maple | Music + Technology = Pete Lacis

Alder vs Swamp Ash, Maple vs Rosewood and a Neck Swap – The Definitive Comparison with Audio Clips

Posted by Pete Lacis in audio clips, guitar, musical instruments

A while back I wrote this post concerning the differences between alder and swamp ash when used in a strat-style guitar and what tones/genres of music those combinations suited best. I originally wrote that post to satisfy my own curiosity, but also to share with others and participate in the discussion. Three years later it is still the most searched topic on this site and continues to bring in a steady stream of traffic. Apparently, I’m not the only one curious about these things…. Since I wrote the original post,…read more

Les Paul Standards vs. Les Paul Customs

As I’ve been finding myself lately really gravitating to the sound of my VOS 1960 plain top Les Paul Standard, I’ve become curious as to why folks chose Les Paul Standards over Les Paul Customs and vice-versa. Through my own observations, I’d say that most organic classic rock stuff (Allmans, Zeppelin, Skynard, Aerosmith, etc) tends to be played on Standards (with Fogarty & Framptom being the exceptions) while more metal tends to be played on Customs (John Sykes, Zakk Wylde, Adam Jones (Tool), Randy Rhodes, etc). I also realize that…read more