As a long time luthier (60+ years), I cannot tell the difference between Paulownia wood and genuine swamp ash without smelling a body blank or lifting it to judge the weight. It's a great guitar wood!
It has great looking grain. The issue is how soft it is - which is why you shouldn't try to construct a Strat with a standard trem out of it, it won't be stable over the long term. I tried and had to hardtail the trem. It did however work great for a Tele style build with a hardtail bridge.
Tim, you're the greatest! Thanks for not being a "Guitar Douche"! Lol... Meaning, you NEVER talk down to your viewers and ALWAYS have a smile on your face! Your enthusiasm for the instrument that you love so very much is contagious! Your lessons NEVER talk down to your students and you NEVER have an attitude, even though you are a living legend! Keep the faith and keep fighting the good Rock-N-Roll fight my friend! God bless and take care...
I’m a drummer but I love watching your channel for 2 reasons. I’ve been playing for over 40 years and I’ve benefited from understanding the approach other musicians have on their instruments. The other reason is I just love your playing and the beautiful touch you have. Love hearing you play.
I'm a mirror image of you in the sense that I'm primarily a string instrument player, am not a drummer, but I love watching drum videos about gear and approaches to playing for the same reason! Cheers
Been playing guitar for a long time and I am watching the drum clinic videos all the time. I can't play drums but it's an insight into the grooves. I can watch Bernard Purdie videos and I'm sitting there mesmerized learning about the pocket! I definitely understand what you're talking about!
I’m a builder, and I love this wood! I love light electric guitars. I have a Brad Paisley Tele made from it, and that one and my Japanese built bass wood 50’s Tele are my fav sounding Teles . Don’t get “hung up” on ash and alder! There are soooo many woods! I’ve never appreciated the differences until I began building, first acoustics, then electric guitars. Try new things! You’ll like it! Peace
I thought he was going to say Jelutong was the super light wood. Ibenez used Jelutong on a model for a while. I've never heard of Paulownia, but it would be my pick of the two for the attractive grain.
Awesome to see Mario Martin getting some shine from one of the top dogs. I’ve played his stuff for years now and have a few that I’ve custom ordered, including a hardtail, but none in paulownia. His wood selection is out of this world and I’m sure this guitar is no exception! Also love to see modal playing presented in a very approachable way. Nice work Tim. Thank you!
I was a mediocre bass player who actually made few bucks years ago. Been playing for many years. Tim has opened up a new world for me by showing what a real musician is and sharing. I look forward to each video. Thank You!!!
I built a paulownia partscaster a couple of years ago with a bridge humbucker and neck mini-HB. I finished it in surf green and nitro, total weight was a hair over 5lbs. It came out really nice. The only problem with paulownia is that it dents really easy and it helps to glue in a harder wood dowel for bridge/trem and strap button holes to prevent them from stripping out over time.
I built a LP JR a few years ago out of incense cedar (also a softwood, but much more resilient than Paulownia), and wound up having to do a similar thing to anchor the bridge posts - inlay a block of hardwood in the bridge area, using Zebrawood. Also have denting issues. If you look at wood-database, Paulownia might as well be balsa for its Janka hardness and crushing strength.
@@robotsongs Possibly the answer is to use a neck-through construction, so that all the essential parts are attached to the same relatively dense piece of wood, and use the lighter wood for the wings to keep weight down. The denting problem won't go away, but that's largely doewn to how you handle your guitars.
Paulownia Wood is light so is Basswood both are great for guitar builders. Paulownia is getting noticed due to Kiesiel Guitars Sophie Lloyd loves it. They say the tone is similar to Ash wood. Personally I don't believe in Tone Wood for ELECTRIC GUITARS Violin 🎻 yes Mandolin yes Acoustical Guitars yes. Electric ⚡🎻 guitars have pickups This pickups the vibration from the strings sends to amps.. Paulownia wood 🪵 is CHEAP PLENTIFUL IN ASIA especially China fast growth. FACT. IMO I don't like a Boat ⚓ anchor Around my neck so weight is Paramount. Buy a good Cheap Guitar Modification of it to produce your tone IMO change the electrical system the pickups the bridge the tuners install a Floyd Rose Locking System. New Strings & WHAM. Cheers 🍻🥃🥃🎸🎵🎶
I have a Pawlonia Tele. It is the Brad Paisley signature Tele and it is comfortably in my collection until I pass to the other side. Saying this 4 lbs Tele is the best Tele in the world is an understatement.
My grandkids broke my Strat. I lost my brain for year, due to a bad reaction to Covid vaccine. I stopped playing, because, I wasn't "musical" any more. I could play all the notes, but it came out yuck. I gave up. Finally, the other day when moving some junk, and I pick up an old cheap acoustic guitar. For whatever reason, I can play again. My joint damage from informatory reaction, and back operations, makes it difficult to sit with a heavy guitar. I have been considering a Fender Custom shop, but can't find one that I like. This looks promising. Who cares if it dents. So long as it is light, plays, and sounds good. Lindy Fralin pick-ups are an added bonus. Thanks for the heads up Tim. I'll check this one out.
Paulownia is in the balsa wood family hence the light weight. It has a very dense straight grain which usually means a solid finish, and is a very fast growing tree, which the Japanese use for making traditional instruments. I have only ever held one guitar made of paulownia and it almost felt like I was holding a toy guitar.
