So what actually is bass wood?

[gub]

I see the tearm used a lot, just wondering what sort of wood it is?

[jgmh315]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia

Google is your friend.

[Annoying Twit]

We call the UK version of this tree 'Lime'. The big tree, not the citrus one. One of the most common trees around.

I've heard some very nice sounds out of basses and guitars with basswood bodies. It is soft and can dent, but despite it being cheap I'm not convinced that it's in any way a second rate tonewood. Not visually impressive though. Put a fancy veneer on it and you're ready to go.

Edit: Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass has a basswod body. And it ain't cheap.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[EssentialTension]

Music Man Bongo is basswood.

[ambient]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1408747875' post='2533268']
Music Man Bongo is basswood.
[/quote]

Was about to say that

[stingrayPete1977]

Is it good for metal though? Would you need metalwood trees instead?

[Lozz196]

I`ve found that in comparison to alder and ash, it just has a little less "heft/weight" to the sound. Almost like if you really hit the strings, expecting a roar, you don`t get quite as much as you expect. But played moderately, no real difference.

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1408751699' post='2533294']
Is it good for metal though? Would you need metalwood trees instead?
[/quote]

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignum_vitae"]Ironwood[/url]

Edited August 23, 2014 by Bloodaxe

[iiipopes]

From the web site [url="http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/basswood/"]http://www.wood-data...woods/basswood/[/url]

[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/common-name/"][b]Common Name(s):[/b][/url] Basswood, American Basswood, Lime, Linden
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/scientific-name/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Scientific Name:[/b][/color][/u][/url]Tilia americana
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/distribution/"][b]Distribution:[/b][/url] Eastern North America
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/tree-size/"][b]Tree Size:[/b][/url] 65-120 ft (20-37 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/average-dried-weight/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Average Dried Weight:[/b][/color][/u][/url]26 lbs/ft3 (415 kg/m3)
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/specific-gravity/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC):[/b][/color][/u][/url] .32, .42
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/janka-hardness/"][b]Janka Hardness:[/b][/url] 410 lbf (1,824 N)
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/modulus-of-rupture/"][b]Modulus of Rupture:[/b][/url] 8,700 lbf/in2 (60.0 MPa)
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/modulus-of-elasticity/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Elastic Modulus:[/b][/color][/u][/url]1,460,000 lbf/in2 (10.07 GPa)
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/crushing-strength/"][b]Crushing Strength:[/b][/url] 4,730 lbf/in2 (32.6 MPa)
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/dimensional-shrinkage/"][b]Shrinkage:[/b][/url] Radial: 6.6%, Tangential: 9.3%, Volumetric: 15.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.4

[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-color-appearance/"][b]Color/Appearance:[/b][/url] Pale white to light brown color, with sapwood and heartwood sections not clearly defined. Growth rings tend to be subtle, and color is mostly uniform throughout the face grain of the wood. Knots and other defects are uncommon.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-grain-texture/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Grain/Texture:[/b][/color][/u][/url] Grain is straight, with a fine, even texture and moderate natural luster.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/hardwood-anatomy/"][b]Endgrain:[/b][/url] Diffuse-porous; medium pores predominantly in radial multiples or clusters of 2-4; growth rings indistinct or distinct due to marginal parenchyma; medium to large rays, normal spacing, noded; parenchyma banded (marginal), apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-durability/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Rot Resistance:[/b][/color][/u][/url]Basswood is rated as being non-durable in regard to heartwood decay.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-workability/"][b]Workability:[/b][/url] Easy to work, being very soft and light. Perhaps one of the most suitable wood species for hand carving. Basswood also glues and finishes well, but has poor steam bending and nail holding characteristics.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-odor/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Odor:[/b][/color][/u][/url]No characteristic odor.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/"][b]Allergies/Toxicity:[/b][/url] There have been no adverse health effects associated with Basswood. See the articles [url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Wood Allergies and Toxicity[/b][/color][/u][/url] and [url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-dust-safety/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Wood Dust Safety[/b][/color][/u][/url] for more information.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-pricing-availability/"][b]Pricing/Availability:[/b][/url] Widely available as lumber or carving blanks. Prices are in the lower range for a domestic hardwood, though larger carving blocks are more expensive.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/restricted-and-endangered-wood-species/"][b]Sustainability:[/b][/url] This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/common-uses/"][b]Common Uses:[/b][/url] Carvings, lumber, musical instruments (electric guitar bodies), veneer, plywood, and wood pulp and fiber products.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/comments/"][b]Comments:[/b][/url] Species in the [url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-identification/by-scientific-name/"][u][color=#0000FF][b]Tilia genus[/b][/color][/u][/url] are usually referred to as either [i]Lime[/i] or [i]Linden [/i]in Europe, while in North America it’s most commonly called [i]Basswood[/i].
Basswood is an ideal wood for many woodcarvers. Its soft, fine, even texture make it easy to work with, while its pale, inconspicuous color doesn’t detract from the carved patterns of the finished product (which also makes it easier to paint and color).
Though Basswood has high initial shrinkage, the wood is stable in service after it has been dried. And though the wood is both lightweight and soft, it has an outstanding MOE-to-weight ratio. However, its MOR is on par with its low weight; simply put, when put under stress, the wood will remain stiff, but will still break (rupture) at a relatively average weight.
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/related-species/"][b]Related Species:[/b][/url]
[url="http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/european-lime/"][b]European Lime[u][color=#0000FF] (Tilia x europaea)[/color][/u][/b][/url]

