I would think that lots of things "can" sound good. The "importance" of the woods used hinge of a few things.
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The "Tone wood" Bass!
- Thread starter scottyd
- Start date
I would think that lots of things "can" sound good. The "importance" of the woods used hinge of a few things.
- Dec 21, 2007
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As an archer (and I have some Osage as a laminate in my main recurve bow) I'm stoked to hear about trying Osage in a bass. Very interested to hear how it comes out.
JK
JK
This has piqued my interest too...we call osage orange "hedge apple" around here but there's a TON of it around my area.
I played in a country band where a guitar maker brought our guitarist a guitar to try which was made from countertop material (don't know if it was pressed particleboard under the veneer or if it was something like Corian all the way through). He hated it just because it was so heavy (and his usual guitar was a Les Paul).
I believe tone is more of an issue with us bassists - or with a jazz guitarist. For instance, I love Chuck Loeb's "fat" tone, even though he doesn't play an archtop (which usually has great tone); I hate George Benson's tone (which is very "thin"), and he plays an archtop made especially for him.
I've posted this before, but I'd love to hear a bass made from tonewoods with a "transparent" pre-amp to allow for some adjustument, but then played through a Crown power amp or the like. Take all the EQs and tone controls off the amp - sort of the reverse philosophy of Peavey's guitar for Van Halen that just has a volume knob.
Z
I believe tone is more of an issue with us bassists - or with a jazz guitarist. For instance, I love Chuck Loeb's "fat" tone, even though he doesn't play an archtop (which usually has great tone); I hate George Benson's tone (which is very "thin"), and he plays an archtop made especially for him.
I've posted this before, but I'd love to hear a bass made from tonewoods with a "transparent" pre-amp to allow for some adjustument, but then played through a Crown power amp or the like. Take all the EQs and tone controls off the amp - sort of the reverse philosophy of Peavey's guitar for Van Halen that just has a volume knob.
Z
SDB Guitars
Commercial User
I believe that the reason ScottyD placed "tone wood" in quotes is because solid body instruments are not *nearly* as affected by what wood you use, as with the electronics. The concept of "tone woods" in solid body instruments is somewhat of a mis-nomer. Hollow, acoustic instruments are another story, to some extent, but witness the Taylor "pallet guitar", made from an oak shipping pallet, and still sounds great.
Quality construction with quality materials will make a quality guitar or bass.
Quality construction with quality materials will make a quality guitar or bass.
So
if that is the case why do people shell out $85+ for a swamp ash body blank if you could use maple for $15 spend an extra $70 on electronics Or is there something to the whole "tone wood" 
And what is with all the focus being on the tone,what about how it plays?Lets face it some woods react faster and play better than others.Yeah,I want to hear a sound clip on this thing but I would also like to hear if it plays good,fast,and just the over all feel/vibe of this instrument.
So
People send an extra $85+ on swamp ash because they are uninformed, which is one of the points of this build. A wood will react different on account of its hardness, stiffness, or density not because it was grown in Canada Africa or the swamp
So
If you want to sell a bass which one you think will be sold faster one made out of ash or one made out of... hummm let's say tornillo (cheap local wood used here to replaced mahogany)? I guess the answer would be the one made of ash. If you ask why is this... well read Scotts previous post.
People send an extra $85+ on swamp ash because they are uninformed, which is one of the points of this build. A wood will react different on account of its hardness, stiffness, or density not because it was grown in Canada Africa or the swamp
Uninformed? Why should you care? Seems awfully arrogant to call people uninformed when you have yet to build your bass just to see if you are right..
Wouldn't the environment that a tree is grown in effect the density by a certain degree? For instance, a longleaf pine looks way different in FL than it does when it grows up north, they are usually much thicker and fuller in Florida than they are in North Carolina.
Also if the tree is in a windy area wouldn't it need to be stronger in order to survive? I would imagine that would have effect on the wood (how it would "sound" is beyond me). I agree that certain woods are genetically predisposed to have a certain hardness, but to say that environment has no bearing on the density or hardness seems a little wrong to me..
But, w/e people are entitled to their opinions..
Uninformed? Why should you care? Seems awfully arrogant to call people uninformed when you have yet to build your bass just to see if you are right..
opinions..