That last solo was near perfection...your melodic playing is quite lovely and satisfying. It would be an interesting experiment for you to restrict yourself to no more than three 8th or 16th notes in a row to see what results...as a listener, I find your playing is its most magnificent when the figures are patient, melodic and spacious. I could listen all day...thank you sir.
Hi Tim, you are a great player and teacher and I have a question: How come the E Mixolydian fits, it's not the 5th degree of any of these keys ? thank you so much
Really interesting video (as always), and the way you were throwing around the guitar at the beginning I thought it was made of balsa! 🙂 Nice to highlight Level 42 -- that is a great album.
Finally! I've been searching for paulownia guitar bodies for fourteen years now, every since I bought some paulownia cheaply to build some closets. The loud, long thuds that come from those cabinets are very annoying, but that immediately made me think: "this would make for an awesome electric guitar!"
One of the best pieces of advice ever .... Been soloing over my favorite tunes for 40 years now.... Much more fun.... And a lot easier than thinking in modes (Lydian, Mixolydian, etc...)
I have a Dean Vendetta with Pawlonia wood. Put a tusq nut and Dimarzio and SD pickups in it, its a great guitar! Love how lightweight it is, and it has a nice tone.
Suhr have been using Paulownia for a few years, I own a Suhr Classic-S made of Paulownia and it’s fantastic, one of the most resonant Strats I’ve ever played and definitely the lightest.
My first DIY build I did was a parts caster Tele with a Paulownia body. It weighs nothing. I love this wood and wish more manufacturers would use it. Would love one in an LP shape. What a mind fk that would be. A 4pound LP
I have a body ( had a neck but my half jack russell/half shih tzu puppy used it for a chew toy one night, little jack shih..) I want to build an Esquire type. But I have to find another neck lol.
Nice video Tim. What Divided by 13 head is that? Thanks. Also Gregg Sartiano worked for me for years he speaks highly of you. I hung with him this winter in Nashville.
Most of the best boutique Teles I've found were Mario Martin. I went out to their Murfreesboro shoo after teying tons of them at NAMM Nashville like 13 years ago. Great guitars and that Paulonia wood had a nice snap tonal response. Mu favorites even though I still don't own one due to $$ supply.
i definitely think paulownia is its own sound... someone said that a lot of pro tele players look for paulownia bodies. your puffy jacket is cool. great playing as usual.
The Fender signature Brad Paisley made in Mexico is made with Paulownia. It looks like ash, but is very light. You just need to be careful not to dent it, and sometimes screw holding is an issue.
@@3500ton No definitely not, but it does make a difference if you're playing for 3 hours and doing 250+ shows a year on the wear and tear on your body! They sound surprisingly good, but it does freak you out a bit when you first lift it. As I said, we designed it more or less when I was at Fender to use slow-moving inventory and some items left-over from when we owned Guild.
@@michaelborn3318 i used to play 100 long shows per year with a heavy les paul, regular sg and heavy 70’s strat. The gig was not that bad at all but carrying my own amps and cabs was a nightmare. Guitar should be made of alder ash or mahogany and that’s it in my experience
I watched an older video with you & Brett where you mentioned "Over-Ringing" on guitar. I would love a deeper dive into that stuff. Not much out there on that type of skill set. I think Tom Bukovac's playing has a ton of this... how he moves around the neck, and always seems to have other notes ringing while he moves bass notes, melodies etc etc. Thanks Tim for putting a term on what I've been trying to improve at.
I believe Dear Tim is an Encino boy, and noticed a break in the rain and took to the time to make this great video. Thanks very much. Best get that guitar indoors quickly, though. 😂🤣
I don't play guitar. I don't know music theory. I can't read music. I'm 6 decades too late to start playing guitar. I love watching Tim Pierce videos. I don't know of anyone on RUclips that looks like life i. more fun than him. Keep it going.
I love light guitars. I have a nice tele and a strat that weigh around 8 pounds, or a shade under, and they are great. But I also have a squier bullet mustang, that weighs a little over 5 pounds, and cost me 110 bucks. I had planned on selling on the mustang once I got the tele, but I just can't let it go. The tele and strat both sound slightly better, and look better. But the little mustang is just so comfortable and easy to play. I can have it sitting beside me and I can pick it up anytime and have play a bit while sitting on the couch. It's just so much fun and really encourages me to play it more. I thoroughly recommend anyone to think about having a little lightweight guitar for practicing on. It's just great. Only problem is I now have 3 guitars, and I love all of them equally and can't part with any of them. I never wanted to be one of those guys who hoards loads of guitars, and I know 3 is small potatoes compared to some of these people who have dozens. Sometimes multiple identical guitars but perhaps with different paintjobs or whatever, but it's still unnecessary. But I can't get rid of the mustang because I play it the most and that's largely because it's so small and light.
Last year, I built a Tele style with a paulownia body and maple neck from Guitar Mill, a division of Mario Martin. I never thought you could build a guitar that is better than the factory, it turns out you can. With a set of Ron Ellis pickups, it sounds better, looks better, an plays better than my Fender Broadcaster reissue. I love the way I can feel the Paulownia vibrate against my chest as I play. Swamp ash doesn't do that.
