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Rarely used instrument woods

kjpollo

kjpollo

Mar 17, 2008
3,456
87
CT
#1
Why do you rarely, if ever, see woods like cherry, chestnut and oak used in bass building?
Are they unattractive? Have poor tonal qualities? difficult to work with?

I'm not a woodworker myself so I have zero experience in this area but I'm curious to know why these more common woods dont seem to measure up.
 
#2
Oak can be very beautiful but it's extremelly heavy, difficult to work and tends to devellop cracks even when properly dryied. I had an old Ibanez with oak wings.
Birch is a good tone wood, very light and resonant. I'd like to see it used more often.
Surprisingly, spruce is rarely used on electric instruments while very common for acoustic guitars.
 
#4
Hi.

Most of the woods You mentioned tend to be in the "small" scale as the logs go AFAIK. They don't usually have dead straight trunks either and can warp for a loooong time. Some may never stabilize. That's the reason for minimal use in instrument building IMLE.

Other thing to consider is that they're not exactly cheap either, especially when compared with more common instrument woods with the same dimensions and properties.

Regards
Sam
 
#5
DSCN1355.jpg


Cherry is good stuff. I picked up this piece for $30 bucks. It's an 8/4 piece bookmatched. Don't tell about my 6 string single cut build though, it's a secret.
 
#6
I used to own a Chapman Stick that was made from quarter sawn oak. I'm not a big fan of oak, it reminds me of cheap furniture. I'm planing to use some quilted cherry I saw at a local hardwood store. For me it's more about the look of the grain, I think you can use just about any hardwood for body wings as long as you use a high quilty glue. Neck woods are different, I'm more about the woods I'm familiar with and I always build 5 or 7 piece necks that compilment the body.

As far as spruce goes it's used on acoustic tops, hardwood is used on the back and sides.
 
#7
T-Bird said:
Hi.

Most of the woods You mentioned tend to be in the "small" scale as the logs go AFAIK. They don't usually have dead straight trunks either and can warp for a loooong time. Some may never stabilize. That's the reason for minimal use in instrument building IMLE.

Other thing to consider is that they're not exactly cheap either, especially when compared with more common instrument woods with the same dimensions and properties.

Regards
Sam
Click to expand...

Interesting info on all fronts. I especially had no idea about price.
I just figured that oak trees are VERY common so I mistakenly believed the wood should be pretty cheap.

Very enlightening!

Ken
 
#8
I guess that the more common "non-exotic" wood species aren't that popular just because they are.. well... common.

Although there's nothing wrong with having a instrument made out of the same wood as your grand-dad's rocking chair, it just doesn't have that "sex-appeal" or "exotic" touch, does it?

I'm current building two basses, one StingRay-inspired-design with oak w. maple stringers for the neck and aspen body. It's gonna be interesting to hear what it sounds like.

Hickory would probably be a very good wood for necks, as is birch...
 
#10
Where are you guys buying oak? I see it for $6 to $7 (quarter sawn) a board ft. Ash, alder, hard maple and purple heart are about the same price. Paduck, walnut, cherry and a few others are $9 to $11 a board ft. Then you have zebra, coco bolo, wenge, figured maple for $18 to $25 a board ft. Ebony is $63 to $95 b.f. and rosewood is $25 b.f. I really don't think the price of wood is that big of a deal. Hardware, pickups and labor are the costly part.
 
#13
tjclem said:
I love Cherry I still have some pretty pieces of it but no buyers seem to be interested in it so it sits.........t
Click to expand...

Tom,
How would you utilize the cherry? Is it a good solid-body wood or is it better used as a top?

I know this is a tougher question but how would you characterize the "voice" of the wood as opposed to, say, mahogany or ash when used as a body wood?
 
#16
kjpollo said:
Why do you rarely, if ever, see woods like cherry, chestnut and oak used in bass building?
Are they unattractive? Have poor tonal qualities? difficult to work with?

I'm not a woodworker myself so I have zero experience in this area but I'm curious to know why these more common woods dont seem to measure up.
Click to expand...

All of these wood you mentioned are considered fruit woods, they tend to be very heavy and dense, for the most part, had to work. Not really considered "tone" woods. Before someone jumps my bones, I don't know why oak is considered a "fruit" wood. In this day and age of PC, I am not even going to speculate:hiding: But it is heavy! And hard. And will wer out a saw blade. I just took down a stair rail in my house and refinished it (TWICE) don't ask, girl friend thing (I think I'd like it dark, like walnut....4 hours later.....thats hideous!, How about reddish, like cherry....a day later plus four hours...."Thats too dark....I want to try pickled oak, I saw this in Home Depot....). I have one piece thats about 48 inches long, probably a hair shorter, that is about the depth of a bass body. And only about five inches wide, must weigh 15-20 pounds!
 
#17
rcarraher said:
I don't know why oak is considered a "fruit" wood. In this day and age of PC, I am not even going to speculate:hiding: But it is heavy! And hard. And will wer out a saw blade. I just took down a stair rail in my house and refinished it ...
Click to expand...

It has to do more with a mind set than anything... Oak is carved, cut, shaped and sawn into all kinds of things - furniture, newel posts, stair threads, chests, chess pieces whatever....Teak is also hard work but you see a lot of furniture. Rosewood and Ebony is hard work too but they are commonly used in fingerboards, and you could argue the returns from making bodies and necks are not as commercially productive, but not impossible.
 
#19
GODSBASSMAN said:
Tom, If I may suggest: Post it on your "woods" section and perhaps "bites" would emerge.
What else you hiding in the "wood bin"?
BTW Loving #122 redwood/mahogany 6 string. Gets better as the months roll on. Peace. david
Click to expand...

David-nice idea!

Who knows-if I hit Powerball tonight, maybe I'll order a few more basses from Tom and I can clean out the woodpile! :smug:
(wouldnt THAT be fun?)
 
#20
You all crack me up. :p
I have used it for a few necks early on before I "learned" that it wasn't seen as a neck wood so I stopped doing that. It has been a few years since I looked at it but as I recall it has some sappy streaks in it that are interesting to me but others might not be happy with but I would use it for tops. The piece I am thinking of is not thick enough to use for a body. As for the questions about tone. It was too long ago to remember.

This is bass #19 Cherry top and part of the neck too. I think the board I have is the other half of the top wood.

Hit that powerball! :hyper:
 

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