Favorite Neck / FB Wood Combos?

[Tom Bomb]

People are still getting a handle on it. But I have no idea who to turn to for material. The folk at Fujigen, from my experience, have mastered the process. The sinker business is still flourishing. I dare say the tonewoods are becoming harder to source, just a guess. The last sinker neck I scored is labeled Heritage but it's also from Fujigen.

I was actually looking at some sinker wood for the body (they didn't have what I wanted ) but didn't even consider it for necks or maple!

 

[Zak TMD]

One of the main reasons

People are still getting a handle on it. But I have no idea who to turn to for material. The folk at Fujigen, from my experience, have mastered the process. The sinker business is still flourishing. I dare say the tonewoods are becoming harder to source, just a guess. The last sinker neck I scored is labeled Heritage but it's also from Fujigen.

​

I LOVE FUJIGEN! I almost pulled the trigger on one of their beautiful JBs before getting the MiJ jb75 reissue... lemme see if I can find a pic. Holy Crap! It's still for sale and the price has dropped significantly!!!

So, wait, are they still selling sinker necks???

Edit: In case anyone wants to buy this: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Zak TMD]

I really really wanted a chunk of sinker mahogany for the body, there were none available where I looked, nor likely big enough if there any were out there.

 

[Berndizzle440]

What about either birdseye board and neck or flamed board and neck? I’ve got a full birdseye board/ neck on my stingray and am OBSESSED with it! It’s got really nice snap that maple offers but also the rigidity as well. The only other neck wood I’ve ever had any experience with is mahogany and though it’s light I prefer the heft maple can offer.

 

[Zak TMD]

Yea, so weight really isn't a consideration for me. My bass there in pic to the left weighs 10lb 7oz - neck is maple / ebony / 21 frets - zero dive.

 

[FunkHead]

Who's the builder?

BYOGUITARS

 

[cnltb]

What would the community recommend for a one piece neck - as in , no glued on fingerboard ?

 

[Zak TMD]

What would the community recommend for a one piece neck - as in , no glued on fingerboard ?

I mean, no one specified it, but Maple maple or wenge wenge (which could both be one piece) would be my guess as to what people would rec, based on above.

 

[Tom Bomb]

My last one came from a local source but normally it's Japan. I don't see too many from FGN but they're out there. If I'm going window shopping for sinker stuff, which is mostly all I do these days, I head to the source. This shop has the most sinkers, made by Fujigen, like this one — HISTORY HS-BJ4 3TS. If I was ready to splurge — not likely — I may visit Ishibashi, looking to get a [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] like this one — I got one, last year. There's an art to it For me, it's the art of staying away Not easy.​

One of the main reasons

I LOVE FUJIGEN! I almost pulled the trigger on one of their beautiful JBs before getting the MiJ jb75 reissue... lemme see if I can find a pic. Holy Crap! It's still for sale and the price has dropped significantly!!!

So, wait, are they still selling sinker necks???

 

[Cleezmo]

I have rosewood, ebony, composite, and maple. I like them all. I would say my favorite is probably maple, but with the caveat that it's SATIN maple - I do not like gloss finish maple boards, for some reason I just don't click with them. I'd say ebony is a close second in terms of feel, but it's usually way more expensive than maple so unless I was getting another fretless I'd likely go maple.

I think whichever side of the "tone woods matter" fence you're on, we can all probably agree that any subtle tone differences that show up via headphones or recording pretty much go away when you're playing live with guitars, drums, etc., at least for 90% of the audience. So I'd get what you like the feel and look of and not stress...

 

[ctmullins]

What would the community recommend for a one piece neck - as in , no glued on fingerboard ?

I would recommend not. I see no compelling reason to choose a one-piece neck. Laminations - even the simple glued-on fretboard - add stability if done correctly (and it’s not hard to do correctly).

 

[Zak TMD]

I have rosewood, ebony, composite, and maple. I like them all. I would say my favorite is probably maple, but with the caveat that it's SATIN maple - I do not like gloss finish maple boards, for some reason I just don't click with them. I'd say ebony is a close second in terms of feel, but it's usually way more expensive than maple so unless I was getting another fretless I'd likely go maple.

