Stuck between two necks. First build!

[bellis1]

So as the title says, I'm building my first bass. I've decided for sure (I think) that I want to go with a Goncalo Alves neck with a Pau Ferro finger board. The problem is, I can get:
(Keep in mind, these are both Goncalo Alves/Pau Ferro)

A 21 fret quartersawn, standard steel rods, standard contour taper, with cream face dots for $250. Basically, everything standard except for a quartersawn piece.

OR

A 24 fret Goncalo Alves/Pau Ferro, graphite rods, slim taper, and Abalone face inlays for $405.

Now, I know you're thinking- whys that even a question? Well I've been wanting a 24 fret Jazz for a while now, and from research that i've done on the Goncalo/Pau necks, they're pretty heavy. Hence the graphite rods, etc.

What i'm getting at is, will the graphite rods make so much of a $150 dollar difference? More importantly, is it a $150 weight difference? And also, will the quartersawn peice make that much of a difference? I can get a non-quartersawn piece for a little cheaper. Please help!

P.S: I have an Ash body.

 

[allexcosta]

Graphite rods are used for stiffness, not weight reduction...

Is it a 4 string? Do you slap?

 

[bellis1]

4 string, and yes. I slap. Not constantly, but I do occasionally. My apologies on the graphite rods. I was told they were for weight reduction.

 

[bellis1]

What does slapping have to do with it?

 

[allexcosta]

What does slapping have to do with it?

You can't get THAT slap tone on a 24 fret bass...

You know, THAT tone...

Answering your question. Being it a 4 banger I'd go with the cheaper option. A well made neck won't suffer much from the tension of 4 strings...

 

[bellis1]

As the original posting said, I have a Swamp Ash body. With the neck i'm looking into, would it cause the bass to be top heavy?

 

[Musiclogic]

Is the body cut for a 24 fret or for a 20? If the warmoth neck with the FB extension fits in the same place as the 21, then you just need to look at the 24 with graphite will weigh close to the same as the 21 with steel, so it's really on you. Is 24 fret(what you always wanted) worth $155? The neck is going to be heavy no matter, and the "that tone" thing you can take with a grain of salt.

 

[allexcosta]

and the "that tone" thing you can take with a grain of salt.

You show me a 24 fret bass that will sound like this and I buy you an entire salt mine...

YouTube - ‪Juraj Griglak bass solo on Fender Jazz Bass 78‬‏

Better yet, since you've been building basses for 300 years and playing them for 500 years why don't you build a 24 fret bass, play it and post it here?

 

[Hopkins]

You can't get THAT slap tone on a 24 fret bass...

You know, THAT tone...

Answering your question. Being it a 4 banger I'd go with the cheaper option. A well made neck won't suffer much from the tension of 4 strings...

I'm assuming this would be because with the extra frets you would have to slap closer to the bridge to not be on top of the fretboard on a 24?

That makes sense to me.

 

[adam.beauchene]

You show me a 24 fret bass that will sound like this and I buy you an entire salt mine...

YouTube - ‪Juraj Griglak bass solo on Fender Jazz Bass 78‬‏

Better yet, since you've been building basses for 300 years and playing them for 500 years why don't you build a 24 fret bass, play it and post it here?

Pump the brakes, yo.

You know what a 21-fret bass sounds like by itself? Nothing. Maybe feedback, that's it. That guy's sound doesn't come from some detail about his bass. His technique would sound as good on whatever he plays.

The 'tone' thing is really getting old around here. You know what 'tone' is? It's a word printed on a sh*tty plastic knob. Want to sound amazing? Practice.

 

[bellis1]

Guys guys guys! Can we get back to the point!? Would a swamp ash body with a Goncalo Alves/Pau Ferro neck/board be top heavy?

 

[Musiclogic]

You show me a 24 fret bass that will sound like this and I buy you an entire salt mine...

YouTube - ‪Juraj Griglak bass solo on Fender Jazz Bass 78‬‏

Better yet, since you've been building basses for 300 years and playing them for 500 years why don't you build a 24 fret bass, play it and post it here?

Allex, you bring Juraj to my shop, or yours(oh that's right, you don't have one), and we can sit down with a 20 and a 24, and see what "that tone" is. Stanley Clarke, Stu Hamm, Brian Bromberg and countless other players have used 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26 frets without their tone suffering when they play slap, and a lot of slap players play over the end of the fretboard, so the positioning is only critical to a specific playing style.

Allex, you "have" all of these high end basses you have listed on here, I know that Fodera you posted a pic of had more than 20 frets, you are the one posting this falasy, and you are a slap player, I am sure you could take that reissue Jazz you play and demonstrate your point. I have played for almost 40 years, but as I have pointed out before, and you keep missing....I don't play slap bass, I am a fingerstyle player, for the last time. Comprehension is obviously not your strong suit, and your opinion is not fact, it's just an opinion like anyone elses.

 

[allexcosta]

Pump the brakes, yo.

You know what a 21-fret bass sounds like by itself? Nothing. Maybe feedback, that's it. That guy's sound doesn't come from some detail about his bass. His technique would sound as good on whatever he plays.

