You're smarter than you look.
New Guthrie Govan Signature Suhr
41 - 51 of 51 Posts
Well played, sir. :lol:
There's absolutely no reason to think basswood is an inferior tone wood. Its use on high quality instruments as well as plenty of undeniably great-sounding records attest to this.
87% actually..
Joined
·
1,536 Posts
Har, har, har.
Joined
·
32,642 Posts
My problem with basswood is how it gets buried in the mix by literally any other guitar wood, except (maybe) walnut. I can't count the number of two guitar bands I've seen where an Ibanez is not heard, because the other guy has a Schecter. Literally, every local show I got to.
For example, a band we played with Sunday started out on two Jackson sixes, both alder, both plugged into 5150s. You could hear both guys fine. For the last two songs, they switched to an alder LTD seven and a basswood Ibanez 7, and the guy with the Ibanez just disappeared. You couldn't hear him unless you went over and stood right in front of his amp, and then it was just barely. This sort of scenario plays itself out all the time, including touring acts with a dedicated soundman. Basswood is just a poor choice of tonewoods when you are competing with another guitarist. It works better in a four piece, even though I won't profess the desire to ever own anything made out of basswood.
So, if hard won experience equates to "basswood hate", then so be it. However, it is interesting to note that three guys with basswood signature models--Satch, Vai, and Petrucci--are all playing guitars with different tonewoods live. Evo is made out of alder, Satch has been leaning heavily on the mahogany JS guitars, and Petrucci has been playing the Ball Family Reserves, which are (I think) mahogany with a maple cap.
For example, a band we played with Sunday started out on two Jackson sixes, both alder, both plugged into 5150s. You could hear both guys fine. For the last two songs, they switched to an alder LTD seven and a basswood Ibanez 7, and the guy with the Ibanez just disappeared. You couldn't hear him unless you went over and stood right in front of his amp, and then it was just barely. This sort of scenario plays itself out all the time, including touring acts with a dedicated soundman. Basswood is just a poor choice of tonewoods when you are competing with another guitarist. It works better in a four piece, even though I won't profess the desire to ever own anything made out of basswood.
So, if hard won experience equates to "basswood hate", then so be it. However, it is interesting to note that three guys with basswood signature models--Satch, Vai, and Petrucci--are all playing guitars with different tonewoods live. Evo is made out of alder, Satch has been leaning heavily on the mahogany JS guitars, and Petrucci has been playing the Ball Family Reserves, which are (I think) mahogany with a maple cap.
Joined
·
8,989 Posts
Also, those three guys either don't play in bands with second guitarists, typically play with another basswood merchant, or have clearly delineated roles between the guitars.
I wonder if some of that has to do with the crap electronics in the Ibanez?
Do the Jackson fusions have the same problem?
Joined
·
1,390 Posts
Actually, Satch's main guitars are all basswood, apart from the Orange JS2400 he's been playing on the new tour, and the JS/Strat hybrid he used on the Experience Hendrix tour, which are made out of alder. He has said he prefers the basswood guitars to the alder ones, but that the alder ones were for different tones.
Joined
·
32,642 Posts
I don't know about Fusions, but I've seen the same thing happen with EBMM JP sigs. The only guy around here that uses one, and can be heard, plays next to one of those god awful black with body pyramid UVs.
Joined
·
8,989 Posts
It's also worth noting that neither Satch nor Vai really play much metal rhythm guitar, and certainly not in tandem with another guitarist. Basswood works well for what they do.
As for Fusions, I've always felt they sounded a little better than Ibanez RGs, but that might have something to do with the different scale length. Regular RGs always sound soggy to me, compared even to better Ibanezes, not to mention EBMMs etc. Maybe RGs are made from wood from the secret Extra Special Shitty Tonewood Forest. :lol:
As for Fusions, I've always felt they sounded a little better than Ibanez RGs, but that might have something to do with the different scale length. Regular RGs always sound soggy to me, compared even to better Ibanezes, not to mention EBMMs etc. Maybe RGs are made from wood from the secret Extra Special Shitty Tonewood Forest. :lol:
41 - 51 of 51 Posts
