Wenge VIP in my head

[Fidde]

Hi all you nice people!

I'm new here as you probably can tell from low posts/newly joined! I've been here a lot though over the last year(s). Only built one Warmoth so far, swampash jazzmaster with flamed maple top and all maple neck. Love the guitar and I'm really surprised that I could assemble it all by myself with electronics and all. So now that I know how to do it I'm going straight for the real deal. The jazzmaster was more of a warmup really, still it's better than my other (more expensive) guitars.

Anyway now I'm gonna build a chambered VIP with P90s. Probably gonna try Harmonic Designs VP-90s from their rave reviews. (I know that this is kind of stupid only going for the reviews, but if I don't like 'em I can just swap 'em)
I really want a pronounced midrange, so I'll get a wenge body n top, and wenge neck with ebony fb. My only concern is that the guitar won't be heavy enough.... soundwise that is  :icon_biggrin: ...since I know wenge is extremely heavy.
To my question then, how would wenge compare to swampash in terms of bottom end? My swampash jazzmaster lacks the bottom I desire and the pickups contributes to that aswell. Wenge produces a well-balanced tone, kinda like swampash, yet it has more mids, but does it have more bottom? And how would chambering affect the tone? It is said it will be more open, fuller, fatter and chunkier. I know chambering a VIP won't affect the tone/weight drastically, but hopefully it will change the tone in the right direction plus make the guitar more weightfriendly.

Any thoughts here?

Thanks and Cheers!
//Fidde


Only picture I have of the Jazzmaster on my comp at the point. As you can see it's clear finnish, and the neck is actually very flamed (as you can see on the headstock), though I ordered a regular maple neck. A nice flame like that for free doesn't bother me at all really  :icon_thumright:

 

[jackthehack]

It may be kind of moot; there's not any Wenge lam tops showing available right now; you may need to call/email Warmoth as to availability.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Wenge will sound heavy... I've asked Eric Wylie about a dozen times on which one would sound like a thunder: rosewood or Wenge and he answered Wenge on all of them :toothy12:

For ultimate bass I'd go with Mahogany or Goncalo Alvez (for no finish) on the neck...
Cheers

 

[kboman]

"Fidde" - a fellow swede perhaps?

Anyway, maybe you should consider a more scooped EQ neck wood to bring out the low end better? I'd consider bubinga or even padauk (which will enbrown with time to keep with the colour theme).

 

[Fidde]

Wenge will sound heavy... I've asked Eric Wylie about a dozen times on which one would sound like a thunder: rosewood or Wenge and he answered Wenge on all of them :toothy12:

For ultimate bass I'd go with Mahogany or Goncalo Alvez (for no finish) on the neck...
Cheers

Thanks man!  :icon_biggrin: Well, I dont need a tremendous low end, its just that I don't want to lack any of it. But from your words and what I've gathered across the net so far I think Wenge will have enough low end for me. I want it to be tight, but still present, so it get a nice full body sound to it, you know?

"Fidde" - a fellow swede perhaps?

Anyway, maybe you should consider a more scooped EQ neck wood to bring out the low end better? I'd consider bubinga or even padauk (which will enbrown with time to keep with the colour theme).

Yep Swede here! (if you spell it with a small s it's the vegetable, kålrot, hehe)  :glasses9: I was actually considering padouk for the lam top, since it doesn't need any finnish (like wenge) and will eventually turn into a warm brown-red kinda color. But I can't see how padouk in the neck would give more scooped EQ/low end since it's almost as bright as maple yet more mids. Maybe I've missed something while reading about it?  :dontknow:

So will chambering the body make it more full and beefy or will it mostly brighten it up with acoustic presence?
Thank you guys!

