basswood+maple?

[xdaynex]

hey how are the guitars with basswood bodies and maple necks?do they play well and are they unbalanced?

[gothicpheonix]

The only one ive played is a friends Jem555 and is sounds dambed good for the price.
It is a shredders guitar though and it has a, that is too me anyway, distinct lack of thick bass tones on the bottom end, but that could also be due to the pickups.

So if its cutting through leads you want based around an mid-treble area then its all good.

On the balance issue, the Jem is a really thick guitar with a damed thin "wizard" neck profile so it balances fine, but i could see how you could have issues on a more standard guitar. (nothing a good strap wont fix though)

[Gfunk]

On the balance issue, the Jem is a really thick guitar with a damed thin "wizard" neck profile so it balances fine, but i could see how you could have issues on a more standard guitar. (nothing a good strap wont fix though)


:confused:




How does the body thickness or neck profile affect the balance of a guitar? If the strap pins are located correctly the guitar is balanced.

[ZephMan13]

How does the body thickness or neck profile affect the balance of a guitar? If the strap pins are located correctly the guitar is balanced.

It has everything to do with it.

[Gfunk]

It has everything to do with it.



Please explain, thanks.




:)

[gothicpheonix]

If the neck is made of a heavier wood than the body then the guitar will become unbalanced regardless of strap pins.

Take Gibson sgs vs les pauls for example, the sg body does not have a big enough center of gravity to compensate for the neck weight so if you let go it tends to fall down. But it the case if the les paul the body is much thicker and so heavier, hence keeping the neck from tipping if let go.

Provided the neck is not stupidly heavy you can usually compensate this with a good strap.

the only other options are to try and make the neck lighter and the body heavier by having a thicker body and a thin neck, hence moving the center of gravity from the neck back to the body.

Having a through neck would help balance too as it would add more of the heavier wood within the body.

i hope this helps, btw why do you want such a light body wood anyway?

[Gfunk]

If the neck is made of a heavier wood than the body then the guitar will become unbalanced regardless of strap pins.

Take Gibson sgs vs les pauls for example, the sg body does not have a big enough center of gravity to compensate for the neck weight so if you let go it tends to fall down. But it the case if the les paul the body is much thicker and so heavier, hence keeping the neck from tipping if let go.

Provided the neck is not stupidly heavy you can usually compensate this with a good strap.

the only other options are to try and make the neck lighter and the body heavier by having a thicker body and a thin neck, hence moving the center of gravity from the neck back to the body.

Having a through neck would help balance too as it would add more of the heavier wood within the body.

i hope this helps, btw why do you want such a light body wood anyway?




On what set or bolt-on constructed guitar does the neck weigh more than the body, unless the neck is made of stone?


:lol


Just a heads up, there are many SGs out there that balance perfectly, and its not because the neck weighs more than the body, its because the strap pins have been located properly.

A good wide leather strap does not eliminate the "neck heavyness" of an unbalanced guitar. The strap pins must be located properly.

[Spoonylove90]

had a schecter damien FR with that wood combo. if i hadnt fallen in love with the Hellraiser series i would probably still have it. sweet sounding. sometimes the bass got a little muddy but with a little EQ'ing i had her singing. i had some good duncans in it too. that always help.

[garyjfoster]

i have the mc 200 max cavalera viper...its a basswood body and a maple neck.....i put a emg 81 in it and it shreds

[gothicpheonix]

On what set or bolt-on constructed guitar does the neck weigh more than the body, unless the neck is made of stone?


not many but thats because not many are made of basswood, do you realize just how light it can be?

most sgs are unbalanced, thats why esp made the viper thicker, i know the strap position can help but thats just the way sg's are and despite that fact they are still my fave guitar

[Gfunk]

not many


Name one.





most sgs are unbalanced, thats why esp made the viper thicker, i know the strap position can help but thats just the way sg's are and despite that fact they are still my fave guitar





Dood, do yourself a favor, just stop.






:lol

[gothicpheonix]

Name one.



how about the Ibanez GAX70 for starters



Dood, do yourself a favor, just stop.


