Muzz Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 Having known a couple of farmers, I'd say kicking badgers is a pastime best indulged in by people who feel that two feet is one too many, and are keen to investigate the recreational opportunities offered by hopping everywhere... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 8 hours ago, Dan Dare said: I take your point about the fact that the planet having bigger problems, although I think we should address those we are capable, as individuals, of dealing with as well as pressing society at large to do something about the bigger ones. If that means the only thing we can do personally is to try not to over-exploit scarce resources, that's what we ought to do. Add up all the small individual contributions and the total beneficial effect is large. We ought to, bit none does. have you given up you car, binned the internet, stopped buying smartphones rammed full of rare earth minerals...? Everyone talks a good fight, but no one actually does anything about it. Ian Anderson wrote Locomotive Breath 50 years ago, and how right he turned out to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 Given that sustainability / environment is the hot topic du jour it makes sense for any aspiring luthier to make 'green-ness' a feature of his product offering. Almost nobody would object to the wood being from sustainable sources but loads of people would kick up a fearful stink if it wasn't. It's just how things are. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 The deep irony is that the people who make the loudest noise on the subject are the ones least likely to buy a top end bespoke custom instrument anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 13 minutes ago, Bassfinger said: We ought to, bit none does. have you given up you car, binned the internet, stopped buying smartphones rammed full of rare earth minerals...? Everyone talks a good fight, but no one actually does anything about it. Ian Anderson wrote Locomotive Breath 50 years ago, and how right he turned out to be. I do or have done some of it. I drive a 17 year old car (that I repair/maintain myself whenever possible - unless the job needs specialist tools or a lift) when I have to/have things to carry and cycle/use public transport when I don't. That's not particularly to save the planet. My bike is my way of keeping in shape, but it doesn't hurt that it's a green thing to do. I do recycle (and have for decades) and avoid plastic crap wherever possible. Have only bought two smartphones in my life - just got another after my ten year old one gave up the ghost. Don't have a telly. Do use the 'net (of course - how could I be typing this?). Don't buy endless electronic gubbins and toys (my stereo is all at least 10 years old and I still play vinyl and listen to FM radio). Typing this on an ancient laptop. So no, I'm not perfect, but I try. Incidentally, I appreciate that if everyone did as I do, the economy would collapse virtually overnight. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 As far as the original question is concerned, can you offer prospective buyers anything that other builders can't? This is especially true of electric basses, which are in essence planks with strings and not hard to make, unless you want them to be. You can build a very acceptable instrument with parts from Warmoth et al (many who claim to be custom builders do just that and just finish them nicely). My Bitsa P cost me around £200 to make (I used good quality parts) and I genuinely can't tell the difference between it and a US one, save the fact that the US one is better finished. They play and sound as good as each other. You are looking at the expensive end of the market as a custom builder. The budget and medium price ranges are too well catered for by the big manufacturers, who offer some pretty amazing stuff for the money. I'm in my 60s and remember the junky stuff I and my contemporaries had to learn on. When the Japanese started producing decent quality affordable instruments, it was a revelation. So what can you offer/what's your USP? Not attempting to pour cold water, but you ought to think about it before committing money, effort and time to the idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicko Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 12 hours ago, Dan Dare said: So what can you offer/what's your USP? This is a good question. Since the OP started talking about ethical woods, I would expand the question and ask what can be done through the whole production process to make it more sustainable if the USP is going to be ethical instrument production. Things that could be considered - not that I care greatly about some of these myself but some might: Transport impact of the raw material Quantity of the raw materials used (how to use less, or at least have less waste) Energy efficiency of the production facility Disposal of the waste product (the wood shavings etc) Environmental impact of the non wood bits - are you going to use petroleum based plastics for the pick guard, what lacquer are you going to apply (and do you know how its derived), what case options will you offer, etc.? Is the glue that you use vegan? What can you make from recycled material? Environmental impact of using the bass, if its active will it require a battery or can you phantom power it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 If you only buy legally sourced wood then your ethics have been sorted out for you. Bass players will only be interested in sound, weight, looks and cost. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 3 minutes ago, chris_b said: If you only buy legally sourced wood then your ethics have been sorted out for you. Bass players will only be interested in sound, weight, looks and cost. ...and heft. And is it any good for metal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 57 minutes ago, chris_b said: If you only buy legally sourced wood then your ethics have been sorted out for you. Bass players will only be interested in sound, weight, looks and cost. Think this is going to be the first time I've disagreed with you on here - not bad going! There are plenty of cases where legal does not equal ethical, and I'd be surprised if there were not a large number of people who feel that the ethics in timber production still need to be raised. