Beedster Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 So what exactly is the difference in sound (specifically on a Precision) and how does one tell the two woods apart to look at? Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Warmoth is your friend: [url="http://www.warmoth.com/bass/options/options_bodywoods.cfm"]http://www.warmoth.com/bass/options/options_bodywoods.cfm[/url] Of course it's probably only an opinion. There's not a lot of science in this it seems. Apart from the mostly true assertion that denser woods equal more sustain and a "brighter" sound (whatever one wants that to mean) it's mostly aesthetics, practicality (weight, availability, ease of working with etc.) and waffle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Thats a huge ask Chris...... For someone to have experience of 2 indentical basses in all ways except the body wood......? Swamp Ash would be my wood of choice for any build that I can specify choices, but thats based more on taste and aesthetics than any evidence or fact..... Which I'm afraid isn't that helpful..... Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planethead Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 [url="http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr113/fplgtr113.htm"]If you really want to crowd your mind!![/url] ttfn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 [quote name='neepheid' post='373078' date='Jan 7 2009, 02:17 PM']Warmoth is your friend: [url="http://www.warmoth.com/bass/options/options_bodywoods.cfm"]http://www.warmoth.com/bass/options/options_bodywoods.cfm[/url][/quote] Quite an interesting read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Had both - couldn't tell the difference. I thought the Ash had a prettier grain......erm, that's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 [quote name='The Burpster' post='373146' date='Jan 7 2009, 03:28 PM']Thats a huge ask Chris...... [/quote] It interests me on two levels Bob, one as a player and one as a curious (and occasional) seller of basses . I'm looking at putting together a Precision at the moment and thought it would be interesting to think more carefully about body woods than I have done in the past. Also, as you know, I've sold the odd Precision in the past, and found that prospective buyers can get very anal about whether it's an alder or ash body, often irrespective of weight (in fact I had one buyer pull out because the body was ash)? So if people are that specific in their tastes, I'm assuning there must be some pretty significant differences between the two, or at least that some people believe there to be? Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 [quote name='martthebass' post='373468' date='Jan 7 2009, 08:35 PM']Had both - couldn't tell the difference. I thought the Ash had a prettier grain......erm, that's about it.[/quote] That's exactly what I'm thinking, but I'd be interested to see if anyone has any arguments for choosing one or the other (not weight-based) Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I believe that this '78 is Ash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burpster Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='Beedster' post='373482' date='Jan 7 2009, 08:44 PM']It interests me on two levels Bob, one as a player and one as a curious (and occasional) seller of basses . I'm looking at putting together a Precision at the moment and thought it would be interesting to think more carefully about body woods than I have done in the past. Also, as you know, I've sold the odd Precision in the past, and found that prospective buyers can get very anal about whether it's an alder or ash body, often irrespective of weight (in fact I had one buyer pull out because the body was ash)? So if people are that specific in their tastes, I'm assuning there must be some pretty significant differences between the two, or at least that some people believe there to be? Cheers Chris[/quote] C, I absolutely understand you asking the question, but to get an an answer that will satisfy the likes of your (or mine for that matter) curiosity will be very hard if not an impossible ask, as its always going to be hugely subjective.... Why folks get anal about body wood when its covered in paint eludes me I have to say - if its naked and a nice piece of wood then I understand, that one will float your boat more than another.... I guess some folks have a good experience with one type then become convinced that all others will be as good or better? Still Swampy for me and I wont be swayed..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgt-pluck Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 One thing that I've found which has nothing to do with sound, is that lightweight Ash bodied bass 'reverberate' in your hands more than heavier woods - more so than Alder in limited experience. Burpsters Blazer which I've now got is Ash bodied and it feels positively alive when I play it - really feeds back which makes you want to 'really' play the thing. My Alder-bodied Jazz Sound feels leaden by comparison - although it still sounds wicked, and the weight is nice. Pluck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Personally, I don't think it makes a vast difference tonally. A choice between one or the other would largely be made on weight & cosmetic grounds, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 [quote name='obbm' post='373632' date='Jan 7 2009, 10:49 PM']I believe that this '78 is Ash. [/quote] I believe so too. If it weighs a ton, it's ash; if it's like balsa wood it's swamp ash. Alder has a closer grain and is somewhere between the two, weight-wise. I know it's not comparing like-for-like, but the heaviest bottom E I've heard from a P came from a '78-'79 ash (now the property of C. Beedster). It was very heavy in kg too, and felt dead acoustically. My swamp ash guitars feel more 'alive', as Sgt Pluck also noticed. Who knows whether that affects the amplified tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Having owned an ash precision, i found it to be brighter (more middy) sounding than my alders. The grain tends to be nicer, hence the tendancy for see-thru finishes i guess. ...and yes it was heavier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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