Great song choice takes me back to the summer of 1986. Also love the guitar solo on that song. I did a cover of it but I don't think it's perfect. Maybe you can do a play through of the solo on a future video.
Hi Tim! I recently purchased your new beginners course and am getting ready to dive in. Thank you for putting that course together - its really the one I was waiting for. Just wanted you to know that I'm truly grateful for the course. And thank you for the lesson in this video too! All the best, Joe.
I'm building myself a new partscaster with not a single fender part. Wilkinson bridge, Guyker tuners, Iron Gear pickups, a scalloped maple neck from China and various and sundry non-fender parts parts from Amazon. The body I chose is routed but un-drilled and finished in Sherwood green. It's a baloneywood body and I found your video whilst searching for information about baloneywood.
I was waiting for some magical knowledge on how to most effectively practice, but that's how I usually practice anyway. I always thought playing scales and ideas over songs was just too "fun" for real practice, so it was comforting to hear Tim say it is the really the best way learn. Thank you very much, again.
Our shop, HARD ROAD guitars can't make our "52 Teel black guards fast enough. Our players LOVE the light weight and the resonant tone. and the Material we use is Tennessee Grown on a small but sustainable Tree farm in Northern TN.
Great info and Cool Video !! Thanks for sharing this Tim !! I really enjoy your videos! Youre very intelligent , an amazing guitar player, and a down to earth dude !! Cheers from North Dakota 🤙🏼 Rock n Roll Bro !
Just bought a MM second hand myself… Mine’s still swamp ash, but it’s still slightly under 7lbs. I’ve owned half a dozen FCS’s over the years and Id take this over all of them except one… tone machine.
Chord changes of E to relative minor, then D to relative minor are in the key of A major. Why play E pentatonic and E mixolydian (or D pentatonic)over them instead of A major or F# minor? Why did you make those choices? Your answer would be very informative. Thanks. Ps I guess E mixolydian is A major so I guess I'm asking why play E pentatonic? Is it more melodic?
E Major to A Major? Same difference right? I have to wonder if it is possible to make a headless hollow body with that wood? Approximate weight- 2lbs? I have a couple of courses I am wading through right now, hoping to get yours next. Not a total beginner, but I can play like one! Thanks for posting.
Why wouldn't you play E Mixolydian the entire time. If you have both D major and E major (1 whole step apart) in the progression then you're in the key of A major or E Mixolydian (if we're staying diatonic).
Would it be comparable to basswood? I ask because I picked a couple of budget guitars to experiment with pickups, and wondering what strat pickups would work well with basswood (and what paf type humbucker , what p90. Like I said, got them to experiment with). Thanks for any thought on it
Nice guitar. I’ve seen the pawlonia on a few, but never played one. But my real interest in this video is what Tim was playing and discussing. I’m going to have to try it. Thanks for sharing this Tim!
24 carat gold musical advice - Tim is Godlike - I wish I had his musical ear! - working on ear training - HARD- we gotta do it to use these pearls of wisdom.....
Very cool video.. I love that guitar.. I'll take anything light weight.. I don't care about wood as I'm sure it has nothing to do with the tone of the guitar.., or so little that it doesn't matter in a solid body guitar! Very cool.. Thank you sir. (By the way.. I'm a Tim too! 😛) Regards from Southern Indiana. USA Tim
I have a hard tail squire bullet. That's kills. Been playing for over 45 years. I have recently been also playing Paulownia guitars as well. Fantastic guitars and tone. My squire is. Paulownia.. so is my cheap dean is Paulownia. Incredible guitars. Very light
Love mario Martins. A lot of 9.5-12" compound radii. I am a swamp ash snob single piece 3.5 lb. Rare to find but 5 years ago you could find it. Love the avo mist color.
Sounds fantastic! Mario Martin is a great builder. I bought a Strat from the company (great back story), and it has been such an inspiring instrument to play and use for writing. Enjoy! Certainly is a nice answer in long sessions with my Les Paul, which is heavy. I prefer to stand when I play guitar. Always love to see your channel.
Under 5lb for a Strat is really light. Any older player with back problems will know what that means. I have an Epiphone Coronet reissue that is around 5lb, but it has only one pickup, simpler electronics, and the body is smaller. But light is good. Light and stiff is a great constructional formula for a solidbody guitar. We know that there are other ways of making a guitar - hi, Gibson Les Paul! - but this one works. Players need to remember that guitar manufacturers back in the day used what was available. Just because exotic hardwoods were easy to obtain doesn't mean that they were always the best choices for any reason other than appearance. The science of acoustics has moved on in the seventy years since Gibson designed the Les Paul and Fender came up with the Telecaster: we should take advantage.
Are you playing guitar there or taking off in a spaceship?..I’ve never seen so much equipment hooked up to a guitar..I’d need three years of college just to get started 🤦♂️😂
I'm scared.... of theory.... I just shut up and play... not as pretty as you, but.... lots of folks say they appreciate the amount of soul I play with... theory education can't teach you that.... It took me 40 years to figure out what makes Blue "feel." It has nothing to do with theory.... Nice guitar!
Thanks for that one. Sounds great. Oh yeah, I almost fell of my couch last week when i watched the Al Pacino movie "Danny Collins" on TV. Tim Pierce as an actor guitarist in his band. Yaay. Playing a Les Paul to boot. At least you wouldn't be miming the chords like all those other movie guitarists. I got kick out of it. Great job.
