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11-07-2009, 06:49 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Newfoundland, Canada. | | | Pine wood for bodies or necks?
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How would this work?
I'm considering building my first bass (Been playing bass for.. too long, and have very much experience in carpentry and wood working/reno of instruments). I was in Kent (canadian wood store) today, looking at wood. I was going to do Maple, with (decorative) Dark wood (either Bubinga or Purple heart, or something) highlights. Anyways, I know Maple would work fine, but I was also wondering -
if I could get pine wood that was clear enough to laminate and whatnot, how would it sound? I understand that chances are it wouldn't look so good, but I'm just really curious.
How about using it for the neck?
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by mikeyswood A buttload would be about three orders of magnitude greater than a boatlaod, three orders of magnitude less that a s**tload, and about 1x10^-6 of a f***-ton. | |
11-07-2009, 07:08 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canadia | | | In my view, pine's too soft... |
11-07-2009, 07:40 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Newfoundland, Canada. | | | This might be a "bump", or whatever that is, but I forgot to mention.
I go for the lowest, warmest sound possible, with tone rolled off, no treble or mids on my amplifier and full bass, and flat strings on my fretless basses.
This would only be a personal experiment, and I was planning on putting in two "accent lines" (if you will) of a dark, hardwood - if that makes any difference.
The purpose of pine, mainly, is it's low price. If I frig up this body, it would still only have cost me like 40 bucks, tops.
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by mikeyswood A buttload would be about three orders of magnitude greater than a boatlaod, three orders of magnitude less that a s**tload, and about 1x10^-6 of a f***-ton. | |
11-07-2009, 07:42 PM
|  | Registered User
Lawyer & Hobbist Bass Maker | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN | | | Agreed...Pine is WAYYYYY too soft. If you were using it as a top, you might get away with using it.
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11-07-2009, 07:50 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Newfoundland, Canada. | | | How do you think it would sound? from using my "common sense" if Hardwood = bright, softwood = warm... correct?
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by mikeyswood A buttload would be about three orders of magnitude greater than a boatlaod, three orders of magnitude less that a s**tload, and about 1x10^-6 of a f***-ton. | |
11-07-2009, 07:54 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada | | | more like softwood = NO.
Seriously don't do it as a neck anyway, probably would warp pretty drastically.
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11-07-2009, 07:57 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ashley Ohio USA | | | I wouldn't use it for a neck myself, but I think a pine body would look good. As far as sound, you're probably about to hear from those who believe that wood in a solid body has no effect or so little it doesn't matter. I'd say try it and see if it's not too expensive or time consuming and then you'll be more of an expert on it than most of us. |
11-07-2009, 08:00 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Newfoundland, Canada. | | | I wasn't intending to use it for the neck.. probably should've mentioned that. I figured I'd build and setup the body with parts borrowed from one of my other basses, and if it turned out well I'd make a neck from Maple - probably 1 piece.
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by mikeyswood A buttload would be about three orders of magnitude greater than a boatlaod, three orders of magnitude less that a s**tload, and about 1x10^-6 of a f***-ton. | |
11-07-2009, 08:11 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2009 Location: Omaha, NE | | | it's not a soft vs. hard wood that you're thinking of. Some hardwoods have different tones than others. Soft woods simply do not have the structural integrity to handle the stresses put on a stringed instrument. |
11-07-2009, 08:17 PM
|  | I took the one less traveled by | | Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Reims, Champagne, France | | | Soft woods are widely used for acoustic instruments and don't make problems. |
11-07-2009, 08:21 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Newfoundland, Canada. | | | Jazz Ad, yes, I have a classical guitar made from pine.
Also, Gretsch had a pine guitar in the 50's, didn't they? and - I have to research this - but I'm almost certain that early Telecasters were made from knotty pine. What is the poundage strain (tension in pounds.. yeah, I made the term up.. big deal) difference between 6 string guitar + heavy gauge strings, and a 4 string bass with light flats?
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by mikeyswood A buttload would be about three orders of magnitude greater than a boatlaod, three orders of magnitude less that a s**tload, and about 1x10^-6 of a f***-ton. | |
11-07-2009, 08:42 PM
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Luthier of Michael Wayne Instruments, Shop Manager ChromeDomeMusic | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Cincinnati OH | | | The resonance of an acoustic is COMPLETELY irrelevant when it comes to solid bodies.
About the tone - Frankenstein never scared me.
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11-07-2009, 08:53 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Bend, Oregon | | | Early Telecaster bodies were made from pine. I say go ahead. If it sucks, try something else.
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11-07-2009, 08:58 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Newfoundland, Canada. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by jallenbass Early Telecaster bodies were made from pine. I say go ahead. If it sucks, try something else. | +10
that's half the reason for pine, if I sneeze and frig it up while cutting, or mis-rout it, throw it out and chip out another 40 bucks for pine, instead of the what, 90-120 for maple.
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by mikeyswood A buttload would be about three orders of magnitude greater than a boatlaod, three orders of magnitude less that a s**tload, and about 1x10^-6 of a f***-ton. | |
11-07-2009, 09:00 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: saint michael ,mn | | Quote:
Originally Posted by dave-chaulk +10
that's half the reason for pine, if I sneeze and frig it up while cutting, or mis-rout it, throw it out and chip out another 40 bucks for pine, instead of the what, 90-120 for maple. | good wood for your first try, but it dents easily. not really the "prettiest" wood either.
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11-07-2009, 09:47 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denton, Texas | | | $40 bucks for pine? what are you buying? i have 4 pine practice bodies in the garage that cost less than $50 total. If you are ok with spending $40 for a body blank, surely you can get something like poplar or basswood...? |
11-07-2009, 09:49 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Bend, Oregon | | Quote:
Originally Posted by tdogg good wood for your first try, but it dents easily. not really the "prettiest" wood either. | One could say that about alder as well. Our kitchen chairs are alder and have plenty of dents in them. I does look a little nicer than pine IMO but is still a fairly plain looking wood.
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When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water...
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11-07-2009, 09:54 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Newfoundland, Canada. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by stevetx19 $40 bucks for pine? what are you buying? i have 4 pine practice bodies in the garage that cost less than $50 total. If you are ok with spending $40 for a body blank, surely you can get something like poplar or basswood...? | I made that number up, and in hindsight, yeah, hah I was way off.
Plus I am Canadian, so our currencies may differ.. but the pine of which I'm talking is 2x6 bandsawplane clear, the best of the best.
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by mikeyswood A buttload would be about three orders of magnitude greater than a boatlaod, three orders of magnitude less that a s**tload, and about 1x10^-6 of a f***-ton. | |
11-07-2009, 09:56 PM
| | | | If pine were a viable guitar wood, it would be out there being used. It's pretty good to sit ojn if you're in a batting slump and it's been the rage at Potter.s field for centuries. But pine might make a good 2x4 but not a guitar. Look around. |
11-07-2009, 10:03 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Newfoundland, Canada. | | | Well, I consulted this website to get opinions (I was hoping for mixed ones) about pine, and though the vote is negative, I'm definitely going to do it. if it works, I'll post as a "Told'ya so" for me.. if it fails, I'll post as a "told ya' so" for you guys.
but I imagine it will work ;-)
__________________ Quote: |
Originally Posted by mikeyswood A buttload would be about three orders of magnitude greater than a boatlaod, three orders of magnitude less that a s**tload, and about 1x10^-6 of a f***-ton. | | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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