opinions on natural finished basses (additional question)

[lomo]

....just to be "that guy" who posts the antithesis of the thread......here's the opaque machine I have on order (pic courtesy of the Maruszczyk "configurator"). It'll be my one "not wood" finished bass. I don't drink the same whiskey all the time: variety is my flavour of choice.

 

[TrevorG]

Love natural finishes but not so elaborate that it looks better on the wall or in a museum. Ash looks quite timeless to me unlike some of the colours I’ve seen bases come in. My Ultra is about as crazy as I get.

 

[BargeOn]

I like the look of gold hardware on most natural finishes, especially the lighter ones. But I don't see it very often.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

well, read the title. tell me! i personally love natural finish basses. they look raw and awesome, and what’s more raw of a sound than a low boomy punch to the gut. but my question i really want to ask is what, in your opinion, is the best wood to use for a natural finish. looks alone. or at least mostly. i don’t want to hear about “the tone man!!!!” for the most part, i want to hear about the pretty look of those chopped down trees. but if you want to talk about tone that’s okay too like seriously i don’t want to gate-keep over here.

Ash.

 

[bon viesta]

my personal favorite natural finish bass. my warmoth build was heavily inspired by it

 

[HardNHeavy]

never owned a "natural wood" bass, but i thought these were nice. pic was pulled from a fb group member....a few beauties!

 

[burgerdj]

Every bass I’ve ever owned has been transparent if not natural finish. I love the simple beauty of wood. In response to the “favorite mod” thread, I’m proud of the liberation I performed on my Warwick - from heavy red (profile pic) to oil finished natural!

 

[DonaldR]

you really don’t see maple bodies at all on basses, save for rickenbackers

Squier VM Jazz 5 is soft maple.

 

[mini-milli]

Ash.View attachment 4098518 View attachment 4098520 View attachment 4098521 View attachment 4098522

I never knew I needed a purple stained ash body until now! That PJ bass is gorgeous.

Bonus: my Carolena (pine) Warwick dark oil finish

 

[johnson79]

Ash is always good, but I would go with walnut. I love walnut in general, our living room has walnut tables and mantles, which I built myself. And also a walnut live edge table we bought for our new house that has some great figuring.

 

[MCF]

Simple. Basic. Beautiful, and just works. USA Foundation, mid-eighties body and ‘93 neck.

 

[Ric5]

For me the big attraction of an oil finish is an amateur can be successful in applying it and if you are not a little sanding and a repeat is easy.

I build and modify basses all the time but I do not have a professional paint booth / shop ... I have a basement work shop and a garage. I have tried rattle can paint jobs ... but they look like rattle can paint jobs

This bass here is a 1990 4003s5 that a previous owner had stripped and a very minimal oil finish applied so it would look like a 5 string McCartney bass. For me the oil finish was way too thin and did not protect the bass at all. So when I bought it I sanded it a little more to round the edges nicely and I stained the "walnut" headwings and gave it a few coats of tung oil with mineral spirits added. This is one of those "why did I ever sell it" basses.

 

[Ric5]

here's some more tung oil and mineral spirits finishes ... the more mineral spirits you add the harder / glossier / faster drying the finish is

 

[Ric5]

 

[Ric5]

some exotic oily woods won't take an oil finish or even polyurethane finish ... the finish never dries

in those cases I use a shellac finish ...

 

[commonplayer]

Love em!

 

[stretch80]

That Serek is really beautiful! Love the curves as well as the wood.

 

[FunkHead]

I love being able to see some wood grain.

 

[oldskoolskatedad]

Normally I prefer maple fretboards but ebony and ash doesn't look too shabby

 

[Passinwind]

well, read the title. tell me! i personally love natural finish basses. they look raw and awesome, and what’s more raw of a sound than a low boomy punch to the gut. but my question i really want to ask is what, in your opinion, is the best wood to use for a natural finish. looks alone. or at least mostly

Walnut:

I also dig highly figured maple a lot, sapele, and ash.