I think whichever side of the "tone woods matter" fence you're on, we can all probably agree that any subtle tone differences that show up via headphones or recording pretty much go away when you're playing live with guitars, drums, etc., at least for 90% of the audience. So I'd get what you like the feel and look of and not stress...

The difficulty with the whole tonewood argument needs to be solved by having every other single piece identical, with the exception of the X piece (fretboard, neck wood, body). I'd imagine this is virtually impossible - given that you can take two instruments off of a line, built of the same materials, that in theory are built the same way and they realistically will not sound identical, even if the tonal differences are minor. Plus, pups do most of the heavy lifting, then all the other little things come into play.

So to be clear, I'm interested in hardiness, aesthetics, and feel. The pup(s) and the amp are gonna do the big tone work.

 

[Freekmagnet]

In terms of strength, stiffness, stability and cost, it’s pretty tough to beat a laminated neck made from plain old straight-grained hard maple. Walnut is nice, it’s lighter than maple, but it takes a little more work to finish. Mahogany is nice, too. What I really like about mahogany is that it seems fairly resistant to dents and dings and stuff like that.

As far as fretboards, it’s mostly a question of appearance. I usually just pick whatever color looks good with the bass. A dark finished bass gets a medium colored FB or a maple FB. A light colored bass might get a dark FB, etc. I can’t tell enough difference between fretboard woods in terms of playing or tone to pick one based on those criteria.

 

[GIBrat51]

So, I'm having a new bass built between now and early next year. The body is Honduran mahogany, and will be roughly RD style (see pic). Tell / show me your fav combos for neck/fb wood, and maybe a bit of "why."

I'm not 100% sure which direction to go. Right now, all my necks are maple, and hey, I like maple. My guitarist wants me to go with another maple / maple, which I'm tempted to do, though possibly of the roasted variety cuz I don't have one yet.

Current lineup is Maple/Rosewood, Maple/Maple, Maple/Ebony. All three basses are different, but I gotta admit I really like how much the maple/maple JB75 cuts through the mix.

I was also considering possibly pau farro for the FB wood, but I've never had hands on.

Also what are some other neck woods I should consider, if any?

If I was being true to design, everything would just be standard maple... but what's the fun in that?

Well... I don't know what to tell you, honestly. I have basses with necks like the ones you've mentioned - including a roasted Maple/Rosewood one on my '20 EBMM 4HH Stingray Spl. (I quite like that one); laminated Maple/ Something that slips my mind/Maple ones - with different somethings; and Aluminum ones with Ebanol fretboards. Frankly? I don't really pay much attention to what my bass' necks (or my guitar's necks, either) are made of. As long as they're strong enough to do their job; the fretboards hold the frets securely; and the whole thing don't give me splinters? I'm a happy camper. However... I guess I'd have to say that it would depend on the bass' finish. IMO, Ebony - black Ebony - doesn't go well with a really dark bass; although it can look quite striking on a light one. My Lexus Pearl White Carvin LB-20 is a knockout with the MOP block inlays in the Ebony fretboard. Looks good on my Orange Gretsch Broadkaster and my Maple topped Alembic, too. Any fretboard that's a little lighter - like Rosewood, the lighter, streakier Ebony; Rick's Bubinga; or Pau Ferro - goes fine with just about anything. The Rosewood fretboards I have look... nice... on every bass I own that has one. Maple fretboards? IMO, they look too "Blah" when paired with any bass body that's too light; natural or painted. Which is why they look so good, contrasted with a 3TB finish...
So, I suppose it all depends on the look you want. Personally? If I ever build another Warmoth bass, I'm seriously considering a Purpleheart fretboard - with turquoise dot markers and bronze frets. Can't decide on the body color, though...

 

[Hot Rats]

When it comes down to it, I love some sort of maple (birds eye, flame) neck and an ebony fretboard. That's the combo I've owned the most and can't seem to move away from when building a custom job.

