• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

What is your favorite tonewood?

#23
I like a swamp ash body with a maple top and maple fretboard. I'm a slapper and I like a defined high end with some mid punch and I can get that with that combination. I also use active preamps on my basses so it's a little easier to get my tone than just relying on the tone woods alone.
 
#24
Assuming we are talking solid body electric basses:

I really love the sound of the Alder body and Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard on my Sadowsky P/J. Obviously, Brazilian Rosewood is scarce and costly.

I have an Ash body and Ebony fretless fingerboard on my Valenti (Nino, correct me if the body on #19 is not Ash!). Great combination, especially with those warm modern Nordy FatStacks and OBP-3.

My '55 P-bass is Ash/Maple. Also works very very well. My Skyline has Ash and Rosewood--yes, also good.

Bottom line: it depends on the bass, pickups, and player's tastes. If you are ordering a Sadowsky, listen to Kevin Drexler.

Also try this, it helped me A LOT (nice basses, too!):

Invalid Link Removed
 
#29
agathis(yes agathis), dont know why but i really like my agathis bass better than any bass i have tried
and i have tried lots of nice and more expensive basses before buying mine
i dont know if wood makes a diference but i love my bass
 
#30
i judge basses primarily on their sound, playability, and looks--not what the body woods are. that being said, i have my preferences...

but if i was getting a custom then i'd probably get mahogany body with not-too-figured (cosmetic issue) bubinga top, maple-walnut-maple neck, and a fingerboard of either rosewood or ebony.

as far as cheap woods go, i like agathis (although it's quite soft) and nato. basswood is...meh.

in the ash vs. alder fight, i take ash for looks but alder for tone.

cosmetically, i like rosewood, walnut, padouk, and purpleheart.
 
#37
Korina body and Padouk neck. Korina is generally a little brighter sounding than Mahagony. Padouk is generally similar in tone to maple with a a little of the highs cut and padouk needs no finish and feels great raw.

My second favorite combination is hard ash body and maple necks for that traditional tone.

But there are sooo many great combinations and the electronics play a huge role too.
 
#39
Just Thumpin' said:
I have the following basses -- Walnut w/Ebony Board, Mahogany w/Madagascar Kingwood Board, Mahogany with Rosewood Board, Swamp Ash with Rosewood Board and Alder with Rosewood Board.

MY favorite combination (by a very wide margin) is Walnut with an Ebony Board. The sound is incredibly percussive with really tight, deep lows, a somewhat compressed midrange and gorgeous bell-like highs. It is a truly phenomenal instrument.

The Mahogany basses tend to have a more pronounced midrange and slightly less well-structured lows.

The ash bass is punchy and bright with fairly tight percussive lows.

Of course you also need to think about pickups as well...definately find a luthier that you really want to work with and start talking about the sound you are looking for. I had NO IDEA that walnut / Ebony would be a good combination for me until I started asking questions of the guys at Fodera...
Click to expand...

How would you describe the alder with rosewood bass?:)
 
#40
I think maple for me on both the body and neck. You need a rosewood fretboard though. Otherwise, it is too clear and maybe trebly as a result.

The maple gives a very clear response and it sustains very well, as well. The rosewood fretboard gives it good bass.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back