P
ickups. Neck scale. Set or fixed neck? Hard tail or tremolo? Body and neck
mass. Heck, finish. We talk about these factors regularly, as they all affect
a guitar’s tone but, of course, so does the wood. When you combine the
elements of the above with the effects of specific tonewoods, the sounds
you can achieve can be wonderfully varied.
ALDER
I love alder. If you like single coils, you’re probably a fan, too, as it’s commonly
used with Fender-type guitars. Alder somehow manages to impart a very strong
midrange without calling attention to it, as the top end is very present and the lows
are muscular. The grain is no great shakes so you’ll usually find it used in guitars
with opaque finishes.
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