In a couple of months I am going to build a bass. A friend of mine has worked under Greg Curbow. He is going to show me how to go through the process.

here are my questions. I am wanting to create a neck through. What are some pointers as to creating this type of bass. I want this bass to be punchy when the rear pickup is favored and smooth when both pickups are favored.

I have chosen to use figured myrtle as my top wood and walnut as my body wood. I love the feel and sound of wenge as a neck wood with a maccasar ebony finger board. Will the wenge be easy to work with? how would this combination of woods sound together?

From what I have learned you may want to approach this idea in reverse of what you have started. You pick the woods that will give you the feel and tone you want. Rather then trying to find a way to the the woods you want to give you the tone you are looking for. Punchy can also be effected alot by pickup placement on the body. I am messing around with a Music man Pbass formation right now and havent settled on the right places just yet. I will need a whole nother body once I decide. There has to be a better way to do that.

I can only say that your design should look awesome and definetley won't sound like a MIM P bass.

I have purchased a beautiful piece of walnut and a piece of figured myrtle wood.

I have not decided on the neck yet. I am thinking maple/purple heart/maple/purple heart/maple.

or switch out the purple heart with wenge.

As far as a fingerboard I am thinking kingwood or maccasar ebony.

I want this bass to have a piano type tone that can also have that punchiness that many are after.

What is your insight on this.

I'd watch out for the wenge...very splintery..working with it can leave you feeling like a pincushion :(

But also, be careful where you use it...tho it has great strength against bending, it's fiber -to-fiber adhesion isn't that great at times, allowing it to split if pressure is applied perpendicular to the grain..

Dave P.

would purple heart acheive the same tonal characteristics as wenge.