And from the web site [url="http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/all-about-tonewoods/14591"]http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/all-about-tonewoods/14591[/url]

[b]Basswood.[/b] Affordable and abundant, basswood is particularly associated with mid-level or budget guitars. But basswood is a good tonewood by any standards, and it has been used by many high-end makers with excellent results. It is a very light and fairly soft wood, and it’s light in color, too, with minimal grain. Solid basswood bodies have a fat, but well-balanced tonality. There’s a muscular midrange, but also a certain softness and breathiness. On a well-made guitar, basswood can yield good dynamics and definition with enough grind to give the sound some oomph.

And from the web site [url="http://www.warmoth.com/bass/Options/WoodDescriptions.aspx"]http://www.warmoth.com/bass/Options/WoodDescriptions.aspx[/url]

Basswood (Tilia americana):
This is a lighter weight wood normally producing Strat® bodies under 4 lbs. The color is white, but often has nasty green mineral streaks in it. This is a closed-grain wood, but it can absorb a lot of finish. This is not a good wood for clear finishes since there is little figure. It is quite soft, and does not take abuse well. Sound-wise, Basswood has a nice, growley, warm tone with good mids. A favorite tone wood for shredders in the 80s since its defined sound cuts through a mix well.

Edited August 23, 2014 by iiipopes

[gub]

Ahh I see cheers chaps, some interesting reading there!

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Bloodaxe' timestamp='1408760744' post='2533324']
[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignum_vitae"]Ironwood[/url]
[/quote]

My mate does wood turning, that stuff is heavy and only good for seriously heavy metal!

[drTStingray]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1408756586' post='2533313']
I`ve found that in comparison to alder and ash, it just has a little less "heft/weight" to the sound. Almost like if you really hit the strings, expecting a roar, you don`t get quite as much as you expect. But played moderately, no real difference.
[/quote]

It sounds like you haven't played an MM Bongo?

[drTStingray]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1408782230' post='2533378']


My mate does wood turning, that stuff is heavy and only good for seriously heavy metal!
[/quote]

Isn't that often called pau ferro - used for fretless fingerboards - indeed most fretless Stingrays have it - haven't tried metal on mine - Ok when used for some RATM though :-)

Edited August 24, 2014 by drTStingray

[stingrayPete1977]

Im not sure lignum vitae is the wood that sinks its so dense isnt it? My 2007 had a pau ferro fretless board but I bought it after it had gained a 2004 fretted neck instead!

[ead]

Modulus of Rapture, there's a band name waiting to happen.

[BassTractor]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1408841989' post='2534032']
Isn't that often called pau ferro
[/quote]

I believe that both pau ferro and lignum vitae are also being called ironwood, but guess this depends on the version of English used. In Dutch, we had something called "ironwood" too, but I can't remember what it was (probably lignum vitae though, as we used that regularly).

They are at any rate different.
I have pau ferro on my fretless Ray, and have some bits of lignum vitae too. The pau ferro is far from as "fat", as we call it, as lignum vitae is, .
Also, I could carve the pau ferro of the board with a knife, but would stand no chance with the lignum vitae. In order to shape it (into knife handles for instance), I'd use grinding and sanding tools.

[yorks5stringer]

I've said this before on a similar thread but I heard someone at NAMM ( on line) pronounce it "Bass" as in the fish or Alfie....

Edited August 24, 2014 by yorks5stringer

[iiipopes]

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1408841989' post='2534032']
Isn't that often called pau ferro - used for fretless fingerboards - indeed most fretless Stingrays have it - haven't tried metal on mine - Ok when used for some RATM though :-)
[/quote]
No. Two completely different species. Consult the Wood Database web site.
[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1408911365' post='2534568']
I've said this before on a similar thread but I heard someone at NAMM ( on line) pronounce it "Bass" as in the fish or Alfie....
[/quote]
Yes. Like Americans pronounce the name of the popular sport fish:
bass·wood

ˈbasˌwo͝od

Edited August 26, 2014 by iiipopes