:lol

BTW i when i said a good strap i meant non slip or grippy on the underside not just a wide one.

Yes the strap position helps balance but it depends just how neck heavy the guitar is.:rollin



Dude if you dont want my answers then thats fine but as your the one with little experience in having basswood guitars im only telling you what ive experienced while doing tech work over the last few years:|

[gothicpheonix]

just wondering again why such an interest in such a soft/light wood?

[Gfunk]

how about the Ibanez GAX70 for starters


http://i18.ebayimg.com/04/i/000/de/6f/05d4_1.JPG http://i14.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/de/6f/076a_1.JPG





So you are telling me that the reason why this guitar is unbalanced is because its maple neck weighs more than its agathis body? Is that correct?

[gothicpheonix]

no what im saying is that that model also comes in basswood body and that one is very unbalanced

http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=184658

check out a review for yourself

[Gfunk]

no what im saying is that that model also comes in basswood body and that one is very unbalanced



So you are telling me that the reason why the other model is unbalanced is because its maple neck weighs more than its basswood body? Is that correct?

[KH Guitar Freak]

:rollin

[gothicpheonix]

So you are telling me that the reason why the other model is unbalanced is because its maple neck weighs more than its basswood body? Is that correct?

ok i see you twisting my words but its all good, im saying the neck wood is a heavier wood type than the body wood type by a big enough margin to offset the balance of the guitar over all.

if you dont understand that i just dont know how else to put it:rolleyes:

You still haven't told me why you had such an interest in this combo of woods in the first place:confused:

DO EXPLAIN??

[Gfunk]

ok i see you twisting my words but its all good,


I am not twisting your words at all, I simply want to make sure I understand you correctly.


im saying the neck wood is a heavier wood type than the body wood type by a big enough margin to offset the balance of the guitar over all.


Wow.


:lol



if you dont understand that i just dont know how else to put it


Thanks.


You still haven't told me why you had such an interest in this combo of woods in the first place

DO EXPLAIN??


Ask the thread starter.

[Graham Nicholson]

Yes the strap position helps balance but it depends just how neck heavy the guitar is|

In the end tally, the strap position is the last word in a guitar's balance.

No matter how heavy one wood is or how light another is, properly placed strap buttons make all the difference.

[xdaynex]

I am not twisting your words at all, I simply want to make sure I understand you correctly.





Wow.


:lol






Thanks.





Ask the thread starter.

meh im just curious cuz i was going thru some of their models and it showed this combo of woods in a pattern on their 200 series. so yeh

[jet66]

Basswood has a more 'neutral' tone, so pickups will definitely be able to throw it from one end of the spectrum (bassy) to the other (trebly) and all points in between. Maple is a fairly bright wood, so that is going to add some snap to the top end, but again, not too much where I would call it 'unbalanced,' if that is the type of balance you were referring to. A little less if it has a rosewood fretboard, but not necessarily a 'night and day' difference. Maple + basswood has been a fairly common combo, too, especially in 'old school' shred guitars.

Pickup-wise: If you want a lot of low end, look at something like the X2N. If you use a lot of processing and/or want a more neutral/defined pickup sound, look at EMGs or the Evolution. Tone Zones and JB's will give you different levels of mid saturation. Those are just a few thoughts, though, nothing 'gospel.'

If you were talking about 'unbalanced' as in physical comfort, I'm going to have to side with the gfunkdaddy on this one, it is way more about strap placement than anything else. Some body shapes make that a more interesting quest, but that is sheerly an overall distribution of weight issue, regardless of woods used.

[gothicpheonix]

I agree with most that has been said here and yeah the strap position can make all the difference but in the case your using your guitar sitting down or it is a strange shape this may not be possible and in my experience most basswood guitars are neck heavy.

Sorry gfunk if i took you wrong its just i wouldn't want a guitar that is as neck heavy as some of the basswood ones ive played are even though they can sound pretty good for shred.

If you want to keep all original for resale value you may not want to move strap buttons.

[Arcane]

Now kiss and make up. :rollin

[gothicpheonix]

:cool: