About Swamp Ash and
How to Choose What's best for You
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Swamp Ash is common American White Ash that grows naturally in the United States in the forest zone classified as "Bottomland Hardwood Forest". Bottomland Hardwood Forests are found in the southern US in swampy river bottom lands like those found throughout the Mississippi River Delta. Swamp Ash trees that grow throughout this forest are not continuously under water. It's only during periods of flood and seasonal high water that a portion of the tree will be submerged.
 
What makes Bottomland White Ash (swamp ash) so unique is that it grows fast and strong in the fertile river bottom soils where nutrients and water are plentiful. When compared to traditional common white ash found in other parts of the US, swamp ash has a more open and porous grain structure. This is why it weighs so much less than white ash used for such things as kitchen cabinets and baseball bats.
 
The light weight of swamp ash is just a side benefit. The real benefit of swamp ash is that it has great tone. Here's why: The "open" and "more porous" grain structure of swamp ash is what gives swamp ash its special tonal qualities. At a microscopic level, the porosity of swamp ash acts like little tone chambers throughout the piece of wood.
 
Choosing the Best Weight of your Swamp Ash
 
The lightest weight swamp ash body is not necessarily the best. This is because as you loose weight, you also loose density. Guitar bodies that have the best sustain (the ability vibrate and hold onto notes longer) are bodies that are more dense. The greater the density means more weight. Swamp ash bodies that weigh between 2 to 2-1/2 pounds per board foot will have great tone but will lack long sustain. Swamp ash bodies that weigh between 3 to 3-1/2 pounds per board foot will have great sustain but give up a bit of tone. One solution to this problem is to choose a light weight piece of swamp ash and use a high-mass bridge like that found on a Twangcaster™ brand guitar.
 
One-piece Body or Two-piece Body
 
Guitar builders agree that a one-piece body is best. This is because the one-piece body has a continuous grain structure and density throughout. This results in a body that has a common, "not competing" acoustic signature. When a one-piece body is not available, the second best choice is a two-piece body where the two pieces are from the same board. Anything more than a two-piece body can be unreliable. This is because it is highly unlikely that the pieces glued together will have matching and/or compatible acoustic qualities.
 
A Final Thought
 
Race Car enthusiasts are constantly trying to improve the performance of their cars by milliseconds. If it means polishing the inside of a manifold to gain a fraction of a second in the quarter mile, they'll do it. Guitar enthusiasts are no different. If they can gain just a little more tone or a little more sustain by choosing a premium swamp ash body, they'll do it. Three and even four piece ash bodies have been used for years and often times sound "okay". But once you've experienced a quality guitar made from a quality piece of swamp ash, you'll never be satisfied with anything less. A properly constructed race car with premium parts gives the driver confidence and creativity as he's going down (or around) the track. A properly built guitar with premium parts gives the guitar player confidence and inspiration to create something new. That's why some players only want a guitar made from premium swamp ash.
 
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