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Roasted Bodies: What Do You Think?

#42
Tony has always been ahead of the curve - especially when it came to "roasting" basses:

Tony_Levin_Burnt_3_String_1.jpg toastbass1-w880.jpg toastbass2-w880.jpg
 
#45
micguy said:
Roasted neck, roasted body:

View attachment 4904954

It's a 5'er that weighs 7.2 pounds (the body was 3.25), and balances beautifully on a strap. The thing rings like a bell when you tap on it - on a stage with a big PA, the thing really comes alive when I have a FOH person that has a low end lead foot. Do my other basses do that? OK, they do, but they also have roasted necks and (with one exception) roasted bodies. The all also have aluminum hardware - tuners, bridges, neck mounting plates, even the stinkin' knobs are aluminum - taking metal weight off the thing, so it can be mostly wood seems to help.

A roasted neck is most of the advantage, as far as i can tell. It's lighter and stiffer, and has less damping - the "area of reduced sustain" (It's too minor to be called a dead spot, but every bass has one if you know how to listen for it) is moved up the neck a couple of frets and is well mannered. A roasted body seems to be a minor improvement (aside from the weight, where it helps a bunch), but....if you're gonna go, why not go all the way?
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This, to me ,looks really good!

Who built it?
 
#47
I like the idea of roasting. I have a 32" Warmoth PJ with 3A Flame Maple neck.
IMG_0606.jpg
It's really pretty, but my iPhone just doesn't capture it..
One thing that I advise anyone remotely interested in a roasted FM neck; get WHITE side dots. the whiter the better. I did black side dots because that's what you do on maple. I guess I didn't think about how dark that neck was going to turn out. You really won't be able to see the side dots if you get black ones. They just blend right in with the flame pattern...
In case anyone is in that same boat, you can get stickers that go over the side dots. They stink. Mine kept falling off and having to be replaced.
What I did do is get someone local to drill out the black dots and replace with white ones. That turned out well. It's a fun little bass. I can't speak to the vibe of the roasted maple vs non-roasted. This bass is extra light (non-roasted) swamp ash, and is 32" with Fralin pickups. The closest I have ever owned, was a Warmoth Build that was swamp ash with a non-roasted bird's eye maple neck that had rosewood board, and a Bartolini PJ set. That was a long time ago and even if I had them both side-by-side, It would be comparing an apple to an orange.
I do find that my little 32" is punchy, stable, and a very good instrument.
I would definitely be down for a fully roasted 34" 5, but don't have it in me to build it atm...
 
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#48
Smallmouth_Bass said:
So, we have seen a lot of roasted necks in the past little while, but you do not hear to much about roasted bodies. Is there an advantage to getting a roasted body? Do you have a bass (or had a bass) with a roasted body and do you think it makes a difference?

The one advantage I could think of is that it removes all the moisture so would likely be lighter. More resonant? I don't know, I have never tried one.
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This is fully cooked! I was the chef!:laugh: No stain or color just torched and a satin clear.
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348BA7FB-8B0F-4EF2-BD5F-CB3DC322ABB6.jpeg
 
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#51
I like roasted woods. It's like 50 years of aging from an hour or two in an oven without oxygen. Torrefication not to be confused with putting it in the oven at 350 for an hour. The sugars caramelize and the moisture leaves the wood. End product, lightweight and resonant. Downsides? Some don't like the look and the wood can be more brittle to work with. You have less of a fudge factor with pilot holes and such. I don't know if there is a different tone, but there is a different feel and I like it.
 
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#52
I dont have an opinion on the aesthetics or tonal characteristics but having had several roasted necks and bodies I will say that roasting will shave a few oz off weight.

The main thing I have noticed about roasted maple necks is that they are definitely stiffer, which may be good or bad depending on you. I happen to like lighter strings and more relief than most, and there are some necks that don't budge with string tension making more relief impossible with the strings i like to use.

These necks don't move....super stable
 
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#53
MultiScaleMale said:
..... Torrefication not to be confused with putting it in the oven at 350 for an hour. The sugars caramelize and the moisture leaves the wood. End product, lightweight and resonant.....
Click to expand...

This is not necessarily accurate. You do not need a $100,000 autoclave to accomplish full torrefaction, nor a complicated setup. It is a known process, with all of the scientific data readily available. There are many small builders who get very accurate results using very low tech. They key is knowledge and working out a good process for your own system. I know an excellent builder who uses a converted scrapyard oven literally in an old chicken coop for his $25,000 instruments and the results are world class.
 
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#56
g-dude said:
Handsome looking bass.

I wonder what it would look like if the neck and fretboard were also roasted.
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Believe me, I’ve thought about it :) I had a bass with a roasted neck and it was the most stable neck I ever owned.

There are two basses in that pic: a 5 (wearing tort) and a 4 (black pick guard). I wanted one of each it was just by luck I ended up with a matching set. I’m impressed with both and they work well for me.
 
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#57
bucephylus said:
....
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.
....
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Sounds like some of the reasons people describe about why they like old pre-CBS Fenders. The two '64 P-basses I own are like that, with necks that are stiff and stable like granite. I could see the roasting process emulating that.
 
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#59
I like the look of them, and I like the fact that roasting reduces weight. However, some mentioned that they are more prone to cracking/splitting? I don't know, maybe if it's done right, that won't be a problem..
 
#60
MultiScaleMale said:
I like roasted woods. It's like 50 years of aging from an hour or two in an oven without oxygen. Torrefication not to be confused with putting it in the oven at 350 for an hour. The sugars caramelize and the moisture leaves the wood. End product, lightweight and resonant. Downsides? Some don't like the look and the wood can be more brittle to work with. You have less of a fudge factor with pilot holes and such. I don't know if there is a different tone, but there is a different feel and I like it.
Click to expand...

I Like my roast, medium Rare!

Seriously, would it not be easier to drill all Pilot holes etc prior to roasting? Does the timber move that much?
 

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