Jump to content

Fender for blues: ash or alder ?


vicknott

Recommended Posts

  • Members

How ash sounds compared to alder ? I want a guitar for blues and I was thinking about these guitars:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_lite_ash_stratocaster_mn_nt.htm

 

http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_mex_std_strat_mn_cr_upgrade.htm

and

http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_highway_one_strat_mn_db.htm

 

The last one actually excedes my budget, but anyway, what do you think ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

In my opinion, your pickups are going to matter way more than ash/alder debate. I think you should consider some of the tex-mex loaded Fender strats that would be the same price range. Ash is brighter than Alder - either work for the blues. I prefer alder with a rosewood board.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Well, the Ash will likely have slightly more sustain and treble, while the Alder will have slightly less sustain and treble. Me, I would go for the Ash to get that tiny extra little bit of sustain, and then turn down the treble on the EQ somewhere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Since there is no one single definitive blues tone (let alone an absolute defining Strat-blues tone), there is no one guitar, or one single guitar specification, that produces it. Get a Strat you like (or a Tele, 335, LesP etc) and play blues on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I actually like the new MIM strats. That is, '06 or >. Medium jumbo frets, good 9.5" neck and the stock pups are very, very good.

Maybe they have changed the frets on the Korean lite ash since I've tried one a few years ago, but I don't remember them being medium jumbo. IIRC, they were a thinner vintage style.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Play a couple see what you like. I play both. And don't find either to be any issue with Blues music. The SD's are the better pick-ups of those mentioned. The Ash Lite is M-J fret wire. But I remember my Tele, and thinking that while it is M-J. Its not the same M-J wire used on MIA and MIM Tele/Strats. It does seem a bit thinner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

How ash sounds compared to alder ? I want a guitar for blues and I was thinking about these guitars:




and



The last one actually excedes my budget, but anyway, what do you think ?

 

 

Almost any guitar can be imbued with a blues voice...in the fingers (and the soul).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Almost any guitar can be imbued with a blues voice...in the fingers (and the soul).





Can't argue with that.:cool:




The three guitars listed are nice...but if it were me....I would most likely go with a JV strat. The Jimmie Vaughan strat is a pretty cool Blues machine in it's stock form. I would prol' get a red one.:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...