Woods

[AboveTheBridge]

If I were looking for a ballsy tone that has nice highs what wood combos would you guys recommend? Also, at the same time could it be warm and have presence? Anything with a nice top wood?

I'm building a bass right now and I'm leaning towards a bubinga core with a quilted maple top and back (Wish I could find good burl instead ). Would changing the back to ash be a good idea?

Thanks guys

 

[SDB Guitars]

Bubinga is very heavy... you sure you want that for the core?

Music Man basses have ballsy tone, and they are either alder or ash, IIRC... I think that "ballsy tone" has more to do with your pickups than your wood selection.

That having been said, I can't recommend any woods specifically, as many will give you "great tone", provided you put it together well. They "say" that harder top/back (like hard maple) with softer core (like mahogany or swamp ash) will give you a warm tone with good brightness/articulation.

Personally, I think that in solid body instruments, construction method and electronics selection has more to do with tone than body wood selection. Fingerboard woods will change your tone a bit, as maple (for example) is generally considered to be "brighter" while rosewood is generally considered to be "mellower" or "warmer".

 

[treebranch13]

bubinga is a good choice if you don't mind weight
ovangankol give you a good mid growl
if you want highs: go ebony fretboard with a maple neck
cocobolo is a good mix of warmth and highs, but is hard to work with
also check out pau ferro and bloodwood(satine) for what you want.

An easy way to get ballsy tone is put a fat MM style humbucker between the 36 to 40th fret

and to please those ppl who don't believe in the wood thing here you go:
for this kind of tone get brass nut and bridge, the MM style humbucker(uncovered)and a P style for the neck, and I would go with active EQ

 

[tjclem]

"Personally, I think that in solid body instruments, construction method and electronics selection has more to do with tone than body wood selection."

I couldn't agree more. I think string selection creates the biggest cheapest difference in tone though. As for fretless instruments the nut height, action and relief are the key factors more than woods. Just my observations though.......t