The color reminds me of my purple Jeff Beck strat.. very similar finish. I really disliked it at first.. but the guitar was right. it felt right.. sounded right.. is amazing but.. the color.. it grew on me and looks quite different in stage lights :) I love it now.
There's a gorgeous Paulownia Suhr in my local market. I want it, but I'm worried about _sustain._ Doesn't a lighter, resonant guitar let string energy leak out through the body?
I played few Paulownia body guitars that sound really nice. It's the strongest wood per weight, but it dings easily. I'm not sure if trem bridge screws would loosen up over time, so a hardtail is wise. I have a 7 lb Wenge neck w/stainless frets Pine body guitar that sounds very different than this guitar. It has a very strong bright attack and lacks mid-bass. Embedding a thin brass trem block under and attached to the bridge didn't really improve the mid-bass response. Guitar was 6.3lbs b4 that.
The lick at 6:19 !!! I wasn't watching, just listening but I grabbed the nearest guitar and now have a new lick. Maybe not exact but darn close and that's what it's all about, isn't it? Thank you, Sir Tim.
You are correct. E Mixo E F# G# A B C# D, same notes as A Major. I think it works because G would be an avoid note anyway when playing in D major because it is only a half step away from the 3rd of D major which is F#. And also it is the D lydian mode.
I like to play over the chill/ambient/Lo-fi/acid jazz genre because there isn’t usually a strong melody and there is plenty of space to add a melodic instrument.
I have a Tele that a luthier in Aachen made for me from paulownia body that I bought online and a Fender Baja Tele that had a quite heavy body. The "tone" is interesting, but I think my japanese ash Tele sounds better most of the time. The weight is a big plus, of course and it's not neck-heavy.
Try violin rosin on the fingers you hold your pick with. Just a swipe or two on each finger tip. It will feel dry at first but as the residue, which you won’t feel at first, warms up from body heat it will get tacky. Downside is if you switch from pick to fingers, the tacky finger tips jack up finger style
I have a Tele copy with a Paulownia wood body. It's lightly stained and clear finished with a nice (Ash like) grain to it. Sounds great and yes, it's very light.
Ages ago in Korea, families will plant Paulownia when the daughter is born. They would use the wood sourced from this tree to build furniture to gift it to her marriage. Koreans also use Paulownia to build a double headed drum called janggo.
As a long time luthier (60+ years), I cannot tell the difference between Paulownia wood and genuine swamp ash without smelling a body blank or lifting it to judge the weight. It's a great guitar wood!
Hey--quit sniffing the wood! 😁
🤦♂️
luthier? Hi! I grew up Catholic.
@@napoleoninrags1346 lol!
It has great looking grain. The issue is how soft it is - which is why you shouldn't try to construct a Strat with a standard trem out of it, it won't be stable over the long term. I tried and had to hardtail the trem. It did however work great for a Tele style build with a hardtail bridge.
This guy makes it all look so easy. Just a testament of how great of a player Tim is.
Absolutely! He is a MASTER!
Plus he seems so down to earth!
Or, how much a bad player I am.
@@ericinthemix subscribe to Tim’s course. It’s a phenomenal bargain and you’ll improve your playing.
Scary how he plays.
Tim, you're the greatest!
Thanks for not being a
"Guitar Douche"! Lol...
Meaning, you NEVER talk down to your viewers and
ALWAYS have a smile on your face!
Your enthusiasm for the instrument that you love so very much is contagious!
Your lessons NEVER talk down to your students and you NEVER have an attitude, even though you are a living legend!
Keep the faith and keep fighting the good Rock-N-Roll fight my friend!
God bless and take care...
I’m a drummer but I love watching your channel for 2 reasons. I’ve been playing for over 40 years and I’ve benefited from understanding the approach other musicians have on their instruments. The other reason is I just love your playing and the beautiful touch you have. Love hearing you play.
Another good reason: it's not often you see someone so perpetually joyous about the work they do. It's uplifting and refreshing.
@@clarkem4119here here.
I'm a mirror image of you in the sense that I'm primarily a string instrument player, am not a drummer, but I love watching drum videos about gear and approaches to playing for the same reason! Cheers
Been playing guitar for a long time and I am watching the drum clinic videos all the time. I can't play drums but it's an insight into the grooves. I can watch Bernard Purdie videos and I'm sitting there mesmerized learning about the pocket! I definitely understand what you're talking about!
@@joetaska love that Purdie shuffle!
I’m a builder, and I love this wood! I love light electric guitars. I have a Brad Paisley Tele made from it, and that one and my Japanese built bass wood 50’s Tele are my fav sounding Teles .
Don’t get “hung up” on ash and alder! There are soooo many woods! I’ve never appreciated the differences until I began building, first acoustics, then electric guitars.
Try new things! You’ll like it!
Peace
Plus 1 for the BP Tele. That thing is like shooting lightning from my fingers compared to other Teles!
I thought he was going to say Jelutong was the super light wood.
Ibenez used Jelutong on a model for a while.
I've never heard of Paulownia, but it would be my pick of the two for the attractive grain.
Awesome to see Mario Martin getting some shine from one of the top dogs. I’ve played his stuff for years now and have a few that I’ve custom ordered, including a hardtail, but none in paulownia. His wood selection is out of this world and I’m sure this guitar is no exception! Also love to see modal playing presented in a very approachable way. Nice work Tim. Thank you!