The 'tone' thing is really getting old around here. You know what 'tone' is? It's a word printed on a sh*tty plastic knob. Want to sound amazing? Practice.

Just trying to help a fellow TB'er... No one knows what kind of sound he's expecting from his bass (yes, musical instruments produce sounds). 100 years of practice won't deliver that particular sound on a 24 fret instrument. You like it or not, bass guitars produce tone... I could call it timbre if you'd like. Doesn't really matter... Now let's get back...

 

[allexcosta]

Allex, you "have" all of these high end basses you have listed on here, I know that Fodera you posted a pic of had more than 20 frets, you are the one posting this falasy, and you are a slap player, I am sure you could take that reissue Jazz you play and demonstrate your point. I have played for almost 40 years, but as I have pointed out before, and you keep missing....I don't play slap bass, I am a fingerstyle player, for the last time. Comprehension is obviously not your strong suit, and your opinion is not fact, it's just an opinion like anyone elses.

What reissue Jazz I play? What Fodera are you talking about?

I play slap. The guy plays slap... You do not... I was trying to help... There's a certain slap tone you CAN'T achieve on a 24 fret bass, reason why Mike Pope's Fodera has a section of the fretboard that's removable...

Since you're NOT a slap player and I am, let me post what I want about something I know without any "grain of salt", please...

And about owning a shop, how are you supposed to know the things I own? Do I know you at all? Stay on your side of the fence and I'll stay on mine...

 

[Musiclogic]

to the OP as I stated in my initial post...it's going to be heavy no matter which you choose, the 2 woods involved are 85-90+ in specific gravity, that's heavy. The difference in steel rods in a 21, and graphite in a 24 is offset by the extra wood required to make the 24 with graphite. It will be around 12-16 ounces heavier than a traditional maple and Rosewood neck. yes it will be heavier, and you could experience some neck dive depending on how you and where you play.

yep Allex, you just can't get "That" tone on a 24 fret....is that you Allex...on a 24 fret, not getting "that" tone??? Guess you weren't playing over those last 4 frets on a 24 fret either to NOT get "That" tone....
YouTube - ‪MLaghus Luthieria - Parte 5‬‏

 

[allexcosta]

yep Allex, you just can't get "That" tone on a 24 fret....is that you Allex...on a 24 fret, not getting "that" tone??? Guess you weren't playing over those last 4 frets on a 24 fret either to NOT get "That" tone....
YouTube - ‪MLaghus Luthieria - Parte 5‬‏

It's me here:
YouTube - ‪MLaghus Luthieria - Parte 5‬‏

Here:
YouTube - ‪MLaghus Luthieria - Parte 5‬‏

Here:
YouTube - ‪Fodera‬‏

Here:
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Here:
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And here:
YouTube - ‪Quick demo Lakland DJ5, Eden WTX-260, Bergantino HT-115.‬‏

I guess I've been around trying gobbles of 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, and 28 fret basses...

If you think I'm coping Juraj's or Miller's tone on any of my 24 fret clips you need one of these:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[mikeyswood]

You show me a 24 fret bass that will sound like this and I buy you an entire salt mine...

YouTube - ‪Juraj Griglak bass solo on Fender Jazz Bass 78‬‏

Better yet, since you've been building basses for 300 years and playing them for 500 years why don't you build a 24 fret bass, play it and post it here?

Hmm. Twenty-four fret neck and a good slap tone, you say?

/discussion

 

[Hellbastard]

As the original posting said, I have a Swamp Ash body. With the neck i'm looking into, would it cause the bass to be top heavy?

It depends, how much does your body weight?
I recently assembled a Bass 1.5kg
21 fret steel Rod, Flame Maple Warmoth neck
No name body. 1.5kg (Extremely light)

After I assembled the Bass, I found that it was really top heavy. I added more weight to the body. That and a wide strap solved the problem.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you have a really light body then a neck with steel rod will produce a top heavy bass.

It would be nice if any of the experienced luthiers here could post about the ratio of body/neck weight they use to avoid neck dive.

 

[allexcosta]

Hmm. Twenty-four fret neck and a good slap tone, you say?

/discussion

^ Hahahahaha... Not even close to the tone I'm talking about here. Vic's tone is thin, artificial and full of preamp...

Listen to Juraj's clip I posted above, that's the tone I'm talking about.

I'm not saying there's no good slap tone in 24 fret basses. I'm saying there's a particular slap tone that can't be achieved on a 24 fret bass. That Marcus Miller'ish fat "in your face" tone. That's what I'm talking about...

BTW, Miller's tone buries Vic's every time they play together. Just saying...

And last but not least: these are all personal opinions (read my signature). If someone loves the slap tone of a 24 fret neck-through bass, more power to them... We all speak from our experiences, don't we?

And "/discussion" with Victor Wooten's EMG synth-like slap sound? Oh, gimme a break...

 

[thepontif]

I'm with Alex. You should get the 21 fret neck. Unless you REALLY NEED that range up top. The graphite really won't benefit you much if the neck is made well.
Save the money. Get the 21.