Charvel 650XL (basswood) weights a TON? Isn't basswood light?

[ApeScaleConflict]

I've tried to look some fact out from that thing internet out there but haven't found really anything? I've played several basswood guitars and they are all VERY light weight stuff. WHY is this so heavy i just don't understand. I wont sleep until some nerd (cool nerd that deserves pornstar chics) tell me what theeeeee hell!

 

[guitarguru777]

650s were alder with a maple neck through construction.

Alder is heavier and depending on the maple used for the neck the tenon could weigh different amounts.

 

[ApeScaleConflict]

I have one page that says that it's basswood and another page that says it's poplar?

here it says that it's basswood (roll down to see the models) -> http://audiozone.dk/index-filer/charvel-japan-import-guitars.php

and here it's poplar -> http://www.charvelusa.com/models.html

seriously.

 

[guitarguru777]

Sorry that was totally a typo .... I most definitly meant poplar. Hence the weight!

 

[ApeScaleConflict]

If its Poplar - I have a strat that is made out of that wood and is a real spinebreaker...

In a good or a bad way? D

Guru!! Awesome, thanks for being such a honeybunny! Now i have to weight that if i hate or dig the sound So far i've been struggling to get a sound that pleases me, the low end's aren't as controlled and roomy as on mahogany schecter with same pupsies.

 

[guitarguru777]

Poplar is real snappy with not much in the low end.

Poplar Poplar is a stringy, dense, yet lightweight hardwood that is unusually resonant. Poplar, when used in solid-body electric guitars, has an exceptionally crisp sound, often described as "spirited" and "bouncy" - even "funky." Poplar guitars are ideal choices for players who favor single-coil snap and clean sound.

http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/electric-guitars/buying-guide.php

It would probably be great for an 8 string to be honest.

 

[ApeScaleConflict]

Oh thanks! That don't really speak up too much for the guitar It's really hard to find a decent sound outta it. The sound actually is quite "djenty" yeah...

 

[Damage, Inc.]

The best info I can find says that it had a maple neck-thru with poplar wings. That will make it quite a bit brighter than my 750xl, which is mahogany with a maple cap. Get some darker-sounding pickups to balance that brightness and it should work out well.

 

[ApeScaleConflict]

Yeah, i thought that the pickups might help something

 

[Rogueleader]

Its basswood. Henrik (who runs the audiozone dk site) knows his shit when it comes to Jacksons and Charvels. In fact, almost every Model Series era charvel is basswood, barring the trans finished 750xls and a couple other trans finished guitars/rare models.

That being said its not gonna sound like a "basswood guitar" since when people think of that sound they think of bolt ons. Most of the tone in a NT comes from the NT portion, which is maple.

 

[Rogueleader]

Poplar is real snappy with not much in the low end.

Poplar Poplar is a stringy, dense, yet lightweight hardwood that is unusually resonant. Poplar, when used in solid-body electric guitars, has an exceptionally crisp sound, often described as "spirited" and "bouncy" - even "funky." Poplar guitars are ideal choices for players who favor single-coil snap and clean sound.

http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/electric-guitars/buying-guide.php

It would probably be great for an 8 string to be honest.

Poplar is tonally identical to alder. Much less visually appealing though. It can be heavy as fuck too. Older Jackson soloists are some of the heaviest guitars out there.

 

[Rogueleader]

650s were alder with a maple neck through construction.

Alder is heavier and depending on the maple used for the neck the tenon could weigh different amounts.

You are thinking of Model 6s, which are poplar. The 650 is different woods and has a blade switch instead of individual toggles.

 

[guitarguru777]

Not gonna get into a pissing match, but you are incorrect. His is Poplar. The Charvel USA Collectors site with photos of the actual manufacturing specs prove it. http://www.charvelusa.com/models.html

 

[deLuther]

Not gonna get into a pissing match, but you are incorrect. His is Poplar. The Charvel USA Collectors site with photos of the actual manufacturing specs prove it. http://www.charvelusa.com/models.html

They also can be wrong, catalog of 90-91 does not have specifications on woods in most cases.
And what about specs of Charvel Fusion Plus published on this site:
"Fusion Plus 1990 1990 Jackson JT590 (=Schaller Floyd Rose) HH Basswood Maple/RW 24 1V, 1T 5W Shortscale "

What f...ing basswood? This guitar made of ash, this fact is mentioned in catalog and type of wood is always visible on this guitar because of transparent finish...

But, in case of 650, there is japan internal catalog of 89 where exists this model, very similar to 650XL:
http://audiozone.dk/guitargallery/?content%2FGuitar_catalog_scans%2FJackson_Charvel%2F1989_Jackson_Charvel_Japan_only%2FJCJapOnlyPage10.jpg
The only difference is logo, because it is not export model. Same factory.

