Changing neck woods? How much does this affect the sound?

[erisu]

Hey all!

First of all TGI Friday everyone!

So I've given up my chase of a Warwick bass as they're just ridiculously overpriced no matter where I buy anywhere in the world! So I've decided to pimp up my existing bass

I'm thinking of getting a custom neck. The current neck is a maple neck and fretboard with black dot inlays. The biggest change of wood material is the neck:

- Bubinga Pommele Neck
- Birdseye Maple Fretboard
- Black Pearloid Crown Inlays
- illuminated side dots
- Jumbo bronze frets

I'm keeping the rest of the bass but how much will the major change in wood to Bubinga affect the tone of the bass?

Thanks all!

[White Cloud]

Some here will claim it wont change it at all...however the reality is that it will certainly change the tone.

How much? Hard to say...the proof will be in the pudding.

[gjones]

I've swopped the necks around on my basses a lot and it does change the sound quite radically. The rule is, the more wood on the neck the deeper the sound. I recently changed the neck on my Jazz from a very slim Mighty Mite Jazz neck to a very chunky Precision neck. The sound got significantly beefier as a result.

[Muzz]

It'll be interesting to hear anyone tell you with certainty what the change in sound will be. As much talk as there is about 'tonewood', it's all very vague when it comes to precise predictions, especially with combinations of woods. It'll certainly be less noticeable than a change in playing technique/strings/pickups/EQ. I had two basses, one Ash body/maple neck, one maple body/wenge neck, and with the same (admittedly hot) passive pickups (not even active EQ, which can be a real tonechanger), and same strings, the difference was minimal, and once the drummer started, pretty much unnoticable. There are people who will tell you they can tell the difference between fretboard woods without looking, but I can't.

Birdseye maple will look lovely, tho, that's for sure

Have you considered secondhand? I wouldn't consider a new one, as you say they're very very expensive, but most of the secondhand Warwicks I've seen are a lot of bass for the money.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Muzz

[iiipopes]

First, the change in tonality will be minimal. With the different densities of the woods, especially if you use a laminate neck, what you may notice more is a difference in where any, if any, "dead" spots or resonances are.

Custom necks, especially of exotic woods, are expensive. You might be putting more into the bass than it is worth.

Save your money for a real Warwick, or one of their "Rock Basses" instead.