First build 5 string neck thru

[liam5206]

Hey guys, long time reader here
I was wondering what you guys would recommend for a neck wood on my next build. I want to do a double cut neck thru based around a Carvin neck blank and was having trouble deciding what neck wood to go with, as well as a body wood to compliment this
right now my options are mahogany, walnut and maple for the neck, all solid, with a mahogany or solid flame maple body
I was hoping to get a nice organic tone, warm while still being clear for chordal work.
It'll be a 34inch scale tuned e-c , 24 fret
any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks
-Liam

[lbridenstine]

Any of those neck woods would be fine. I'd personally use mahogany or walnut. I don't know if I've ever seen a solid flame maple body, I think people usually just put a thin layer (~1/4" or so) of it on top. A mahogany neck and body with a flame maple top would look good.

[Nidan]

I just finished a build using a flamed maple /ebony Carvin neck thru. I used Alder for the body and a 3/8" quilted maple cap . It worked well and provides a wide sonic range.

I also finished up a all walnut project , it is a bit brighter , although due to the semi hollow design still has a good amount of fullness.


Mahogany is a good choice , I'm working on a fretless now with it. It strikes the middle ground between walnut an maple.

[Wil_Couch]

Originally Posted by lbridenstine

Any of those neck woods would be fine. I'd personally use mahogany or walnut. I don't know if I've ever seen a solid flame maple body, I think people usually just put a thin layer (~1/4" or so) of it on top. A mahogany neck and body with a flame maple top would look good.

I agree. Both woods are easy to find, relatively inexpensive, and look nice together.

FWIW, here's my first build, from many years ago. Solid flamed maple body wings with a mahogany through neck



More photos here:
The official "Show your basses" thread part 18!

[Lonnybass]

Originally Posted by liam5206

Hey guys, long time reader here
I was wondering what you guys would recommend for a neck wood on my next build. I want to do a double cut neck thru based around a Carvin neck blank and was having trouble deciding what neck wood to go with, as well as a body wood to compliment this
right now my options are mahogany, walnut and maple for the neck, all solid, with a mahogany or solid flame maple body
I was hoping to get a nice organic tone, warm while still being clear for chordal work.
It'll be a 34inch scale tuned e-c , 24 fret
any advice at all would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks
-Liam

Liam-

The Carvin necks are great for building yourself a nice custom instrument without getting into some of the complexities of neck building. I built my first bass this way around 11 or 12 years ago (can't believe it's been that long!) before I felt good enough about my skills to take on neck work.

One recommendation I have for you is to try and go for a multi-laminated Carvin neck rather than one made from a single block. I think this might help you avoid some potential dead spots - especially important since you're doing a neck through and don't have the option of replacing a neck like if you had a bolt-on.

Lonnybass

[Wil_Couch]

Originally Posted by Lonnybass

Liam-

One recommendation I have for you is to try and go for a multi-laminated Carvin neck rather than one made from a single block. I think this might help you avoid some potential dead spots - especially important since you're doing a neck through and don't have the option of replacing a neck like if you had a bolt-on.

Lonnybass

+1

[HaMMerHeD]

Spector does a lot of solid curly maple bodies, and i believe smith does too. Weight can be a problem.

[Rickett Customs]

Originally Posted by HaMMerHeD

Spector does a lot of solid curly maple bodies, and i believe smith does too. Weight can be a problem.

Spector and smith do thin bodies and they still end up at the 9lb-10lb range.

[liam5206]

Thanks for all the advice guys.
what wood a walnut neck through sound like?
I personally love mahogany but worry that it might not be strong enough to be a full neck thru relative to maple and walnut.
id like to do a solid curly maple body just for the simplicity of it, and i also have access to decent flame maple boards and GREAT prices.
I know Pedulla does solid flame maple basses, but i suspect their balanced tone has more to do with the preamp than anything else. I do plan on using Barts with a pre

Wil_Couch how does that bass sound and play?

[Wil_Couch]

Originally Posted by liam5206

Thanks for all the advice guys.
what wood a walnut neck through sound like?
I personally love mahogany but worry that it might not be strong enough to be a full neck thru relative to maple and walnut.
id like to do a solid curly maple body just for the simplicity of it, and i also have access to decent flame maple boards and GREAT prices.
I know Pedulla does solid flame maple basses, but i suspect their balanced tone has more to do with the preamp than anything else. I do plan on using Barts with a pre

Wil_Couch how does that bass sound and play?

I wouldn't worry about the mahogany being strong enough. It is. I've built a couple of 5rs with mahogany through necks. If you're really worried, laminate it with a couple wenge, walnut, or maple stringers.

I used a single truss rod, and left the neck a bit on the beefy side.

That bass plays and sounds awesome, IMO. It's really the only bass I've used over the past 15+ years. Take a listen HERE. The songs were (I believe) all recorded on the neck pup. The video is the bridge pup.

[Wil_Couch]

While the neck material will have a minor effect on tone, it effects sustain more than tone on an electric instrument. Pup placement and style are much more influential

[liam5206]

Thank you guys so much for all the help.
I'm open to suggestions of course, I like the idea of mahogany with curly maple.
It's hard to explain, but I guess I'm looking for a combo of Damian Erskines " Catacomb" skjold and an MVP 5 by pedulla
Any suggestions other than what was mentioned above?
Again thanks so much guys

[Wil_Couch]

Carbon rods are a very effective method for getting some extra support and stiffness in your neck, especially if you prefer a thinner neck. Most luthiery supply outlets have them.

[liam5206]

I am sure Carbon rods would be definately the way to go, if i was building my neck. Im a little short on experience for that

Would maple on maple be too bright?
I like the idea of solid maple, not as much the weight

[Vince Klortho]

Regarding the tone of a neck-through instrument, the wood used for the neck has a major influence on tone. Many companies, like Alembic, use laminates in the neck to add more character to the tone. In a neck-through bass the body will have much less of an influence on the tone. You can read what Alembic has to say about neck wood here and about body wood here. This page has a many nice photos of various wood options.

[HaMMerHeD]

Laminates in the neck are for strength and appearance.

[Vince Klortho]

Read Alembic's page. They describe different tonal attributes for different types of laminates.