alder/ seriously under valued

[Stubby]

I bought a left handed 1968 Fender Strat which I think was Ash body but had a Maple on Maple neck. I think that the neck had more influence on the tone than the body. The guitar was nicked in 1991 and I replaced it with a 1991 American Strat with a Rosewood fret which is better (whisper it!) in every way.

 

Not sure quite how to link this comment with firewood quality, only to say that American Swamp Ash and the American Alder on the Strat are probably very different to the Alder and Ash that we are familiar with!

 

Linked quite well at the last knockings ! I prefer one piece hard rock maple for necks combined with a one piece swamp ash body .....not sure how they burn though ......

[Billhook]

Linked quite well at the last knockings ! I prefer one piece hard rock maple for necks combined with a one piece swamp ash body .....not sure how they burn though ......

 

So much could have changed Stubby from 1968, the pick-up windings, the tone controls, the three way switch, the bridge, tremolo machine heads are all different and may contribute to a different sound. So it is hard to test like for like with the wood though I seem to gain a stronger finger vibrato with the Rosewood as the Maple seems a bit more "slippy"

 

Having fingers like Jimi Hendrix would help rather than being gifted with the loggers gnarled stubby wounded digits on my hands (still five on each hand though!)

When I play it "Red House" sounds more like "Log House"!!!!

[wrsni]

Hi guys, I have often read and been told that alder is a poor firewood

 

Not here!, quite the reverse in fact.

 

Especially poor until well seasoned, which may be part of the problem for some, but terrific afterwards.

 

Also, easily the best performer so far out of about 15 native hardwood species in my recently planted woodland.

[Ashes_Firewood]

Good to hear, got loads of it

[peatff]

It's nice for spoon carving as well.

[wrsni]

It's nice for spoon carving as well.

 

One of the main listed "traditional uses" in the books for alder is clogs. Probably a combination of being very light but very hard and then as you say suitable for carving.

 

Also lasts almost indefinitely when fully immersed in water, Venice is largely built on alder piles apparently.

 

Strange how many so called "experts" told me to avoid alder at all costs when planning my woodland as it was, according to them, good for nothing.

[Graham]

One of the main listed "traditional uses" in the books for alder is clogs. Probably a combination of being very light but very hard and then as you say suitable for carving.

 

Also lasts almost indefinitely when fully immersed in water, Venice is largely built on alder piles apparently.

 

Strange how many so called "experts" told me to avoid alder at all costs when planning my woodland as it was, according to them, good for nothing.

 

Traditionally used on poor sites to improve the soil by fixing nitrogen in the soil therefore improving soil quality for other trees.

[ArthurBottlesworth]

I thought dogwood charcoal was best for blackpowdet

[Stubby]

I think it is safe to say that who ever told the OP it was crap was in fact talking crap .....

[TreeBoys]

If you can't get oak, or ash, or beech, or pear, or plum, or maple, or hornbeam, or a host of other woods with a better BTU than alder, then you are right. Meanwhile I'd burn any of the above in preference.