What wood is a telecaster made of?

Overall design. The archetypical Fender Telecaster is a solid-body electric guitar with a flat asymmetric single-cutaway body; the body is usually made from alder or ash.

What kind of wood is used in a Telecaster?

There are two types used to make guitar bodies—northern ash, and southern or “swamp” ash. The latter is more commonly used, and was chosen by Leo Fender for his first Esquire, Broadcaster and Telecaster guitars. Found mainly in the wetter environs of the U.S.

What is Fender Telecaster body made from?

Early Fenders used swamp ash, a softer wood, that produced a much warmer tone, but northern ash is also used and has a bright, singing, high sound. Fender's American Standard Telecaster, body made from ash.

What kind of wood does Fender use?

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 are Fender guitars made of?

Typically, the bodies are composed of ash or alder, but could be made with others, such as maple, rosewood, ebony, or mahogany, depending on the specific model. Certain models come from a single block of wood. For others, two or three blocks are glued together before cutting.

How Wood Affects Tone - Ask Zac 48

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.

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 a Gibson 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 ash more expensive than alder?

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

Which is heavier ash or 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.

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 Swamp Ash a hardwood?

Swamp Ash | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)

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) .

How can you tell mahogany from maple?

Mahogany has slightly larger pores than maple does. Maple absorbs stain almost as well and is often stained to appear like a more expensive wood such as walnut or cherry. Because of this, mahogany is often used for deck railings, window trims and other exterior uses.

Is Poplar good guitar 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.

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 ...

What kind of ash does fender use?

“Over time, there's this Emerald Ash Borer beetle that started up near Canada and Michigan, and it started destroying the ash. Up in the north, we don't use that ash because it's really heavy… we use the swamp ash which is down in the south.

What kind of wood is a Fender Stratocaster made of?

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

What kind of wood does Epiphone use?

Typically, Epiphone uses a very thin maple veneer, which is common for many companies when using a figured or flamed maple; however, Epiphone still uses a thin maple veneer when using plain maple tops too. Both Gibson and Epiphone use several pieces of wood glued together to form the body of their guitars.

Is African mahogany a good tone wood?

As a tonewood, mahogany offers a warm tone with pronounced lower mids, mellow high-end and superb sustain. It's slightly warmer than many other hardwoods, thanks to its density. Honduran mahogany projects very nicely with a strong sound and quick response.

Where does Gibson get mahogany?

Gibson has set up a global commodity chain that supplies them with 'sustainably certified' mahogany by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) grown in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Fiji.

Which wood is best for guitar body?

Spruce. This evergreen, found in northern temperate regions of the globe, is literally top choice: the ideal wood for the soundboard, or top, of an acoustic guitar. Its look — light in color, even in grain — is appealing though somewhat plain; what sets it apart is its beautiful tonal properties.

Is mahogany good for guitars?

Mahogany: Mahogany is great for the backs and sides of a guitar as it has a great mid range character. It can enhance the mid range tones and add meatiness/thickness to the sound. If this is what you after, then this is a great wood option for you.