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Guitars made of pine?


IRG

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I kinda like a couple of these newer Squier models, perhaps to mod.

 

I like this one, for the humbucker feature: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-Vintage-Modified-Stratocaster-HSS-Electric-Guitar?sku=512573

 

But this one looks very cool too: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Squier-CLASSIC-VIBE-Telecaster-50s-Electric-Guitar-?sku=519376

 

But it's made of pine. Pine is a soft wood, any issue with this being used? Is it considered a tone wood? I know it's a Squier and all, but just curious how this might make any difference in the tone. My guess is it probably has little effect, but who knows. Thoughts on either of these models?

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depends what species of pine. some are very good tonewoods (spruce for instance) but can be very soft. I would guess sap leakage woudl make them tricky to finish as well. grain isnt always pleasant so most would likely be in solid color finishes

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peeps at the telecaster forum are praising the pine. apparently very resonant.


my thoughts is im tryin hard as hell to fight the gas. to pull the trigger on the classic vibe 50s tele.

 

 

Sorry to give you gas. It gives me gas too. I kinda want to put a neck humbucker in a Tele, but I didn't want to cut apart my Highway 1 Tele. So that will stay as is. And I like the look of this Tele better than their other model that is an HS. This is really a very nice looking Tele, and from my local shop, I've played a lot of the new Squiers, I hate to say it but their quality is every bit as good as the standard MIM Fender line and in fact, probably is better. The necks feel better, and the hardware isn't bad at all. Of course their price isn't much different anymore either.

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check this thread:




lots of impressions and reviews on the pinecaster

 

 

thanks for the link. I've not been to that forum before, but the reviews are pretty terrific for that Tele. Damn, I shouldn't buy another guitar. But this is tempting me...

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When I built my solid body I used solid mahogany both for the body and the neck. It produced a bluesy/jazzy tone quality I wanted and has good sustain. I know Gibson uses a lot of alder with a top ply of maple to kick the higher frequency tones and sustain up a notch, same reasoning behind a maple neck. I personally think pine is too soft to produce an acceptable tonal response and I would expect the sustain would be on the poor side. I'd stay with instrument grade woods such as mahogany, maple, alder, ash, rosewood, spruce maybe even oak but I'd avoid soft pitchy woods like pine. IMOH!

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isn't pine cheap, almost the cheapest wood available?

 

i would wonder why more companies don't use pine, if indeed it's cheaper than other guitar woods(which i believe it is); alder, mahogany, maple, basswood, etc....

 

as far as tone, i can't speak to that, never played a pine guitar :idk:

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it hollowed out so u can fit anything, p90, mini humbucker, standard humbucker. pretty damn sweet.

 

 

Hmmm. This makes it even more interesting. I just bought a new pedal that cost almost as much. I won't regret that purhase though. But this one looks pretty damn sweet. I love my Tele, but wish it had a maple neck. This one looks a lot like it, except with the maple neck. A neck humbucker would make it sweet, although I kinda do like it stock. Funny how I'm drawn in to guitars I already have, or close to. I do the same thing with clothes, drives my wife nuts.

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isn't pine cheap, almost the cheapest wood available?


i would wonder why more companies don't use pine, if indeed it's cheaper than other guitar woods(which i believe it is); alder, mahogany, maple, basswood, etc....


as far as tone, i can't speak to that, never played a pine guitar
:idk:

 

I think pine is plentiful, but its cost has gone up as well, I believe. Pine can be pretty durable/strong when treated properly. Don't the higher end amp companies use pine in the construction of their amps? What do I know though.

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I have never played a Pine guitar, but from reading around it seems like there's a bit of a "thing" going on with Pine teles...some people really like them, and there's some high-end guys who will do the Pine thing. Certainly interesting, perhaps you can be our test dummy? ;)

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isn't pine cheap, almost the cheapest wood available?


i would wonder why more companies don't use pine, if indeed it's cheaper than other guitar woods(which i believe it is); alder, mahogany, maple, basswood, etc....

 

 

Actually, pine isn't cheap. I used to work in a lumber yard (1980-1985) and we sold both. While Alder was $1.20 a board foot, CLEAR pine was $2.50, nearly double.

 

People THINK pine is cheap because #2 or even #3 was about $0.75 per board foot but this wood would be unsuitable for guitars because of the knots and sap, though you could select the wood to avoid this, but this would require purchasing more than you need driving up the costs.

 

Ash was $2.10 a board foot.

 

I always wonder about the veneration that alder generates here. Alder was the cheapest hardwood we sold and used for paint grade cabinets or stained along with Birch plywood to make cheap hardwood cabinets. I always hated the stuff myself, devoid of grain or character, it is the most commercial grade stuff there is. I guess it makes a good guitar...

 

There is a guy in Vegas that makes custom guitars from the stuff. He makes enough guitars, selling to a slecet clientel, to feed a family, so they must be alright.

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Actually, pine isn't cheap. I used to work in a lumber yard (1980-1985) and we sold both. While Alder was $1.20 a board foot, CLEAR pine was $2.50, nearly double.


People THINK pine is cheap because #2 or even #3 was about $0.75 per board foot but this wood would be unsuitable for guitars because of the knots and sap, though you could select the wood to avoid this, but this would require purchasing more than you need driving up the costs.


Ash was $2.10 a board foot.


I always wonder about the veneration that alder generates here. Alder was the cheapest hardwood we sold and used for paint grade cabinets or stained along with Birch plywood to make cheap hardwood cabinets. I always hated the stuff myself, devoid of grain or character, it is the most commercial grade stuff there is. I guess it makes a good guitar...


There is a guy in Vegas that makes custom guitars from the stuff. He makes enough guitars, selling to a slecet clientel, to feed a family, so they must be alright.

 

hey, thanks for the info, and yea an upgraded piece of pine without knots or sap is gonna be more expensive, makes sense... :thu:

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I think pine is plentiful, but its cost has gone up as well, I believe. Pine can be pretty durable/strong when treated properly. Don't the higher end amp companies use pine in the construction of their amps? What do I know though.

 

 

Yes. A lot of the boutique amp companies use pine cabinets. The classic Fender amps were all built from pine also. With finger or dovetail joints they can be pretty strong. Makes for an incredibly resonant cabinet with a smooth top end and lots of bottom.

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Here's picks of my Rick Kelly Bowery Pine Tele- 100% hand carved.

 

The pine was cut over 100 years ago, and aged at a shop on the Bowery.

 

Neck is made out of 80 year old maple. Don Mare super sports and a Fat Back neck.

 

Sounds Awesome, especially considering it was only $1400.

 

IMG_0958.jpg

 

IMG_0954.jpg

 

IMG_0951.jpg

 

brewed2.jpg

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