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Scottcrud

Asked by Scottcrud,

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Scottcrud Veteran HFCer

Scottcrud

Posted
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So I'm building a Rat Rod/Hot Rod Tele, barebones, one bridge pickup, one volume...Here's my question, I've been seeing the Pine bodied teles lately, anybody using a pine bodied tele? I realize pine should be lighter than alder or swamp ash...Which appeals to me. Any reason I shouldn't use pine?

Thanks.

24 answers to this question

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Brewmaster Veteran HFCer

Brewmaster

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I have never used pine on any of my guitars so I have no idea what it would sound like.

One of the best sounding Teles I owned had a light swamp ash body. The best Tele I ever owned, and still do own after 9 years, has a Korina body. I ended having a friend of mine wind a P-90 for the neck pup since the standard Tele neck pickups were pretty dark sounding, (even a Lollar A-3). I also wanted a more ballsy tone, that's why the P90. I had him route it as well. This still my main guitar and I have been through a bunch.

JohnnyB Veteran HFCer

JohnnyB

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One of the best sounding Teles I owned had a light swamp ash body....

I've read George Fullerton's account of the early days of Fender Musical Instrument Corporation. The first identifiable Tele prototype (the white one with 3+3 headstock) had a pine body, but the finalized version had a swamp ash body because it sounded better and (probably) because the harder wood could hold the hardware screws (neck joint, bridge, pickguard) better without stripping.

Bear in mind that in 1951 Leo could get all the old growth, well-seasoned one-piece lightweight ash he needed for his production goals. I've played an early '50s Tele made with a one-piece ash body. The guitar was unexpectedly light, and the well-seasoned open grain translated into a woody, airy tone not too far off from a hollowbody.

So I'd think the way to go would be to pay the upcharges at Warmoth for (1) a one-piece ash body, and (2) an extra lightweight one. You may have to call them (as opposed to an online order) to get this.

pesocaster Veteran HFCer

pesocaster

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Pine is a very soft wood.... and tends to gunk up tooling.... I have played a couple Pine teles.... to my ear they sounded a lot like basswood... also a soft wood.... on the warmer side tone-wise ... not quite mahogany but getting in that direction...

after all my Tele experiments over the last 10 or so years Ash is my wood of choice.... YMMV

burningyen Veteran HFCer

burningyen

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There are a lot of recent pine enthusiasts out there, but the softness of the wood would worry me. Hard to go wrong with good swamp ash, or even alder.

jaberwock Inner Circle

jaberwock

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I'd have to join the swamp ash crowd; I have three Tele's, and the one piece, extra light weight, bodied one just sounds fantastic; every one who picks it up and strums an open chord is amazed by how loud, and warm the acoustic tone is; I've tried swapping necks, and pickups, but it's always the one with that swamp ash body that sounds best. There is a lot of debate on the optimum weight, mine was 3 pounds 10 oz, but I've heard tell the super light ones tend to sound like a semi hollow body.

Jaberwock

Jeff R Veteran HFCer

Jeff R

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Ash for me too. After playing a bunch of strats and teles both with alder and ash, I like alder on a strat and ash on a tele.

Also seen posts here and on other boards that pine sounds good but is just too soft functionally - the body will dent, ding, strip and wear just eyeing it the wrong way.

Jakeboy Veteran HFCer

Jakeboy

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I have an alder that sounds killer but have a pine Tele that a buddy made for me from yellow pine that just roars.... The wood came from a 70s waterbed so it is full of mojo and very resonant. Pine is a great Tele wood IMO. Scars easily but it rocks.

Pieman Veteran HFCer

Pieman

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I have an alder that sounds killer but have a pine Tele that a buddy made for me from yellow pine that just roars.... The wood came from a 70s waterbed so it is full of mojo and very resonant. Pine is a great Tele wood IMO. Scars easily but it rocks.

