# Open vs. Closed grain



## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

This is a little late to ask, being I've already started building a new body out of oak, but is there a much difference in sound if you build the body out of an open grain wood like oak or ash as aposed to useing a closed grain like maple or popular?


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## Solaceguitars (May 3, 2010)

If you can make a pickup to compliment the wood, you can use anything. I use oak in the middle of my necks (for stability), and the rest of the guitar is different local softwoods capped with maple. I wind the pickups to work with the natural sound of the guitar's acoustic properties, and have learned through trial and error....ANYTHING is possible. Have fun and experiment. Everything sounds different, and if you put enough thought into the end result, you can make anything rock. I believe that Brian May's original "Red Special was a slab of oak that he and his father used from the kitchen table to make his guitar. I would call that a success..


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

grumpybstrd said:


> This is a little late to ask, being I've already started building a new body out of oak, but is there a much difference in sound if you build the body out of an open grain wood like oak or ash as aposed to useing a closed grain like maple or popular?


Grab some maple and ash and make three guitars the same. Oak isn't popular because of the weight. Fender started using alder because it was light cheap and saved the labour on finishing. Ash was used for translucent finishes because it was light but shows nice under the finish


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## grumpybstrd (Nov 19, 2012)

shoretyus said:


> Grab some maple and ash and make three guitars the same. Oak isn't popular because of the weight. Fender started using alder because it was light cheap and saved the labour on finishing. Ash was used for translucent finishes because it was light but shows nice under the finish


I'll stick to one project at a time (actually I already have 1/2 a dozen on the go, between a hot rod and various ones around the house). If I do this again I may try Alder, that's what the horizontal ties on wood hydro poles are made of. Utility companies throw them in the dumpster every day, so if you know a Lineman they can usually grab you a few for the price of a beer at most. 

But Alder seems a little soft to me, the reason I went with oak is because I read somewhere that the harder the wood the better sustain. I was just wondering if grain had much of an impact being oak is so open and porous.


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