First build has begun!!!!

[zackthompson]

I've been wanting to build a bass for a while now, but I could never make up my mind exactly what I wanted to do. I finally decided what I wanted to do and planned it all out. There was this super gnarly maple tree in my woods that my dad and I had our eyes on for quite sometime (my dad is a woodworker so we're always looking for trees to make furnature, etc. out of.) But, since the tree was still alive, we couldn't cut it down. Then in April of this year, a tornado came through our property and rearranged a few things The tornado was way more of a blessing than a curse, buts that a whole different story. We went down to check if the maple had been hit, and there it was, laying on the ground. Fast forward 2 days ago and we finally got around to cutting up the tree. Here's a picture:

So today, not knowing what to expect from this crazy tree, we milled it on the saw mill. And this is what came out:

This is the most unique, beautiful wood my dad and I have ever seen, and trust me, we've seen a lot of wood. That piece in the picture is going to be the body. Now the drying process begins. I'll update once we get it dried out and I start cutting out the body. So excited!!!!

 

[fourfinger]

Subscribed! Gotta see this. That is fantastic wood!

 

[fourfinger]

Do be careful though, wear masks as spalted maple is a real lung hazard.

 

[ThatBassistDude]

You've got some nice wood there , that's gonna look amazing. Subscribed!

 

[BassGen]

Subbed too. Think about making a few if you can LOL!

But how long will this need to dry before you can start making something from it. Won't it need a few years to get to the right moisture content?

 

[SolidFooting]

I'm drooling on my keyboard. That's really, really pretty.

 

[zackthompson]

I cut 2 boards this size so I can make plenty of them haha. This was the best looking piece. Is it spalted maple? We couldn't figure it out. It has knots like a curly maple, a few spots of birdseye, and then this dark green heart that makes that beautiful figure, but the wood isn't near rotten like spalted is. We were scared that it was going to be poplar because the heart wood was so green. But, it's definitely maple. We just don't know what kind haha.

@bassgen we have a wood drier that should do it in about 3 months.

 

[BassGen]

I'd love to see (or even own) a bass in a natural finish with that gorgeous wood!

 

[JamesGoodall]

beautiful wood!

subb'd!

 

[SolidFooting]

I claim no expertise, but that doesn't look like it's spalted to me. Doesn't matter anyway. The problem with spalted maple is its fragility. If it's not fragile, it's just pretty.

 

[roberthabraken]

What a great way of starting a build thread!! Absolutely subbed! Good luck with your build.

 

[JHandley]

Subscribed!

 

[skiscem]

subbed

 

[Stealth]

You definitely qualify as a "built a bass from scratch" luthier - you went all the way to the source.

Subbed.

 

[FBB Custom]

That just looks like heartwood to me, not spalt (at least in those photos). Spalting is a process that occurs when the tree is dead, so if you got to it quickly then it should be good. Not that you shouldn't wear a dust mask when working with any wood.

Curly, bird's eye, burl, quilt - those are all just grain characteristics that can apply to various species. It would be very hard to say what kind of maple without seeing the leaves and bark more closely, and without being better than me at discerning species of maple.

In any case, it looks super nice and it to make great furniture and basses as long as you do a good job of drying it!