Quilted or flamed Maple top on a custom bass?

[tvickey]

Quilted or flamed Maple top on a bass?  The entire body would be Maple, neck Wenge and fretboard Ebony.  Finish is colored and high polish.  Thoughts?

[Drax]

Only you can make that call  

[burno70]

Can't go wrong with either of them - both nice in different ways.

[OliverBlackman]

I’d ask the builder to see the stock they have. Then you can see the graining and decide which block you like better. I went with flame because I don’t find it as flashy and I was going for a bass of doom vibe. 

[Woodinblack]

I prefer flame, or birds eye, but quilt is good too!

[songofthewind]

16 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said:

I’d ask the builder to see the stock they have. Then you can see the graining and decide which block you like better. 

This. 

[ezbass]

I have 2 flame maple tops but I’ve always had a soft spot for quilt, especially in high gloss (teal over black to be precise). As it’s a variable product, the advice to converse with your builder is worth listening to.

[tvickey]

Color is already decided:  Emeraude Green Transparent High Polish, like this:

http://www.warwickbass.com/en/Warwick---Products--Instruments--Customshop---Masterbuilt--Basic-Bass-Models--Streamer--Streamer-Stage-I--Streamer-Stage-I-5-String--Streamer-Stage-I---17-3640--5-string--Pictures.html

Of course I realize quilt or flame is totally up to me... but you guys are my friends, and so I thought that it would be fun to hear about your own tastes.  Thanks for the replies so far!  

[eude]

I usually always prefer flamed maple, as mentioned above it's a little less flashy looking. Quilt can be incredible too though, especially with a tasty stained finish.

As recommended, see what the luthier has and make your decision based on that, hard to do without seeing what your options are.

Who's building, and what you getting?

Eude

[Delberthot]

I like flashy and did consider having a natural finish quilt top jazz body from Warmoth with all birdseye maple neck 

[tvickey]

20 hours ago, eude said:

Who's building, and what you getting?

Warwick Streamer LX5, entirely Maple body, Wenge bolt on neck, Tigerstripe Ebony fretboard.  Gold hardware, brushed metal gold-colored MEC pick-ups.  

I'm actually wondering about the pick-up configuration too now... the usual J/J for a 5-string, or P/P with a reversed arrangement closer to the neck? 

Edited July 27, 2020 by tvickey
clarification

[eude]

1 hour ago, tvickey said:

Warwick Streamer LX5, entirely Maple body, Wenge bolt on neck, Tigerstripe Ebony fretboard.  Gold hardware, brushed metal gold-colored MEC pick-ups.  

I'm actually wondering about the pick-up configuration too now... the usual J/J for a 5-string, or P/P with a reversed arrangement closer to the bridge? 

Very nice mate, so you're looking at a quilted or flamed body, not just the top!? Awesome!

I personally would be tempted with the P/P setup, it would be a more versatile setup, as much as the front pickup on a J/J setup can sound a bit P Bass-like, it's still not quite the same, yet a P/P setup, especially with the bridge P reversed can get you close enough to a J/J sound but with more balls.

Eude

[Lfalex v1.1]

Do they offer the J/Twinjazz pickup configuration (as per Dolphin, Infinity)

That's a good one, and the TwinJazz can be coil-tapped to give you JJ.

As for the body? Quilted, but for one reason only; Many, many Streamers, Corvettes Fortresses, Katanas, etc etc. are Flamed Maple as standard. I've owned 2 myself. If you're going to the expense and trouble of getting one made to your spec, it might as well look different to the run-of-the-mill production models. 

[OliverBlackman]

4 hours ago, Lfalex v1.1 said:

Do they offer the J/Twinjazz pickup configuration (as per Dolphin, Infinity)

That's a good one, and the TwinJazz can be coil-tapped to give you JJ.

As for the body? Quilted, but for one reason only; Many, many Streamers, Corvettes Fortresses, Katanas, etc etc. are Flamed Maple as standard. I've owned 2 myself. If you're going to the expense and trouble of getting one made to your spec, it might as well look different to the run-of-the-mill production models. 

Isn’t a quilted maple streamer basically a Spector? 😂 

the reverse P idea would be different, Lee sklars Frankenstein bass sounds amazing, although that could be more to do with his playing. 
 

why don’t you have a flame maple body with a quilted maple top. That way the sides and back have the flame. 

Edited July 27, 2020 by OliverBlackman

[tvickey]

Came across this video comparing P and "reverse P" configurations.  I think that the "reverse P" near the neck sounds awesome.

 

Edited July 27, 2020 by tvickey

[tvickey]

This is the pick-up arrangement I'm considering... 

[ezbass]

Double P works for me every time.

[ezbass]

23 hours ago, tvickey said:

Came across this video comparing P and "reverse P" configurations.  I think that the "reverse P" near the neck sounds awesome.

 

The reverse neck sounds so much more even across the string and the reverse bridge is far less ‘wirey’ sounding to my ears. A video best listened to and not looked at 😂.

[fretmeister]

If you paint it solid black like you should it won't matter.