I was a mediocre bass player who actually made few bucks years ago. Been playing for many years. Tim has opened up a new world for me by showing what a real musician is and sharing. I look forward to each video. Thank You!!!
There's a mediocre bassist club on Talk Bass if you are interested.
I built a paulownia partscaster a couple of years ago with a bridge humbucker and neck mini-HB. I finished it in surf green and nitro, total weight was a hair over 5lbs. It came out really nice. The only problem with paulownia is that it dents really easy and it helps to glue in a harder wood dowel for bridge/trem and strap button holes to prevent them from stripping out over time.
I built a LP JR a few years ago out of incense cedar (also a softwood, but much more resilient than Paulownia), and wound up having to do a similar thing to anchor the bridge posts - inlay a block of hardwood in the bridge area, using Zebrawood.
Also have denting issues. If you look at wood-database, Paulownia might as well be balsa for its Janka hardness and crushing strength.
Thanks for your intel ,,👍
Well appreciated for your findings and sharing them ,🎸
@@dasczwo Heavier than a heave L.P.? Also how is the balance wearing a strap? Thanx.
@@robotsongs Possibly the answer is to use a neck-through construction, so that all the essential parts are attached to the same relatively dense piece of wood, and use the lighter wood for the wings to keep weight down. The denting problem won't go away, but that's largely doewn to how you handle your guitars.
Paulownia Wood is light so is Basswood both are great for guitar builders. Paulownia is getting noticed due to Kiesiel Guitars Sophie Lloyd loves it. They say the tone is similar to Ash wood. Personally I don't believe in Tone Wood for ELECTRIC GUITARS Violin 🎻 yes Mandolin yes Acoustical Guitars yes. Electric ⚡🎻 guitars have pickups This pickups the vibration from the strings sends to amps.. Paulownia wood 🪵 is CHEAP PLENTIFUL IN ASIA especially China fast growth. FACT. IMO I don't like a Boat ⚓ anchor Around my neck so weight is Paramount.
Buy a good Cheap Guitar Modification of it to produce your tone IMO change the electrical system the pickups the bridge the tuners install a Floyd Rose Locking System. New Strings & WHAM. Cheers 🍻🥃🥃🎸🎵🎶
I have a Pawlonia Tele. It is the Brad Paisley signature Tele and it is comfortably in my collection until I pass to the other side. Saying this 4 lbs Tele is the best Tele in the world is an understatement.
That thing is beutifull 💥🔥💥 lighter is better for me,back issues 😳🙄😳🙄😁😁😁🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🔥💥🔥✌️😎☮️♾️
Brilliant! Love the way Tim explains (what could be COMPLEX) musical ideas & concepts in terms even I can understand!! :)
My paulonia Brad Paisley Tele weighs about 5.5lbs.
I don’t care about Brad Paisley, but I love that guitar.
My grandkids broke my Strat. I lost my brain for year, due to a bad reaction to Covid vaccine. I stopped playing, because, I wasn't "musical" any more. I could play all the notes, but it came out yuck. I gave up. Finally, the other day when moving some junk, and I pick up an old cheap acoustic guitar. For whatever reason, I can play again. My joint damage from informatory reaction, and back operations, makes it difficult to sit with a heavy guitar. I have been considering a Fender Custom shop, but can't find one that I like. This looks promising. Who cares if it dents. So long as it is light, plays, and sounds good. Lindy Fralin pick-ups are an added bonus. Thanks for the heads up Tim. I'll check this one out.
Paulownia is in the balsa wood family hence the light weight. It has a very dense straight grain which usually means a solid finish, and is a very fast growing tree, which the Japanese use for making traditional instruments. I have only ever held one guitar made of paulownia and it almost felt like I was holding a toy guitar.
That last solo was near perfection...your melodic playing is quite lovely and satisfying. It would be an interesting experiment for you to restrict yourself to no more than three 8th or 16th notes in a row to see what results...as a listener, I find your playing is its most magnificent when the figures are patient, melodic and spacious. I could listen all day...thank you sir.
Sugar pine is good too..
Hi Tim, you are a great player and teacher and I have a question: How come the E Mixolydian fits, it's not the 5th degree of any of these keys ? thank you so much
My MIM fender brad paisley tele is the same wood. The tele weights 5lbs and change. My#1
What kind of necks do you prefer Tim? I have small hands.
What happened to the Andy Timmons Keely halo pedal video? The dreaded take down. It was good. Hope you can edit and post again
Cotton shirt, cotton strap minimal neck dive. Polyester shirt, poly strap major neck dive. Piece of rubber shelf liner between shirt and strap - no neck dive whatsoever.
Really interesting video (as always), and the way you were throwing around the guitar at the beginning I thought it was made of balsa! 🙂 Nice to highlight Level 42 -- that is a great album.
The paulownia Suhr Classics are the closest to the feel and attack of swamp ash I’ve ever played, at half the weight!
I have a Suhr HSS strat with a Paulownia body and I love it.
Finally! I've been searching for paulownia guitar bodies for fourteen years now, every since I bought some paulownia cheaply to build some closets. The loud, long thuds that come from those cabinets are very annoying, but that immediately made me think: "this would make for an awesome electric guitar!"
