Fender used ash for electric guitar and bass bodies more or less exclusively from 1950 to mid-1956, and to the present continues to use ash on a relatively small number of instruments. Guitars and basses with blonde finishes typically have ash bodies because the wood “takes” that particular finish especially well.

Is ash more expensive than alder?

Generally, Ash wood is considered more expensive than Alder because it is lightweight.

Is Swamp Ash lighter than alder?

Alder is a lighter hardwood. Most quality guitars made with ash use Swamp ash, which is usually slightly lighter than alder. Swamp ash is the bottom part of an ash tree that has its roots underwater.

Why did Fender stop using ash?

In an interview with Guitar World, Fender's Executive Vice President of Product, Justin Norvell, revealed that the difficult decision was made largely because of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle, a non-native invasive pest that has been destroying the unique "swamp ash" found in the American South - favored by Fender for ...

When did Fender stop using Brazilian rosewood?

Brazilian rosewood was a common wood for fingerboards and partly also for bodies and bridges of high quality instruments, produced especially in the U.S. until about 1965 (Fender,Gibson) sometimes until 1969 (Martin) .

What is better basswood or mahogany?

As far as necks go, there is little debate that mahogany is better. Not only does it resonate better, but it is much harder and stable. Basswood necks simply aren't a thing due to the tonewood's softer properties.

Is poplar a good guitar body wood?

Poplar is a superb solidbody wood, even though there's nothing particularly impressive about its tone. Tonewoods matter much less in electric guitars, which rely on the pickups, string, and gain stages for the overall tone. However, the balanced sound of poplar can make a decent-sounding body.

What wood is best for guitar body?

Mahogany, mainly used in the acoustic world, for back and sides. It is the most commonly used hardwood because it's relatively economical, durable, attractive, easy to work with and resonant. Mahogany became popular in guitars because it is attractive and cheaper to get than rosewood.

What wood does Gibson use?

Gibson's signature tonewood of choice is Mahogany. It uses this almost exclusively for its solid-body electric guitar model's bodies and necks. Mahogany yields the focused lows and rich mids that Gibson guitars are so renowned for, with its density contributing to the long sustain that they can also achieve.

What wood is closest to alder?

Alder, Rustic Alder, Select Alder

A fine-grained hardwood similar to cherry, birch, and maple. Pale yellow (tan) to reddish brown in color. A soft, light wood with even texture and straight grain that accepts stain well.

Is alder heavier than mahogany?

Mahogany guitars are generally heavier, with alder being quite light. Because of this, alder gives a light bright sound, and Mahogany gives a deeper Les-Paulier sound.

What wood is a Les Paul made of?

Its typical design features a solid mahogany body with a carved maple top and a single cutaway, a mahogany set-in neck with a rosewood fretboard, two pickups with independent volume and tone controls, and a stoptail bridge, although variants exist.

Is mahogany good for guitars?

Mahogany produces a strong, earthy midrange tonality with subtle overtones, making for a sound that is often described as “non-abrasive.” Mahogany top guitars are great for playing blues and are also an excellent choice in situations where you are playing with other instruments, since they cut through so well.

Is roasted pine a good guitar wood?

Is pine a good guitar tonewood? Pine is a good yet rare tonewood for solid electric guitar bodies and acoustic guitar tops. However, it's largely too soft and weak for use in necks (unless laminated with other wood), back and sides, or fretboards.