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What do you like/dislike about swamp ash?


HELSTRUME

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I don't like the rash that it usually comes with. :lol:

 

But seriously in my experience it's a guitar to guitar thing. I've had a few swamp ash guitars that I liked, but it wasn't an amazing thing IMHO. But then again I'm a mahogany guy myself and I kind of have a thing for basswood guitars.

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The dislikes, The wood varies alot. the grades go from crap to excelent so you really need to shop them to find a good one.

 

On the likes, you can get a good body and get some great tones. if you go with a natureal finish you're usually insured to get a better grade of wood, vs a painted body which hides the bad cuts of wood.

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I'm tired of alder, and am not a fan of basswood. I'm looking at swamp ash, but have never played a guitar with it. I hear its midscooped? Throw me your opinons.

 

 

I had an ash strat but just could not get the tone I wanted do to the lack of mids. It was very chimey and clear. A nice tone for some things however. I tried a lot of things with EQ and other settings.

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The dislikes, The wood varies alot. the grades go from crap to excelent so you really need to shop them to find a good one.


On the likes, you can get a good body and get some great tones. if you go with a natureal finish you're usually insured to get a better grade of wood, vs a painted body which hides the bad cuts of wood.

 

 

Not everything that looks good sounds good,

Not everything that looks bad sounds bad. :poke:

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Ive read that of all the tonewoods swamp ash varies the most form piece to piece. It seems like all the guitars Ive had made of Swamp ash have been too bright and punchy for my taste. Ive much prefered the tones ive gotten out of my alder, and even basswood Fender-style guitars. Theres a lot of variables involved however: amps, pickups, etc, so don't take that as gospel. I know alot of the early Fender Teles were made of Ash and they sound sublime.

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It seems like some folks are confusing Ash or Hard Ash as it is sometimes called, with Swamp Ash. Ash is on the heavy side and from my understanding, veers toward the trebly side. Swamp Ash on the other hand is that portion of the tree that has been under water and tends to be a very light tonewood that adds snap and more midrange. I have three guitars with Swamp ash bodies and can say nothing but solid praise for the tones they generate. It is a very resonant wood with lots of body and overtones. The absolute perfect wood for a Tele IMO. The only possible problem is the lack of weight - I have to wear a suede leather strap for my Washburn USA Laredo (Tele) to avoid neck dive.

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I don't like the rash that it usually comes with.
:lol:

But seriously in my experience it's a guitar to guitar thing. I've had a few swamp ash guitars that I liked, but it wasn't an amazing thing IMHO. But then again I'm a mahogany guy myself and I kind of have a thing for basswood guitars.

Yea, mahogany is my fav.

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