Hello.
i'm methodically exploring my plans for a custom bass.i've been told an all wenge(body and neck/ebony fretboard)bass would sound dull,so i'm open to suggestion on where to go next.
conditionally,
1-i want a tonewood that requires little to no finish.no need for fancy figure,or rarity;though i'm open to anything from solid ebony to paduak.
2-versatility is not a priority,as part of my goal is to have a tone alternate to my ric 4003,thus wenge.
3-weight is not a priority.it may be as heavy as needed;in fact i prefer heavy.
the proposed set up is:
a short scale(30-31"),4-string fretless,with a passive Seymour Duncan alnico MM pup.i'm going with a dual concentric pot(outer knob volume,inner for tone).3 way mini-toggle a debatable addition.
i thank you for your comments.-

:)

Wenge body and padouk neck is the signature combo for Le Fay's Reiner Dobbratz - killer tone.

if you like the dark stuff how about ziricote over maple with a maple neck ?

ziricote or ebony will give it articulate the tone pretty well. Maple for the body core, same reason, or walnut.

mahogany IMO produces a softer tone.


but...you are going to hvae to pust some kind of finish on it regardless of what you get.

forgot the pic

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=945019

All padauk would be a nice option man!!

Padauk is a great all around wood and will work great for body, neck and board...

Oh...and all wenge bass sounds fine to me too...just a bit TOO heavy :D

JP

As I understand, you've selected solid wenge for the body, and are looking for suggestions for just the neck?

I agree that padauk would be cool. I am also liking sapele as a neck wood. Or jatoba, if you want a real heavy 4 string short scale.

is Sapele related to Mohagany ?

Originally posted by DonZ
is Sapele related to Mohagany ?
thank you for all the suggestions gentlemen;your input is invaluable.
btw-i'm planning on an oil finish.
*i've been cross referencing tonewoods via woodworkerssource.com to get some luthier friendly ideas:Sapele sure looks close(albeit,i'm a sucker for bar graphs).

I'm with JP on this one -paduak!
My favourite bass maker -who now makes only doublbasses and lives in Switzerland- Peter Elias, used to make an all paduak bass. The AP-1 was the last model he designed before he went into making uprights, and it had a very small body, but a great sound.
LM

Oh, and by the way, if you're using an oil finish, I'd recommend Gun stock oil from Birchwood Casey. It dries really fast and builds up quickly. Remember to sand between coats, I use 1000 grit or better for that.
Best,
LM

I love this one from Leduc: (all padauk)
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/leduc/img/pad4.jpg

Originally posted by JMX
forgot the pic

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=945019
what a beauty.-
i love the headless design,as i had explored the prospect of a Status Classic II.all things in time...
the design i'm planning on right now is sort of a nod to Leo Fender,and Forrest White,with ergonomics that fit my needs(lefty). :)

Originally posted by LM Bass
Oh, and by the way, if you're using an oil finish, I'd recommend Gun stock oil from Birchwood Casey. It dries really fast and builds up quickly. Remember to sand between coats, I use 1000 grit or better for that.
Best,
LM
thank you.
i'm familiar with some of the mildly exotic woods to bass from my familiarity with firearms.it seems the best woods for recoil absorbtion also contribute to pleasing tone.
what kind of tone should i expect from paduak? i have very little information in this reguard,but it had peaked my interest before due to it's apparent stability,strength,and coloration.

Originally posted by DonZ
is Sapele related to Mohagany ?

Same family, different genus. Easy to find quartered with dead-straight grain and ribbon figure. Somewhat harder and stiffer than south american mahogany.

I will second (triple ?) the Padauk idea.

Oak.
Great for necks, but for some reason overlooked for ages, by the big guys.
Has a very nice history, though, and is quite frequently used on top level acoustic guitars.

Oak ? my double bass has an oak neck but I have never ever seen a high end acoustic guitar with any oak parts. What are you considering high -end ?

I've seen Alembic basses w/ oak.
Haven't heard them though...

Originally posted by Jazz Ad
I will second (triple ?) the Padauk idea.
thanks Jazz Ad.
i saw your posts here,hoping to see you chime in.
btw-also contemplating a Pau Ferro fingerboard if i went with Padauk.
comments welcome.

I'm not for miwing too many types of woods. 2, 3, maybe 4, that's it.
Padauk will make a great fretboard.

