Poplar bodies

[eneade]

Hi there !

I have a Stingray 5 with a Poplar body.



I have seen that F***** has used some on Japanese models, Michael Tobias also uses some on his USA made basses... so I guess there is some cheap Poplar and some high end Poplar.

Does anyone know what kind of Poplar did MM use in the 90's ? I am convinced that it was some good one, but may be someone has some info on a special variety or origin ... ?

Forum member Eric Moesle wrote in 2003 :
The ash bass is brighter, smoother, and the poplar one is punchier, growlier, and mellower on the highs (...) the difference is slight, not overbearing
Anyone has remarked this also ?

Sorry for posting about old stuff...
eneade

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I love that Smurf Blue; it was my preferred choice at that time, but I ended up getting a Transparent White one instead. I am not sure if mine is poplar or ash.

 

[Chuck B]

but I ended up getting a Transparent White one instead. I am not sure if mine is poplar or ash.

A while ago Ms. Beth Wreden told me that EB used poplar under opaque finishes...

 

[Vintage7]

Pre-EBMM used ash.
Basswood is used on the Bongo.
F.A.Q. quote from the EBMM site reguarding Stingrays:
"In the past we used equal amounts of poplar or ash, and a small amount alder, we are using almost all ash now. We always use ash on translucent finishes."

 

[zuma]

<snip>... so I guess there is some cheap Poplar and some high end Poplar...</snip>

Of course! Just like any other wood! There is cheap maple and great maple too. Although, I have never seen cheap ebony.

I have an '83 Stingray and I was told by MusicManNut that it is probably poplar, made in the Charvel period. It sounds fabulous to me! I would agree that it is a bit more thick in the middle with smooth lows. The highs sound plenty good and even if they are subdued, the 2-band sizzle will take care of that!

 

[Basscake]

I think my '83 SR4 also has a poplar body.

I'm no expert when it comes to recognizing woods by its grain but I can certainly tell that its not ash.

Here he is:

I did check out some other MM basses of that period. I felt that mine has a mellower, less agressive tone than its colleagues made of ash. They're a bit snappier and have a tad more clarity.
All of them are tonewise clearly Stingrays though. Its just a slightly different timbre.

Also worth mentioning, that my SR is surprisingly light.

Greets
basscake

 

[zuma]

Hey Basscake, that looks like the twin of mine! Did you replace the pickguard? Mine has a clear one. Nice!

 

[eneade]

Nice bass Basscake !


As you can see here :
Google Traduire

and here :
Populus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

...there are different types and origins of Poplar. Poplar seams to generally be a cheap wood, but has been chosen by great bass manufacturers... so I am curious of knowing which kind of Poplar was used... Since this wood is not used anymore in the current MM production, may be it is less difficult to give some info...

Concerning weight, my SR5 tends to be heavier than the Ash SR5 I had a while ago.

Tonewise, my Poplar SR5 has huge lows and a very good growl. My SR4 is a completely different bass with its 2 band preamp so it is more difficult to compare.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Well, my '93 definitely has a lot of natural mids.

 

[drTStingray]

Trans red basses are often quoted in the serial number db as having alder bodies - not sure why but presumably something to do with the look of the finish.

Didn't the Sub basses have poplar bodies??

 

[Basscake]

Trans red basses are often quoted in the serial number db as having alder bodies - not sure why but presumably something to do with the look of the finish.

Well. It could be alder as well. I'm just sure its NOT ash.
Any expert advice on how to distinguish poplar from alder?

Hey Basscake, that looks like the twin of mine! Did you replace the pickguard? Mine has a clear one. Nice!

No. It actually is the original clear one.

It's just a cutout of a poster out of some free magazine that I put underneath. Way cheaper!
Cool, isn't it?