What wood did you use for the best sounding guitar that you have made? I recently made a 4-string that sounds really good. I cannot find a real problem with dead spots, and it growls. I used a wood that I did not have any idea would sound good, but I acquired this marine grade plywood and decided to use it. The bass was fitted with a three band active EQ, and the mids, highs and especially the lows really sound good. I was very surprised, and so are people when I tell them it is my "plywood" bass. Are there any other woods or combinations that surprised you with how good (or bad) they sounded?

I was kinda hesitant in getting the MIJ P that I have because the body is made of basswood. I really love it though, its got a really deep tone and makes the entire bass sound allot more mellow, soul type sound. Still sounds great for rock music too.

As a side not, after playing a few different variants of a Jazz at a shop I really cant hear a different between fretboard types :confused:

What wood did you use for the best sounding guitar that you have made? I recently made a 4-string that sounds really good. I cannot find a real problem with dead spots, and it growls. I used a wood that I did not have any idea would sound good, but I acquired this marine grade plywood and decided to use it. The bass was fitted with a three band active EQ, and the mids, highs and especially the lows really sound good. I was very surprised, and so are people when I tell them it is my "plywood" bass. Are there any other woods or combinations that surprised you with how good (or bad) they sounded?

you don't say! :D

What wood did you use for the best sounding guitar that you have made? I recently made a 4-string that sounds really good. I cannot find a real problem with dead spots, and it growls. I used a wood that I did not have any idea would sound good, but I acquired this marine grade plywood and decided to use it. The bass was fitted with a three band active EQ, and the mids, highs and especially the lows really sound good. I was very surprised, and so are people when I tell them it is my "plywood" bass. Are there any other woods or combinations that surprised you with how good (or bad) they sounded?

A few months back Kevin finally completed something he'd been talking about for quite a while... he made a bass out of laminate countertop. Turned out surprisingly well. For grins he built a butcher block neck to go on it.

A few months back Kevin finally completed something he'd been talking about for quite a while... he made a bass out of laminate countertop. Turned out surprisingly well. For grins he built a butcher block neck to go on it.

so Brad, is that gonna influence you in some way to come to the 'dark side' of the tone? :D

so Brad, is that gonna influence you in some way to come to the 'dark side' of the tone? :D

Not going there.
:D

Kevin has been musing about the tonal properties of ground beef in a sealed chamber.

I wonder....?
:hmm:

Does Kevin have a web page for the contertop guitar? Try to get him to put one up if he has not. I'd love to read it and it would help many of us who prefer not to draw out the process of wood selection with lengthy conversations on tone.

Does Kevin have a web page for the contertop guitar? Try to get him to put one up if he has not. I'd love to read it and it would help many of us who prefer not to draw out the process of wood selection with lengthy conversations on tone.

Aren't you in Hyattsville? I've been trying to hook up with you for a while.

I can get the bass and let you see it if you want.

Basically he took Formica (IIRC) countertop from Home Depot, using two pieces, one for the front, one for the back. Glued them together after doing the routing for the bolt-thru neck, sealed the edges and it turned out surprisingly well. You end up with an MDF body with Formica facings. Looks nice by all accounts. It sounds very good but it also sounds different from other basses he's built. I don't have any pics but I've taken it out a few times, down to Atomic and Jivesound.

Hey! MORE MD-NoVA builders. Cool!

Is it just me, or is this part of the country particularly thick with luthiers? As Paul from Kent Is. is fond of saying...it must be the very stable climate we have here. :eyebrow:

I've also toyed with the idea of a MDF instrument; in what way is the tone "different" would you say?

Hey! MORE MD-NoVA builders. Cool!

Is it just me, or is this part of the country particularly thick with luthiers? As Paul from Kent Is. is fond of saying...it must be the very stable climate we have here. :eyebrow:

I've also toyed with the idea of a MDF instrument; in what way is the tone "different" would you say?

What is MDF?

Mdf is pretty dang dense.....:hmm:

What is MDF?

Its the stuff they make speaker boxes out of. Some call it particle board, you can get it a Home depot or Lowes.

MDF = Medium Density Fibreboard

pretty soft for a wood. I wouldn't build a bass out of it. Marine grade plywood I would consider.

Of the different basses I've tried the tone I prefer is Mahogony, especially on Stingrays.

Hey! MORE MD-NoVA builders. Cool!

Is it just me, or is this part of the country particularly thick with luthiers? As Paul from Kent Is. is fond of saying...it must be the very stable climate we have here. :eyebrow:

I've also toyed with the idea of a MDF instrument; in what way is the tone "different" would you say?

it would be:
"punchy with sparkly highs, solid well defined low end and with a slightly pronouced mid hump"


BOO-YAH!! :help:

HAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAH that midhump is just great !!!

