Guys for a metal sound and more attacks and agression u choose poplar or flamed maple for the top wood ?
Thanks
Thanks
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Poplar or flamed maple for the top wood ?
- Thread starter doomprophet8
- Start date
Unless the top of the bass you are looking at is very thick it will have little effect on the tone. Maple is more dense than poplar burl It might contribute to a brighter aggressive tone but only if the top is very thick and not a veneer.
What kind of bass are you looking at?
What kind of bass are you looking at?
I am ordering a custome bass . The body core is alder and wanna choose the top between flamed maple and poplar?
One thing I noticed about my '80s Guild Pilot basses was that the combination of a solid maple body and EMG revP/J pickups made for what I thought was a very aggressive/present tone that still had very good lows. Those basses were very responsive to attack and could also be less aggressive when needed depending on how I played. I used them for several years in a heavier sounding blues band.
Poplar because it looks cooler (imo 
). It will have an imperceptible affect on tone.
). It will have an imperceptible affect on tone.In most cases the top is cosmetic, I would go with the one you like best. Since you are ordering custom your builder can offer his input on which top would be better. IMO the wood that will have the most effect on tone is the fingerboard.
The look is not important cause a color comes for the finish. The tone is matter . I don't know with alder body which top is betterPoplar because it looks cooler (imo
For the fingerboard i have chosen ebony Gabon. Do u have any suggestions for the fingerboard wood with that kind of fave sound?
If you're getting a solid colour finish then it really doesn't matter? Especially something like poplar or flame maple where the grain of the wood is the attraction. It won't make any difference to the tone of the instrument so go with whichever is cheapest.
I thought it affects the tone . So which is lighter ? And I can use that alder core with no tops with no effects on tone?
So the top wood is for the appearance at most ? This is the result I get
Poplar is lighter, but wood tops are so thin they won't have much affect on the final weight of the instrument tbh. You can definitely forgoe a top wood on an alder bass if you are going for a solid colour option. Top wood is 100% for appearance. It is a very thin "slice" of wood that is used as a veneer over the main body of the bass for aesthetics, or to cover any weight-relief chambering should you opt for it.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I would never choose poplar for a top wood. At best, it will look like plain maple after it is stained. It is also very soft. If there is tone wood (not gonna enter the debate), the top of a solid body bass will have little effect. Unless you don't like the look of flamed maple, go for that.
Make sure that you have left handed vs right handed grain when you select your guitars top wood... anything else will make your metal bass sound like something that belongs on a Taylor Swift album.
Flame Maple all the way. Poplar is kind of a step down from alder tone wise, and is generally fairly ugly. It’s nice to work with though and quickly renewable.
Whatever you think of the sound of a wooden top on a solid-body guitar, I recommend you choose the one you like the most. The metal sound does not come from a layer of wood.
1- Why poplar for top? It's not an interesting looking wood, very close to alder..
2- Why a top if you're going to finish it anyway?
Tell your luthier to find a light alder, and call it a day. Tell him/her to paint it black while you're there
2- Why a top if you're going to finish it anyway?
Tell your luthier to find a light alder, and call it a day. Tell him/her to paint it black while you're there
