IMO Alder is even more balanced and produces a clearer tone than Basswood.
OK OK OK lets all back up here a bit..
This thread hasn't gone well for a variety of reasons so I'm going to try and pull it back on track.
Lets have a look at the original post and I'm going to delete a bunch of stuff that although interesting is really the OP chucking in some background and rational. I'm going to put aside my HR persona and respond as I would if I was in the workshop and had a similar inquiry. Its gonna be a long reply so grab a beer or coffee, even so I'm only going to scratch the surface of what could be said objectively.
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I'm considering selling everything and getting one really fantastic guitar that is everything I've always wanted. Having a hard time finding guitars that meet my criteria - most notably a 25.5" scale neck with only 22 frets. Anyway, here's a list...none of which are negotiable.
First in in my experience you simply cannot get everything from one guitar. I appreciate budget is a major concern and you need to raise funds, but one of the most common conversations I have is by way of request and it goes "I used to have a
insert guitar model and I really regret getting rid of it. Can you make/setup/build one just like I remember it."
Seriously I have that chat three of four times a month at least. Think very carefully about which ones you let go and why. I always say no because no two instruments are the same.
Also, this needs to be a pro guitar. No cheap Chinese hardware, glue hog bodies, or shoddy finishes. For a grand, I think this is a reasonable request.
The primary concern should be that it is solid and well made, feels right in your hands and has the tones you want. Sure a nice finish and a few other "tick boxes" are nice but if you base you choice entirely on spec you are a) turning your back on a awful lot of really nice options b) basing your expectation of the instrument on some pretty subjective criteria.
As a musical acoustician and guitar maker I have said here many times that all though there are some guiding principles in both the science and the art of guitars that will only get you so far. Ultimately you need to be guided by you head, ears, heart, and gut feelings in equal measure. I know a bunch of shit about physics and music because I have to but I am very selective about how I apply it.
That leads us on to the specifics of your list. Some will make a difference others I would put to the back of the list as you prioritise. In your price bracket you will have to if you want to explore a decent range of instruments.
Basswood body - either a smooth superstrat shape or something less traditional - nothing pointy or sharp - classy, elegant, comfortable.
I wouldn't get too hung up about the tonal properties of timber. Timber varies so widely even within species that you cannot say with any confidence that it will give you the sound you anticipate. It is a big consideration on acoustic and archtop hollow bodies, but much less on solid bodies. Seriously let your ears guide you and go for a body size, shape and mass that suits your frame.
Maple neck/Rosewood fretboard thin and fast
Personal preference and worth being guided by. Hold out for that one if it's important. That would make a big difference to the feel of the guitar if nothing else.
Interestingly though you have completely skipped over another factor which should be a major deal breaker or maker. Fixed, set of through neck? Give that as much consideration as anything. All three are good but that is a major factor in how a guitar is built and how if plays.
You've discussed this above and I have no reason to add anything. String length is a preference and one that can be compensated for with string gauge but thats down to you. You are likely to find more 25+ necks in maple/rosewood at a guess in any case.
Ok this was the one that got my emoticon response. The deal is this. The pickup is detecting an area of string that is far wider than the pickups physical dimensions. The fact that a node exists at the 12th fret or at many other positions dictated by the harmonic series is also a misnomer. It is theoretically true but the fundamental far out ways any concerns about this. If the node was that dominant you would get nothing through the pickup because a node is a point at which the string is NOT moving. If you were to want to maximise any possibility of getting a wider "dynamic envelop" you would place the pick up where a theoretical anti node would be. In any case that can only be true for a single string length The moment you fret it all goes out the window.
Understanding musical acoustics is a major help when analysing why things behave as they do but one has to be careful not to over emphasis or simplify what we know. I have fallen for that myself in the past and I have done A LOT of serious research on the subject. Again be guided by what you know not constrained by it. I have a deep love for physics and acoustics but what I know allows me to make considered judgements in my work. Any musical instrument is the sum of its parts its not a case of stacking up a bunch of scientific or matter of fact material. Its way more complex and fun than that.
Tilted headstock (4x2 would be awesome, but I'm not that stubborn)
We've done that one. If you like the way they look fine but it shouldn't stop you from playing a bunch of others as it will make no difference if you can live with the way it looks.
You don't specify ant particular type so I assume you mean fixed as opposed to a floating bridge or tail piece in which case 90% or more of what you look at will have a fixed bridge. If you mean hard tail then you still have a whole bunch of options.
Dual humbuckers - medium/high output - modern, complex sound - not super hot (If the price came down to accommodate a swap I would consider)
Three way toggle switch
Push/pull coil tap (okay, so this one is optional, as I can install it with ease...but it's what I want).
Most of the rest of the stuff you are after can either be found or modified without too much bother so be guided by what sounds right for now and swap out the pickups and circuitry as and when you find some thing better.
In a nutshell prioritise your wish list and broaden you expectations and the guitar that is right for you will turn up. No single guitar will ever have everything you want, at least I hope not.
Be guided by your ears..
Enjoy the process. Ignore the name on the headstock, don't be rushed and if the guy in the store keeps bugging you for anything. Walk away. Go with a mate and get him to play while you focus solely on the tone and play as many as you can.
Good luck.
