Is Poplar bad for guitars?

Poplar has a very neutral, almost flat tone. There is no real emphasis on the low, mid, or high frequencies in the sound. This makes poplar a fairly unexciting tonewood with no real dynamics. Poplar isn’t a bad sounding wood, just don’t expect a guitar made with poplar to stand out much on its own.

Is Poplar a good guitar wood?

Poplar is just as good as any other wood for electric guitars. Though, as mentioned by others, it does tend to be a softer wood, so it would likely take damage with a hard fall.

Which is better basswood or poplar?

I would go for basswood. While poplar is similar to alder in tone qualities, and thus a bit brighter, its grain makes it rather hard to finish without using large amounts of grain filler, which can be bad for the tone of the wood. I would go for basswood.

Is poplar a cheap wood?

Although it’s technically a hardwood, poplar is one of the softest commercially used woods available. It’s readily available at lumber stores and home improvement centers and is one of the least expensive woods you can buy.

Did Fender ever use poplar?

A small number of instruments with mahogany bodies were made in 1963 and 1964, and several mahogany-body instruments are made today. Other woods in use today on a very small number of Fender electric instruments include poplar, pine and koto.

How many guitars does the average guitar player own?

Research suggests the average player now owns between seven and eight guitars (though the figures referenced here are, at best, anecdotal), meaning the guitarist with one good amp and electric is increasingly an anomaly.

How many guitars do you really need?

Usually, two to three guitars should fully satisfy your need for playing. One acoustic guitar and one electric guitar. Add one classical guitar if you want to play classical music on it. That’s it.

Is poplar good for relief carving?

Poplar comes at a reasonable price, and it is soft, making it easy to carve. Moreover, you can get good detail while using this wood for carving. A widely-used variety of poplar is yellow poplar, and you can get it at most home improvement stores and leading lumber yards.

Why did Fender use Poplar in place of alder?

As has already been mentioned, Fender used to use poplar in place of alder fairly often because it was considered to have pretty much the same tonal qualities. And we aren’t talking CBS board of directors says, ‘sacrifice quality for profit’ Fenders. We’re talking pre-CBS when Leo and George were in charge Fenders.

Is Poplar a good tonewood?

Some say its a good tonewood similar to alder that accepts paint really well. SOme say its a 2nd rate “pisswood” that isnt true poplar anyway. What do you guys say? Anyone own or ever own a guitar made of Poplar? More sharing options… Fender used it for decades. See people rave about those old guitars…

Does Fender use poplar wood in their Strat Strat bodies?

Fender uses poplar on most solid color mexican strat/tele bodies. The sunburst ones are usually alder though. I had a Japanese Strat that was poplar and it sounded great. It was really well built. I just ordered an MJ Roadster which is solid poplar. They used to use alder, but here (from their F.A.Q.) is their explanation on why they switched:

What is the tone of a Fender Alder?

The tone is reputed to be most balanced with equal doses of lows, mids and highs. Alder has been the mainstay for Fender bodies for many years and its characteristic tone has been a part of some of the most enduring pieces of modern day contemporary music.