Alder

A light, straight-grained hardwood that became the default body wood of the bolt-on solid body.

It machines cleanly, takes a finish evenly and weighs little enough that a full-size body stays comfortable on a strap. Tonally it is usually described as balanced with a gentle dip in the midrange, which leaves room for both the low strings and the treble to be heard without fighting each other. Because it is plain-looking, it is normally covered with an opaque finish, so most alder bodies are the ones you never see the grain on.

Example: the classic American bolt-on with a sunburst or solid colour body is very often alder under the paint, which is part of why that combination is so familiar on record.

Alder

See also