Ebony, please tell me everything about it!

nrssab

nrssab

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Hey mates,
I'm a loyal forum reader (don't make many new topics) and I really enjoy all the information you guys give out.

Now I have always been impressed by the wood ebony, my first contact with that wood was the fretboard of my second bass (a Sandberg); I was thrilled that this is a wood that actually is Black. Impressive in my opinion!
Threw the years I noticed that the wood is actually dyed a little (it lost color, but I could darken it again with lemon oil), so it's not compleatly black as I first thought. Recently I got to know how ebony really looks like (tiger striped Macassar).
I fell in love with this wood, though it's not compleatly black as I first thought it is very very beautiful.

So right now I was searching the web for some basses and ran over this:

Some pics:







Now WOW! The looks of that top absolutely blew me away! Plain amazing.
If I had the money I would purchase this LX immediately, but I don't :?
Have to keep on saving...

Meanwhile I know how ebony looks like and how it feels like as Fingerboard wood but I have no idea how it influences on the sound.
Could anyone explain the sound ebony gives to a bass in combination with different woods. Or better does anyone own a bass with a Ebony top and could post some soundclips. (I have already seen Wilsons ebony Vampyre, but he seems to be too busy to send soundclips).

Please anyone tell me more about ebony, and also feel free to post pics of any ebony wood around (counts as fingerboard, or top, or even any furniture made out of ebony). I would really be happy to see some more as it's not so common.

Thanks to all!
 
I know from experience in the fretboard makes sound very high and crispy sounding. I would think it would be nice and tight maybe not too much lows as a body wood. Check the Custom Shop because I think there is a Thum,b there made of ebony. I know for sure there is a Vampyre in all ebony and looks incredible!

check it out.

That's a nice Streamer. Are you buying it?
 
I know later on experts in wood will post more info. sorry I am not an expert in woods. :wink: :oops:
 
trujo777 said:
I know later on experts in wood will post more info. sorry I am not an expert in woods. :wink: :oops:
Click to expand...

No problem, yeah I saw the ebony Thumb and Vampyre. Just would like to know more about the sound.

Also no I cant afford that stramer LX yet, but hopw that someday I can order one like that as fretless.

Thanks for the reply!
 
I thought the most expensive cut of ebony was black and the rest used to go to waste.Now with wood so expensive and people more willing to except ebony with streaks it's become more popular.
 
My bass teacher has a custom built 4 string modelled on an L series Fender jazz,with a macassar ebony body.Stunning bass imho.
Ebony is a very bright & snappy tone wood,it's also very dense,hard,heavy & stable.Which makes it an ideal fingerboard wood for both fretted & fretless.Coupled with an ash back,which provides deep,thundering lows,makes for a very nicely balanced combination.
I once tried a an ebony topped mahogany jazz bass that was to die for.
Forgot to mention that ebony provides incredible sustain when used in a neck.Combined with maple &/or purpleheart is a recipe Alembic use as standard.
Good luck.
 
The piece of Tigerstripe Ebony that caught my attention was this exotic fingerboard on a Corvette Std. fretless that I could not resist, so I bought it:



I used to only want solid black ebony on a fretless, but after seeing this, my tastes immediately changed! With a set of DR Hi-Beam Flat wound strings, this board remains smooth as a baby's bottom (no string chew marks) and the bass plays and sounds so incredibly sweet with noise-free passive Bartolini pickups!
 
Greg said:
My bass teacher has a custom built 4 string modelled on an L series Fender jazz,with a macassar ebony body.Stunning bass imho.
Ebony is a very bright & snappy tone wood,it's also very dense,hard,heavy & stable.Which makes it an ideal fingerboard wood for both fretted & fretless.Coupled with an ash back,which provides deep,thundering lows,makes for a very nicely balanced combination.
I once tried a an ebony topped mahogany jazz bass that was to die for.
Forgot to mention that ebony provides incredible sustain when used in a neck.Combined with maple &/or purpleheart is a recipe Alembic use as standard.
Good luck.
Click to expand...

