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Club Bordwell Part 4

#2,241
I play electric bass, guitar, uke and bass uke. I have 4 different scale basses from 30"-34", and my guitars are 3 different scales, and I play tenor and concert ukes, plus the uke bass. I have no problems shifting between them.

My main scale/instrument is now 30" electric bass. That's where I spend 80% of my time. And 15% on 25" guitars. The other 5% is spread across the rest.
 
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#2,247
Matt Power said:
I just had Cliff make me one with Dpanish Cedar, which is a lot like mahogany. Incredible stuff. I'm a died in the wool jazz bass alder guy, but Spanish Cedar is warm, but super burpy and warm in the low mids.
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Very nice! Congratulations on that beautiful instrument. I had a classical guitar with a figured Spanish Cedar neck and it was super nice. Thanks for your input.
 
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#2,249
mikezimmerman said:
My Dola is makore, which is also similar to mahogany, and used by MTD on occasion. My Ball is mahogany, but I'm not sure the specific variety...
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Thanks for the info. For some reason, I was thinking that your Dola had an Ash body. I have heard a few basses with a Makore body before, so that's interesting. A number of instrument makers use what is called African Mahogany that is supposed to be similar to a true Mahogany species even though African Mahogany is not a true Mahogany species. I know that there are many other factors to an instrument's sounds than the body wood alone, but how would you describe the low end on your two Bordwells? I'm particularly interested in the low B-string.
 
#2,250
I would say both of them have the mids that I associate with mahogany, though the makore Dola seems a touch more acoustically resonant? That could be totally psychological on my part, though--I asked Cliff for makore specifically because I'd seen Michael Tobias describe it that way at some point! :laugh: The low B is fine on both basses, possibly helped by the heavier brass Hipshot bridges. (Neither low B compares to my Curbow 6, but hey, nothing else does...). If optimizing the low B is a concern, though, I might look at a wood that's a bit denser.

TapyTap said:
Thanks for the info. For some reason, I was thinking that your Dola had an Ash body. I have heard a few basses with a Makore body before, so that's interesting. A number of instrument makers use what is called African Mahogany that is supposed to be similar to a true Mahogany species even though African Mahogany is not a true Mahogany species. I know that there are many other factors to an instrument's sounds than the body wood alone, but how would you describe the low end on your two Bordwells? I'm particularly interested in the low B-string.
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#2,251
TapyTap said:
Anyone ever have Honduran Mahogany as a body wood? I'm thinking of having Cliff build a 36" scale 6-string tuned B-C with it.
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My CB is mahogany, but I'm not sure if it's Honduran.
It's a really even smooth sound. Lows aren't particularly boomy. Highs aren't especially sharp.
 
#2,252
mikezimmerman said:
I would say both of them have the mids that I associate with mahogany, though the makore Dola seems a touch more acoustically resonant? That could be totally psychological on my part, though--I asked Cliff for makore specifically because I'd seen Michael Tobias describe it that way at some point! :laugh: The low B is fine on both basses, possibly helped by the heavier brass Hipshot bridges. (Neither low B compares to my Curbow 6, but hey, nothing else does...). If optimizing the low B is a concern, though, I might look at a wood that's a bit denser.
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Michael is a good source! Thanks for the insight.

Hotblack said:
My CB is mahogany, but I'm not sure if it's Honduran.
It's a really even smooth sound. Lows aren't particularly boomy. Highs aren't especially sharp.
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That's right, I forgot it had a Mahogany body. Your description of the tone is what I was thinking might be the case.
 
#2,253
TapyTap said:
That's right, I forgot it had a Mahogany body. Your description of the tone is what I was thinking might be the case.
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It's my personal favorite body wood. I find it works wonderfully for recording as it allow me to modify the sound in a DAW very easily. It works really well with most of the effects that I like, mainly because of the even sound across the entire bass.

Nonetheless, depending on the band, there are situations where I think other body woods work better.
 
#2,254
Hotblack said:
It's my personal favorite body wood. I find it works wonderfully for recording as it allow me to modify the sound in a DAW very easily. It works really well with most of the effects that I like, mainly because of the even sound across the entire bass.
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Exactly what I wanted to hear! My DAW will get a workout for sure.


Hotblack said:
Nonetheless, depending on the band, there are situations where I think other body woods work better.
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Makes sense.
 
#2,256
I just heard back from him today to confirm my preamp choice. Things feel like they're starting to move. A 30" Wal-ish buckeye Bordwell under 7 pounds. I'm very excited. Gonna see if I can do Dogal Hellborg roundwounds on this one.
 
#2,260
nonohmic said:
Specs finalized. I'm in the build after this one.

Funny my choices were not at all what I thought when I started out, but once he starts to show you woods etc. things evolve pretty quickly.
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Here is the top.

IMG_20240503_182251.jpg
 
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