Alder or Swamp Ash?

[Old Doc Skinner]

As I prepare to build my next parts-caster, I find myself trying to decide between alder and swamp ash. I currently have one of each and like them both, but it's difficult to compare accurately because they have different pickups. I hate grain-filling, which is a point in favor of alder. Then again, I like the feel of a nice light swamp ash body. Cosmetics are not an issue, since I love the swamp ash grain patterns but would also like to do one with a bird's eye maple lam top.

So I'm soliciting votes and opinions: alder or swamp ash?

[Bill]

Swamp ash. It just seems to suit Teles better. I'm sure alder, mahogany, basswood, maple, etc. work fine, but they just seem wrong somehow.

[red57strat]

I built a Tele with a swamp ash body without filling the grain.

I used Minwax Wipe-on Poly. It came out great but isn't a conventional electric guitar finish. The grain can be felt through the finish. It looks like furniture.
I highly recommend it.

[OaklandA]

Swamp Ash looks a lot better. In terms of tone I would pay you $10,000 cash if you could decern the difference between Ash and Alder in a blind test.

[Southpaw433]

(everything I say here I've read on sites like the Guitar ReRanch - I've simply confirmed the wisdom of others through my own trial and errors)

I like swamp ash, but to my taste it needs careful application of grain filler (I want to see the grain through a glass smooth finish.

Some woods don't need filler (which is why they are more popular in mass production ,one less step - but if you don't fill the grain on ash, you'll wind up with an uneven surface with valleys that follow the grain, looks very amateurish (in my opinion)

[Brick]

If I wanted anything other than a solid color, I'd go to the extra trouble of grain filling ash. I wouldn't do it for a solid color. I'm doing a Mary Kay strat for a friend right now, and it is a pain to grain fill. You have to like to sand. I'm being extra anal on this one and after two grain fill applications, I just went out in the full sun and spot filled some more. It is well worth it for any semi or fully transparent surface.

I'm jonesing for a shell pink 60s style tele and it won't be an ash body for sure. I'll have Tommy at USACG send me a light two or three piece alder body with a few ugly blems.

I too could not tell you with a straight face I could tell the difference in a blind test.

[Rufus]

I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't think that grain filling swamp ash was as PAINFUL as others do
To paraphrase ole Will Shakespeare..."Me thinks they do protest too much." JMHO.

Now I'm not gonna say it was a pile of laughs, but it wasn't a nightmare either. Its an acquired skill - (like drinking scotch.), but I picked it up very quickly. If you're in a hurry to do a quick project, its easier to use alder. But if you can enjoy patiently working on a project and don't mind taking the extra steps, then swamp ash isn't that bad -and this was my first nitro project. Just follow Reranch 101 and ask questions on their discussion board...lots of friendly folks will help if you ask humbly - and share pictures when you're done.

I guess I really enjoyed the effort of finishing my own guitar - a labor of love -more than paying someone else to do it. Everytime I look at it, I can take pride that "I did it myself". (Somehow that takes some of the sting out of my mediocre playing abilities.)

Historically, I believe most solid color Teles were alder, cause Leo wasn't one to spend any more scheckels than he had to. But I chose a medium lightweight USACG swamp ash body ...just because that's what I wanted - history be damned. And how many southpaw Surf Green swamp ash Teles w/maple on maple neck do you see out there, anyway??
(Now I wanna do more !!! Maybe I'l try alder next time.)

Edited to add: Sorry Doc - just discovered that you're an experienced finisher - and here I am trying to give YOU advice. Sounds to me that you prefer the lighter weight of a nice piece of swamp ash, so I vote for that.

Ignore everything else I said - unless you're a newbee sitting on the fence about finishing your own swamp ash.

[Old Doc Skinner]

Not at all - I appreciate all of the input. I'm definitely getting better at filling. Bill at Reranch told me to wipe the excess off with a naphtha-soaked rag about 10 minutes after applying, and that bit of advice is about the only info that wasn't in Reranch 101. I'll probably bite the bullet - found a nice 3-lb body with pretty nice grain - not quite as awe-inspiring as the one I just finished, but pretty nice, and a single piece, so I guess I'll go for it.

Thanks to all - nothing like a unanimous vote to tip the scales! 8)