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Tone wood

doomprophet8

doomprophet8

Oct 12, 2019
64
17
35
Iran / Tehran
#1
Hi guys. I am onto having a custome bass and searched alot about the woods ,
All I need is a punchy , sharp and agressive sound with attacks for progressive metal . This is my taste of sound not only the lows , I love the high mids and agressive attacks like dingwall basses .
So what kind of wood I should choose for the body and the top ????
I have chosen alder . If I am wrong please tell me . Thank u all .
 
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#2
Punchy? Sharp? Aggressive? Might I suggest a glossy maple fretboard? That hard, laquered surface meets those needs quite well. While it's true that maple is "softer" than rosewood, the thick layer of hard laquer on the finish, in conjunction with the (alleged) tonal qualities of maple, make it an ideal fretboard for hard, aggressive, punchy playing.

If a darker wood is your thing, perhaps ebony.

The key thing being the hardness of the fretboard. A rosewood fretboard with a thick layer of hard laquer will do just as well.

As for the body, Alder is fine.

Also keep in mind that the wood of the fretboard, neck, and body contribute only a small portion of the overall sound from a solid body electric instrument, and then only in the form of those tiny incremental steps above the "95% of the way to your sound" mark. Strings, pickups/electronics, amplification, and playing style contribute far more.
 
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#3
Volker Kirstein said:
Punchy? Sharp? Aggressive? Might I suggest a glossy maple fretboard? That hard, laquered surface meets those needs quite well. While it's true that maple is "softer" than rosewood, the thick layer of hard laquer on the finish, in conjunction with the (alleged) tonal qualities of maple, make it an ideal fretboard for hard, aggressive, punchy playing.

If a darker wood is your thing, perhaps ebony.

The key thing being the hardness of the fretboard. A rosewood fretboard with a thick layer of hard laquer will do just as well.

As for the body, Alder is fine.

Also keep in mind that the wood of the fretboard, neck, and body contribute only a small portion of the overall sound from a solid body electric instrument, and then only in the form of those tiny incremental steps above the "95% of the way to your sound" mark. Strings, pickups/electronics, amplification, and playing style contribute far more.
Click to expand...
 
#4
Thank Volker for ur info . I have chosen ebony for fretboard and as u said this is a good decision . For the neck I have chosen 5ply maple/wenge neck . And an alder body. For sure these are the 5% of the tone.
One question: should I choose a top on the alder body ? For example maple top makes it a better or it would sounds better without any tops ???!!!
 
#5

Thank Volker for ur info . I have chosen ebony for fretboard and as u said this is a good decision . For the neck I have chosen 5ply maple/wenge neck . And an alder body. For sure these are the 5% of the tone.
One question: should I choose a top on the alder body ? For example maple top makes it a better or it would sounds better without any tops ???!!!
 
#7
I love these threads.

popcorn.gif
 
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#8
doomprophet8 said:
Thank Volker for ur info . I have chosen ebony for fretboard and as u said this is a good decision . For the neck I have chosen 5ply maple/wenge neck . And an alder body. For sure these are the 5% of the tone.
One question: should I choose a top on the alder body ? For example maple top makes it a better or it would sounds better without any tops ???!!!
Click to expand...
Too many laminations and you have the sound of glue it’s been said. :)
 
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#11
doomprophet8 said:
U mean the solid wood is better for the neck? But multiple woods have some advantages such as more strength in the neck.
And last question : the top wood is effective in the tone ? Or it is only for the appearance and beauty?
Click to expand...

That was said in the ‘80s when there where these multi laminated coffee table basses that didn’t resonate. You want a stiff neck whether it’s the wood like maple or something making it rigid like graphite bars or another wood. Ask the builder why for any combination.
 
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#16
This is the typical tonewood... is bs vs tone woods matters video... posted it not so much because it really matters... more because it illustrates how stupid I may look when I put my pick in my mouth.(7:23)

Guess I won't me doing that anymore... I do think that having a little spittle on my pick gives a little warmer tone to my A and E string... not sure it's really a perceptible difference on the D and G.

 
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#20
I'm going to try a serious answer, even though this is a subject that causes much eye rolling, usually justified.

As has been pointed out, the woods in a solid-body instrument don't affect tone nearly as much as other factors. However, the most-pointed attack and greatest sustain result from materials which do NOT resonate with the strings. You would want materials which do not absorb vibrations. Furthermore, "tone" can be affected by which frequencies the neck and body absorb.
Because necks are subject to much more flexing than bodies, a stiff neck is your first consideration. After that, any stiff-wooded body should be fine.
 
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