 

[Zak TMD]

Well... I don't know what to tell you, honestly. I have basses with necks like the ones you've mentioned - including a roasted Maple/Rosewood one on my '20 EBMM 4HH Stingray Spl. (I quite like that one); laminated Maple/ Something that slips my mind/Maple ones - with different somethings; and Aluminum ones with Ebanol fretboards. Frankly? I don't really pay much attention to what my bass' necks (or my guitar's necks, either) are made of. As long as they're strong enough to do their job; the fretboards hold the frets securely; and the whole thing don't give me splinters? I'm a happy camper. However... I guess I'd have to say that it would depend on the bass' finish. IMO, Ebony - black Ebony - doesn't go well with a really dark bass; although it can look quite striking on a light one. My Lexus Pearl White Carvin LB-20 is a knockout with the MOP block inlays in the Ebony fretboard. Looks good on my Orange Gretsch Broadkaster and my Maple topped Alembic, too. Any fretboard that's a little lighter - like Rosewood, the lighter, streakier Ebony; Rick's Bubinga; or Pau Ferro - goes fine with just about anything. The Rosewood fretboards I have look... nice... on every bass I own that has one. Maple fretboards? IMO, they look too "Blah" when paired with any bass body that's too light; natural or painted. Which is why they look so good, contrasted with a 3TB finish...
So, I suppose it all depends on the look you want. Personally? If I ever build another Warmoth bass, I'm seriously considering a Purpleheart fretboard - with turquoise dot markers and bronze frets. Can't decide on the body color, though...

Yea, my maple maple is on this, so I think even with the light MoP blocks, it's still pretty striking. If I go M/M again, I'll likely get black pearloids.

Word to the wise, I hear Purpleheart loses it's color quickly as does bloodwood - like instead of the cool aging process that other woods go through, they just kinda de-saturate? This is all academic, as I've owned neither - so if I'm wrong, someone will say so.

 

[Zak TMD]

When it comes down to it, I love some sort of maple (birds eye, flame) neck and an ebony fretboard. That's the combo I've owned the most and can't seem to move away from when building a custom job.

I love that too, but my last build (pictured on the left) already has that!

 

[Hot Rats]

Well... I don't know what to tell you, honestly. I have basses with necks like the ones you've mentioned - including a roasted Maple/Rosewood one on my '20 EBMM 4HH Stingray Spl. (I quite like that one); laminated Maple/ Something that slips my mind/Maple ones - with different somethings; and Aluminum ones with Ebanol fretboards. Frankly? I don't really pay much attention to what my bass' necks (or my guitar's necks, either) are made of. As long as they're strong enough to do their job; the fretboards hold the frets securely; and the whole thing don't give me splinters? I'm a happy camper. However... I guess I'd have to say that it would depend on the bass' finish. IMO, Ebony - black Ebony - doesn't go well with a really dark bass; although it can look quite striking on a light one. My Lexus Pearl White Carvin LB-20 is a knockout with the MOP block inlays in the Ebony fretboard. Looks good on my Orange Gretsch Broadkaster and my Maple topped Alembic, too. Any fretboard that's a little lighter - like Rosewood, the lighter, streakier Ebony; Rick's Bubinga; or Pau Ferro - goes fine with just about anything. The Rosewood fretboards I have look... nice... on every bass I own that has one. Maple fretboards? IMO, they look too "Blah" when paired with any bass body that's too light; natural or painted. Which is why they look so good, contrasted with a 3TB finish...
So, I suppose it all depends on the look you want. Personally? If I ever build another Warmoth bass, I'm seriously considering a Purpleheart fretboard - with turquoise dot markers and bronze frets. Can't decide on the body color, though...

Hmmm, I don't know GI, could this possibly change your mind?

 

[Zak TMD]

Hmmm, I don't know GI, could this possibly change your mind?

View attachment 4672001

Stealthed out!!! Wish the headstock was painted too! Looks great.

 

[GIBrat51]

Hmmm, I don't know GI, could this possibly change your mind?

View attachment 4672001

Nah, not really. I have an '88 Kramer Forum III that's much blacker than that. The only things that aren't black are the frets - only because it doesn't have strings at the moment. Frankly, it's kind of a buzzkill, every time I take it out of it's case. I'll alleviate it's doomy-gloomy vibe one of these days... Emerald Green finish and gold hardware, I'm thinking...