Mahogany Neck and Body

[basslambdin]

I'm getting ready to build a fender style P/J four string. I've been really indecisive about woods to use. I know I can easily go with alder/ash maple and rosewood to get the classic sound, but I want to try to use a solid mahogany body and neck, with an ebony fingerboard (to add some brightness to the mix...) and passive electronics...

Any advise in terms of what what I'm getting into would be appreciated!

 

[DerHoggz]

Even though there are many instruments made with mahogany, I get a little uneasy around it, especially after seeing all those broken Gibson neck joints. Howeve, I'm sure it would be possible to avoid this. Just my two cents.

 

[Grissle]

Mahogany is a great sounding wood choice but can be heavy, If I were going the mahogany route I would chamber the body. Also i've found that heavy or dense alder sounds very mahogany'ish and is much easier to work with FWIW.

 

[Taylor Livingston]

IIRC the Ovation Magnum basses had mahogany necks and bodies. They're pretty well-liked.

I played one once, but it was setup as an unlined fanned fretless(!) and I don't even play regular fretless. So, I wouldn't feel comfortable describing the sound, since I was unable to play the thing. It was pretty heavy, though, as I recall.

 

[PaulNYC]

I played one once, but it was setup as an unlined fanned fretless(!)

No picture no bass

 

[VroomVroom]

FWIW, I was lucky to play Mike Lull's prototype T-Bird...all mahogany, all the time. It wasn't overly heavy, and sounded TERRIFIC. Not sure how much was wood vs. electronics, but there was a punchy warmth to that bass that prevented me from putting it down.

 

[P_bass]

Many 60-70's Gibson basses were mahogany as I recall, neck and body as well.

 

[ctmullins]

IIRC the Ovation Magnum basses had mahogany necks and bodies. They're pretty well-liked.

I played one once, but it was setup as an unlined fanned fretless(!) [ ... snip ... ]

Not to derail the thread, but how exactly would you convert a Magnum to an unlined fanned fretless? Not only how, but why???

 

[tjclem]

"Mahogany" is a real general description and like a lot of woods has quite a weight range. I have used some wonderfully light pieces before and some that were very dense and had pretty reddish hues in it. Very tough to make general statements about it. There are may here who are better suited to help you though than I......t

Ummm I like Mahogany and "that's all I got to say about that"

 

[Darkstrike]

Not to derail the thread, but how exactly would you convert a Magnum to an unlined fanned fretless? Not only how, but why???

Heh, I remember that bass, Ben Stranges(there is a thread), it was also tuned in fifths.

 

[Taylor Livingston]

Heh, I remember that bass, Ben Stranges(there is a thread), it was also tuned in fifths.

Yep, belongs to TB'er Benjamin Strange. For some very suspicious reason, the bridge on those things has an enormous amount of travel - more than you would ever need, unless you were making it into a fanned fretless... So all he had to do was defret it (this angered a lot of "collector" types), and adjust the bridge so as to give a fanned scale. This makes the nut the only perpendicular point, and all other positions angled to various degrees.

As for why: he tunes in fifths, but I think doesn't like to spread the string gauges out, so in order to get even-ish tension he does the fanned scale.

I'd search Basses for "magnum" and I'm sure you'll find the thread.

 

[Darkstrike]

(this angered a lot of "collector" types)

Yup, a lot of people couldn't get over the fact that it was his bass to do with as he pleases.

 

[UncleBalsamic]

It's gonna be heavy.

Also, I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the specific tonal contribution a type of wood will make. It will make something of a difference, but it'll be hard to predict. I'd choose for practicality, looks, weight or other such preference first.

 

[vbasscustom]

REAL mahogany is called cuban mahogany, but it is very rare and pricy. i fortunatly have a had a chance to work it, and as described in woodworker magazine, its like working a cold stick of butter. so very smooth. i have yet to use it for a bass, and i dont think i ever will, unless im going to do any crazy carvings on the bass.

 

[odin70]

I have basses made of maple, alder, mahogany, limba, cherry and basswood. And in my opinion the type of wood has very little to do with how i sound...if anything at all.