Alder vs. Basswood precision body, which is lighter?

[ForestThump]

Looking to get a CIJ or MIJ P bass that is not too heavy.
Is basswood lighter than alder?
I hear conflicting opinions as to whether alder is lighter than ash.
Can someone clear this up?

[spade2you]

Basswood is usually lighter than alder. Alder is usually lighter than northern ash, but swamp ash is usually lighter than alder.

[hover]

basswood, because it's not a very dense wood, in fact, quite soft. I like the sound of basswood, but some tend to find the tone a little "blurry", I say "neutral" like alder, but a tad mellower... depends on other components of course, but companies have been using it forever, most recently on Music Man Bongos.

[Johnny Alien]

Is this a pound of Basswood vs a pound of Alder?

[mongo2]

Basswood is generally lighter but I've had heavier basswood bodies and that weigh about the same as some lighter alder bodies.

[amandolin]

Alder is lighter than white ash, by a pound or two on bass bodies I think. Basswood is light, I've only handled small bits of raw basswood but it was closer to balsa than anything.

[bassrique]

Originally Posted by Johnny Alien

Is this a pound of Basswood vs a pound of Alder?

A lb. of Basswood is much lighter than a lb. of Alder.

[cassanova]

Originally Posted by bassrique

A lb. of Basswood is much lighter than a lb. of Alder.

I know Basswood is lighter than Alder, but how can a pound of it be lighter than a pound of Alder? A pound is a pound regardless of wood type. So an 8 pound bass is going to weigh the same 8 pounds regardless of wood.

[bassrique]

Originally Posted by cassanova

I know Basswood is lighter than Alder, but how can a pound of it be lighter than a pound of Alder? A pound is a pound regardless of wood type. So an 8 pound bass is going to weigh the same 8 pounds regardless of wood.

I was doing shtick, which doesn't always translate to the net w/out the use of

[hover]

Originally Posted by cassanova

I know Basswood is lighter than Alder, but how can a pound of it be lighter than a pound of Alder? A pound is a pound regardless of wood type. So an 8 pound bass is going to weigh the same 8 pounds regardless of wood.

Dude, I would think that reply was tongue in cheek.

[Colonel_Claypoo]

well, my basswood bodied p-bass weighs 8.9lbs. which is quite heavy for basswood i think.

[senorblues]

Originally Posted by bassrique

A lb. of Basswood is much lighter than a lb. of Alder.

Agreed.

[WyrdoBass]

Well... A lb. CAN'T be lighter than an lb. That's like saying 2 is more than 2. The correct response, I think, would be to say that it would take more basswood to equal a pound than it would alder.

Simply put- Basswood is lighter, softer, less dense.

[bassrique]

Originally Posted by WyrdoBass

Well... A lb. CAN'T be lighter than an lb. That's like saying 2 is more than 2. The correct response, I think, would be to say that it would take more basswood to equal a pound than it would alder.

Simply put- Basswood is lighter, softer, less dense.

[Johnny Alien]

I set em up and bassrique knocks em out

Confusion ensues

[mongo2]

That which we call a rose, by any other name, would still make me sneeze.

[RTL]

Basswood: Fills you up without letting you down.

[Honk'n_down-low]

B_asswood has more bottom

[Low Main]

People used to dislike basswood for bass bodies a lot, but enough good basswood basses have been built by now to show that basswood is a legitimate choice.

I recently got a basswood Squier CV P bass. Nice and light and sounds totally awesome.

Alder these days is actually heavier than it used to be. The initial alder harvests, they timbered out all the easy to get to stuff. Now they're going for the harder to reach timber, some growing at higher elevations - slower growth and more dense material.

And they're racing the lumber through the kiln cycles at faster rates, which often means heavier lumber when it reaches its market-ready moisture content.

Air dried northern ash is much lighter than commercially kiln dried ash. AD ash is light enough to use for a bass body without ending up with a 12 pound bass. Much nicer to work with than swamp ash, too.

[Colonel_Claypoo]

i don't really like basswood for a p-bass. mine sounds bassy but muddy at the same time. not much definition in the low end. apart from that it's a good wood but would still choose alder.