Wood for a bass body?

[TheBassBloke]

Hey guys.

I'm thinking of building a bass, if you've seen my original posts; i'm going to put an onboard tube preamp on the bass, with a status graphite neck. All just for a little fun. I have knowledge in the electronics department so I understand all the tube stuff, im just stuck on one little problem.

I'm not too sure what wood would be best for the body. At the moment i'm leaning towards North American Ash, what are your opinions? Have any of you built a bass in the past? What woods have you used.

Thanks a ton!
-T

 

[southernrocker]

I like the bright sound of hard maple, but it is a bitch to machine. What tone do you want?

 

[subhouse]

what type of sound are you looking for the north american ash has a snappy attack may be to much with a graphite neck. but i don't know your taste in sound .you can shape the outcome dramatically with wood choice once its made you can't change it but you have the opportunity to further change the sound with the rest of the variables ie pickups strings
preamp etc

 

[Rumblefisher]

North American Ash is going to be really heavy, no?

I agree, it depends what tone you want...can range from the basics like:
Mahogany - warm
Alder - middle
Maple - bright

to more exotic things like:
Korina - like mahogany with more mids focus
Walnut - bit on the bright side but full, round, a bit nasal

I can go on and on...and others on the forum sure know a lot more than I do. So...what tone will it be?

 

[JazzmanAndy]

Mahogany....amazing tone.

 

[TheBassBloke]

North American Ash is going to be really heavy, no?

I agree, it depends what tone you want...can range from the basics like:
Mahogany - warm
Alder - middle
Maple - bright

to more exotic things like:
Korina - like mahogany with more mids focus
Walnut - bit on the bright side but full, round, a bit nasal

I can go on and on...and others on the forum sure know a lot more than I do. So...what tone will it be?

Heyyy thanks for the info there Yeah i'm starting to move towards Korina now thanks to you lollss. Yeah I have a Japanese made, fender marcus miller signature bass, which just for the record sounds INCREDIBLE, and yes it is snappy, but thats because its ash

Let me get my hands on some Korina here in aussie. Now I just have to make a colour choice, that should be funn

Thanks mate,
Alex

 

[Barkless Dog]

With a graphite neck I would go with mahogany or korina (at least as a core wood) to balance the sound with warmth.

 

[subhouse]

there is some nice mahogany being harvested in new Zealand it was planted in the late 30's by a japanese company and then you know what happened it has a sound between the korina( korina is a mahogany) and Honduras mahog and it will be a better price. and easy to work . imho it would match very well
with the graphite neck. the wood in the marcus miller . is southern ash
or swamp ash is the more common name about 1/3 the weight of the
northern ash it's bright but not as bright as the northern ash with about the same attack