 

[colonel_claypoo]

basswood however can be really heavy.
I've got a Fender Steve Harris P-Bass (1st version) which is pretty heavy.
So often times, I think, it's possible to have woods that are normally pretty light be quite dense/heavy.

 

[Rogueleader]

Not gonna get into a pissing match, but you are incorrect. His is Poplar. The Charvel USA Collectors site with photos of the actual manufacturing specs prove it. http://www.charvelusa.com/models.html

Uh, it would be nice if you linked me to the manufacturing specs, you just linked me to an enthusiast compiled spreadsheet. Henrik's site (audiozone) is the exact same thing.

Not that is matters, just putting out there that you are using one site that doesn't have a definitive answer against the site I put forth that doesn't have a definitive answer. Like many others have pointed out, late 80s/early 90s Jackson/Charvels were doing a lot of funky stuff and switching around specs. Many of them didn't appear in catalogs. For example, people didn't know for years that the solid color 750xls were basswood (always assumed they were mahogany) until some started sanding them down. People didn't know that the early 90s Warrior Pros were 24.75 scale until they started measuring them. Etc.etc.

Unless the OP sands his down and sees the actual grain, he has to tell the difference with his ears. Recognizing the sound of a NT guitar (maple neck) with basswood wings isn't gonna happen for 99% of the population (myself included), since most people only know the bolt on Ibanez basswood sound. Poplar and Basswood can be equally heavy depending on construction, and the OP hasn't said exactly how heavy it is, so you can't really go on that.

I would say to the OP, if it sounds good, don't sweat it. Basswood gets a bad reputation from a lot of lower end instruments but a)650Xls are nice instruments, if it did use basswood it probably used a nice cut b)Maple NT w/ basswood wings is a completely different sound than what most people think of as "basswood guitars".

Hit up Lozek (over on mg.org,might be here too), he uses a bkp ceramic warpig (I know the OP was interested in BKPs) in his 650xl. He's posting in this thread; http://www.metalguitarist.org/forum...ival-holy-crap-content-inside.html#post408802

 

[Rogueleader]

The best info I can find says that it had a maple neck-thru with poplar wings. That will make it quite a bit brighter than my 750xl, which is mahogany with a maple cap. Get some darker-sounding pickups to balance that brightness and it should work out well.

Actually the 650xl wood config is pretty dark. I have two Jackson AT Pros (the successor to the 750xl, brighter due to an ebony board instead of rosewood) and a 1989 Soloist (Rosewood board) which is very similar woods. NT is a warm/dark construction method due to its nature, combine this with a Rosewood board and a Jt-590 trem (which are quite a bit warmer than OFRs) and you have a warm instrument. The ATs are brighter by a huge margin. That maple cap adds a ton of brightness. The Soloist needs a cutting/bright pickup just to keep up. Unless the OP likes darker tones, he would probably want a moderately bright pickup like a JB.

 

[Lozek]

I am indeed on here, long time lurker. Not sure what use I can be in terms of identifying the woods, that's something I've never got the bottom of either. Like someone else on here said, it appears around the '89/'90 era, specs were being changed left right and centre, and mine is still in original finish so I've never found out what's under the paint.

I would describe my 650 as average weight, it's certainly not lightweight (I prefer to have something to grab hold of in a guitar) but it's not a back-breaker either (I'm not a massive guy). Maybe you picked up one that's got some super-dense cuts in it? I actually just missed out on a Black 650 that was on private sale in Australia by one day, I was gutted as I'd love another one.

Pick-up wise, like was said above, I put a C-Pig in there by accident when I moved over to Jackson and fell in love with it straight away. To my ears it seems to enhance the snappiness of the tone and give it a percussive edge, I've run it with the stock pick-up before and also had it with an 81/s/s config. I've had the middle pick-up route covered over as I didn't need it, and in the neck I'm running a stacked humbucker that came out of an Ibanez RBM that I used to own. In this guitar it sounds really glassy and smooth, great for solo's. I've got it running single volume, and a tremel-no on the bridge.

This was probably the first serious quality metal guitar I owned, got it back in about '97, I've been round a million Ibanez & Jackson since, but I always end up back at this one.

www.Collapse.co

 

[Damage, Inc.]

Actually the 650xl wood config is pretty dark.

Makes sense, the NT and rosewood fretboard may warm things up somewhat. I admit I haven't played a 650xl in recent memory, that was a (not so) educated guess based on my experience. I've had a JB in my 750xl for probably 15 years, has always worked for me.