I like poplar with clear laquer finishes. I, for one, think the grain and the sometimes greenish tint is really cool looking.
Jeremy
Jeremy
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How different is Poplar from Alder?
- Thread starter randysmojo
- Start date
Musiclogic
Commercial User
- Aug 6, 2005
- 6,505
- 73
- 60
- Disclosures
- Owner/Builder: HJC Customs USA, The Cool Lute, C G O
I'll have to Agree with Hopkins on this. Poplar is a great wood, be it Yellow poplar or Red Poplar.
The problem with poplar is that most people do not use Select and Better grade Poplar, they use B and C construction grade poplar which is on par with what you find in home stores.
I have instruments running around that are 20+ years old made with poplar bodies and Birch necks that are still playing just fine. It's all about what you know when you select the wood.
Many people have built bodies from Home Depot Poplar and had good success, and Buying Linear Foot priced lumber from Home Depot is anything but cheap.
As for price.....direct from my brokers price list:
Poplar.....#1 slct&btr.....$2.86 bf
Alder...... #1 Clear..........$2.95 bf
So anyone pushing the CHEAP line about Poplar as opposed to Alder is a lunatic who probably buys their lumber online paying RETAIL!!!
:screwy:
The problem with poplar is that most people do not use Select and Better grade Poplar, they use B and C construction grade poplar which is on par with what you find in home stores.
I have instruments running around that are 20+ years old made with poplar bodies and Birch necks that are still playing just fine. It's all about what you know when you select the wood.
Many people have built bodies from Home Depot Poplar and had good success, and Buying Linear Foot priced lumber from Home Depot is anything but cheap.
As for price.....direct from my brokers price list:
Poplar.....#1 slct&btr.....$2.86 bf
Alder...... #1 Clear..........$2.95 bf
So anyone pushing the CHEAP line about Poplar as opposed to Alder is a lunatic who probably buys their lumber online paying RETAIL!!!
:screwy:
I'll have to Agree with Hopkins on this. Poplar is a great wood, be it Yellow poplar or Red Poplar.
The problem with poplar is that most people do not use Select and Better grade Poplar, they use B and C construction grade poplar which is on par with what you find in home stores.
I have instruments running around that are 20+ years old made with poplar bodies and Birch necks that are still playing just fine. It's all about what you know when you select the wood.
Many people have built bodies from Home Depot Poplar and had good success, and Buying Linear Foot priced lumber from Home Depot is anything but cheap.
As for price.....direct from my brokers price list:
Poplar.....#1 slct&btr.....$2.86 bf
Alder...... #1 Clear..........$2.95 bf
So anyone pushing the CHEAP line about Poplar as opposed to Alder is a lunatic who probably buys their lumber online paying RETAIL!!!
Why would somebody paying retail be a lunatic? Not everyone has the sources of ....wait....who are you again?
Hopkins
Commercial User
I'll have to Agree with Hopkins on this. Poplar is a great wood, be it Yellow poplar or Red Poplar.
The problem with poplar is that most people do not use Select and Better grade Poplar, they use B and C construction grade poplar which is on par with what you find in home stores.
I have instruments running around that are 20+ years old made with poplar bodies and Birch necks that are still playing just fine. It's all about what you know when you select the wood.
Many people have built bodies from Home Depot Poplar and had good success, and Buying Linear Foot priced lumber from Home Depot is anything but cheap.
As for price.....direct from my brokers price list:
Poplar.....#1 slct&btr.....$2.86 bf
Alder...... #1 Clear..........$2.95 bf
So anyone pushing the CHEAP line about Poplar as opposed to Alder is a lunatic who probably buys their lumber online paying RETAIL!!!
Those prices are pretty much in line with what I pay here locally. I didn't bring up the price thing because different locals most likely have different pricing depending on availability. Being that neither poplar or alder are not native to my area, the price point between the two are pretty similar.
I guess you all know I always use exotic stuff... anyway I've used both Poplar and Alder and no, I don't think they're close. Alder (at least the piece I used) was harder, heavier, certainly higher density than Poplar. Poplar dents so easily I could probably make a hole in it with my fingernails.
Won't comment on tone, though... but found Poplar very "dead" sounding. And yes, I tried the same neck on a Poplar body and then on a Cherry body with a Wengé top and the difference was big. Just my 2 cents.
Won't comment on tone, though... but found Poplar very "dead" sounding. And yes, I tried the same neck on a Poplar body and then on a Cherry body with a Wengé top and the difference was big. Just my 2 cents.
