What would this wood combo sound like? Looking for walnut players too!

[ashevans09]

Hi there,

Just wondering what an ash body and neck with a walnut burl top and a maple board would sound like? From what I understand ash and maple would produce a quite bright and growly sound, but would walnut bring to the mix? I can't really find much information on it and I'll be honest I've only been drawn to it so far based on looks alone. I know what kind of tone I'm going for here so I'd be really interested to hear what you guys think of walnut

Ta'

Edited November 19, 2008 by ashevans09

[neepheid]

Walnut is towards the lower end of the hardness scale, so I'm assuming that it'll be warm but slightly brighter sounding than Mahogany for example, but won't approach the brightness of Ash or Maple.

I'm not sure that a cap has a huge amount of influence on the sound of a bass, but if it does then it might serve to mitigate any harshness in the denser woods of Ash and Maple.

[Josh]

[quote name='ashevans09' post='332375' date='Nov 19 2008, 03:30 PM']Just wondering what an ash body and neck with a walnut burl top and a maple board would sound like?[/quote]

Modern, Hi-Fi and growly.

[quote]From what I understand ash and maple would produce a quite bright and growly sound, but would walnut bring to the mix?[/quote]

More compression/focus.

[Delberthot]

Have a gander here, although a laminate won't make that much difference to the sound. Now, an all walnut body would be another ketle of fish.

[url="http://www.warmoth.com/bass/options/options_bodywoods.cfm"]http://www.warmoth.com/bass/options/options_bodywoods.cfm[/url]

One wood I've always wanted to try in a bass. Fat chance unless I get one made as there weren't many walnut Ps made.

[alexclaber]

I believe it should get you that trademark nutty sound...

Alex

[yorks5stringer]

Try listening to a sound bite?

[neepheid]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='332863' date='Nov 20 2008, 08:16 AM']Have a gander here, although a laminate won't make that much difference to the sound. Now, an all walnut body would be another ketle of fish.

[url="http://www.warmoth.com/bass/options/options_bodywoods.cfm"]http://www.warmoth.com/bass/options/options_bodywoods.cfm[/url]

One wood I've always wanted to try in a bass. Fat chance unless I get one made as there weren't many walnut Ps made.[/quote]

I've got a walnut body blank, waiting patiently for the day I get a bandsaw (woo hoo, Christmas is coming).

[zigmondo]

I'm quite surprised walnut is not used even more often, though I'm sure I come from a guitarist's perspective somewhat.
I had my Status S2 Classic 5 made with walnut back and centre; I feel with the rest of the material(maple top) it's warmed and woodified things up a wee smidge, getting the lower mids through nicely. I appreciate this may not be that discerning a reply given the Status' neck and active circuitry, but I find it a lovely if aesthetically understated wood.

[ARGH]

It would sound quiet until you put the P/U's in.

Then you would get the 'sound',it isnt the wood at all.

[chris_b]

I had two identical basses, both with a Mahogany core. One had Olive Ash facings and had a thinner, brighter sound with more middle and less bass tones. The other had American Walnut facings. This bass had a deeper, fuller, fatter, bassier tone. So in my experience that little bit of wood on the front and back of a bass can dramatically alter the sound of the instrument.
They were both Wal 5 string basses. I had several conversations about tone with Pete Stevens and his opinion was that the wood altered the tone. That was also my experience.

[ARGH]

[quote name='chris_b' post='335347' date='Nov 24 2008, 11:00 AM']I had two identical basses, both with a Mahogany core. One had Olive Ash facings and had a thinner, brighter sound with more middle and less bass tones. The other had American Walnut facings. This bass had a deeper, fuller, fatter, bassier tone. So in my experience that little bit of wood on the front and back of a bass can dramatically alter the sound of the instrument.
They were both Wal 5 string basses. I had several conversations about tone with Pete Stevens and his opinion was that the wood altered the tone. That was also my experience.[/quote]
Change the P/U's and the sound would change totally....Get the same combo of wood from a different supply,and you would have a different sound again

I also have it on record,in print,from Pete Stevens,that when Mick Karn would wander in for a service (and this was a rebuttle for people dying to cop the Karn Tulipwood top tone) That "Any Bass Mick picks up just sounds like him,it dosent matter what instrument he plays". So dont worry yourself about weather 'A' wood sounds nice,just make it strong,stable,and goodlooking as a bonus and thats all you need to worry about.

