Roasted Bodies: What Do You Think?

[hooky_marr]

I have a Dean Martin Celebrity Roasted guitar. It’s only available on TV.

wheeeeen the fire hits your axe
like a big income tax
that’s a Stingray…

 

[musicman556]

After having over a dozen standard maple necked basses and now two with roasted maple, I am in the camp of believing that roasted maple necks imbue qualities I prefer over non-roasted maple.

I don't know how much that would also translate to a roasted body, as I haven't played a roasted bodied bass yet. But daggone it it's on my list!

I just got the Dimarzio Relentless Jazz pickups set in the mail yesterday and am debating on where to use them. At first I was thinking about modding a bass I already have, but I really like all my Jazzes exactly the way they are now! I don't want to lose any of their tones, etc just to try out something new. SO... I've been looking at new hosts, and this thread is making me lean more and more towards another ground-up build around these pickups. For the neck I'll mostly likely use another Fender roasted maple neck. I used their roasted P neck in my last build, and it is GREAT. I'm thinking about going with a Warmoth finished body in either roasted alder or roasted swamp ash for the body. Do y'all have any experience with one vs the other?

 

[JFN]

Fender had a limited run fully roasted (maple neck and ash body) American Precision bass out about 4-5 years ago. It was beautiful and I almost got one.
View attachment 4904982

I have three roasted body and neck Fenders, including one of the special run 58 RIs like you showed. It weighs less than 8 lbs, resonant, and is my #1. I added black hardware to make a more uniform look. I also have a special run roasted ash PJ, and a roasted alder and maple neck CS 64 Jazz. All are great sounding basses.

John

 

[Thumper]

My #1 has a Warmoth roasted mahogany body and a roasted Musikraft neck. It is light, and to me a more bell-like tone then other mahogany/alder/ash bodies I've played. In any case it's my number 1 for some reason (and I still own high end basses).

 

[coy garcia]

I have a roasted neck on my 73p and it feels amazing....I plan on getting a roasted body for it with a single coil pu..and putting the original neck back on my 73.

 

[Sharko]

I’m waiting for someone to repost the Craigslist ad with the burned Ibanez Talman and all the insane claims made by the owner (“the bass sounds so much better because the fire consumed all the oxygen in the wood”)

 

[sonojono]

When I saw this listing for $6k I immediately went to Warmoth and had built myself a roasted P bass body below $600…

Fender FSR LIMITED EDITION '58 PRECISION BASS 2017(9.78 lbs) Roasted Ash w OHSC & CoA | Reverb

 

[13bass]

I’m waiting for someone to repost the Craigslist ad with the burned Ibanez Talman and all the insane claims made by the owner (“the bass sounds so much better because the fire consumed all the oxygen in the wood”)

All that wood trapped oxygen can be a tone killer!

 

[Marko 1]

I wouldn't care if my neck was roasted, but I don't care for the light-brown shade of the fretboard.

I want my fingerboard to be either a dark wood, or light-colored maple.

 

[pbass888]

Warmoth roasted maple rosewood fretless with tung oil.Body roasted with a light gunstock coat. Sounds great and very clear for a fretless (perhaps the roasting ?) .
The unfinished neck feels great (no need to finish roasted). Changed the pickups to fralin splits with a slight overwound bridge.

 

[micguy]

Cool headstock shape.

Thanks - that's what you get when you take a Warmoth deluxe 5 reversed headstock (2 over 3), and decide you want something a bit different - there aren't that many things you can do that are subtractive from their design that look decent.

 

[micguy]

I wouldn't care if my neck was roasted, but I don't care for the light-brown shade of the fretboard.
I want my fingerboard to be either a dark wood, or light-colored maple.

You're looking for a dark roast - like Gibson. Or Starbucks.

 

[mophead]

A roasted boddy has to taste better than a raw one. I'd probably go for the ribs first.

 

[JRA]

i don't think i've had the pleasure of playing an ax with either a roasted neck or body. i like the 'look' enough, but i think i'd only be interested in the weight reduction aspect (and the "stability" thing isn't that impressive for this 72 y.o.).

i rely on pickups and strings and technique for the overall sound, so wood that "rings like a bell" doesn't really ring my bell.

i'm all in if it's lightweight enough! i voted "sure, what's not to like!?"

 

[deff]

My Sadowsky NYC has both roasted neck and alder body. It’s a gem.
View attachment 4904902
View attachment 4904903

Speaking as a Materials Scientist, we know that heat treating can improve the properties of the wood, when properly done, stabilizing the structure against moisture, increasing stiffness, and reducing weight. All desirable aspects.

How much that matters for the body of an electric bass guitar is a matter of opinion. Obviously can’t hurt; but whether the gain is worth the cost is viewer dependent.

The instrument above was my once-in-a-lifetime Jazz Bass commission, pulling out all the stops. It is a magnificent instrument. It does go out on gigs. I doubt anyone can tell the difference between it and my parts Jazz Bass, which has similarly configured electronics. Of course, I can tell the difference - about 2 pounds on the shoulder for one thing.

YMMV

MatSci in central OH? Are you in Chillicothe?

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

i don't think i've had the pleasure of playing an ax with either a roasted neck or body. i like the 'look' enough, but i think i'd only be interested in the weight reduction aspect (and the "stability" thing isn't that impressive for this 72 y.o.).

i rely on pickups and strings and technique for the overall sound, so wood that "rings like a bell" doesn't really ring my bell.

i'm all in if it's lightweight enough! i voted "sure, what's not to like!?"

I think that's a good enough reason (weight savings)! I think the resonance might be more of a feel thing. It might not translate to the electrified sound, but if it enhances the overall feel and experience of playing, that that would be a good thing too.

 

[JRA]

I think that's a good enough reason (weight savings)! I think the resonance might be more of a feel thing. It might not translate to the electrified sound, but if it enhances the overall feel and experience of playing, that that would be a good thing too.

agreed on the weight thing --- it's a good enough reason all by itself!

but i hadn't made the connection between "the resonance" and "feel" --- that's a real mindblower for me (for whom feel is everything)! now i'm really curious! thanks for sharing that experience/POV!

 

[musicman556]

When I saw this listing for $6k I immediately went to Warmoth and had built myself a roasted P bass body below $600…

Fender FSR LIMITED EDITION '58 PRECISION BASS 2017(9.78 lbs) Roasted Ash w OHSC & CoA | Reverb

Haha! While not a Precision, I have been mucking around on Warmoth's site all day. All my basses except for a Dr. Brown's Burst MTD Kingston Super 5 are some shade of blue/green. The caramelization of the roasting process doesn't lead to the best platform for nice transparent/burst blue shades. But dangit this is growing on me...

Nickel pickups and hardware, Fender roasted neck. MMMMMmmmmmmm.......

 

[NPappas]

Roasted bodies? Dude, that is gross. This ain't the forum for that sort of talk.

 

[BSatt]

I just put together a new Warmoth project where I used a roasted swamp ash body and roasted flame maple neck. I asked for a light weight body so I can't comment on how the roasting effects weight. The bass weighs 8 pounds. My previous Warmoth bass weights 10.5 pounds. Both pictured below.