You know this guy uses poplar quite a bit and doesn't seem to have a problem with it. http://www.mtdbass.com/
I didn't say my bass had "problems", I just said that to me Poplar didn't sound good to me and that a Cherry body made the bass better. I guess they're happy with the sound of that wood... I wasn't, my bad. 
- I'd only save time, money and blades' life if Poplar sounded right to me. I prefer Okoumé if I have to use a spongy timber. 
- I'd only save time, money and blades' life if Poplar sounded right to me. I prefer Okoumé if I have to use a spongy timber. 
One thing I havent seen mentioned is the fact that he's building a 5er. This is what makes all the difference in wood choice (IMO). Ive had a lot of 5ers, and played a ton more, and one of the biggest problems is a flabby B string. I finally (after researching endlessly), decided to make my own body. I subscribe to the theory that different woods will sound different if all other parameters are kept the same. So, I took a neck (Maple) from one of my basses (that had a flabby B) and combined it with a body made from Alder, with a Maple (figured) top and a Purpleheart reveal. Completely changed the dynamics of the bass. Its now my main gigging bass-with a snappy B.
Ive seen a lot of guitars that used a Poplar body, and they sound fine, but, to me, Poplar is a lot like Basswood, and its just not going to give the B string its best conditions to work under.
This is assuming standard 34" scale, of course. And even when you may not be able to differentiate between different woods by there sound (because, possibly, the electronics and set-up), you can feel the difference-especially unplugged.
Carvin 5ers have the most consistent B string feel of any basses Ive ever played, and they by and large use Alder bodies with a Maple top.
Ive seen a lot of guitars that used a Poplar body, and they sound fine, but, to me, Poplar is a lot like Basswood, and its just not going to give the B string its best conditions to work under.
This is assuming standard 34" scale, of course. And even when you may not be able to differentiate between different woods by there sound (because, possibly, the electronics and set-up), you can feel the difference-especially unplugged.
Carvin 5ers have the most consistent B string feel of any basses Ive ever played, and they by and large use Alder bodies with a Maple top.
Two things... both issued respectfully.
1. Lo-E's post was over five years ago.
2. Poplar has, in fact, been used by them for basses: FAQ | Ernie Ball Music Man Checks the woods question...
For those with a more scientific leaning in these matters...
Liriodendron - Wikipedia Apparently much of the green stuff isn't even poplar. Though we call it poplar. This kind of misnaming is quite common with commercial woods.
Populus - Wikipedia There are many species of poplar and they are grown over a wide range of environments. Poplar lumber can be harder and heavier than alder. The range of variation in commercial poplars is great with a large amount of overlap with alder.
IME anyone who ascribes a singular tonal or even structural quality to a genus like maple or ash should generally be ignored.
Liriodendron - Wikipedia Apparently much of the green stuff isn't even poplar. Though we call it poplar. This kind of misnaming is quite common with commercial woods.
Populus - Wikipedia There are many species of poplar and they are grown over a wide range of environments. Poplar lumber can be harder and heavier than alder. The range of variation in commercial poplars is great with a large amount of overlap with alder.
IME anyone who ascribes a singular tonal or even structural quality to a genus like maple or ash should generally be ignored.
I like poplar. I like alder. I use poplar because it's easier for me to find.
It's nice and light. It does dent a bit easy, but I've never found that to be too much of an issue for me to not use it. Ibanez builds tons of guitars out of basswood, which I feel is equally soft.
I don't care for how it looks so I only use it on painted instruments.
I do tend to let the wood sit in my shop for a while before I use it (like for a year or so) because it tends to be a little green when you buy it. Or maybe that's what I tell myself to justify my procrastination tendencies.
FWIW, my main guitar that I play every Sunday morning is poplar. I've got it set up with three single coils and it has more quack than my Strat.
It's nice and light. It does dent a bit easy, but I've never found that to be too much of an issue for me to not use it. Ibanez builds tons of guitars out of basswood, which I feel is equally soft.
I don't care for how it looks so I only use it on painted instruments.
I do tend to let the wood sit in my shop for a while before I use it (like for a year or so) because it tends to be a little green when you buy it. Or maybe that's what I tell myself to justify my procrastination tendencies.
FWIW, my main guitar that I play every Sunday morning is poplar. I've got it set up with three single coils and it has more quack than my Strat.
I have poplar jazz and as much as I try to discredit its sound I can attest that it doesn’t at all fall short from its alder bodied brother. Resonant and Etc. I can provide sound samples.
- Jul 7, 2010
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Cliff Williams of AC/DC, his Stingray bass (both his original and the recent signature stingray) is made with poplar (three piece). Sounds pretty good to me. Then again, it is active so maybe the extra oomph improves the sound a bit.
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