Ash, Maple, and . . . Mahogany?

[HaMMerHeD]

I'd say white oak would be a fair replacement for ash (at least after finishing), but I find oak to be a bit heavy and obstinate to work with. I've seen some ash-y looking butternut as well, though it tends to be more yellow.

 

[CheshireCatFun]

Related to that, with 13 strings, you have some serious structural things to worry about....like about 3 times the load on a normal bass. Make it strong enough. It's really embarrassing to have your bass implode on stage.

Btw, what would that look like on stage? The bass imploding? Would that be like the body cracking in half and buckling over at the waist between the pickups?

C.

 

[suraj]

Btw, I just heard that a lot of Normal Ash now carries the risk of carrying bug larva, which can prove an issue down the road. Have you heard anything about this?

C.

My current build (northern ash body wings) were dug into by bug larvae !! it has many 1mm diameter holes in it, so I would not use this wood again for sure. Plus the grain and colour of this wood is pretty boring.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Btw, what would that look like on stage? The bass imploding? Would that be like the body cracking in half and buckling over at the waist between the pickups?

C.

Well, fortunately the strings don't stretch too much distance. That would keep the acceleration rate of the parts under control. So, you aren't likely to impale anyone with flying shards!

You'd hear a cracking sound (or maybe not) and suddenly notice that the strings are slack and the action is about an inch high. Which makes it difficult to finish the song.

I have seen structural failures of basses, although I have to admit that I haven't seen one happen on-stage mid-song. The old Ampeg Scroll Basses that I specialize in have fairly frequent structural failures of the body. It's a weak design to begin with, and 45 years of moisture and delamination can make them let go. The visual clue is when the body is at about a 10 degree angle to the neck.....

 

[CheshireCatFun]

Well, fortunately the strings don't stretch too much distance. That would keep the acceleration rate of the parts under control. So, you aren't likely to impale anyone with flying shards!

You'd hear a cracking sound (or maybe not) and suddenly notice that the strings are slack and the action is about an inch high. Which makes it difficult to finish the song.

I have seen structural failures of basses, although I have to admit that I haven't seen one happen on-stage mid-song. The old Ampeg Scroll Basses that I specialize in have fairly frequent structural failures of the body. It's a weak design to begin with, and 45 years of moisture and delamination can make them let go. The visual clue is when the body is at about a 10 degree angle to the neck.....

So, it's nothing dramatic, like the bass exploding into a million pieces onstage, but more like driving down the road and then hearing a crack and a thump that tells you that you are about to be $3000 lighter, yes?

Chambering aside, if there's a lot of wood removal, such as large pickup cavities and top-routing under a pickguard, and so on, would it be prudent to use the same 7075 or 6061 aluminum strip principle employed on the neck?

Incidentally, a local wood supplier said that all of his wood (save some African exotics) were all kiln dried. Wouldn't that kill the EAB?

C.

 

[Doner Designs]

Well, turns out no spot of ash is safe from the EAB, even swamp ash (. . . especially swamp ash).

I noticed slight traces of borer trails in my new G&L Tribute - similar to what I have seen in cheap furniture but not as bad.

I was disappointed at first but not so much after seeing a bunch of high end basses which are as bad if not worse. You can see it clearly browsing some of the natural finish basses at Bass Central. Not their fault - I only mention them because their pics are so good its easy to see the imperfections.

 

[CheshireCatFun]

I noticed slight traces of borer trails in my new G&L Tribute - similar to what I have seen in cheap furniture but not as bad.

I was disappointed at first but not so much after seeing a bunch of high end basses which are as bad if not worse. You can see it clearly browsing some of the natural finish basses at Bass Central. Not their fault - I only mention them because their pics are so good its easy to see the imperfections.

Got any links? I would be very interested to see that. Or would a general search on Ash bodies do the trick?

C.

 

[Mr. Majestic]

Got any links? I would be very interested to see that. Or would a general search on Ash bodies do the trick?

C.

I would like to see a picture of a high end bass with true Emerald Ash Borers. Out of tens of thousands board feet of the swamp ash, I have sold, I have never seen or heard of any borers being found.
I have heard of several northern ash blanks and have seen European ash with borers(which immediately was completely burned....even the dust.) I know for a fact, that the swamp ash I sell has been soaked in a certain chemical, for Emerald Ash Borers, before it is kiln dried and that particular lumber mill has never seen any in their history of over 90 years.

 

[Doner Designs]

I would like to see a picture of a high end bass with true Emerald Ash Borers. Out of tens of thousands board feet of the swamp ash, I have sold, I have never seen or heard of any borers being found.
I have heard of several northern ash blanks and have seen European ash with borers(which immediately was completely burned....even the dust.) I know for a fact, that the swamp ash I sell has been soaked in a certain chemical, for Emerald Ash Borers, before it is kiln dried and that particular lumber mill has never seen any in their history of over 90 years.

Thanks for chiming in MM. You probably know more on the topic than most of us (certainly me). I'm having a hard time finding an example at the moment. The best examples are in some of our furniture (off topic I know).

What I am referring to looks like a worm trail of some kind that has been filled with wood putty and then sanded. Maybe its not borers, but what would cause that kind of thing? I see it in a lot of furniture and when I was browsing natural basses (US G&L) I saw some too, though it was far less egregious than in my cheap kitchen table. I'm sure that any bugs would be long dead, but its the trails I am referring to.

Perhaps infested wood could be sold as "naturally chambered" after the bugs are destroyed.

 

[Doner Designs]

My current build (northern ash body wings) were dug into by bug larvae !! it has many 1mm diameter holes in it, so I would not use this wood again for sure. Plus the grain and colour of this wood is pretty boring.

Where did you get the wood? I bet Mr Majestic would like to see pics and know where it came from.

 

[Doner Designs]

Flatsawn oak. Very similar grain patterns, open pores and weight. Most people would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two under a finish. Quartersawn white oak has the distinctive "ray flecking" that would make it look different, which is why I said to use flatsawn. For some reason oak has been shunned by the luthier community, but it works just fine.

My floor would look great on a bass. Maybe oak is heavier?

 

[Doner Designs]

I would like to see a picture of a high end bass with true Emerald Ash Borers. Out of tens of thousands board feet of the swamp ash, I have sold, I have never seen or heard of any borers being found.
I have heard of several northern ash blanks and have seen European ash with borers(which immediately was completely burned....even the dust.) I know for a fact, that the swamp ash I sell has been soaked in a certain chemical, for Emerald Ash Borers, before it is kiln dried and that particular lumber mill has never seen any in their history of over 90 years.

What do you make of the faint random zigzag lines all around the bass side of this Sadowsky body? Granted they are faint and may not be borer trails but I'd love to know what they are.