If it seems arrogant to you so be it, I've actually built several instruments from wood most people would consider crap, and I can boldly say that I KNOW I am right. And if someone is uninformed, why should I care? Probably because of the TONS of emails I get from people wanting me to build them a bass but wanting to know how one wood will sound mixed with another. With a solid body instrument THERE IS NO HONEST ANSWER! and I'm not in the business to blow smoke up someones butt. :scowl:
You will see in the future that big manufactuers will shift production to woods that are cheaper and more available. As they do this they will do their best to make you think that the new cheap wood sounds better. They'll do this just so they won't lose money on the product they sell. And of course since they have the big name along with the big rep people will believe them. Why do I think this? It's already happened in the past. Look at the different woods used in the past to present at Fender and Gibson, look at how somewhere in the mix plywood got involved.
Swamp ash at one time was considered junk, so was alder. At about that same time the price of maple, mahogany ect started to rise, it doesn't take a rocket scientist (no offense Erik!
) to realise what's going on. There are a few builders that go against the grain of what these guys have started. FBB just for example uses woods that most people have never heard of. I look up to them for that, for several reasons.
Thanks for the nice compliment on the design!
Wow that is bold of you.. There are many luthiers who think they are right about tone woods as well and have the same, if not, more experience than you.
Plenty of people use woods that are considered "crap", there is nothing new there.. Some people prefer to use different things, I don't see why that is worth stating.
I was using that comparison to address your statement about people being uninformed about ash based on where it is grown, not the use of "non-traditional" woods.Strange... I ordered an instrument based my own observation (not what a dealer/builder told me) as far as woods go and it came out sounding exactly like I thought it would. I agree that there is no honest answer, like I said (which you ignored) the area that the woods are grown probably has an effect on the "tone" as well.. So an ash tree grown in climate A will probably sound different than one grown in climate B (assuming that they are diverse climates). I appreciate your honesty to your customers (that is a great and rare thing), but does it warrant the "smugness" that you and others always seem to have about this subject?
You will see in the future that big manufactuers will shift production to woods that are cheaper and more available. As they do this they will do their best to make you think that the new cheap wood sounds better. They'll do this just so they won't lose money on the product they sell. And of course since they have the big name along with the big rep people will believe them. Why do I think this? It's already happened in the past. Look at the different woods used in the past to present at Fender and Gibson, look at how somewhere in the mix plywood got involved.
First off I would never take a companies word on whether I should like something or not.. I would have to hear it for myself. I placed an order with Mike Tobias about a year ago and I played as many of his basses as I could before making the final decision or even speaking with him, while I did speak with him about the choices afterwards, most of his suggestions actually would have made the final price of the bass cheaper. Some companies may try and doop people into this, I have to say that they are a minority in the grand scheme of bass builders.
If someone is ignorant enough to believe whatever a company tells them than you are not going to change their mind, you're just preaching to choir here...
Like I said, many people do it.. I look up to him as well for his use of "eco-friendly" sources for his wood.
Thanks for the nice compliment on the design!
No Problem..
They are welcome to chime in whenever. That is the point of this build.Wow that is bold of you.. There are many luthiers who think they are right about tone woods as well and have the same, if not, more experience than you.
WOW! Youve got me beat, I have no idea how this one will sound. I'm hoping the mix of osage orange and pine will bring out the dynamics of the lower mids or perhaps maybe the oak top will add crisp treble that will only be exaggerated by the poplar bottom <-----sarcasm
Maybe you have the GOLDEN TONE ear??? Can you tell me how this one will sound?
WOW! You’ve got me beat, I have no idea how this one will sound. I'm hoping the mix of osage orange and pine will bring out the dynamics of the lower mids or perhaps maybe the oak top will add crisp treble that will only be exaggerated by the poplar bottom <-----sarcasm
You don't read well do you?
I tried out all of the possible wood combos I could get my hands on. I liked the way a certain one sounded, when I got my bass, that I ordered based on those observations, it sounded just like the one I liked.
Unfortunately I am unable to guess how your bass would sound because I have never played one like it before (it will probably sound great), I don't claim to have some "magical" knowledge of how a bass will sound... Through the powers of deduction and reading comprehension you should be able to tell that.
I'm with Stu here.. enough bickering about wood tone! We want pics!!
of course, on the tonewood subject..
anyone see the First Act guitar made out of bambo? Apparently bambo is the most renewable resorce on the planet (according to the First Act press release). Interesting idea.
Here's the link:
Link Removed
of course, on the tonewood subject..
anyone see the First Act guitar made out of bambo? Apparently bambo is the most renewable resorce on the planet (according to the First Act press release). Interesting idea.
Here's the link:
Link Removed