Oh I would love to see that bass from you're teacher. could you post a pic?
Thanks for the discription of the sound it is of some help for me!

As for the Macrassar ebony top with mahogany body I have found a bass with such specs, some guy posted it some days ago on talkbass.



It's a sandberg california JJ4, I'm not quite shure if the back is mahogany but it looks a lot like it! Also I have sent the owner a pm and hope he can hand over some soundclips, as there are none out there from basses with ebony tops.

I will be looking further in the alembic necks to, that what you have explained sounds very interesting and promising.

Thaks for all the info Greg!
 
I like Ebony used for fingerboard, brings nice treble to the sound. I have no experience with ebony used on body... But it should make the sound brighter and tighter. Can be a great match with the swamp ash back!
 
Hey guys I never checked back on this thread.
Just want to say thanks to Greg for the information.

If anyone else has some more knowledge on basses with ebony please post.

Is there anyone around who owns a bass with a Ebony top and could send soundclips?
 
Thanks Woody for the input.
Yes I have heared of a luthier in london who builds some amazing 8 string guitar with a ebony top.
 
Greg said:
My bass teacher has a custom built 4 string modelled on an L series Fender jazz,with a macassar ebony body.Stunning bass imho.
Ebony is a very bright & snappy tone wood,it's also very dense,hard,heavy & stable.Which makes it an ideal fingerboard wood for both fretted & fretless.Coupled with an ash back,which provides deep,thundering lows,makes for a very nicely balanced combination.
I once tried a an ebony topped mahogany jazz bass that was to die for.
Forgot to mention that ebony provides incredible sustain when used in a neck.Combined with maple &/or purpleheart is a recipe Alembic use as standard.
Good luck.
Click to expand...

sorry for the off-topic, but:
how would you describe the sound compared to your SSII ?
(now, the SSII is the reference for me....)
 
Now, that a SSII has been named.... how would a ebony fingerboard will sound in the Afzelia body? compared to a Wenge one?
 
Orlan said:
Now, that a SSII has been named.... how would a ebony fingerboard will sound in the Afzelia body? compared to a Wenge one?
Click to expand...

From what I know ebony and wenge are both very dense (hard) woods. Ebony is harder, so the notes should be a clearer. But I bet you wouldn't notice any difference at all! The difference is minimalistic.
If we are talking about fretless than its another story, as wenge is not as smoothe as ebony (it has little holes). I don't know any fretless bass with a wenge board, and if it would be layered with epoxy.
Might be wrong.
 
iuserneim said:
sorry for the off-topic, but:
how would you describe the sound compared to your SSII ?
(now, the SSII is the reference for me....)
Click to expand...


The ebony jazz bass is alot brighter,alot less growly,more vintage/traditionally sounding,less compressed,less focused,less consistent across the strings.It sounds like your typical Fender jazz but vastly improved upon in terms of it's overall voice.
 
nrssab said:
From what I know ebony and wenge are both very dense (hard) woods. Ebony is harder, so the notes should be a clearer. But I bet you wouldn't notice any difference at all! The difference is minimalistic.
If we are talking about fretless than its another story, as wenge is not as smoothe as ebony (it has little holes). I don't know any fretless bass with a wenge board, and if it would be layered with epoxy.
Might be wrong.
Click to expand...


Fingerboard material might be one of the lesser contributors to tone,but it's definatly there & easy to hear.
There are some wenge fretlesses around,usually they're defretted by their owners & are usually lacking in the smoothness of a factory fretless.Wenge splinters easily & it's advisable to apply a hard epoxy coating to prevent wear & tear if roundwounds are fitted.
I once saw some dude defret a wenge boarded Thumb only to apply a coating of freaking superglue.I kid you not.Mods gone mad imho.:lol:
Ebony is often used on FL coz it's very hard & very bright sounding,as opposed to wenge which is very warm sounding.Like rosewood on steroids.
 
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