Body Wood Options

Good Wood = Good Tone

Good wood is paramount in achieving good tone. With over 20 years of sourcing
behind us, we are well connected, and get the good stuff! We have a lot of wood on hand
and are able to accommodate many special criteria, be it weight, grain, 1-piece size, etc.
Give us a call. We'll see what we can do.
As you contemplate your body purchase, here are several issues to consider:
1
Looks & Appearances
-
Each piece of wood is inherently unique. Even within a species, every piece is going
to differ from each other. The grain pattern, color, shade, weight, and density are all
subject to mother nature's whims. This does not necessarily make one piece better or
worse than another. It means that they are simply different and unique. Choose the
appearance that best suits your personal taste. If the sound of a particular wood is not
as pleasing to your ear as the look is to your eye then think about a laminate top. A
thin laminate top will give you the appearance you are looking for without
overshadowing the tone of the core body wood.

2
Sound and Weight
-
The sonic properties of wood vary dramatically between species, weight and density.
Generally speaking, the heavier woods sustain well and have a bright and articulate
sound which are all good attributes for a bass guitar. Extra light weight woods, while
a great complement for a bad back, can sound indistinct or muddy especially with
humbucking pickups. Medium weight woods fall in the middle and are the traditional
preference. Compromises may be found by chambering or hollowing the heavier
woods. These bodies remain stiff but light weight for that fat, rich tone with great
sustain.

3
Finishing Characteristics
-
How do you wish to finish your body? Do-it-yourself finishes such as tung oil or
Danish oil are the easiest to apply and look best on darker woods such as koa, walnut
and korina. Brightly colored dyes only work on white western maple like quilt and
flame (fiddleback). Transparent colors look best on woods with distinct grain lines
such as ash. Clear gloss finishes can be sprayed on any wood but are difficult to
accomplish without professional equipment.
4
Ordering
-
When you order, please let us know what features and attributes you are looking for.
How are you going to finish it — clear or solid? Is weight more important than
looks? What kind of tone are you seeking? The more we know, the better we can fit
the right piece of wood to your needs.

Arranged in Alphabetical Order

Alder (Alnus rubra):

Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its lighter weight (about four pounds for
a Strat® body) and its full sound. Its closed grain makes this wood easy to finish.
Alder's natural color is a light tan with little or no distinct grain lines. It looks good with
a sunburst or a solid color finish. Because of its fine characteristics and lower price,
Alder is our most popular wood and it grows all around us here in Washington State.
The tone is reputed to be most balanced with equal doses of lows, mids and highs. Alder
has been the mainstay for Fender bodies for many years and its characteristic tone has
been a part of some of the most enduring pieces of modern day contemporary music.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X
Ash (Fraxinus americana):

We have two very different types of Ash: Northern Hard Ash and Swamp Ash (Southern
Soft Ash).

Northern Hard Ash is very hard, heavy and dense. A Strat® body will normally weigh 5
lbs. and up. Its density contributes to a bright tone and a long sustain which makes it
very popular. Its color is creamy, but it also tends to have heartwood featuring pink to
brown tints. The grain pores are open and it takes a lot of finish to fill them up.

Swamp Ash is a prized wood for many reasons. It is a fairly light weight wood which
makes it easily distinguishable from Hard Ash. A Strat® body will normally weigh
under 5 lbs. Many of the 50's Fenders were made of Swamp Ash. The grain is open and
the color is creamy. This wood is a very nice choice for clear finishes. Swamp Ash is our
second most popular wood. It is a very musical wood offering a very nice balance of
brightness and warmth with a lot of "pop".

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X
Basswood (Tilia americana):

This is a lighter weight wood normally producing Strat® bodies under 4 lbs. The color
is white, but often has nasty green mineral streaks in it. This is a closed-grain wood, but
it can absorb a lot of finish. This is not a good wood for clear finishes since there is little
figure. It is quite soft, and does not take abuse well. Sound-wise, Basswood has a nice,
growley, warm tone with good mids. A favorite tone wood for shredders in the 80s since
its defined sound cuts through a mix well.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X
Bubinga (Guibourtia demeusei):

