Confused about wood

[Dan B]

Alright, I don't know if this is in the right section or not, so if it isn't, feel free to move it.

I went to an arts festival today and went to many of the artists using wood as their medium, and started talking about certain woods and why they are not used in instruments.

For instance, beech. It's a blond wood, like maple, but with tighter grain. It's also light and strong; would this be a good candidate for a neck?

Or hickory. I haven't seen many uses of that in basses. Is it because of the weight? Same goes for oak.

Or is this all tradition?

Thanks for your time

 

[broadblik]

Fodera make oak necks, I have seen Hickory, but I can't think of where.

Wood is wood, it will all work.

As you say, the reason Fenders have Maple necks with either a Maple/ Rosewood or Pau Ferro board, is because these were the woods chosen when they were first built, and they just haven't changed.