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Hello all,


Does anyone have a strong preference one way or the other for for an electric guitar or bass body blank? I can get poplar (Liriodendron) locally for significantly cheaper than alder (Alnus) but it seems like some folks really like the traditional woods.

Having looked at several wood-working sites it appears that the two have somewhat similar characteristics and I've wondered if alder is really superior to poplar, or Fender, being a west coast company, simply found a suitable supply of wood close by and went with it. If they were an east coast company, would poplar be one of the go to body woods?


Thanks,

Steve

I never noticed a difference in them.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Poplar is good to go. Many large guitar companies use it.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

Poplar's grain can have big green mineral streaks in it, so builders who are not doing a solid finish will tend to use something like Alder or Ash, which looks good under a clear or transparent finish. You can find poplar with suitable grain, but it's not consistent. Poplar can also be kind of punky, or spongey, especially when drilling. Depends on the individual piece of wood. I have had some that was and some that wasn't.
Also, I think that Alder was a wood that was used early on, and people(rightly or wrongly) associate it with a certain type of tone, especially in the Fender world.
I love poplar, and am considering getting a big pile of it myself at the moment. It makes a wonderful electric guitar.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Thanks for the replys. I was already leaning towards stockpiling some poplar for body blanks and will definitely do it now.

There's a local supplier who carries QS poplar in 4/4, 6/4, and 8/4 thicknesses.


Now to find some room in the shop.

Steve