Figuring Questions

[PRUNEFACE]

Can ebony be spalted, quilted, or flamed? I tried googling it but all it does is bring up gitars, boxes, and pots with tops utilizing Spalted/Quilted/Flamed Maple and ebony trimmings (or fingerboards!)

[bassteban]

This:
has a Maccassar ebony top, w/what I'd call quilting in it.

Hmmm- not sure why that didn't come out. Let me try again...

Ah, much better. Pasted in the wrong URL. My former Stambaugh.

[PRUNEFACE]

Pretty looking! I'm suprised bass builders (that I have seen) don't describe figured ebony tops. I'm almost positive that they HAVE to occur at least sometime in nature.

[scottyd]

It's interesting what he did with the fretlines on that bass.

[mikeyswood]

I have only seen Gabon Ebony curly. Even then you had to look very closely to notice it. The other Ebonies can have great figure.

Has anyone seen spalted Ebony?

[pilotjones]

Several years back someone here, ?maybe Hambone?, had a curly brown/black ebony fretboard, but on finishing the figure became invisible. Not saying that it always happens or anything, I just remember that one case so it is one possibility


Agreed, cool fretlines on the Stambaugh.

[southernrocker]

Spalted is just moldy wood. I don't know about quilted. You could flame it. The problem is, the wood is so dark and hard that even if you did that stuff, you could hardly tell. I'd say don't worry about it.

[tjclem]

I had one with a little flame to it but it did disappear when finished.