Oak will make the bass neck dive.
It's also a wood that tends to crack a lot.
You'll need a piece at least 50 yo to make sure it doesn't move.

I used wenge, on my fretless 5 fingerboard. a touch dark, but had a decent "mwah" sound.

Originally posted by Jazz Ad
I'm not for miwing too many types of woods. 2, 3, maybe 4, that's it.
Padauk will make a great fretboard.

Oak will make the bass neck dive.
It's also a wood that tends to crack a lot.
You'll need a piece at least 50 yo to make sure it doesn't move.


I couldn’t resist “delurking” here :-)
I would like to make a comment about Oak as a tone wood.
I like it so much that I offer it as a standard neck wood on my basses but you know, streamline… people prefers certain woods that “big boys” are using ;-)
Oak is lighter than Padouk and will hardly make neck dive for that reason. It’s stabile when dried properly and sounds very good. It can bleed some dark colour in contact with steel so be careful when fretting.
I finish my necks with oil.

I will take opportunity to introduce myself:
Edin Electric Bass Guitars (http://www.pdmedia.se/edin-bass)

/EA

Originally posted by Edin
I couldn’t resist “delurking” here :-)
I would like to make a comment about Oak as a tone wood.
I like it so much that I offer it as a standard neck wood on my basses but you know, streamline… people prefers certain woods that “big boys” are using ;-)
Oak is lighter than Padouk and will hardly make neck dive for that reason. It’s stabile when dried properly and sounds very good. It can bleed some dark colour in contact with steel so be careful when fretting.
I finish my necks with oil.

I will take opportunity to introduce myself:
Edin Electric Bass Guitars (http://www.pdmedia.se/edin-bass)

/EA Wow, another luthier on board! Nice looking basses. Welcome to TB.

Thank you pilotjones :-)

/EA

Edin Electric Bass Guitars (http://www.pdmedia.se/edin-bass)

Hey Edin,

Cool site! I like what you are doing with your basses. They look very comfortable to play. The oak I have seen around here is much heavier than paduak, but maybe there is a different species there in Sweden. I once tried making a tele body out of oak, and even with a billion chambers it was still too darn heavy for me to use. I can see the structural advantage of it in a neck, for sure. I like the idea of new woods, rather than the alder/maple/rosewood standby. My main electric bass has a swamp ash neck, and it worked really well with graphite reinforcement and a maple centre strip.

best regards,
Laurence Mollerup
Vancouver, Canada

Edin,LM Bass,
finally had a chance to look over your work.i love to see the individual approaches to the bass as ergonomic art;beautifull visions,beautifull tones,and apparently beautifull to play.as a former art student i know what to look for fundamentally,but it's the grace you each achieve differently that impresses me.
feel is what's driving me toward my ideal.if i may,i've always found my comfort in the compact and heavy.the burden of weight to some is the essence of solidity to me.when compact and balanced,i achieve a feeling of grace.
thank you both for sharing your views,and posting your work;this is a better forum for it,and certainly extends my vision to higher personal expectations in this project.
indeed,thank you all.
P.S:and thanks for exhibiting woods of more common nature,and abundance.i will consider it.

hey edin...nice basses...i really dig the bridge design

So, Edin, you finally popped up :D Good to see you onboard!

Re. oak:
- Classic guitars from e.g. Granstrom, Levin and Bjarton feature oak necks. Not every model, but some. I think there is a model of Hagstrom, too, but I'm not shure. Oak is considered as "local mahogany" by some.
- Oak does take some time and care to dry properly. However, it can be used after artificial drying (kiln), which will take a few weeks. If air-dried, in a non-controlled room, I suspect 50 years would be quite to the point.
- Oak is not more prone to crack or splinter than e.g. wenge. But, as with wenge, you need som extra care, while maple and birch are like butter to carve - almost....
- The oak available in Sweden is more lightweight than rock maple, or ash, or (definitely) wenge. It is also stiffer...
- Oak has a very bad reputation as a body wood. For its weight, but more for its rather "sharp and trebly" tone, with a narrow resonance spectrum. I would consider it for the rim of a hollowbody, otherwise not.

Thank you for the kind words people!
I’ll try to contribute this forum the best I can

Thanks!

/EA

Edin Electric Bass Guitars (http://www.pdmedia.se/edin-bass)