What to pair with maple for a neck wood.

[Linas]

Hi, im currently choosing the wood im going to be using in building my first bass. For the body im going to use black limba, and i am going have a neck thru. It is going to be a 3 piece neck. The wood that will be used as the skunk stripe will also be used for 1/4" neck to body wing transitions on each side of the neck. Does anybody have any suggestions for a nice wood pairing for a neck and black limba. I would go wenge, but i already have a wenge and maple necked bass. So lets hear what you guys would pair it with.

[Greenman]

How about walnut?

[Rodent]

I'm not a big fan of wenge for neck materials - except for fretboards. I just don't like how it feels in my hand when playing ... kinda like it's about to break out in a rash from poison ivy, ya know - it's just too 'rough' for my taste

you have several choices that will work well:

rosewood - depending on the limba, this could look nice and mellow the tone somewhat

purpleheart - definitely will add to a solid neck structure, but may be a little bright with the limba and maple

walnut - this would probably be my recommendation, and the coloring should match well with both woods, plus it'll remove some of the brittleness and pingyness from your other wood choices

there are more for sure, but these would be the more common woods to consider

I'd say a lot depends on how you plan to finish the neck and what you plan to use for a fretboard/fingerboard

[Scott French]

I think I'd use pau ferro.

[Linas]

Ok, i tweaked the post a bit. Now im open to any combo neck wood suggestions that work well with black limba. Its going to be an oil finish, with a pao ferro fretboard. Yeah, i deff. dont want too bright of a bass. But not dark sounding either. My current bass is maple wings with wenge and maple neck thru and its too bright for my liking.

[jim1457]

What about Mahogany? It's supposed to be warmer than Maple, etc.

These 2 are Maple, curly Koa, and Purple Heart.

[Ron Joseph]

How about Bloodwood or Honduran Rosewood or both.

[Linas]

What do you guys think of the combo of 2 strips of Goncalo Alves, with a bloodwood skunkstripe? What kind of tone would this combo have?

[Scott French]

Scrunky (with heavy highend)

[Rodent]

just one thought comes to mind - H-E-A-V-Y

all the best,

R

[iamlowsound]

Looks for some cherry, black cherry if you can find it.

lowsound

[mkrtu9]

has anyone ever combined oak into a bass neck?

[Suburban]

Yeah, oak is an often overlooked neck material. It's been used in Sweden for lots of instruments over the years. Handmade, that is.

Oak or black walnut sides, and some light center strip (maple, birch, beech,...) would be my choice. Well, for the construction you line out, anyway...

[mahrous]

yeah i have used oak for a neck before (just because i didnt have maple at that time hehe)

its a good wood. not the best and not my favorite. not planning on using it again unless id ont have other options