| Author | Message | ||
| robinc
Junior Username: robinc Post Number: 34 Registered: 5-2008 |
I think it would be neat to see what everyone's favorite neck recipes are, be it on your own instrument or any other. I know there are some wild ones out there! I'm going to kick things off with this: http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/40001.html?1212441779 I can't get enough of all those colors! | ||
| robinc
Junior Username: robinc Post Number: 35 Registered: 5-2008 |
and this from last month's featured custome: http://www.alembic.com/info/featured_custom.html | ||
| robinc
Junior Username: robinc Post Number: 36 Registered: 5-2008 |
and of course this: http://www.alembic.com/info/8string.html and this: http://www.alembic.com/info/fc_ragingbass.html ok time for bed now :-P | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6636 Registered: 5-2002 |
To a large degree, one's favorite neck "recipe", especially on a neck through, is directly related to tone. Since on a neck through, the neck woods contribute to tone much more so than the body woods, the woods you choose for the neck go a long way to determining your instrument's tone. Of course neck stability is also important, and is why only certain woods are appropriate for necks. The four woods I see the shop using most often for basses recently seem to be Maple, Mahogany, Purpleheart and Ebony. The following generalizations are what I recall reading here on the forum; others may have better knowledge. Maple is the standard for the lower priced basses. Maple provides attack and high end clarity. Mahogany is a neutral wood, and recently is showing up in more and more custom orders. Purpleheart adds strength and sustain; Maple with Purpleheart laminates is the standard for the higher priced basses, and it's kinda the classic look. Ebony adds strength and sustain, and supports the fundamental of the note. Of course, appearance is also a consideration, and all of these woods, and others such as Walnut and Vermilion, are used as accents between the major laminates. | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 99 Registered: 5-2007 |
Dave, Can a Mahogany neck handle the stress over time? | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1029 Registered: 2-2005 |
I would expect mahogany to hold up just fine as it is part of the neck recipe for the classic brown bass. | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Advanced Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 311 Registered: 10-2006 |
Last time I played my buddy's '53 Les Paul, the mahogony neck was holding up just fine - and that's a one-piece. Likewise the New York Martin I once was privilged to pick briefly - and Martin left NY in, IIRC, 1848. Mahogony handles the stress quite well. Peter | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 100 Registered: 5-2007 |
Does a bass have considerable more stress due to the increased length and string tension? Do woods such as Mahogany, Paduak and Koa hold up in bass necks? | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1031 Registered: 2-2005 |
FJJ, As I implied in my previous update mahogany has been used in the brown bass (i.e. the Stanley Clarke bass) neck for years. If it wasn't up to the task you would not still be seeing it used. As a matter of fact it is still used due to its tone qualities. Trust me when I say Susan would just say "No" if it was not good to use in the necks of their instruments. I also have a '67' Hagstrom 8 string bass that is all mahogany and it is as good today as when I bought in 1970. And if you want to talk about tension on a short scale bass the Hagstrom would be the one to use. To take a tangent the brown bass has a neck wood that surprised me and that is birch. So I guess any number of woods will work for a neck depending upon the tone you are looking for. Keith | ||
| matthew90046
Junior Username: matthew90046 Post Number: 47 Registered: 1-2005 |
Tootin' my own horn... but I love the neck on my Distillate. It is rather unusual in that it is almost all purpleheart with 4 maple pinstripes. 1132587739  | ||
| bassman10096
Senior Member Username: bassman10096 Post Number: 1139 Registered: 7-2003 |
Maple and mahogany have been used in more electric (not sure about all the historical materials used in acoustic) guitar and bass necks than any other woods. In my limited experience, I've seen maple necks and mahogany necks that went bad. In the course of these events I've talked to a lot of people who build and repair necks, too. As I understand it, maple is a bit harder and stronger than mahogany. Maple necks tend to warp more than break. Mahogany is plenty strong enough to sustain bass string tension (particularly considering truss rods and other reinforcements not uncommon in bass necks). Over time, mahogany tends to dry and gets prone to breaking. Many Gibson mahogany EBO necks and headstocks have busted, split, sheared off - you name it. On the other hand, mahogany is not as prone to warping as maple. Bottom line, they both work. I happen to love the sound of mahogany necks, but I'm a little more cautious with my mahogany basses than the others. | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Intermediate Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 101 Registered: 5-2007 |
Is not the Brown Bass (Stanley Clarke bass) a short scale? I am asking about Mahogany for long scale bass necks (I am curious because I play six-string basses) | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1032 Registered: 2-2005 |
Yes the brown bass is a short scale. If you really want to talk about neck recipes and such you might want to call Alembic. They can go over pretty much everything they've built and tell you the results. If I were to ever get another long scale bass I would have no problems with mahogany if that is the tone I was going after. Keith | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Intermediate Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 102 Registered: 5-2007 |
Thanks | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 809 Registered: 6-2002 |
I'm a hardcore sustain-aholic. I wanted ultimate sustain and fundamental with this:  The entire Bass is made of Ebony and Purpleheart exclusively. With its 36" scale, the tone is just incredible. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Advanced Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 338 Registered: 3-2004 |
Rami, every time I see that bass my jaw drops. You don't happen to have any sound samples lying around do you? | ||
| robinc
Junior Username: robinc Post Number: 40 Registered: 5-2008 |
Very nice! I second that motion, sound samples please! | ||
| crobbins
Intermediate Member Username: crobbins Post Number: 146 Registered: 6-2004 |
Here's shot of my Tribute.  | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6641 Registered: 5-2002 |
That's a really cool Distillate! Another important consideration here is that, as a generalization, multi-laminate necks are much less prone to warping. So, even in an all Maple Alembic neck, there will be at least three lams and the orientation of the middle laminate will be opposite the outer lams. Mark's long scale six string features Mahogany lams, as does Charles' Dragonfly five string. (Message edited by davehouck on June 07, 2008) | ||
| briant
Intermediate Member Username: briant Post Number: 197 Registered: 12-2004 |
I'm more than pleased with my maple + 2 purpleheart stripes + 1 ebony stripe. That seems to be a fairly popular one right now. |
