Neck/body wood combination for fretless

Risor · #1 01-25-2009, 01:27 PM

Hi guys/gals...

I'm trying to launch my first own fretless bass project. It's gonna be a classic 4 string J Bass. Since I'm no expert or woodophile

I need a fellow Talkbassers comment on my choises:

1. Neck - Ebony/Ebony for maximum sustain and clarity...

2. Body - Hard Ash. It's said to be hard and dense wood, not being very warm or very bright - in the middle. Not sure about this maybe I should go with the classic Alder?

I am basically looking for something with large quantities of sustain and mwah while the tone remaining clear with a solid bottom...

So what do you think - am I on the right path here? Also take in mind that I'm gonna paint the body Cream so I'm not looking for any facy body wood.

mikeyswood · #2 01-25-2009, 01:47 PM

I think that the search button is fantastic.

1. for maximum sustain and clarity...

This will launch a debate in here that will remain unresolved for hundreds of posts. We can agree that by the time your ear is able to perceive differences you will be endorsed by somebody that pays you to play whatever they build.

2. Body - Hard Ash

If you are painting I would direct you to the Alder that you mentioned. There is considerably less pore filling involved.

Risor · #3 01-25-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyswood

I think that the search button is fantastic.

1. for maximum sustain and clarity...

This will launch a debate in here that will remain unresolved for hundreds of posts. We can agree that by the time your ear is able to perceive differences you will be endorsed by somebody that pays you to play whatever they build.

2. Body - Hard Ash

If you are painting I would direct you to the Alder that you mentioned. There is considerably less pore filling involved.

1. If you like the Search button so much I think you will not be surprised to find numerous apologies for the repetitiveness of these kind of threads... so I won't bother to do mine...

2. Thank you for the insight into the Body wood... I will keep that in mind.

vbasscustom · #4 01-25-2009, 03:04 PM

so do you mean that you are planning an all ebony neck? i dont think ive seen that done before, it would be interesting

Risor · #5 01-25-2009, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vbasscustom

so do you mean that you are planning an all ebony neck? i dont think ive seen that done before, it would be interesting

I have seen them on warmoth... they say it's a Sustainmashine

vbasscustom · #6 01-26-2009, 10:37 AM

yeah, i can imagine it would be, sounds awsome, sounds pricey too, but go for it, keep us posted

wilser · #7 01-26-2009, 10:44 AM

I have found that my favorite wood combination for fretless basses is a very dense neck wood (bubinga, purpleheart, etc) and a honduras mahogany body (with whatever as a top, or topless

). I don't have a preference as far as fingerboard wood goes, as I will almost always coat it or use an acrylized (Gallery Hardwoods) version of it.

Risor · #8 01-26-2009, 12:13 PM

thanks...

billoetjen · #9 01-26-2009, 12:39 PM

Ebony/ebony....

Ought to do it.

May I suggest Pau Ferro for a fingerboard? Hard as iron - hence the name.
I have a Pau Ferro fb (fretless) on a a wenge neck with black korina body. The korina is a pretty well-sustaining tone wood too; way more than the African mahogany body on my fretted.

vbasscustom · #10 01-26-2009, 01:06 PM

not to jack the thread, but the accrylised boards, do they require any finish at all? or are they already hard enough to use with out one, and if so, even for a fretless?

wilser · #11 01-26-2009, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vbasscustom

not to jack the thread, but the accrylised boards, do they require any finish at all? or are they already hard enough to use with out one, and if so, even for a fretless?

not needed. the very first acrylized board I bought from Larry was a gabon ebony one which he had sanded to 120 grit (I think) and directly went to polish with tripoli in a section of it, leaving the rest of the board intact to demostrate the 'no finish required' attributes ...it was beautiful!

a fretless acrylized ziricote board bass I finished late last year I sanded to 800 and buffed to a slight satin sheen with medium manzerna compounds, it turned out very, very nice.

vbasscustom · #12 01-26-2009, 02:13 PM

cool, cause i really dont want to have to epoxy anything. im not very good with spray on, or slop on finishes. im better at hand rubbed, and nothing to complicated, so one of thouighs boards sounds awsome.

Arx · #13 01-26-2009, 09:17 PM

a solid ebony neck will be expensive, and heavy.
Also, I expect, harder to shape, due to the density.

It might be interesting, though...

You say this is your first fretless bass project. Is it your first bass build overall, or have you built fretted ones before.

If it's your first go, I think I'd go with something simpler. It's easy to get all psyched up about it, and buy all kinds of fancy stuff, but your first bass isn't going to be perfect.

My first bass I bought some expensive parts, and an expensive neck (I bought a fretless neck, and converted it to fanned fret)

It turned out really nice, and I'm happy with it, but if I had to do it again I think I would have gone cheaper on bass #1 and saved the money for #2.

It would be a real shame to spend a pile of dough on a big chunk of ebony, and then screw it up.

I'm using one of those fretboards on the bass I'm building right now. It seems pretty nice. I haven't polished it yet, but I did a quick sanding to ~220 grit, and it's already pretty nice.

You can also get some nice looking figured woods which ordinarily wouldn't be suitable for a fretboard.

-Nick