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Snakewood fretboard

Hugh Person

Hugh Person

Guest
Jun 4, 2013
59
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hughperson.com
#1
I've ordered custom fretless warwick starbass with a snakewood fretboard. I've no idea whats that wood is all about (i've not even seen it before as it's pretty rare), just wanted something mmm "exotic", but after all, i've read a lot about it, and it's usually stated as "fragile" and "crackable" etc. The bass is going to be finished next month, and now i'm a bit scared about that. I've got one oil finished bass, and it's a pain in the ass to maintain it (bee's waxing once per week etc). Does it really so hard to care about snakewood? It's gonna be sad if it would crack after all :(
 
#2
Hugh Person said:
I've ordered custom fretless warwick starbass with a snakewood fretboard. I've no idea whats that wood is all about (i've not even seen it before as it's pretty rare), just wanted something mmm "exotic", but after all, i've read a lot about it, and it's usually stated as "fragile" and "crackable" etc. The bass is going to be finished next month, and now i'm a bit scared about that. I've got one oil finished bass, and it's a pain in the ass to maintain it (bee's waxing once per week etc). Does it really so hard to care about snakewood? It's gonna be sad if it would crack after all :(
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I think you'll be totally fine. Snakewood is used occasionally in bow making instead of Pernambucco. Its very dense and heavy. Beautiful grain patterns. I don't think cracking will be an issue.
 
#3
It's a beautiful wood. I think you'll like it!

13609_snakewoodL.jpg
 
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#5
I once had a CS Warwick Thumb NT6 with a snakewood fretboard. Beautiful, unique tone...unlike ebony, or any other fretboard wood I've heard. Note sustain...for days! Sold the bass due to weight and ergonomics...not because of the crack-free snakewood fretboard! :)

FWIW, the Warwick Custom Shop told me (1)...snakewood fretboard cracks can possibly occur in regions where the humidity changes significantly throughout a year, and (2)...maintenance is similar to ebony, and it may darken/get more brown over time...
 
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#6
Warwick does crazy shizzle to keep funky hard to work woods from blowing up, eg. they measure the humidity in every board in the neck and make sure they have the same moisture to an insane tolerance. ccheck out youtube.

They treat wood like metal almost using cnc machines to carve it, if Joe Garage Luthier were to try and build with snakewood then they might have the troubles you mentioned, same as wenge, I got a sample of wenge i thought I could just knock up a neck, it was just splintery pain in my hands, they turn it into black ivory.

Don't worry, damn, lookit!!
 
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#11
Hugh Person said:
Sure, why not?
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I have the impression that warwick tend to buy large amounts of not so expensive wood , make it the next greatest thing and then, once it is used up, something else they managed to buy at a good price takes it's place. Snake is nothing I'd expect, would be easy to find in large enough quantities at low enough prices to be interesting to warwick.

Hence my comment.
I like snake as FB. It's just quite heavy.
 
#12
flameworker said:
Warwick does crazy shizzle to keep funky hard to work woods from blowing up, eg. they measure the humidity in every board in the neck and make sure they have the same moisture to an insane tolerance. ccheck out youtube.

They treat wood like metal almost using cnc machines to carve it, if Joe Garage Luthier were to try and build with snakewood then they might have the troubles you mentioned, same as wenge, I got a sample of wenge i thought I could just knock up a neck, it was just splintery pain in my hands, they turn it into black ivory.

Don't worry, damn, lookit!!
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My thoughts exactly, and in the case of wenge I can relate very well ... that wood 'bites back' without mercy!
 
#14
cnltb said:
I have the impression that warwick tend to buy large amounts of not so expensive wood , make it the next greatest thing and then, once it is used up, something else they managed to buy at a good price takes it's place. Snake is nothing I'd expect, would be easy to find in large enough quantities at low enough prices to be interesting to warwick.
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Not quite ... they are indeed quite picky about wood, and they pretty much brought bubinga and especially wenge, into the spotlight.
 
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