Body wood combinations

wsal · #1 01-06-2007, 04:25 AM

Hey all, I'm going to be building a neck through fretless, and would like some input on body woods. I've already got an awesome piece of Australian Blackwood with a bit of figure for the top, and I'd like to know what people think will be good in terms of tone, and matching colour, for the back? I've found a shop where I can easily get honduras mahogany, but I'm thinking that may be not very contrasting against the blackwood... He also stocks myrtle, but I don't have a very good mental image of the colour of this. The other option I'm considering is Queensland maple.
As for tone, of the bassists I've heard (I don't have a huge cd collection) I like Alain Caron, Richard Bona, and Jimmy Haslip, but I find Mark Egan's tone a bit syrupy/compressed/not punchy enough (from the one track of his that I've heard).
Bearing this all in mind, what do people think will be good for the body? Also, I'm thinking ebony for the fingerboard would be the best idea for a punchier, harder edged tone than rosewood?

Greg Johnsen · #2 01-06-2007, 06:15 AM

Mahogany is very punchy, and very fat, great tone wood IMO.

never seen blackwood, so I can't help you with that, but myrtle is either a golish or a platinum color (sometimes both).

I would find a top that goes with the body wood, not the other way around.

also, find a accent layer that will contrast the body wood and top, it'll make everything stand out more.

Greg

PaleMelanesian · #3 01-06-2007, 06:29 AM

It's a neck-through. The body wings and the top will have almost no effect on the tone. Choose based on appearance.

eleonn · #4 01-06-2007, 07:22 AM

I looked over internet for some pics of that blackwood and on the ones I found it wasn't to black at all!! Maybe you could use some walnut.

Nelson Guitars · #5 01-06-2007, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eleonn

Maybe you could use some walnut.

Or Wenge. It's stiffer but may be a little stripey compared to the walnut.

Greg

FBB Custom · #6 01-06-2007, 09:30 AM

aussie blackwood = acacia melanoxylon
koa = acacia koa

aussie blackwood is a great bargain if you can find it in the rough.

There are lots of woods traded under the name myrtle. I don't think there is any one genus considered "the true myrtle". American myrtle is cream/gold/grey colored. Tasmanian myrtle is a light orange/pink color.

Mahogany would be the closest match color-wise, to the blackwood. Tasmanian myrtle would clash, in my opinion. QL Maple would be the most contrast of the ones you listed, but it's really not a bright colored maple and won't be a very sharp contrast. Can you get QL Walnut? That would be the sharpest contrast. What about silky oak? That wouldn't contrast color-wise, but it might look really cool, texture-wise, as a back.

Greg Johnsen · #7 01-06-2007, 10:21 AM

well, I know you can buy white maple that's been dyed even whiter, and it's supposed to really contrast the woods (I'm using it on a mahogany body and eucalyptus bass, when I get it I'll give you some pics)

Good luck man

Greg

wsal · #8 01-07-2007, 07:28 AM

Thats the piece of blackwood, so no, it certainly isn't black!
The photo is in the bath which should be white so you've got a reference to get a good idea of the colour

So yeah, do we think mahogany will suit this nicely? I'm after a fairly understated look all over for the bass, so when I say contrast, I don't mean really stark, just enough that it won't be 2 fairly close colours that don't quite match and end up looking wrong (ie black and navy).

I was actually considering walnut for the top (both the queensland variety, and.... walnut...

) But from what I've seen, they might be as above - with hues not quite matching, and I'm not sure about the clash of the two characteristic grains/figures between my blackwood and walnut...

Any suggestions based on tone? Or are we all subscribed to the theory that the wings on a neck through have no effect?

Cheers guys
Will

Warr Tapper · #9 01-07-2007, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wsal

Thats the piece of blackwood, so no, it certainly isn't black!
The photo is in the bath which should be white so you've got a reference to get a good idea of the colour

So yeah, do we think mahogany will suit this nicely? I'm after a fairly understated look all over for the bass, so when I say contrast, I don't mean really stark, just enough that it won't be 2 fairly close colours that don't quite match and end up looking wrong (ie black and navy).

I was actually considering walnut for the top (both the queensland variety, and.... walnut...

) But from what I've seen, they might be as above - with hues not quite matching, and I'm not sure about the clash of the two characteristic grains/figures between my blackwood and walnut...

Any suggestions based on tone? Or are we all subscribed to the theory that the wings on a neck through have no effect?

Cheers guys
Will

Looks like Australian Blackwood. African Blackwood is the Blackish-purple wood most good clarinets are made of. Rare , expensive, and heavy. Very easy to work with ,though. Oily texture.

wsal · #10 01-07-2007, 05:57 PM

yep, its Australian blackwood

Bard2dbone · #11 01-07-2007, 11:10 PM

I love Aussie Blackwood. It's like Koa for the financially struggling. I like Black Limba for the back and the Aussie Blackwood for the top with Wenge or a darker Walnut as an accent stripe.

Phil Mailloux · #12 01-08-2007, 05:42 PM

Blackwood's one of my favorite woods. Just for eye candy here's a couple of pics of my in progress computer desk made entirely out of Tasmanian Blackwood. It looks ten times better once there's lacquer on it too!

So my vote goes for blackwood on top and on the back.

A couple of layers of contrasting veneer should make a nice touch too between the Mahogany and Blackwood.