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannymaddock Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Thank you so much for your responses, I wasn't expecting that many replies That really has cleared up something that was bothering me, I thought I'd be alienating a huge demographic but it doesn't seem that way at all. Very good points made all round and I think the main thing I can take away from it all is that it doesn't matter, as long as the look, playability and tone suit the individuals needs. Not as much love here for the 'decorative' woods as I thought there would be, which I'm glad about. I personally prefer a clean, minimal look. I like natural wood but I think heavy figuring and burrs are just too much sometimes (emphasis on 'sometimes', everything has its place). @Monkey Steve to answer your question I'll give you a bit of context. I'm a furniture maker and have been for about 10 years now. I've worked for companies that make fine furniture using all sorts of decorative veneers and timbers, and I've worked for companies that try to source sustainable materials, one even went as far as using solely indigenous, sustainably grown timber. I've also been vegan now for about 3 years and the more I read (not just about timbers but the impact of any industry on the environment) the more I dig my heels in and avoid using certain products or even avoid entire companies. The company I currently work for are very good at sourcing responsibly but due to the work we do, I spend a lot of time on building sites and I have seen first hand the amount of waste that the construction industry produces. Companies will over order on materials, use half of it, and then the other half goes into landfill. I can't spend the rest of my life in this industry, it is wasteful and even demand for products like MDF and plywood are causing huge amounts of deforestation. I care enormously about where materials come from, not just for the environment but for human rights issues too. The greed that drives corrupt governments just makes me angry. I've made a few basses over the years for myself, so I think it's time to consolidate my two passions and make a go of it. The amount of timber consumed by the guitar industry is nothing compared to other industries, and actually the responsibility lies more with Fender, Gibson et al, but we can all do our bit 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 I saw a video on BBC News today about the illegal trade in Rosewood from Senegal. I will make me think twice about rosewood fingerboards in future. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 @dannymaddock That's really cool. Finding your passion and going for it. I wish you every possible success and look forward to seeing some of the instruments you make (hint, hint). Just don't you go making one of them vegan bass guitars otherwise Piers Morgan will probably have a conniption fit! 😉🤣🤣🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JottoSW1 Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Check out some the deranged tops on the Kiesel page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 On 08/03/2020 at 20:01, dannymaddock said: Hi everyone! I am in the process of setting up my own company making custom bass guitars. I've been wanting to do this for years now, and I want to do as much research as possible! For the record, this is not me trying to plug my company or products, I am conducting some much needed market research Anyway, something that is important to me is ethics and sustainability. I know that many timbers used in guitar making come from dubious sources but they are usually the kind of woods that really look amazing. I personally feel that these woods only make a minimal difference to the overall sound of an instrument and there are lots of alternatives that sound just as great. I want to get your opinions on this subject specifically in the guitar making industry. I think the easiest way is for me just to put down some questions and let you guys go nuts. Have you ever thought about where the wood comes from for instruments? If a wood looks amazing but came from an unethical source, would it bother you? Would you buy an instrument from a company that refuses to use a certain timber? How important do you think the wood is to the overall sound of a bass (i realise there may be many, many discussions about this on here but can we keep it specific to exotic timbers vs native european timbers?) Do you like decorative timbers, or prefer a more simple aesthetic? Thanks in advance guys, all opinions are welcome and appreciated! Danny Yes Yes Yes Very important, but mainly due to the moisture content. A well dried body wood makes for a pleasingly resonant bass IMHO. Wood type is secondary to me. Simple aesthetics every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 On 08/03/2020 at 20:01, dannymaddock said: I am in the process of setting up my own company making custom bass guitars. Make sure you come up with a distinctive and unmistakeable headstock design, doesn't matter if it is oversize or hideously ugly, you can justify these things after the fact if you need to. Ideally eh shape should be a visual pun on your brand name, say something like 'Chomp'... 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 I like the idea of reclaimed wood or repurposed furniture. ”Upcycle” basses or something. Dad always had scaffolding boards about (he was a steeplejack) - I always wanted a bass using those planks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 5 minutes ago, AndyTravis said: I like the idea of reclaimed wood or repurposed furniture. ”Upcycle” basses or something. Dad always had scaffolding boards about (he was a steeplejack) - I always wanted a bass using those planks. Love this Peterbuilt Dynamite Bass: https://images.app.goo.gl/yDF8NYfaHL7qr68P9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Some time ago I did ask @skelf where it would be possible to build a bass for me that was entirely sourced in the UK. From what I recall of the conversation I think there was some doubt about the fretboard wood choice and some of the hardware comes from abroad. I wonder if that is still the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelf Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 46 minutes ago, ead said: Some time ago I did ask @skelf where it would be possible to build a bass for me that was entirely sourced in the UK. From what I recall of the conversation I think there was some doubt about the fretboard wood choice and some of the hardware comes from abroad. I wonder if that is still the situation. I have now built several entirely native wood instruments. The hardware is still problematic. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ribbetingfrog Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 Have you ever thought about where the wood comes from for instruments? —no. If a wood looks amazing but came from an unethical source, would it bother you? —no. I don’t earn enough to afford to be picky. Would you buy an instrument from a company that refuses to use a certain timber? --yes, happy to use a different timber How important do you think the wood is to the overall sound of a bass (i realise there may be many, many discussions about this on here but can we keep it specific to exotic timbers vs native european timbers) —Good sounding wood is crucial but doesn’t have to be a particular species. Do you like decorative timbers, or prefer a more simple aesthetic? —i like both! Variety is the spice of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 Another great source of ethical wood supply has previously been demonstrated by @Jabba_the_gut in this build diary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.