One of the best pieces of advice ever ....
Been soloing over my favorite tunes for 40 years now....
Much more fun.... And a lot easier than thinking in modes (Lydian, Mixolydian, etc...)
Pawlonia is great. I have a pbass made with this, many pounds lighter than a fender but it works.
Love light guitars!!!
Tim, excellent video! Thanks for explaining that wood species and also those soloing progressions. Aweome !!!
I have a G&L ASAT made of that wood. It's also called Empress wood. Sounds great and is super light.
I've also never heard of paulownia wood, but that guitar sounds great! Very resonant and open.
I have a Dean Vendetta with Pawlonia wood. Put a tusq nut and Dimarzio and SD pickups in it, its a great guitar! Love how lightweight it is, and it has a nice tone.
Great sound, love the color Tim. Thanks for all you do!
Sweet guitar , monster player
Suhr have been using Paulownia for a few years, I own a Suhr Classic-S made of Paulownia and it’s fantastic, one of the most resonant Strats I’ve ever played and definitely the lightest.
My first DIY build I did was a parts caster Tele with a Paulownia body. It weighs nothing. I love this wood and wish more manufacturers would use it. Would love one in an LP shape. What a mind fk that would be. A 4pound LP
I have a body ( had a neck but my half jack russell/half shih tzu puppy used it for a chew toy one night, little jack shih..) I want to build an Esquire type. But I have to find another neck lol.
I'm 62 years old and I have 3 Paulonia wood custom strats and 2 Paulownia wood custom Tele's. I love them! Been playing guitar since I was 14.
Your guitar sounds great. I LOVE lightweight guitars, they are far more resonant, and have more complex tone than heavy ones. They sound 3D !
Nice video Tim. What Divided by 13 head is that? Thanks. Also Gregg Sartiano worked for me for years he speaks highly of you. I hung with him this winter in Nashville.
I have a paulonia Suhr and it is very light as well as musical.
Yes I have to say I love the sound of this guitar also, thanks for the comment
Most of the best boutique Teles I've found were Mario Martin. I went out to their Murfreesboro shoo after teying tons of them at NAMM Nashville like 13 years ago. Great guitars and that Paulonia wood had a nice snap tonal response. Mu favorites even though I still don't own one due to $$ supply.
Hardtail strats are a rare breed.
I’m still searching for one. 🎸 🤘🏻
i definitely think paulownia is its own sound... someone said that a lot of pro tele players look for paulownia bodies. your puffy jacket is cool. great playing as usual.
The Fender signature Brad Paisley made in Mexico is made with Paulownia. It looks like ash, but is very light. You just need to be careful not to dent it, and sometimes screw holding is an issue.
Imaginh SRV or EVH use that toy wood. The instrument wouldn’t survive the sound check
@@3500ton No definitely not, but it does make a difference if you're playing for 3 hours and doing 250+ shows a year on the wear and tear on your body! They sound surprisingly good, but it does freak you out a bit when you first lift it. As I said, we designed it more or less when I was at Fender to use slow-moving inventory and some items left-over from when we owned Guild.
@@michaelborn3318 i used to play 100 long shows per year with a heavy les paul, regular sg and heavy 70’s strat. The gig was not that bad at all but carrying my own amps and cabs was a nightmare. Guitar should be made of alder ash or mahogany and that’s it in my experience
Each guitar is a carbon sink... Ten guitars in every household... where is my government guitar, Pres. Biden? 🤣
I watched an older video with you & Brett where you mentioned "Over-Ringing" on guitar. I would love a deeper dive into that stuff. Not much out there on that type of skill set. I think Tom Bukovac's playing has a ton of this... how he moves around the neck, and always seems to have other notes ringing while he moves bass notes, melodies etc etc. Thanks Tim for putting a term on what I've been trying to improve at.
I believe Dear Tim is an Encino boy, and noticed a break in the rain and took to the time to make this great video. Thanks very much. Best get that guitar indoors quickly, though. 😂🤣
Level 42 is such a great band and that's a great album! One of my all-time favorites.
Agreed. I generally prefer guitar based bands but Level 42 and Mark King are fantastic.
I don't play guitar. I don't know music theory. I can't read music. I'm 6 decades too late to start playing guitar. I love watching Tim Pierce videos. I don't know of anyone on RUclips that looks like life i. more fun than him. Keep it going.
I love light guitars. I have a nice tele and a strat that weigh around 8 pounds, or a shade under, and they are great. But I also have a squier bullet mustang, that weighs a little over 5 pounds, and cost me 110 bucks. I had planned on selling on the mustang once I got the tele, but I just can't let it go. The tele and strat both sound slightly better, and look better. But the little mustang is just so comfortable and easy to play. I can have it sitting beside me and I can pick it up anytime and have play a bit while sitting on the couch. It's just so much fun and really encourages me to play it more. I thoroughly recommend anyone to think about having a little lightweight guitar for practicing on. It's just great. Only problem is I now have 3 guitars, and I love all of them equally and can't part with any of them. I never wanted to be one of those guys who hoards loads of guitars, and I know 3 is small potatoes compared to some of these people who have dozens. Sometimes multiple identical guitars but perhaps with different paintjobs or whatever, but it's still unnecessary. But I can't get rid of the mustang because I play it the most and that's largely because it's so small and light.
