Weight of ash used in the 57 reissue

[sigmafloyd]

Anybody know what type of ash is used in the white blonde avri 57? From what I understand the lightweight ash isn't as bright as the heavier stuff.

[johnk_10]

they use swamp ash (lightweight and resonant) but their weight can vary by quite a bit. IME, the heavier ones are brighter.

8lbs 5oz (lightweight!)
Guitar Gallery | Sweetwater.com

alder (sunburst)
in
8lbs 6oz (also lightweight)

Guitar Gallery | Sweetwater.com

[mongo2]

My Blonde '57 P AVRI with the ash body weighed a bit over 11 lbs. But the reason I got rid of it was it sounded very thin.

[sigmafloyd]

Hmm, sounds like the weight might have something to do with the thinness? What year was it mongo?

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by sigmafloyd

Hmm, sounds like the weight might have something to do with the thinness? What year was it mongo?

I'm trying to remember the year, I think it was a '96.

[Templar]

Dunno what they're like lately, but my 86-ish AVRI Mary Kay Jazz was a total ball buster. Easily in the T-40 weight division.

Don't recall it sounding "thin", but it sure was pretty.

[sigmafloyd]

Cool. That's exactly what I"m trying to avoid, maybe you just got a bad piece of wood.

[BurningSkies]

Lightweight doesn't necessarily mean 'thin' sounding...otherwise people would never play hollow bodied basses. I have both guitar and basses made of swamp ash as well as alder. My all time favorite guitar is a custom Telecaster that has a 4.5 pound swamp ash body that sounds pretty complex and rich. My Dingwall Voodoo-Zebra is also swamp ash, and its never been called 'thin' sounding.

To me, swamp ash has a bit more character than alder, which is smooth and polite sounding to me.

[johnk_10]

if an ash bodied fender bass weighs over 10lbs, then it's not swamp ash, it's hard ash. the 57 RI's are supposed to be made of swamp ash since that's what they were made out of in the 50's.

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by johnk_10

if an ash bodied fender bass weighs over 10lbs, then it's not swamp ash, it's hard ash. the 57 RI's are supposed to be made of swamp ash since that's what they were made out of in the 50's.

+1. 10+ pounds sounds like what Fender used to sell as 'northern hard ash'.

[Templar]

Originally Posted by johnk_10

if an ash bodied fender bass weighs over 10lbs, then it's not swamp ash, it's hard ash. the 57 RI's are supposed to be made of swamp ash since that's what they were made out of in the 50's.

The two original 57's that I've owned were two-tone over alder (both the s/c and ano versions), and I've taken a close look at several more original 57's over the years and they were all two-tone on alder. That said, I did see one '57 "blonde" ash-bodied one.

I'm sure there are a few oddball '57 ash Precisions floating around (never say never with Fender, right?), but I'd otherwise have to disagree with you on this.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by johnk_10

if an ash bodied fender bass weighs over 10lbs, then it's not swamp ash, it's hard ash. the 57 RI's are supposed to be made of swamp ash since that's what they were made out of in the 50's.

That's what I thought about the blonde version when I bought mine on eBay...apparently they lied.

[johnk_10]

Originally Posted by Templar

The two original 57's that I've owned were two-tone over alder (both the s/c and ano versions), and I've taken a close look at several more original 57's over the years and they were all two-tone on alder. That said, I did see one '57 "blonde" ash-bodied one.

I'm sure there are a few oddball '57 ash Precisions floating around (never say never with Fender, right?), but I'd otherwise have to disagree with you on this.

all of the burst ones were, and are, alder. it's the trans-white ones that were (and are supposed to be now) swamp ash.

[Templar]

Originally Posted by johnk_10

all of the burst ones were, and are, alder. it's the trans-white ones that were (and are supposed to be now) swamp ash.

Exactly right. And re-reading the OP, I see that he does indeed specify blonde (aka trans white). Carry on.