A very strong stiff wood used primarily for bass necks and in laminations. Used by
Rickenbacker for fretboards and Warwick for bodies. As a bass neck, it provides bright
midrange and a thick well defined bottom. Bodies made form Bubinga will be very
heavy but will sustain for days.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X * Occasionally available *
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X * Occasionally available *

Koa (Acacia koa):

This very beautiful wood comes exclusively from Hawaii making supply very limited.
Its weight varies somewhat from medium to heavy and is an excellent tone wood for
bass guitar bodies. Koa has a warm sound similar to mahogany, but with a little more
brightness. Like walnut, this wood may be oiled, but generally will look its best sprayed
clear. Koa is sometimes available in flame figure.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Figured Koa (Acacia koa):

Koa is exceptionally beautiful when it develops the flame figure. Available only in thin
laminate tops and sometimes available in higher grades.

Korina, Black (Terminalia superba):

Its true name is Limba from Africa. Black Korina is usually a medium weight wood, but
we occasionally get light weight pieces. It features a very handsome olive color with
black streaking. Korina has a naturally waxy feel to it. Oil finishes work well on this
wood. The tone is very similar to Mahogany with added mids. An excellent tonal choice
for hollow chambered bodies!
 Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Korina, White (Terminalia superba):

Its true name is Limba from Africa. White Korina is a medium to heavy weight wood
Korina has a naturally waxy feel to it. The tone is very similar to Mahogany with added
mids. An excellent tonal choice for hollow chambered bodies. With a Vintage Tint Gloss
on it, it resembles the famous Korina Flying Vs of the late 50s.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X * Currently unavailable *
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X
Lacewood (Cardwellia sublimis):

Lacewood is imported from Australia. It's a medium weight wood. The grain design
ranges from very small spots to very large spots which create its signature reptilian
appearance. Lacewood looks best in the form of a bookmatched laminate top, but is also
available for solid bodies. The tone is similar to Alder but the look is very exotic with a
fish scale like brilliance under a gloss finish! This wood needs a spray on type finish as
opposed to an oil finish.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X
Mahogany (Khaya ivorensis):

We use African Mahogany in our body production. It is a medium to heavy weight wood
with a Strat® body averaging 5 lbs. or more. Mahogany is a fine grained wood with
great musical properties. The tone is warm and full with good sustain. The favorite tone
wood of the Gibson® brand name; associated with some of the most famous rock music
of our time. The grain is easy to fill. Looks good with clear or transparent red finish.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X * Not for bass necks *
Used for fingerboards X
Makore: (Tieghemella heckelii)

A tropical hardwood from the west coast of Africa with a very similar color to the
Mahogany family though with a finer, more lustrous surface finish. Given the normal
color and texture variations found in the Mahogany family most people can’t easily
distinguish one species from another. Makore can have a degree of figuring that
enhances its appearance. Weight wise this wood is pretty similar to Honduran
Mahogany and African Mahogany (Khaya) with a specific gravity of .62 and weighing
about 39 lbs per cubic foot (Honduran Mahogany is .54 - .64 specific gravity and 34 –
40 lbs per cubic foot, African Mahogany .54 - .59 specific gravity and 34 – 36 pounds
per cubic foot). For guitars this is heavy when compared to Swamp Ash and for this
reason all three of these woods are much more popular when used as a chambered body.
Tonality will be extremely similar to Mahoganies with the primary differences coming
from the varied weights/densities within the species.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Maple
(Acer saccharum-Hard Maple):
We offer two types of Maple: Eastern Hard Maple (hard rock maple) and Western Soft
Maple (big leaf maple).

Hard Maple is a very hard, heavy and dense wood. This is the same wood that we use
on our necks. The grain is closed and very easy to finish. The tone is very bright with
long sustain and a lot of bite. This wood cannot be dyed. It looks great with clear or
transparent color finishes.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Soft Maple
(Acer macrophyllum):

Western Maple grows all around us here in Washington state. It is usually much lighter
weight than Hard Maple but it features the same white color. It has bright tone with
good bite and attack, but is not brittle like the harder woods can be. Our flame (fiddle-
back) and quilted bodies are Western Maple. This type of maple works great with dye
finishes.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X
Flame Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):

Flame, Fiddle-Back or Tiger maple all generally refer to curls (or stripes) as illustrated
here. Flame can be tight, wide, straight or crooked. While we can supply solid 1-piece
or 2-piece flame bodies, this wood is most beautiful in the form of a bookmatched
laminate top.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Quilted Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):