Last year, I built a Tele style with a paulownia body and maple neck from Guitar Mill, a division of Mario Martin. I never thought you could build a guitar that is better than the factory, it turns out you can. With a set of Ron Ellis pickups, it sounds better, looks better, an plays better than my Fender Broadcaster reissue. I love the way I can feel the Paulownia vibrate against my chest as I play. Swamp ash doesn't do that.
Great song choice takes me back to the summer of 1986. Also love the guitar solo on that song. I did a cover of it but I don't think it's perfect. Maybe you can do a play through of the solo on a future video.
I always appreciate your knowledge. Please keep sharing. You're fantastic.
Swamp ash? That’s what we get down here in Florida in the summers.
Tim: I wanna shake your hand brother!! You are the most interesting, informative and incredible guitar player on the Tube. THANK YOU!!❤️ jr
Hi Tim! I recently purchased your new beginners course and am getting ready to dive in. Thank you for putting that course together - its really the one I was waiting for. Just wanted you to know that I'm truly grateful for the course. And thank you for the lesson in this video too! All the best, Joe.
Wow, thank you Tim for sharing a tutorial with the online world !! I'm totally envious regarding that MM Strat, Robert Cray vibes :)
I'm building myself a new partscaster with not a single fender part. Wilkinson bridge, Guyker tuners, Iron Gear pickups, a scalloped maple neck from China and various and sundry non-fender parts parts from Amazon. The body I chose is routed but un-drilled and finished in Sherwood green. It's a baloneywood body and I found your video whilst searching for information about baloneywood.
I was waiting for some magical knowledge on how to most effectively practice, but that's how I usually practice anyway. I always thought playing scales and ideas over songs was just too "fun" for real practice, so it was comforting to hear Tim say it is the really the best way learn. Thank you very much, again.
Our shop, HARD ROAD guitars can't make our "52 Teel black guards fast enough.
Our players LOVE the light weight and the resonant tone. and the Material we use is Tennessee Grown on a small but sustainable Tree farm in Northern TN.
Great info and Cool Video !! Thanks for sharing this Tim !! I really enjoy your videos! Youre very intelligent , an amazing guitar player, and a down to earth dude !! Cheers from North Dakota 🤙🏼 Rock n Roll Bro !
Just bought a MM second hand myself… Mine’s still swamp ash, but it’s still slightly under 7lbs. I’ve owned half a dozen FCS’s over the years and Id take this over all of them except one… tone machine.
Tim you could play an old shoebox strung with shoe strings and sound great! One of the most natural players I’ve ever heard… great channel!!
Chord changes of E to relative minor, then D to relative minor are in the key of A major. Why play E pentatonic and E mixolydian (or D pentatonic)over them instead of A major or F# minor? Why did you make those choices? Your answer would be very informative. Thanks. Ps I guess E mixolydian is A major so I guess I'm asking why play E pentatonic? Is it more melodic?
This wood is getting very poplar, nyuck nyuck nyuck! Love Fralin pickups too.
I had a Dean Vendetta made of Paulownia. Sounded great (for $100), and very light. No issues with screws coming out or anything.
E Major to A Major? Same difference right? I have to wonder if it is possible to make a headless hollow body with that wood? Approximate weight- 2lbs? I have a couple of courses I am wading through right now, hoping to get yours next. Not a total beginner, but I can play like one! Thanks for posting.
Why wouldn't you play E Mixolydian the entire time. If you have both D major and E major (1 whole step apart) in the progression then you're in the key of A major or E Mixolydian (if we're staying diatonic).
Would it be comparable to basswood? I ask because I picked a couple of budget guitars to experiment with pickups, and wondering what strat pickups would work well with basswood (and what paf type humbucker , what p90. Like I said, got them to experiment with). Thanks for any thought on it
Guitar Fetish sells bodies made from Paulowina. I assembled a Telecaster from their parts. Used a Lefty Bridge. Sounded great.
1 : The guitar sounds great!
2: Tim P plays soooo smooth! Master class musician👍🏼
Nice guitar. I’ve seen the pawlonia on a few, but never played one. But my real interest in this video is what Tim was playing and discussing. I’m going to have to try it. Thanks for sharing this Tim!
24 carat gold musical advice - Tim is Godlike - I wish I had his musical ear! - working on ear training - HARD- we gotta do it to use these pearls of wisdom.....
I have a Paulownia Suhr - amazingly light, and sounds and plays...well, like you would expect a Suhr to.
Very cool video.. I love that guitar.. I'll take anything light weight.. I don't care about wood as I'm sure it has nothing to do with the tone of the guitar.., or so little that it doesn't matter in a solid body guitar!
Very cool.. Thank you sir. (By the way.. I'm a Tim too! 😛)
Regards from Southern Indiana. USA
Tim
I have a hard tail squire bullet. That's kills. Been playing for over 45 years. I have recently been also playing Paulownia guitars as well. Fantastic guitars and tone. My squire is. Paulownia.. so is my cheap dean is Paulownia. Incredible guitars. Very light
Love mario Martins. A lot of 9.5-12" compound radii. I am a swamp ash snob single piece 3.5 lb. Rare to find but 5 years ago you could find it. Love the avo mist color.
