Pine as a tone wood?

[SMPTE]

Before I get flamed I already searched on this.

How does pine compare as a tone wood (as opposed to just an esthetic cuz it looks cool when you get it from a barn)?

Does it "warm" up the tone or "brighten" it or is it fairly neutral?

[guitardedzen]

Originally Posted by SMPTE

Before I get flamed I already searched on this.

How does pine compare as a tone wood (as opposed to just an esthetic cuz it looks cool when you get it from a barn)?

Does it "warm" up the tone or "brighten" it or is it fairly neutral?

From what I understand, it's kinda subpar compared to ash or alder. I believe it's a softer wood therefor killing some sustain and a bit of tone. But what the heck do I know.

[WonderCouncil]

Not to get off track but how would basswood compare to pine? I know both are soft woods.

I just picked up a really beat up Fender Jag-Stang I'm rebuilding and I know that's made of basswood.

[Uriah T.]

Basswood and pine are very similar. I don't think John Suhr would use subpar tonewood, and he uses basswood regularly. Because many lower grade asian guitars use basswood, it gets a bad name.

I have a lightweight pine tele, and I would not use the term subpar to describe its sound; the highs are slightly rolled off from the ash body I had before, and the attack is less clanky, all things equal. But I'll also say, its an electric guitar, so the body wood will make far less of a difference than, say, different pickups (and I'd say different neck thickness or bridge type).

Listen to Arlo's pinecaster somewhere on these pages, and you'll hear it sounds purty darn good, though I have no idea of his amp settings and where he's got his tone knob rolled to, etc.

Not as pronounced a grain as ash, often lighter in weight. The first teles were pine, but Leo switched to ash simply because it's harder and dents less easily. I don't mind the dents personally. Here's my early tele copy (minus the steel saddles):


Also check out some of Jonathan Wilson's pine teles on the Gear Page; some owners showing off, though I can't blame them:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...ight=gvcg+pine

[casterway]

Pine is fine. This new Squier beauty is Cedar bodied...