Quilted maple is a more rare form of figure occurring mostly in western maple. It is
distinguished by its billowing cloud or even popcorn appearance. This figure can vary
from large, wide billows to tight small blisters. As with flame, quilted maple is most
often used as a bookmatched top, but is sometimes available as 1-piece or 2-piece solid
bodies.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Spalted Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):

This wood is actually the product of a dead or decaying tree. The dark lines are created
by fungal attack. This wood is soft and punky and is only used as a thin laminate
bookmatched top on flat top bodies with binding. Spalt is difficult to finish as it soaks
up a lot of finish. Don't even think about doing a "do-it-yourself" finish on this stuff.
Each piece of Spalted maple is quite unique. It looks awesome with a tobacco burst
finish.
Birdseye Maple (Acer saccharum-Hard Maple):

This figure is only found in the eastern hard maple trees. Birdseye does not usually run
deep in the boards, so solid bodies are not available. As a bookmatched top it can be
quite striking.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Burl Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):

This is a very busy looking wood usually with a lot of porosity and bark inclusions. We
only use this wood for bookmatched tops. Epoxy is used to fill all voids. Burl looks
fantastic finished in a natural clear gloss or as a tobacco burst!
YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Padouk, African (Pterocarpus soyauxii):

Bright vivid orange color which oxidizes to a warm brown with use. This waxy feeling
wood has an open grain texture similar to rosewood and a tone similar to maple with
great mids and attack. This is a heavy to medium weight wood that looks great with an
oil finish or clear gloss!

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X
Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera):

This is another standard body wood having been used by many companies over the
years. Due to the grey/green color, this wood is used mostly when solid color finishes
are to be applied. Its weight generally runs about one half pound more than Alder.
Tonally, it is similar to Alder as well. Poplar is a closed grain wood that accepts finish
well.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens):

We have a nice stash of interesting figured redwood. It is available only as thin
bookmatched laminate tops on flat top solid bodies. Oil finishes or a clear gloss really
compliment the reddish color and figure! Redwood is not suitable for hollow bodies.

Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia):

A gorgeous exotic wood with rich thick grain covering a range of colors and patterns.
These bodies dominate the heavy wood category with solid Strat® bodies always
weighing in at well over 6 lbs. Specifying construction as hollow or chambered build is
always a good idea if you're weight conscious. Finishes can be a little difficult to apply
with the oily nature of the wood. You can expect big warm tones from rosewood with
smooth high end roll off. Indian Rosewood Tele® bodies were made popular in the 70s
by George Harrison of the Beatles.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X
Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis):

Supplied quartersawn, this is the same wood used for acoustic guitar tops. Lightweight
but stiff, the color is creamy white. Available for laminate tops only.

Walnut (Juglans nigra):

Luxurious coloring and grain patterns are the earmarks of Walnut. Whether using an oil
finish or a deep clear gloss, the pleasing appeal of Walnut always delivers. This is an
open grained wood. Walnut is in the heavy weight category but it's not quite as heavy as
hard maple. It has a similar sound to hard maple but it tends not to be as bright.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Figured Walnut (Juglans nigra):

The figure is predominantly flame. It is only available as a bookmatched laminate top.

This is a very handsome wood.

Wenge (Millettia laurentii):

Wenge features black and chocolate brown stripes. It is usually quartersawn to yield
straight grain - similar to open grained Zebrawood, but black. This body is in the heavy
weight category so considering it as a hollow or chambered build is beneficial if you're
weight conscious. Its weight does offer plenty of sustain though. Oil finishes are most
popular on Wenge but you can also leave them unfinished as well. The tone is balanced
with great mid presence and attack. This is a popular wood for boutique bass builders
and its tonal reputation is impressive.

Tone-O-Meter™

YES NO
Used for laminate tops X
Used for bodies X
Used for necks X
Used for fingerboards X

Zebrawood (Microberlinia brazzavillensis):

You may see where Zebrawood gets its name. The distinctive look tells you it's none
other than Zebrawood! This open grained wood is very heavy so it's primarily used as a
bookmatched laminate top. When used as a body its tone is similar to maple.
</h2