Wood type used on 50s Gibson Century, BR-9, etc? Alder?

[John Rymas]

When it comes to the wood types used on ‘50s Gibson lap steels, some of the answers are easy, obvious, and well-documented, such as:

*Mid-1951+ Ultratone = mahogany
*’50s BR-6 = mahogany
*’50s Skylark = korina

But, my question relates very specifically to the ‘50s Gibson lap steels that were finished in solid/opaque colors - so this would be:

*Mid-1951+ Century (including Century 6, 10, and Deluxe versions - so, both blue and bittersweet finishes to consider here)
*BR-6B (the white-finished model)
*1950-52 Royaltone (obviously excluding the maple veneer that we all know already - I’m talking about the rest of the body wood used and covered in brown paint, excluding the maple veneer)
*1956 Royaltone
*’50s BR-9

As far as I can tell, from many examples that I have owned and also examined in-hand, as well as photos I have seen over the years (including various finish-stripped guitars etc.), my best guess is that these solid/opaque finished Gibson lap steel models (the ones listed above), during the ‘50s specifically, appear to have been made of alder.

However, I am still not 100% certain, and I was hoping to see if there are any other opinions, or any other experiences or info.

For example, it is possible that I am wrong about alder - it might have been basswood, or possibly even mahogany used in certain instances. Or maybe it varied, from model to model, from guitar to guitar, or over time.

Thanks in advance!

[Michael Butler]

from what little wood is showing on my br9 it looks to be mahogany.
play music!

[Jack Hanson]

I had both a v1 (white) Ultratone and a circa 1956 Century Deluxe stripped to bare wood for refinishing last winter. Both bodies were relatively plain, non-figured, maple.

It's my opinion that the factory used lower-graded hardwood, and often laminated hardwood, for their instruments that sported opaque finishes. It would stand to reason that the maple used on the back of a Super 400 would be of superior quality than the maple used on a lowly lap steel.

The white Ultratones were advertised as maple, but the density of the wood bodies was all over the map. I've had at least a half-dozen of them, and their weight has varied widely.