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.

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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".

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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.

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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.

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 * Occasionally available
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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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 * Not for bass necks
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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  
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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!
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
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