Bass with alternative woods

darksail · #1 08-23-2009, 08:38 PM

Hello to all,
I'm thinking to buy an instrument made from wood alternatives:
Poplar and conifers. (and of course parts of maple )

This Instrument is well made and sounds good.
The instrument is new.
According to you what kind of problems could have in the future?

Thanks in advance

Marcus Johnson · #2 08-23-2009, 09:24 PM

No offense, my friend... but that is possibly the broadest question that I've ever seen posted on an internet forum.

But I'd guess your new bass is subject to the same laws of physics that apply to every other bass ever made.... the talent of the luthier who made it, the condition of the materials he or she used to do so, the conditions the bass is subjected to.... well, you get it.

With any luck, some really good luthiers will check in and ask you to be more specific in the minutae of your bass. But i think even the best of them will say this;

You just never know.

PS... I'd love to see the bass you're talking about.

fdeck · #3 08-23-2009, 09:33 PM

That list of woods describes a New Standard, which is quite respectable.

But in general, I would do a search and see what I could learn about the longevity and repairability of an instrument made from the proposed materials.

uprightben · #4 08-24-2009, 06:17 AM

Many great old italian basses were made from european poplar, one might argue that poplar isn't really an alternative wood, but one of the standards for bass. When you mention connifers, I assume you are talking about spruce, which is the normal wood for the top. Bassically, your alternative wood bass doesn't sound very alternative, esspecially for an italian bass. I would worry more about the reputation of the maker and if you like the bass.

swingingoodtime · #5 08-25-2009, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

No offense, my friend... but that is possibly the broadest question that I've ever seen posted on an internet forum.

Forgive this being completely off-topic (and no offence, darksail; we've all done it at some point!), but that reminds me of the time I was working in a music shop & got asked for: "... that song by the woman with brown hair. You know, it has the word 'love' in it!"

I don't think she picked up one iota of the irony when I asked her to be, perhaps, just a little more specific...

Turns out she was asking for Celine Dion.

Alright, back to basses now...

darksail · #6 08-26-2009, 06:19 PM

OK, I understand the point, but I still have to remain general in my question:

What would you think of an instrument that plays well and seems structurally well made if it was built from wood of not certain origin and possible low quality?
(It could be demaged soon... or it could change sound in time...?etc)

The liuther is a nice guy, full of passion, but he builded this bass with some woods found here and there... conifers that he found under the roof of some neighbours, (i'm not joking!) poplar and other woods that I think are pratically improvised.

The price in fact is very low compared to the quality of the bass that I've played.

Excuse me if I'm not very clear in speaking your language.

Emi.

p.s.
Marcus... try to imagine If I should have posted on an internet forum a question like : "What is love compared to the music?"

forester · #7 08-26-2009, 09:34 PM

you say the price is right...sounds like you have a winner..both in instrument and luthier ..he is your neighbor,correct? perhaps he will maintain it with the equal passion it took to build. you will own something unique.

Marcus Johnson · #8 08-26-2009, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darksail

Marcus... try to imagine If I should have posted on an internet forum a question like : "What is love compared to the music?"

Now THAT's a question. Hopefully, we're all gettin' plenty of both.

Jsn · #9 08-26-2009, 10:56 PM

Experiments with materials are good, particularly if your ears tell you the experiment was successfull. If the luthier is worth the title "luthier", he won't be so far off the mark thAt the instrument will fall apart under your fingers. In fact, it would be quite a feat to find wood that would make that happen. Some tonewoods are more brittle than others, but it's really a factor only if the wood is cut thinner than it's normally cut for a bass.

Aging the wood is another factor. ANY kind of wood can be problematic if it's used too green. If I were you, I'd have a dialogue with the luthier about why he's using this wood, and what kind of tone he's reaching for with this choice.

My favorite guitar was commissioned from a luthier I trust implicitly. He suggested a Mexican Ziricote as right for the sound I wanted and I said yes, despite never having played a ziricote guitar. I wasn't disappointed.

On the other hand, if he says something like, "I had the wood hanging around, and I thought what the heck," I'd raise an eyebrow.

Eric Rene Roy · #10 08-27-2009, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darksail

conifers that he found under the roof of some neighbours, (i'm not joking!) poplar and other woods that I think are pratically improvised

I've heard of spruce beams from houses and barns being used. Re-claimed lumbar is somewhat common.

If your luthier told you he has some great wood that lived at the bottom of a lake for 100+ years and it is now dry and would make a nice bass, this would sound crazy, right? But it's being done successfully.

http://www.vanviolins.com/

Andrew McGregor · #11 08-27-2009, 07:06 AM

I've seen basses and other objects made of wood that had been in the bottom of a peat bog for 30,000 years or more... and they were fine.

So, if it's OLD wood, no problem.

If it's not old, then there might be a problem.

BPeder · #12 08-27-2009, 07:30 AM

Check out timelesstimber.com (and others) These folks are pulling virgin old growth timber off the bottom of Lake Superior using SCUBA divers.

This wood was logged over 100 years ago and is incredibly figured because it grew slowly in competition with the millions of acres of other trees that covered Northern Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. In Minnesota, the logs were felled, then floated by river or trained down to places like Beaver Bay and then large logs were chained together end to end into huge round corrals.

Thousands of loose logs were encompassed by the corrals and were called rafts which were then towed by steamers across the lake to the mills. Many of these rafts were broken up by storms and the logs sank in the bays. The wood is no good in its outer parts, but beautiful inside. It is very expensive but when properly seasoned it is some of the most beautiful stuff I have ever seen.

If I ever win the lottery I'm going to buy some and have you build me a bass with it!

LouisF · #13 08-27-2009, 01:04 PM

There's a luthier in the Pacific NW (Hammond Ashley has handled a couple of his basses) (not Jim Ham) who makes what seem to be pretty nice basses out of old bridge timbers. Can't remember or find his name.

My friend Nick Roubas made a series of violins out of lumber he got from a downtown LA demo project. He had the Forest Service do some sort of test on the age of the wood.

LF

PS: In the old days, before his meltdown/disappearance, Jacques Gagnon and his Fillipino luthiers made good basses out of calantas.

Eric Rene Roy · #14 08-27-2009, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BPeder

If I ever win the lottery I'm going to buy some and have you build me a bass with it!

I'll pray to the lottery gods for you my friend!

Rob17 · #15 08-29-2009, 05:37 AM

Hello, I'm Rob from Holland.

Does anyone has an opinion about Meranti with some pieces of white oak and curupay gleud in between, and pine vineer between every piece of wood, so that makes 9 pieces of wood glued together for one wing.
Those are alternative woods I wood think.

It looks good thats for sure, how it sound, well I let you know when finisted.

Thnx from Holland