PFFFFF HAHA HHA HA HHAHAH H A H HAA

Hey! MORE MD-NoVA builders. Cool!

Is it just me, or is this part of the country particularly thick with luthiers? As Paul from Kent Is. is fond of saying...it must be the very stable climate we have here. :eyebrow:

I've also toyed with the idea of a MDF instrument; in what way is the tone "different" would you say?

Hard to describe. It didn't sound like any of the Ash, Spanish Cedar or Maple bodied basses on hand. It had a pretty good generic kind of sound, for lack of a better description.

MDF = Medium Density Fibreboard

pretty soft for a wood. I wouldn't build a bass out of it. Marine grade plywood I would consider.


Not if you were building a bass out of Formica countertop... pretty sure they don't do plywood.

:D

it would be:
"punchy with sparkly highs, solid well defined low end and with a slightly pronouced mid hump"


BOO-YAH!! :help:

I need to let you play it.

Its the stuff they make speaker boxes out of. Some call it particle board, you can get it a Home depot or Lowes.

What I'm talking about is the pre-fab countertops they sell at HD and Lowes... already laminated.

I was at Home Depot and Lowe's today, they have some pretty sharp looking sheets of melamine, but the stuff is kinda heavy...

I was at Home Depot and Lowe's today, they have some pretty sharp looking sheets of melamine, but the stuff is kinda heavy...

True... but the body will be appreciably lighter than a sheet or sample might feel. Weight can be addressed with channeling the halves before assembling. The bass Kevin built really isn't heavy.

You could go to those stores and have hundreds of choices for tops and backs. Pretty cool.

I need to let you play it.

that's an old joke, man! c'mon!

But seriously, I would love to play that bass. Do you keep it with you? Let's discuss how we can get together so I can see it, if at all possible.

Thanks!

that's an old joke, man! c'mon!

But seriously, I would love to play that bass. Do you keep it with you? Let's discuss how we can get together so I can see it, if at all possible.

Thanks!

I know:D

No, it stays at the shop. I'm probably going by this week to check on a six of mine that should be finished soon. I'll see if I can grab it for a road trip.

Try to get some pics if you can. I would really like to see what that thing looks like.

Here's one...

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/brad5161/FormicaBru.jpg

OH MAN! That thing looks amazing! does it have a finish on? You GOTTA get me the chance to see one in person.

Does it have the same deep set bolt on design as his other basses?

All I can say is WOW. I hope this sounds as good as it looks. That makes me want to buy a countertop and grab the saw.

OH MAN! That thing looks amazing! does it have a finish on? You GOTTA get me the chance to see one in person.

Does it have the same deep set bolt on design as his other basses?

Thanks, I'll let him know. Kevin has pretty wild imagination and a good sense of humor too... a dangerous combination in his profession. I won't get into the discussion of what sort of things could be built to pop out of the soundholes on my six;)

Yep, same neck joint. The only differences with a regular Brubaker are the bridge (he's had it in a drawer for a while) and he did a multi-piece neck instead of one piece because he figured butcher block would go better with the kitchen motif:D.

I'm going by next week, he just sprayed my six and I'm waiting on that to make another trip up there... he's busier than ever and I try to not interrupt. I'll pick up the bass when I stop by. It really plays and sounds like a Brubaker.

The only finish is on the exposed edge, he used some sort of sealer.

All I can say is WOW. I hope this sounds as good as it looks. That makes me want to buy a countertop and grab the saw.

The coolest thing is that there are so many choices in colors and patterns. Several people have requested these and he hasn't decided whether to go into production with them or not.
:D

That bass is just amazing. I own a cabinet shop and would like to make a recomendation, with any particle board or MDF your biggest problem is going to be moisture. That stuff is great when used in the right application, but it will swell over time if it is not sealed extremely well. There is a product called Extira that we use in applications where moisture might come in contact, he a link: http://www.extira.com/pageBuild.asp?PageID=B_extiravmdf_e
It looks and works just like MDF, but it is waterproof and will not swell.

That bass is just amazing. I own a cabinet shop and would like to make a recomendation, with any particle board or MDF your biggest problem is going to be moisture. That stuff is great when used in the right application, but it will swell over time if it is not sealed extremely well. There is a product called Extira that we use in applications where moisture might come in contact, he a link: http://www.extira.com/pageBuild.asp?PageID=B_extiravmdf_e
It looks and works just like MDF, but it is waterproof and will not swell.