 

[kboman]

Yep Swede here! (if you spell it with a small s it's the vegetable, kålrot, hehe)  :glasses9: I was actually considering padouk for the lam top, since it doesn't need any finnish (like wenge) and will eventually turn into a warm brown-red kinda color. But I can't see how padouk in the neck would give more scooped EQ/low end since it's almost as bright as maple yet more mids. Maybe I've missed something while reading about it?  :dontknow:

It's my understanding (and I will be gratufully corrected if it's wrong) that maple has a more scooped EQ than say mahogany, which has more of a mid hump typ EQ curve. The amount and character of the mids are what I personally find make a sound dark/muddy or not, so keeping the mids in control is important for a "dark" guitar where the bottom end is important. Bubinga would give a stricter control over the lows/mids I think, and padauk more so. It may make things a little bit brighter, but as so many have stated here: it's easier to dampen than to add treble when the guitar is built!

Trey Gunn's signature Warr guitar is all padauk, and I'd hate to call it bright :icon_biggrin:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g54_peiImo8[/youtube]

Where in Sweden are you?

 

[Fidde]

It's my understanding (and I will be gratufully corrected if it's wrong) that maple has a more scooped EQ than say mahogany, which has more of a mid hump typ EQ curve. The amount and character of the mids are what I personally find make a sound dark/muddy or not, so keeping the mids in control is important for a "dark" guitar where the bottom end is important. Bubinga would give a stricter control over the lows/mids I think, and padauk more so. It may make things a little bit brighter, but as so many have stated here: it's easier to dampen than to add treble when the guitar is built!

Trey Gunn's signature Warr guitar is all padauk, and I'd hate to call it bright :icon_biggrin:


Where in Sweden are you?

Well, I'm not looking for a dark guitar, I'm actually looking for a well-balanced, mid humpy guitar. It's just that I don't want it to lack lows, since the lows are important to get a nice full sound. Plus I'd really like to try a wenge neck just for its playability, not only the tone-factor.

I actually think Trey's guitar is quite bright, considering it having humbuggies. It does have a nice rounded top though, but other things could be the reason for that; other gear, settings, mics on the amp, etc... and as you said, it's easier to dampen treble than to add it.

Anyway, if I would make a hollow VIP instead, then it would affect the tone even more than chambering it. But in what direction? (Didn't really get if you said that padouk would make things a little bit brighter, or if you answered my question about chambering)

I was also considering Black Korina for the body, just to be sure I had all the lows and mids I wanted, but still I really want to try wenge, yet I want other peoples opinions/experiences first, so that I don't end up buying a very expensive guitar that I don't even like. (I've done that before actually :-\)

Thanks for the inputs kboman!  ccasion14:

BTW I'm in Stockholm


Any more thoughts on Chambering/Hollowing?  :toothy12:

Cheers!

 

[kboman]

I think it's better if you listen to the soundclips of the BK/wenge VIP in the gallery section, I don't have the direct personal experience to give any more definite answers - I think I've been too assertive already actually :sad1:
Better to listen to someone who knows more of what they're talking about, hehe!

I realised Trey's sound was a bit bright there too - more mid-bright maybe. He treats it primarily as a guitar, effect/amp-wise, and just happened to play the bassist role of that version of King Crimson. Terrific sound though...

I'm in Malmö here, and up past my bedtime (that cursed Fallout New Vegas...). We should try to get all the UW swedes together sometime!

 

[Fidde]

Ye, I've listened to it (clips of the BK/Wenge VIP) and it sounds really nice to me, despite being a compressed mp3-file. Just thought I'd go with Wenge, since it has an even better tonal reputation and seems to fit my needs just a little better.
Anyway, I'll probably send some mails to people I know who knows all this kind of stuff and hear their opinion as well before deciding. Thanks for you guys' help!

And ye we totally should! I don't know anyone (at least I don't think I do) who uses UW or has built a guitar from W, here in Sweden. However, we can probably scramble together some ppl.
Maybe if there is a concert that everyone would like to see(?), so we all can go to the same place for more than this reason? (Ye, they always said I was the smart one) :laughing7:

More thoughts are still welcomed  :icon_biggrin:

Cheers!