Wood ID help on an amazing bass machine

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Got to play this beautiful beast a few weeks ago.  Was visting the fam down in L.A., and sat in on Sunday morning at the church where my brother is the worship leader.  One of the regular bass players let me use this fine thing.  He bought it new in 1976 (making it older than me!) direct from Schecter.  The body is solid Koa, but I'm not sure about the neck.  I think walnut, but I haven't seen any walnut streak quite so amazingly.  Also, it's a 1 piece (!) neck, and I didn't think walnut would work on the fretboard.  Maybe Zircote?  Massacar Ebony?  Sorry about the bad phone pix.

It weighs about 11-12 pounds, and it I were to have whacked the E string before I left, it would probably still be ringing.  It was crazy awesome sustain.  I could go have a bite and it'd still be like "Yeaaaaaaaahhhhh". [/Nigel Tufnel] :headbang:

Best part of the whole thing: this guy has seen & played the two guitars I built for my brother, and wants me to build him a 5 string to match it!  :toothy12: :glasses10: :headbang1:

 

[DangerousR6]

The neck to me look like it could be pau ferro or cocobolo... it's definitely not ziricote... :dontknow:

 

[mrpinter]

I'm thinking maybe Pau Ferro as well. I have a Hamer guitar (T-62) that has a P. Ferro fingerboard, and it has a very similar coloration and grain pattern.

 

[Cagey]

I'll pile on for Pau Ferro as well.

 

[drewfx]

Brazilian RW?

 

[mrpinter]

I wouldn't think it's Brazilian RW, the grain is too straight and the color in Brazilian is usually more uniform than this one. And I would think real Brazilian would be way too precious for a whole neck.

 

[drewfx]

Here's a picture I found with Google of a 1983 Valley Arts guitar with a Schecter Brazilian RW neck:

Looks pretty similar to me.  :dontknow:

 

[fretless]

love those old Schecters , perhaps email those pics to Pat Wilkins , he was there in those early days and built those basses . He has one just like it .

http://www.wilkinsguitars.com/

 

[TBurst Std]

Looks like Pao Ferro to me.

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

THE MOB HAS SPOKEN!  PAU FERRO IT IS!

Thanks, y'all!

 

[MortenB]

I agree with the others that it's most likely Pau Ferro... The pictures are not that sharp, so it's difficult to see the pore structure in the wood. Pau Ferro has very small pores and is super smooth. Here are two pictures of the Pau Ferro neck on one of my Warmoths. Does this look similar to your neck..!? If the pore structure is larger and more open I think it's another type of wood.

 

[NonsenseTele]

Looks like Pau Ferro or Goncalo Alves to me

 

[SlingBass]

I don't feel "out on a limb" when I say: It has to be pau ferro. I must look funny as I shift my focus from the pic to the bass in my lap that has a pau ferro fingerboard (I'm getting whiplash). I've often thought an entire neck out of pau ferro would be ubber cool, and a tone to die for - maybe more so on a passive instrument IMO. Should it turn out to be something else......it's still a great looking neck  :glasses10: