Basswood or Ash?

Basswood has a similar tone to alder just not as "loud" or pronounced as alder. Ash will give you a nice tight punchy bottom, a natural little scoop in the mids and a tighter brighter top end than basswood.

 

Ash! It sounds better and makes a better burst!

 

Ash is just a general better wood lol I.M.O

 

Love the Swamp Ash.

 

I'm an ash-man.

 

I think basswood sounds more compressed and less pronounced than other body woods. Alot depends on the wood quality, but overall I would choose Ash.

 

man, most guys I know would go a mile for a good peice of Ash. Seems like a no brainer.

 

If it's swamp-ash, I'd take it in a heartbeat. If it's heavy northern ash it would depend on the actual weight of the piece. Some bodies are as heavy as 6.5 pounds and I'm not inclined to play a boat anchor.

 

I am gonna go against the grain here but I am gonna suggest basswood. Mostly because it is cheaper and lighter (IME most of the time), and I don't really believe that there is a large enough sonic difference for it to matter.

 

mahogany will have a similar tone to basswood, maybe littler darker.
its a little more durable IMO.
it wont be a fender anymore...

im doing a mahogany jazz right now.

 

Ash.

 

For a 1st project I'd go basswood (speaking as a person who frequently makes very expensive and exotic firewood)....

Basswood is cheap and cuts easy......

 

Ash, have a Musicman with a ash body and I love it.

 

Definately ash. Mi '51 RI P-Bass is ash and that wood just makes it sound incredible.

 

If you want the wood to be as close as possible, sound-wise, to MOST (not all) real Fender P basses, then basswood is closer to alder. If it were me, I would use ash, especially if (a) it is swamp ash, and (b) I was going to use a natural, or semi-translucent finish that lets the grain show through. Ash is much prettier, IMHO. However, if you're gonna build a solid-color bass, then basswood will be cheaper, potentially lighter, and probably closer in sound to a genuine alder P bass.

I will be using ash on my next build because I will be building a natural-finish P bass.

 

My '97 Warrior is BassWood and it's tight and punchy as can be - much like my alder bodied P, yet they both have a nice low bottom. (my .02)

 

Ash, I like the grain.

 

Basswood is normally lighter, so this may help you decide.

Luthiers corner may be a better place to post this as you will have more chance of getting responses from people who have worked with both rather than just " I like ash because my bass is made of it" .

 

Def Ash.

I love my Warwick Corvette STD Ash