P-Bass dark-coloured necks and tone

[Jumble Jumble]

Hi

I'm going to build a P-Bass soon, and for the aesthetics I have in mind, I want a dark wood neck. The woods that instantly come to mind are rosewood and wenge. I think I prefer rosewood of those two.

The bass is my first bass, and so I want it to basically be a "standard" p-bass. Standard wiring, standard pickup, rear rout, and so on. Obviously I'll be using the nicest components I can find.

My question is, will having a rosewood neck have a big, noticeable effect on the tone? Will I lose out on the "standard" P-Bass sound? Or, given that I am not averse to EQ tweaking (I'll be using a Kemper, so the EQ possibilities are near-limitless), will it just be completely fine?

 

[Cagey]

P-basses typically have a Maple neck, and Rosewood or Wenge are at the opposite end of the scale as far as frequency response is concerned. The neck is a big part of the tone, so I wouldn't compromise there if I could help it. If you want dark-ish wood, but want to maintain the P-Bass character, a better choice might be Pau Ferro. That, with an Ebony 'board is a super-fine part.

 

[line6man]

I would second the suggestion of Pau Ferro.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I'd really like to keep the neck and fingerboard the same - would a Pau Ferro neck be roughly equivalent to a maple? Obviously it doesn't have to be exact - it's just the thing of, it's my first bass, and I want to have a reasonably authentic P-Bass experience from it.

Surf green with a Spitfire Tortoiseshell pickguard is my plan, if you're wondering. Here's some of his guards:

http://spitfiretortoiseshellpickguards.wordpress.com/pictures-and-styles/

They look awesome.

 

[Cagey]

Yes. And you can get the neck meat and fretboard in the same wood. It's also hard enough to use for fretless 'boards, just to give you an idea of how dense/hard it is.

 

[line6man]

Having the same wood for neck and fingerboard doesn't look very good when you have a two-piece neck. You will be able to see a glue joint, and differing grain, which make the neck look cheap. YMMV.  :dontknow:

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I quite like the two-piece maple necks I've got, so no worries there. My only issue I guess is that Pau Ferro isn't quite as dark as I was imagining. I wonder about getting a rosewood or wenge board on it. Ebony's a bit too dark - it needs to be brown rather than black.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Hmm, seeing this Pau Ferro neck, that colour is more or less perfect. Don't need to worry there then.

 

[swarfrat]

Padouk left on the tanning bed? It does brown up over time.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Seriously, that PF neck I just posted is perfect. Decision made, really!

Now to wait until it's actually time to do the build...

 

[Cagey]

Hmm, seeing this Pau Ferro neck, that colour is more or less perfect. Don't need to worry there then.

You won't be sorry. Pau Ferro is very fine wood.

 

[Tony Ounsworth]

Ooh, exciting! Got to have a bass really, and the colourway you've got in mind sounds lovely.

That Spitfire site looks great. Then I read this bit:

THE GLORY

I thank God for this wisdom, this journey and, most of all, this job that I love. I believe my Lord Jesus directly guides these inspirations in my life. I completely give Jesus the credit for this opportunity to work hard with my hands and to bring joy to you with what I do.

I also want to tell you about God’s free gift of grace through Jesus Christ and His salvation from the hardships and struggles in this world. It doesn’t mean we won’t still face difficulties, but with Jesus, we have someone to turn to for restoration of our strength, joy, and peace in the hardest of times. This is the beauty that I have found in Christ Jesus but absent in everything else.

JOHN 3:16

“For God so loved ALL the people in the world that He gave His only true Son Jesus, (as a sacrifice, dying for us) that whoever believes in Him will not spiritually die, but will live for eternity in heaven (after our life here on earth)” (adapted and expanded by me).

Yep, it’s really that easy. It’s not how good we are; it’s faith in Jesus. Jesus will change you from the inside out. I give my credit, talents, wisdom and knowledge of making these pickguards all to God and my Lord Jesus Christ for making this possible. If you would like to know more or to talk about salvation through Christ, please feel free to contact me.

Alright mate, keep it light!

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Yeah, bit odd that!

My missus has decided she'd like to learn the bass. At first I said "cool, well I wanted to build one - you can choose how it looks". One order of "turquoise flake with a leopard-print pickguard" later and that plan changed. No that's not a joke.

So I'm getting a P-Bass in my chosen colours - in case she doesn't like playing after all. And if she does like it, we'll do a Jazz, in her choices.

 

[Tony Ounsworth]

"Sorry love, the leopard print is out of stock..."

I can't even visualize that. Good dodge!

You sure you don't want to do a Jazz first?

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Yep, P-Bass first, eye-watering Jazz later.

 

[Cagey]

I would think for a woman a J-Bass would be preferable, neck-wise. Maybe it's just me, but a P-Bass feels like a club relative to a J-Bass.

Of course, you can get any width/profile you want from Warmoth, so I don't know why I'm mentioning it.

 

[line6man]

Hmm, seeing this Pau Ferro neck, that colour is more or less perfect. Don't need to worry there then.

Wood is highly variable. If you order a Pau Ferro neck, and expect that, then there is a good chance you will be disappointed when you end up with something that is not the same.

Stick to showcase pieces, or talk to Warmoth about selecting wood with particular aesthetic qualities.

 

[swarfrat]

Jazz got a lot of stuff right on the body, but it's hard to beat P for semi-articulate THUD. Not dull boom, not piano. Just rock n roll. Since I'm a NARB (Not A Real Bassist, ie a guitar player who owns a bass or two), it's probable if I ever buy another bass, it'll just be a squire. But P guts in a J-body is probably the biggest reason I would consider it.