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I'm all in!
Only a fool would think that 90% of the bass has absolutely no impact on the instruments sound. Besides, without wood basses we'd be stuck with synthesizers, keyboards and computer generated basslines - booooorrrringgg.
Only a fool would think that 90% of the bass has absolutely no impact on the instruments sound. Besides, without wood basses we'd be stuck with synthesizers, keyboards and computer generated basslines - booooorrrringgg.
Can I be the one person to call Bull****? Who needs wood?
That made me blink a few times, thinking my eyes were out of focus.
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Number, please. As a botanist I cringe whenever people say wood doesn't matter.
Can I be the one person to call Bull****? Who needs wood?
The neck is wood and IME, of the main structural components, the neck contributes quite a bit to the tone.
In any event, whatever the instrument is constructed of matters. It's just a question of how it matters.
Yes guys, I know the neck is wood. I just love showing this to people and having them doubletake a couple of times. It also does prove a point that other materials can be used to make a good bass, not just wood.
My first experiences with Wood would not have had me here.
Then I played a Custom MM Fretless Stingray made in the G&L Factory by Employee Luthier Fernando Villareal. The Rosewood body was like 3" thick. That was DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEp in tone.
I had a high end instrument mostly Maple, Birdseye Board, Purpleheart stringer. WAY TOO BRIGHT! Treble was completely off. I was still turning treble off. Drummer loved it.
Checked a $3000 MV Pedulla with all kinds of Walnut. It was Disco all the way. Just Dead
My Mahogany Fretless BTB1006 is way too deep, needs High boost for character. For that inst. I can accept that.
As we all know Maple matters in the neck for Strength and balance.
Stringers?....I am hooked. Got Bubinga on the 1006 and Walnut on the other 3.
But for the Bodies. Basswood and Maple tops, ...and the treble is still cut 7db. I bring it up as strings age and brightness it fading.
Reminds me of the Tone Block Idea mentioned to me by a builder, Gaddis Tippet, where a bridge foundation of Cocobolo is counter sunk in the body and the Bridge then mounted on top.
Wonder if that would be enough to bring me to Flat on Bass needing no boost at all and Flat on Treble needing no cut, and not changing fundamental look and Weight of the instrument?
If I found a combination that was ZERO, then Bass woul not b flat, but it would be my personal tone.
I Believe K. Smith uses tone blocks in the body as well as Status (since they use CF Necks).
Makes me come up with some formulas such as:
Wings: Maple/Alder/Ash/Basswood
Tone Block Construction: Complete center line to the heel/Neck mount or
Bridge Foundation only
Block Wood: African Ebony/Cocobolo/Padauk/
Bloodwood/Walnut/Mahogany/Purpleheart/Bubinga/Osmonium(jk)
Neck Wood: Maple, (your choice)
Stringers: Match the Tone Block, or not
Fretboard: always Ebony (if not too heavy)
Top: Book Matched QM to the absolute centerline (covering the block).
I wonder how they would play out against each other on an audio spectral analysis.
Judging from Status and KS, I am sure someone has done this experiment. If anyone knows where there is some data I am interested.
Still interested in handling a BassLab and Status and hearing the tone.
Right now all I am sure of regarding necks is demensions, weight, and strength, so trusting the body for the tone is my present school of thought.
I suppose this belongs on the Luthier's thread.
Then I played a Custom MM Fretless Stingray made in the G&L Factory by Employee Luthier Fernando Villareal. The Rosewood body was like 3" thick. That was DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEp in tone.
I had a high end instrument mostly Maple, Birdseye Board, Purpleheart stringer. WAY TOO BRIGHT! Treble was completely off. I was still turning treble off. Drummer loved it.
Checked a $3000 MV Pedulla with all kinds of Walnut. It was Disco all the way. Just Dead
My Mahogany Fretless BTB1006 is way too deep, needs High boost for character. For that inst. I can accept that.
As we all know Maple matters in the neck for Strength and balance.
Stringers?....I am hooked. Got Bubinga on the 1006 and Walnut on the other 3.
But for the Bodies. Basswood and Maple tops, ...and the treble is still cut 7db. I bring it up as strings age and brightness it fading.
Reminds me of the Tone Block Idea mentioned to me by a builder, Gaddis Tippet, where a bridge foundation of Cocobolo is counter sunk in the body and the Bridge then mounted on top.
Wonder if that would be enough to bring me to Flat on Bass needing no boost at all and Flat on Treble needing no cut, and not changing fundamental look and Weight of the instrument?
If I found a combination that was ZERO, then Bass woul not b flat, but it would be my personal tone.
I Believe K. Smith uses tone blocks in the body as well as Status (since they use CF Necks).
Makes me come up with some formulas such as:
Wings: Maple/Alder/Ash/Basswood
Tone Block Construction: Complete center line to the heel/Neck mount or
Bridge Foundation only
Block Wood: African Ebony/Cocobolo/Padauk/
Bloodwood/Walnut/Mahogany/Purpleheart/Bubinga/Osmonium(jk)
Neck Wood: Maple, (your choice)
Stringers: Match the Tone Block, or not
Fretboard: always Ebony (if not too heavy)
Top: Book Matched QM to the absolute centerline (covering the block).
I wonder how they would play out against each other on an audio spectral analysis.
Judging from Status and KS, I am sure someone has done this experiment. If anyone knows where there is some data I am interested.
Still interested in handling a BassLab and Status and hearing the tone.
Right now all I am sure of regarding necks is demensions, weight, and strength, so trusting the body for the tone is my present school of thought.
I suppose this belongs on the Luthier's thread.
#1 JimiLL
#2 Mongo2
#3 MoJo Man
#4 topcat2069
#5 capnsandwich
#6 HarlequinsRugby
#7 syndroum
#8 bass lord mutha
#9 kitsapbass
#10 johnk 10
#11 ghoulbug
#12 tnickk
#13 GoBassNorth
#14 younggun
#15 Hobo Bob
#16 Low brow
#17 SoonerMatt
#18 prd004
#19 stevef
#2 Mongo2
#3 MoJo Man
#4 topcat2069
#5 capnsandwich
#6 HarlequinsRugby
#7 syndroum
#8 bass lord mutha
#9 kitsapbass
#10 johnk 10
#11 ghoulbug
#12 tnickk
#13 GoBassNorth
#14 younggun
#15 Hobo Bob
#16 Low brow
#17 SoonerMatt
#18 prd004
#19 stevef
Wood most definitely is the variable and solution to the equation!
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