Poplar

A soft, pale hardwood with a greenish to greyish cast, used as a cheap body material on budget instruments.

It is light and easy to work and it finishes smoothly, though its colour is unattractive enough that it is almost always painted, and it is softer than alder, so screw holes and edges wear more readily. Tonally it is generally described as soft in the top end with a rounded, unremarkable response, which is perfectly serviceable in a solid body but not something makers choose deliberately. Its main advantage is availability and price.

Example: a budget solid body in poplar sounds fine plugged in, though it will not have the bite of the same shape in ash.

typical use: Solid bodies on budget instruments, and occasionally necks.

Poplar

See also