Did your ash improve with age ?

Not that I've noticed but if it did it'd probably be too gradual to notice.

 

I don't know what it sounded like new (not original owner), but my 20 year old swamp ash Sadowsky sounds amazing....unplugged!

 

Yes but not as rapidly as alder. I've got 1978 Ash Fender Jazz Bass 1983 Ash Precision Elite converted to passive and 1972 Ash Ibanez Jazz Lawsuit converted to fretless. VERY heavy Basses. I compared all of them to many modern Ash Fenders including custom shop models. None of them came close to my old basses. They more alive sounding and more responsive all over the neck. Mayby 20-30 Years ago wood was better quality then now. But I believe that basses becomes more resonant after many years of vibrating in hands of player.

 

My wife says yes but the mirror says differently........oh, I thought you said a**.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

Man, so it's going to be 19 more years until my Jazz really shines? Sounds phenomenal now though. And it can only get better?

 

Every hour of Your playing makes Your bass (and Your hands) sounding better

 

somewhat related post:
my mahogany acoustic alto 6 string bass(AKA guitar) sounds better that 2 years ago, not sure why but i feel its louder and more alive sounding

 

I don't know about the ash but I have an alder 00 MIA jazz that did not sound as brilliant now as when it first purchased. I had parked it up for a couple years and only recently put it back it into playing rotation. It sounds so much warmer and punchier now than it ever did.

But then again, I did strip off most of the finish and put on a BAII bridge