Thanks for the tip, I'll pass that along to Kevin. Thanks for the compliment too.

That was the main concern with a few people when they saw this bass. I know Kevin sealed it well and it several months old with no problems so far. Kevin is about as meticulous about finishes as anyone I've seen... possibly more. Durability is a must.

That was a major consideratioon, keeping water away from it... and not feeding it after midnight too;)

...
That was a major consideratioon, keeping water away from it... and not feeding it after midnight too;)

:D ahh, the memories.

http://members.aol.com/gallery7v/gremlins2.jpg

I have used Extira MDF several times in outdoor applications such as panels for exterior painted doors, cabinets on decks, and also around hot tubs. But I would say the best test of this material from my examples has to be two ramps I built for my father-in-law. He had been placed in hospice and needed a wheel chair ramp built for access in the house. These ramps are not very eleborate, but one had to be placed where the gutters drained. That was nearly 2 years ago and the only signs of age are from the screws I used in construction. Truly amazing product.

Hey Brad, could you post a picture of this bolt-thru joint? Its a cool name a at least.

Hey Brad, could you post a picture of this bolt-thru joint? Its a cool name a at least.

The body has a four sided pocket that goes ~8 inches into the body. The neck has a tongue that goes all the way into this pocket. Built with a very tight fit... it can be unnerving watching Kevin take a neck off a bass the first time.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/brad5161/K5Bback.jpg

My Xtreme 6, back
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/brad5161/6backfull.jpg

and front
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/brad5161/K6BXtreme.jpg

Here's one...

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/brad5161/FormicaBru.jpg


I picked the bass up... maybe I can get over to Jivesound tomorrow if anyone local wants to see it. I'll have it and probably my new four string:
http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/brad5161/DSC06041.jpg

cool! what time? I hope to be able to make it.

cool! what time? I hope to be able to make it.

Around 3, maybe earlier. I'll pm you my cell number.

So I was in Lowes today and looked at some of the MDF. I don't know what is wrong with it. . . . It seems like it might make a decent body. I may try some of that some day. Is there an undesirable sound associated with that stuff? It really didn't seem too soft to me.

It is fairly heavy to use for a body. The low end of its density range is about the same as hard maple.

It is fairly heavy to use for a body. The low end of its density range is about the same as hard maple.

This is true... but it's pretty easy to route. Channeling can reduce the weight.

That Brubaker is chipboard, not MDF, right? That's what the prefab countertops are made with around here.

That Brubaker is chipboard, not MDF, right? That's what the prefab countertops are made with around here.


Now that you ask, I'm not sure. Here's a pic...

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/brad5161/Countertopside.jpg

Looks like the same (or similar?) stuff one of my car subwoofer boxes is made from.

it looks like MDF.. i really like that bass.. now, i'm thinking of hitting the local Lowes.. hahaha..

nice.. really nice..

mdf was invented in nz, that is all.

That is particle board, MDF is made from much smaller fibers.

Is the back of that bass contoured or is it completely flat like the front?

mr Majestic hits it on the head, that's particle board, MDF is much much finer fibres, almost like lots of thick sheets of paper glued together.

Mr. Brubaker is SICK! I'm sure lots of purists would scuff at this idea, but I LOVE IT!

Can't wait to meet him, gotta find some time to get over there.

And yes, it's particleboard, not MDF.

ok.. particle board.. not MDF..

and those Kiwis are some crafty people to come up with MDF..

Is the back of that bass contoured or is it completely flat like the front?

The bass is made with the countertop used for the front half and the back half. The only contouring is on the edge. The four sided neck pocket was routed one half on one side, the other half on the other side trhen put together like a sandwich.

Mr. Brubaker is SICK! I'm sure lots of purists would scuff at this idea, but I LOVE IT!

Can't wait to meet him, gotta find some time to get over there.

And yes, it's particleboard, not MDF.

Kevin likes to try things most people wouldn't... that's how the preamp modules came to be and the Spalted Maple fretboards and bolt-thru neck too. While the intent wasn't to market a countertop bass, the interest in them hasn't been all that surprising considering the results. Then again it surprised Kevin.

Looking forward to getting you up to the shop. He has a bunch of stuff close to going out now.

That MDF bass is friggin' SICK! I applaud his imagination/ingenuity! :)

MDF is very soft while particle board is very hard. I don't think a bass made of MDF would sound like anything but mush.

However, the countertop bass is really cool. Do you have any sound clips?

and front
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/brad5161/K6BXtreme.jpg


what is that FB made out of? it is beautiful

That would be Birdseye maple. That bass is beautiful!!