Good Wood = Good Tone
More Info
Core Wood: We use this term to describe the main wood used for the body. This wood determines the body’s weight, tone and resonance.
Laminate Top option: A wood laminate can be glued to the top of the core wood for a pleasing appearance. You choose the wood species; our experienced wood managers choose the exact piece.
Unique Choice Laminate Top option: This laminate top option gives YOU the power to pick the EXACT laminate top piece that we will use for your body build!
NOTE: Wood is a graphic representation. All wood grains vary.
- Core Wood - Alder$175.00
- Body Subtotal$175.00
Select Core Wood
Alder (Alnus Rubra)
Price
$175.00
Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its lighter weight (about four pounds for a Strat® body) and its full sound. Its closed grain makes this wood easy to finish. Alder's natural color is a light tan with little or no distinct grain lines. It looks good with a sunburst or a solid color finish. Because of its fine characteristics and lower price, Alder is our most popular wood and it grows all around us here in Washington State. The tone is reputed to be most balanced with equal doses of lows, mids and highs. Alder has been the mainstay for Fender bodies for many years and its characteristic tone has been a part of some of the most enduring pieces of modern day contemporary music.
Tone-o-Meter
| Used for laminate tops |
Yes |
| Used for bodies |
Yes |
| Used for necks |
No |
| Used for fingerboards |
No |
- Core Wood - Alder$175.00
- Body Subtotal$175.00
Select Laminate Wood
()
Price
+ $0.00
Showing your Unique Choice Top.
- Core Wood - Alder$175.00
- Body Subtotal$175.00
Choose your own unique laminate top
For the ultimate in personal preference, our special Unique Choice option lets you pick the actual laminate top we will use for your body. Start by selecting a wood species from the drop down menu then choose from the beautiful, unique tops offered below. Clicking on the "View" button will transfer that laminate top to your body image on the left for viewing. Once you find just the right top, please include that laminate top number with your order.
Choose Wood To Browse:
Good Wood = Good Tone
Good wood is paramount in achieving good tone. With over 30 years of sourcing behind us, we are well connected, and get the good stuff! We have a lot of wood on hand and are able to accommodate many special criteria, be it weight, grain, 1-piece size, etc. Give us a call. We'll see what we can do.
As you contemplate your body purchase, here are several issues to consider:
1 - Looks & Appearances
Each piece of wood is inherently unique. Even within a species, every piece is going to differ from each other. The grain pattern, color, shade, weight, and density are all subject to mother nature's whims. This does not necessarily make one piece better or worse than another. It means that they are simply different and unique. Choose the appearance that best suits your personal taste. If the sound of a particular wood is not as pleasing to your ear as the look is to your eye then think about a laminate top. A thin laminate top will give you the appearance you are looking for without overshadowing the tone of the core body wood.
2 - Sound and Weight
The sonic properties of wood vary dramatically between species, weight and density. Generally speaking, the heavier woods sustain well and have a bright and articulate sound which are all good attributes for a bass guitar. Extra light weight woods, while a great complement for a bad back, can sound indistinct or muddy especially with humbucking pickups. Medium weight woods fall in the middle and are the traditional preference. Compromises may be found by chambering or hollowing the heavier woods. These bodies remain stiff but light weight for that fat, rich tone with great sustain.
3 - Finishing Characteristics
How do you wish to finish your body? Do-it-yourself finishes such as tung oil or Danish oil are the easiest to apply and look best on darker woods such as koa, walnut and korina. Brightly colored dyes only work on white western maple like quilt and flame (fiddleback). Transparent colors look best on woods with distinct grain lines such as ash. Clear gloss finishes can be sprayed on any wood but are difficult to accomplish without professional equipment.
4 - Ordering
When you order, please let us know what features and attributes you are looking for. How are you going to finish it — clear or solid? Is weight more important than looks? What kind of tone are you seeking? The more we know, the better we can fit the right piece of wood to your needs.
Top Rout Bodies
Most electric guitar bodies are routed from the top of the body for pickups and control cavities, then a pickguard or scratch plate is used to cover these cavities and provide a mounting platform for the pickups and controls. A body with the control cavity routed from the top is referred to as a "Top Rout" body.
Rear Rout Bodies
When beautiful woods are used on a body it is often desirable to cut the control cavity from the back. This way there is no need to cover the beautiful face wood with a plastic pickguard or scratch plate. It also provides more room inside for complex electronics. Bodies that are routed from the back are referred to as "Rear Rout" bodies. Warmoth provides covers and screws for these control cavities free of charge with your new Warmoth body purchase.