2021 lineup

[tbonesullivan]

I was reading that ash wasn't used because of shortages a couple of years ago and was wondering if it is back . Or are the bodies from poplar ?

The Ash Shortage is unlikely to abate anytime soon. TONS of usable ash have gotten EAB and were cut down, and then turned into wood chips. The wood can still be used but they need to decontaminate it, and the shear volume of it means that most of it just gets tossed.

As far as I can see, the Cutlass is still Alder. The Steve Morse is poplar, and it's always been that. Most of the guitars mention a specific type.

The basses do say "select hardwood", which I think used to be Ash on translucent colors, and alder or poplar on opaque colors. However that depends on the finish. Classic Sunburst is often put on Alder (like my Luke III). Also the Cliff Williams is poplar because the original was poplar. The Bongo basses are basswood, as they usually have been.

I honestly wouldn't worry about the wood. EBMM uses good stuff, and Ash, Alder, and Poplar are all great tonewoods with a long history of use in solid bodied electric guitars. Poplar just sometimes has greenish streaks in it, which don't look good under some finishes. They look great on my morse blueburst guitar though!

 

[strummer]

TONS of usable ash have gotten EAB and were cut down, and then turned into wood chips. The wood can still be used but they need to decontaminate it, and the shear volume of it means that most of it just gets tossed.

I had not heard of this, thanks for the info.

 

[strummer]

Who are you who is so wise in the ways of knäckebröd?

I'm nobody, just a fan.

 

[tbonesullivan]

I had not heard of this, thanks for the info.

The Emerald Ash borer is making it's way towards where they usually harvest the Southern Swamp Ash from, so I don't know how much of an impact it has had yet on the wood EBMM usually uses, but it's going to get there eventually.