Sounds fantastic! Mario Martin is a great builder. I bought a Strat from the company (great back story), and it has been such an inspiring instrument to play and use for writing. Enjoy! Certainly is a nice answer in long sessions with my Les Paul, which is heavy. I prefer to stand when I play guitar. Always love to see your channel.
Under 5lb for a Strat is really light. Any older player with back problems will know what that means. I have an Epiphone Coronet reissue that is around 5lb, but it has only one pickup, simpler electronics, and the body is smaller.
But light is good. Light and stiff is a great constructional formula for a solidbody guitar. We know that there are other ways of making a guitar - hi, Gibson Les Paul! - but this one works.
Players need to remember that guitar manufacturers back in the day used what was available. Just because exotic hardwoods were easy to obtain doesn't mean that they were always the best choices for any reason other than appearance. The science of acoustics has moved on in the seventy years since Gibson designed the Les Paul and Fender came up with the Telecaster: we should take advantage.
Are you playing guitar there or taking off in a spaceship?..I’ve never seen so much equipment hooked up to a guitar..I’d need three years of college just to get started 🤦♂️😂
I'm scared.... of theory.... I just shut up and play... not as pretty as you, but.... lots of folks say they appreciate the amount of soul I play with... theory education can't teach you that....
It took me 40 years to figure out what makes Blue "feel." It has nothing to do with theory....
Nice guitar!
Thanks for that one. Sounds great.
Oh yeah, I almost fell of my couch last week when i watched the Al Pacino movie "Danny Collins" on TV. Tim Pierce as an actor guitarist in his band. Yaay. Playing a Les Paul to boot. At least you wouldn't be miming the chords like all those other movie guitarists. I got kick out of it. Great job.
The color reminds me of my purple Jeff Beck strat.. very similar finish. I really disliked it at first.. but the guitar was right. it felt right.. sounded right.. is amazing but.. the color.. it grew on me and looks quite different in stage lights :) I love it now.
There's a gorgeous Paulownia Suhr in my local market.
I want it, but I'm worried about _sustain._ Doesn't a lighter, resonant guitar let string energy leak out through the body?
I played few Paulownia body guitars that sound really nice. It's the strongest wood per weight, but it dings easily. I'm not sure if trem bridge screws would loosen up over time, so a hardtail is wise. I have a 7 lb Wenge neck w/stainless frets Pine body guitar that sounds very different than this guitar. It has a very strong bright attack and lacks mid-bass. Embedding a thin brass trem block under and attached to the bridge didn't really improve the mid-bass response. Guitar was 6.3lbs b4 that.
Great Video! I am so interested in this guitar. Anybody know where go get this 4.13lb Mario martin Guitar?
So E mixolydian is same notes as A major. Is it like bridging the gap between D and E (D->A->E in circle of fifths)?
Another name for the wood is Empress. G&L has had it as an option for years. I love it on my G&L basses. No more neck aches.
I have a Strat style and a Tele style both in paulownia from Gordon Smith in the U.K.
Both are absolutely amazing!
I have a Tele made from this wood. My keyboardist calls it my paper mache guitar because it's so light. Anyhow, it sounds and plays great. Thanks Tim!
I used to work for a snowboard company and we have used paulownia in our boards for over 20 years. Lightweight
and grows very fast.
The lick at 6:19 !!! I wasn't watching, just listening but I grabbed the nearest guitar and now have a new lick. Maybe not exact but darn close and that's what it's all about, isn't it? Thank you, Sir Tim.
I've been play guitar for 53 years ,an I agree,that one of the best ways to practice,guitar sounds great,keep bring us good video,happy jams for you.
Isn't E Mixolydian the same notes as A major? I would have thought of those changes as E major and A major. A great lesson and a great song!
You are correct. E Mixo E F# G# A B C# D, same notes as A Major. I think it works because G would be an avoid note anyway when playing in D major because it is only a half step away from the 3rd of D major which is F#. And also it is the D lydian mode.
I like to play over the chill/ambient/Lo-fi/acid jazz genre because there isn’t usually a strong melody and there is plenty of space to add a melodic instrument.
I have a Tele that a luthier in Aachen made for me from paulownia body that I bought online and a Fender Baja Tele that had a quite heavy body. The "tone" is interesting, but I think my japanese ash Tele sounds better most of the time. The weight is a big plus, of course and it's not neck-heavy.
Back in the eighties I bought a handmade teak wood guitar. Of course when my old lady got mad she threw it down the Tonawanda Creek
Wow, what sorcery is that? How u make your pick stick to your fingers? 😮
Try violin rosin on the fingers you hold your pick with. Just a swipe or two on each finger tip. It will feel dry at first but as the residue, which you won’t feel at first, warms up from body heat it will get tacky. Downside is if you switch from pick to fingers, the tacky finger tips jack up finger style
It's just an index finger tuck.
In the first joint.
Cool guitar. Mark King is the man. I remember the video, he’s singing lead and playing the shit out of that amazing bass line. Fun stuff..
I have a Tele copy with a Paulownia wood body. It's lightly stained and clear finished with a nice (Ash like) grain to it. Sounds great and yes, it's very light.
Ages ago in Korea, families will plant Paulownia when the daughter is born. They would use the wood sourced from this tree to build furniture to gift it to her marriage.
Koreans also use Paulownia to build a double headed drum called janggo.