• 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 freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

What wood essence is this?

What on Earth are you talking about, “wood essence”? The smell of your wood, or possibly this:

View attachment 4710042

I’m guessing replacing “essence” with “species” or “type” is what your attempting to convey…

The OP is from France I believe, so maybe online translation software's best guess?
 
cce.jpg
 
What on Earth are you talking about, “wood essence”? The smell of your wood, or possibly this:

View attachment 4710042

I’m guessing replacing “essence” with “species” or “type” is what your attempting to convey…

Désolé, je ne ferais pas de faute, la prochaine fois. Sorry, I won't make any translation mistakes, next time.

The paint finish makes me think it is a Harley Benton PB-20 SBK. So it is basswood.

For one moment I felt sad because I know these aren't properly Fender spec'd, but no it is a Harley Benton, the "horns" on the neck side are smaller/thinner on the Harley Benton, they didn't perfectly copy Fender specs. Of course you couldn't realise that from my single photo.

Also, this body has the vintage routing for the control (that allows to install a 57/58 pickguard or a modern one), and the pickup and control cavities aren't "linked" (other than the wire hole), so it makes me thing it's an "older" body, most of the modern ones have the cavities in "one" part. Last info I have is that the neck pocket is deep, and not like vintage spec. Which means the neck will be deep into it (sadly). Let me show you other pictures.

ecfe2038-e332-11ec-8ba7-f5c0f9a29ec8.jpg


ecfebc78-e332-11ec-b52d-1f2730cf6e91.jpg


ecfebc79-e332-11ec-8ba7-f5c0f9a29ec8.jpg
 
It's hard to identify the wood from that picture alone but if it's a Harley Benton it's probably either basswood or poplar. HB use basswood and poplar in their cheapest P-basses. Their more "expensive" P-basses use other woods but those models are all PJs.

HB also use other woods (like those lightweight, brittle Asian "mahogany" substitutes) but not in their P-basses.

It looks like a PB-20 SBK (satin black)? Those are basswood. The other PB-20 colors are poplar. At least that's how this has been for years now and the PB-20 is Harley Benton's only split coil P-bass that isn't a PJ.

The picture also looks more like basswood than poplar.

So, I'm guessing it's probably basswood.
 
It's hard to identify the wood from that picture alone but if it's a Harley Benton it's probably either basswood or poplar. HB use basswood and poplar in their cheapest P-basses. Their more "expensive" P-basses use other woods but those models are all PJs.

HB also use other woods (like those lightweight, brittle Asian "mahogany" substitutes) but not in their P-basses.

It looks like a PB-20 SBK (satin black)? Those are basswood. The other PB-20 colors are poplar. At least that's how this has been for years now and the PB-20 is Harley Benton's only split coil P-bass that isn't a PJ.

The picture also looks more like basswood than poplar.

So, I'm guessing it's probably basswood.

Did you read my message above yours? :smug:
 
Did you read my message above yours? :smug:

So it's definitely a PB-20? I'm pretty sure it's basswood then. Why do you even ask if you already know the model and presumably the specs???

Nothing is Fender spec on these basses so they're not the easiest mod projects. I'm not sure I understand what you mean about "57/58 pickguard" but I can assure you that any Fender spec pickguard will NOT be a direct replacement. The neck heel is a different shape so the cutout for the neck won't fit and the general shape of the pickguard will also be off. You would have to make a new pickguard from a blank if you want a good fit for these HB basses.

In fact, the only thing on that bass that can be easily replaced (like "drop-in" with no routing or filling/drilling of holes) is probably the pickups, although I seem to remember an issue with the routing of the pickups cavity being too deep so that standard pickup screws (including the ones that were installed on the bass...) weren't long enough to set the pickup height correctly.

My experience with this model is from the glossy black PB-20 which was poplar so I guess some of the other specs may be different too. Mine was total garbage but I've seen several positive reviews so I guess I must have gotten a bad one.
 
Ok, reading your post again I think you meant it's NOT a Harley Benton. What you actually said was: "but no it is a Harley Benton". A bit confusing...

Well, if it's not a HB it could be lots of different woods, including those lightweight, brittle, Asian "mahogany" substitutes which was actually my first though when looking at the picture (before I noticed the post where you seemed to say it was a Harley Benton).
 
So it's definitely a PB-20? I'm pretty sure it's basswood then. Why do you even ask if you already know the model and presumably the specs???

Nothing is Fender spec on these basses so they're not the easiest mod projects. I'm not sure I understand what you mean about "57/58 pickguard" but I can assure you that any Fender spec pickguard will NOT be a direct replacement. The neck heel is a different shape so the cutout for the neck won't fit and the general shape of the pickguard will also be off. You would have to make a new pickguard from a blank if you want a good fit for these HB basses.

In fact, the only thing on that bass that can be easily replaced (like "drop-in" with no routing or filling/drilling of holes) is probably the pickups, although I seem to remember an issue with the routing of the pickups cavity being too deep so that standard pickup screws (including the ones that were installed on the bass...) weren't long enough to set the pickup height correctly.

My experience with this model is from the glossy black PB-20 which was poplar so I guess some of the other specs may be different too. Mine was total garbage but I've seen several positive reviews so I guess I must have gotten a bad one.

Ok, reading your post again I think you meant it's NOT a Harley Benton. What you actually said was: "but no it is a Harley Benton". A bit confusing...

Well, if it's not a HB it could be lots of different woods, including those lightweight, brittle, Asian "mahogany" substitutes which was actually my first though when looking at the picture (before I noticed the post where you seemed to say it was a Harley Benton).

Yes, I'm the idiot, I didn't wrote "NOT" on my previous message, which I intended to do, it is NOT a Harley Benton body. I'm thinking about a Japanese or Korean Squier. It is a Squier but I don't know anything more... I will scrap all the paint when it reaches my hands.

I just hope it is not Agathis :( which was used on Squier standard Pbasses a long time ago
 
Yes, I'm the idiot, I didn't wrote "NOT" on my previous message, which I intended to do, it is NOT a Harley Benton body. I'm thinking about a Japanese or Korean Squier. It is a Squier but I don't know anything more... I will scrap all the paint when it reaches my hands.

I just hope it is not Agathis :( which was used on Squier standard Pbasses a long time ago

Well that depends on HOW long ago we're talking about. If it's 20+ years I think Squier mostly used alder even in Affinity series instruments? These days it's poplar/pine/nyatoh of course. But if it's an Affinity and somewhere between (approx.) 5-15 years old I guess it could be agathis???