I know its the cheapo line, but Fender has been putting out pine-bodied teles in the Squier Classic Vibe or CV line for about two years. The guitar gets good reviews.. I think they are made in India but I don't know the source of that pine.

You might google Classic Vibe Telecaster for what people are saying about those

I have some pine stair treads in my house built in 1898 and I often wonder what they would sound like in a guitar. People say it's a soft wood but only the edges show real wear. No dings or dents like some people would suggest.

Jeff R Veteran HFCer

Jeff R

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Thanks for the input guys. Jeffro, why Alder for a strat and ash for a tele?

I think it has to do with how the wood and pickups respond to each other. I just know I haven't found a non-alder-bodied single-coil-loaded strat I've ever bonded with, and the same with non-ash teles.

On the other hand, I also could be a fullashit corksniffer LOL

crunchee Veteran HFCer

crunchee

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I can't believe no one has said this yet:

Nothing beats a good piece of ash :D

+1!

IMHO, I would think that pine is very soft...even more so than basswood, maybe a little harder than cedar but not by much. I'd think that any structural area that requires screws in pine (the neck/body joint, maybe even the bridge) would definitely benefit from metal inserts for the screws. I have old pine shelves at home, it's not so much the dings and dents you have to worry about, but pine DOES splinter, too! Just my two cents.

Edited to add: pine splits easily as well...so, choosing a good quality grain structure with a guitar-sized hunk of pine is gonna be important. Gotta be concerned about the knots, too...or trying to find a piece without any.

Scottcrud Veteran HFCer

Scottcrud

Posted
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I can't believe no one has said this yet:

Nothing beats a good piece of ash :D

+1!

IMHO, I would think that pine is very soft...even more so than basswood, maybe a little harder than cedar but not by much. I'd think that any structural area that requires screws in pine (the neck/body joint, maybe even the bridge) would definitely benefit from metal inserts for the screws. I have old pine shelves at home, it's not so much the dings and dents you have to worry about, but pine DOES splinter, too! Just my two cents.

Edited to add: pine splits easily as well...so, choosing a good quality grain structure with a guitar-sized hunk of pine is gonna be important. Gotta be concerned about the knots, too...or trying to find a piece without any.

Yea, hadn't realy thought of that... Ash or alder then...

vortexx Member

vortexx

Posted
Posted

So I'm building a Rat Rod/Hot Rod Tele, barebones, one bridge pickup, one volume...Here's my question, I've been seeing the Pine bodied teles lately, anybody using a pine bodied tele? I realize pine should be lighter than alder or swamp ash...Which appeals to me. Any reason I shouldn't use pine?

Thanks.

I seem to recall that the early prototype Teles were made of pine.

Hfan Veteran HFCer

Hfan

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I saw Bill Kirchin recently at a small venue. He was awesome After the show I was able to ask him about his Tele, it wasn't a Fender. It was a pine bodied custom build by a Luthier in Greenwich Village, can't remember the dude's name though.

Punkavenger Veteran HFCer

Punkavenger

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I've been wanting to build a Tele from scratch now for several years. Read hours on the internet about the subject. Bothered Badger Dave quite a few times ... :P (Thanks Dave) etc etc. Read about famous musicians favorite Teles ... and the general consensus is that a one piece ash body AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE (under 4lbs) is your best bet.

Mpcoluv Member

Mpcoluv

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A lot of guys like pine but any bump leave a ding. I heard that Leo went with Swamp Ash because it withstood the rigors of steady gigging better.

Some of the guys "harden" the pine by using super glue as a grain sealer.

Spread it on the bare pine with a razor blade.....

murkat Veteran HFCer

murkat

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I saw Bill Kirchin recently at a small venue. He was awesome After the show I was able to ask him about his Tele, it wasn't a Fender. It was a pine bodied custom build by a Luthier in Greenwich Village, can't remember the dude's name though.

GVCG Guitars. Jonathon creates some scary good guitars.

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