Edited November 24, 2008 by ARGH

[zigmondo]

That's it then, I'm sorted now: I'll just ask Rob G. for a retro in MDF with a fotoflame QMT.
No tonal difference between 18mm and 23mm you reckon?

[chris_b]

[quote name='ARGH' post='335358' date='Nov 24 2008, 11:21 AM']Change the P/U's and the sound would change totally....Get the same combo of wood from a different supply,and you would have a different sound again

I also have it on record,in print,from Pete Stevens,that when Mick Karn would wander in for a service (and this was a rebuttle for people dying to cop the Karn Tulipwood top tone) That "Any Bass Mick picks up just sounds like him,it dosent matter what instrument he plays". So dont worry yourself about weather 'A' wood sounds nice,just make it strong,stable,and goodlooking as a bonus and thats all you need to worry about.[/quote]
We'll have to agree to differ then, but my experience and conversation with Pete Stevens settles the matter for me.

[ARGH]

[quote name='zigmondo' post='335463' date='Nov 24 2008, 01:45 PM']That's it then, I'm sorted now: I'll just ask Rob G. for a retro in MDF with a fotoflame QMT.
No tonal difference between 18mm and 23mm you reckon?

[/quote]
Being a Status,ANYTHING would be an improvement.

Edited November 24, 2008 by ARGH

[OutToPlayJazz]

Ash bodied basses are always modern sounding, zingy & hifi as has already been said. I've had ash basses (thinking about it, I've still got two!) I have two Status basses with walnut front & mahogany back, and they are the best sounding instruments I've ever played! The other S2 I have is Cocobolo with a cherry wood back & that's more 3d sounding and less "fundamental." I also have an S2 5-string in Satin cocobolo with a "maple" phenowood board. This has a different sound again, with the slight maply (is that a word??) clack of the phenowood and the inherently softer sound you get with a bolt on neck.

It's very interesting having multiple same brand basses with different wood combinations. They really do all sound quite different.

Rich.

Edited November 24, 2008 by OutToPlayJazz

[Josh]

Ash I'll give you the answer I know you want to hear

Ash + Maple+ Walnut = Thee Ultimate MTD tone. Zing. Growl. Warmth.

[OutToPlayJazz]

[quote]Being a Status,ANYTHING would be an improvement.

This post has been edited by ARGH: Today, 02:59 PM[/quote]

And what did Status-Graphite ever do to you, Mr.ARGH??

[ARGH]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='335610' date='Nov 24 2008, 04:20 PM']And what did Status-Graphite ever do to you, Mr.ARGH??[/quote]
Wouldnt supply me with a circuit diagram......when I had one of their 3 bnd circuits and P/U's installed on a bass I'd just bought,and the input was playing up,and wanted a diagram saying what pot did what,the settings/ratings for the midboost thingy were..basically I wanted to know what was going on under the hood,so I or someone trained with a soldering iron could fix the ruddy thing. I'd never owned an 18v Active before.

I tried asking nicely.....twice....

Im not the only one thats had a 'problem' when asking questions...unless you are a customer with cash.You get a cold shoulder,or even blanked. Ask a retailer,most gave up after 2001.

Edited November 25, 2008 by ARGH

[OutToPlayJazz]

Remember that Status-Graphite is a very small outfit, so it sometimes takes some time for Rob to get around to doing things on the technical/servicing side. I had the same problem & in the end it was easier to take the instrument to Colchester to get the original preamp rewired by someone who knew what they were doing. Ie., Mr.Green himself. Yes, it took me three months to get the bass back, but at least I know that it'll go for another 20 years now with no problems.

