F#...which woods?

Malk

Malk

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alright guys this is it..i'm in a seriously bad GAS attack and i'm gonna get myself another custom shop bass in early 2008...

...this will be a 5 stringer tuned F#BEAD, i'm still not sure about which body shape to choose, but i already know it will have a J/TJ pickup config, maple fingerboard and a wicked NBK oil finish :D

here's the question..which body (or body+top) woods would be better for that F#? I simply LOVE the sound of the B string in my ovangkol $$ and i'd like something similar :D
 
Not to make you second guess yourself, but I'd really ponder the F# bass before I dove in - especially with a CS bass. To me it's one of those things that sounds like a great idea in concept, but fails in function. I'm certainly not trying to tell you what to do, and should probably just shut up. But keep in mind that F# means you have to rethink what cabinet you use, what cables you use, etc.

But if you do go for it, and since you love your ovangkol body CS (I would too!), that might be an excellent body wood for your tone tastes and pick a softer wood for the top - flamed or birdseye maple maybe? Let us know if you go for it, bro!
 
i say
ash body (to get the very low frequencies)
bubinga top 1'' thick (sounds very similar to ovangkol (same wood family), will look different as your $$) - It'll give you way more definition on the lower frequencies than a full ash body
ovangkol or wenge neck (sounds similar but wenge as a deeper growl)
All of this on a dolphin SN would look awesome. Depends on your budget
 
I think that the ash/ovangkol sandwich construction would work well for this it would still give it bottom while retaining more of the ovangkol sound (because the tops are not as thick) Plus it wouldn't look like your other bass because of its finish.
 
Vinman said:
I think that the ash/ovangkol sandwich construction would work well for this it would still give it bottom while retaining more of the ovangkol sound (because the tops are not as thick) Plus it wouldn't look like your other bass because of its finish.
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Ash, ovankol.... where did I see this?...

Oh, right, that's how the Dark Lord is made... :p
 
Jan is absolutely right... that IS the Dark Lord... basically a five-string version...

...which is a great idea. I say go for it! :)
 
Wow I actually didn't realize that the ash on the darklord was just the top.. I thought the whole thing was ash.
 
Wait till ya's feel that sandblasted finish,dead sexy & looks alot better than in pics.
 
Yup, at a recent trip in Cologne I stopped by the Music Store, they have a very good selection of Warwicks (not a fretless in sight, though, that's a shame...), and the Dark Lord was hanging beside a regular Vampire, nd It does look a lot better in person than in photos, where it tends to look like a big flat slab of wood...

In Person, that sandblasted finish is very sexy, and I can't wait to get my paws on a Fretless Dark Lord, which is definitely on top of my GAS list at the moment...

Think about it: Low low notes need to be used sparingly, and fretless slows playing a little bit, so it's parfect match!

And it will look even Darker without those pesky frets... :p
 
JanVanHove said:
Yup, at a recent trip in Cologne I stopped by the Music Store, they have a very good selection of Warwicks (not a fretless in sight, though, that's a shame...), and the Dark Lord was hanging beside a regular Vampire, nd It does look a lot better in person than in photos, where it tends to look like a big flat slab of wood...

In Person, that sandblasted finish is very sexy, and I can't wait to get my paws on a Fretless Dark Lord, which is definitely on top of my GAS list at the moment...

Think about it: Low low notes need to be used sparingly, and fretless slows playing a little bit, so it's parfect match!

And it will look even Darker without those pesky frets... :p
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When were you there? I was there last week and played the sunburst SS1-6. They wanted 2000€ for it ....bahh. Pretty bashed up 2nd hand! Also tried a Mayones fretless 5. Damn nice neck!
 
Scubadiver said:
When were you there? I was there last week and played the sunburst SS1-6. They wanted 2000€ for it ....bahh. Pretty bashed up 2nd hand! Also tried a Mayones fretless 5. Damn nice neck!
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I was there... hold on... two, three weeks ago? I didn't go into the second hand store, though...
 
thanks guys :D

thanks to you this is, for now, the best setup i've come up with:

-Corvette body shape
-5 strings
-35" scale
-Ovangkol neck
-Maple fretboard
-No inlays
-Sandwiched body, ash top and ovangkol back
-(sandblasted finish?)
-NBK Oil finish
-MEC J/TJ pickups (Dark Lord positioning)
-MEC 2 way electronics
-F#BEAD tuning (.175 string)
-Black hardware

now i just have to get a price quote and go on saving money :D
 
Malk said:
thanks guys :D

thanks to you this is, for now, the best setup i've come up with:

-Corvette body shape
-5 strings
-35" scale
-Ovangkol neck
-Maple fretboard
-No inlays
-Sandwiched body, ash top and ovangkol back
-(sandblasted finish?)
-NBK Oil finish
-MEC J/TJ pickups (Dark Lord positioning)
-MEC 2 way electronics
-F#BEAD tuning (.175 string)
-Black hardware

now i just have to get a price quote and go on saving money :D
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The only thing I'd change about this is the maple fretboard, since I prefer ebony, and i'd put a P at the neck pickup position...

oh, and fretless too...

Other than that, You've got a bass for me, there! :p
 
Yeah! Go for the P at the bridge!!!

+1 for split P as the best sounding pickup of all!
 
hmmm this could be a good idea, tho it would mean switching to active pickups, as MEC does not produce a passive split P :?
 
noooooooooooo keep the maple fretboard, cause if the bass if finished natural, there will be a blonde side (front) and a dark side(back). That'll be very good looking
 
flipper_gv said:
noooooooooooo keep the maple fretboard, cause if the bass if finished natural, there will be a blonde side (front) and a dark side(back). That'll be very good looking
Click to expand...

don't worry about that, i'll definitely stick with the maple fretboard, i think it looks good on a black bass :wink:
 
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