Don't forget that they have to keep their attention on production, which is their main bread & butter, so you have to accept that servicing work will take a little time with so few employees & especially when Rob's doing all the technical work himself. Rob did have someone else trained up doing the technical work at one point, but quality control suffered. Brings us back to the old addage of, "If you want a job doing right, do it yourself!"

Rich.

[ARGH]

The circuit diagram comes as a Xerox when its supplied,as I was not the original owner,and the....well I think...electronics were ripped and sold in a retrofit (the P/U's came from an Empathy) this diagram was not passed on.....I did eventually get a copy (Hand drawn) from the guy I bought the Bass from...He made the Bass,the electronics came from Status in one form or another....I remember now it was the 'Mark King' mid-boost circuit,with a 3 way switch (settings were as follows...off....on...and f*** me thats a ton of mid)

To put it mildly,I didnt want the earth,and Im pretty sure that I was offering to cover the cost of postage,Im no luthier or techy wiz,I was not gonna copy anything,I just wanted to fix my system,and enjoy my instrument....If Marshall can offer ubercomplex wiring diagrams with no issue through the post...I know they are a massive company,and Peavey are willing to send me an eq knob free of charge..and heres small nobody me,just asking for a few lines on a piece of paper....and willing to pay for it.

I believe Wal would do the same,as would Alembic,Sadowsky...etc etc...

It was purely for the input section,I went to a qualified repairman (a guy that did New Order's gear,stuff for the Roses,and the Mondays...basically Manc bands) fixed the beef and I was ready to roll,but it would have been quicker for me and him to have this small piece of paper,less fannying about taking stuff apart,finding out what does what and where......Lets put it this way,My company sell Zippo's,Zippo's come with a LTG and its just a small piece of paper that people often lose,I dont buy any means have to give them a new one,hell they probably didnt even buy the Lighter in my or any branches of the companys shops,but its just a small thing,and you tell them what it does,and how to go about it (as only Zippo fix Zippo's) and you pass it to them,I keep a load spare for occasions,it take less than 3 mins,maybe hand writing the address out for them and a webby addy too...5 mins tops..I often like to ask them where/why they bought it,all customers have a storey to tell,one guy had his from his recently passed Dad,given to him by a Yank from the Korean war and the Hinge had bust.

Basically Im saying,I was not,or it was not,going to be any hassle,it would have been a 2 mins job,and a 19p 2nd class stamp (price at the time).And he may have gained a customer,I really wanted a headless 6..but no,this guy walked by.I like the sound,I like the look.But not for me..and as I say,Ive not been the first I know of.

The whole thing does not matter anymore,the Bass is now in Poland playing melodic Deathmetal,it weighed nice,but I didnt need it any more and Mikhail is really happy with it.

Edited November 25, 2008 by ARGH

[ashevans09]

Either way, just put the deposit down on that bad boy!

Can't wait, been saving for so long

[Josh]

[quote name='ashevans09' post='347244' date='Dec 6 2008, 02:13 PM']Either way, just put the deposit down on that bad boy!

Can't wait, been saving for so long [/quote]

What've you finally gone for Ash?

[ashevans09]

535, Ash body/walnut burl top, ash neck, birdseye maple neck, matching trussrod cover and headstock, 21 frets

I'm so unbelievably excited

[Josh]

[quote name='ashevans09' post='347311' date='Dec 6 2008, 04:08 PM']535, Ash body/walnut burl top, ash neck, birdseye maple neck, matching trussrod cover and headstock, 21 frets

I'm so unbelievably excited [/quote]

Did Mike give an estimated time?

[ashevans09]

[quote name='Josh' post='347316' date='Dec 6 2008, 04:20 PM']Did Mike give an estimated time?[/quote]

I actually went through GrooveShoppe, and they are saying about 10-12 months, and Mike gave a similar time too, though he mentioned that the Bass Gallery and some other American shops had basses on order with flexible options.

While it's going to suck waiting that long, being brutally honest it's probably going to work out better financially for it to take that long