spruce or ....
 

Is sitke spruce the only spruce that is used for bass tops ? There seem to be various types of spruce available from the US and or Europe and I'm wondering if there is an absolute standard when it comes down to traditional bass making ...

Sitka is actually one of the lesser-used varieties. European spruce is more common. It grows throughout western Europe and in the Balkans. In the Italian Alps they have a variety they call Red Spruce, which is different from the Red Spruce that grows in North America. The North American Red Spruce is extremely hard, and rather heavy, and is sought-after by guitar makers because of its brilliant tone. The French used a lot of Silver Fir; it is easily identified by its wide, wandering grain. Engelmann Spruce is commonly used these days; it grows in the western USA and Canada, and has an excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio. I personally use Engelmann and Sitka, and occasionally European. Each has to be worked a bit differently, and has somewhat different tonal characteristics. You asked...:)

Thats really interesting Arnold !! In my part of the world there is a surplus of old (80yrs plus) Oregon pine (Douglas Fir) - would this suffice as tonewood or would it be :eek: ?

also..
 

Most American Basses from the 19th century that I have seen were made with local Pine. Usually New England White Pine but not exclusively. Many English Basses were also made with imported American pine, Pitch Pine and Yellow pine. I have basses with these tops made in England. Also, quite a few Italian basses were made with slap cut local growth pine as it was available for one and also cheaper for the least important string instrument of its time.

From what I have seen on old Basses, grain direction and tone have no correlation. They do have strength issues between them being that the straighter the stronger and the higher arch stronger than the flatter is stronger as well. Flat sawn and flat arch = sunken top. Tight straight grain and high arch = a tight top..;)

On most Basses from France on east to Vienna, most of what I have seen is straight grained Spruce. Some older Viennese basses are occasionally made with irregular grain and multi piece tops like some Italians but from the most part, central Europe used straight grained Euro spruce.

I was really under the impression that only one type of spruce was 'good enough' for instrument use. So it seems that Douglas Fir was used at times in America for bass making probably as it is common in the US.
Would a pic of the grain and general color of the wood I have help identify the species or are they too similar ?

I'm putting up a pic just in case / but doubt it can be pinpointed to an exact species from a picture !!

I have worked on two basses with Doug Fir tops. Both sounded so-so, and both were riddled with splits.

Douglas Fir?
 

Oh yes, I remember that tree.. lol

I have no idea, really. Did I mention Douglas Fir in my post above? I don't think that it grows in New England where most of the basses were made. Actually, it's grows about 3,000 miles west of here, sorry. That doesn't mean it can't be used. I just can't answer you on that though, sorry.

well I guess there goes the Douglas Fir theory - out the window :D

Poplar?
 

I think most of the Italians that used it did it by convenience and so did the few others who made basses and Cellos with it in the old days. Some may have thought it bedded for the deep tone. Modern makers using figured Poplar do it for whatever reasons they think makes it good. I have two modern basses with Poplar, a Lombardi from 1981 and a Sirleto from 1992. I am pretty sure the wood is Poplar on the back and sides BUT, this is Italian Poplar. I don't think we have anything here in the State that is similar.

For me, I think that maple projects the sound the best. All of my 'loud' basses have been maple of one kind or another. This includes Bosnian, American Sugar Maple, English Sycamore, the maple used by the French and Oppio, the Italian local Maple. Of course, it helps if the bass is a good bass as well.

For the work it takes to make a good bass, why would anyone bother with cheap or unknown woods? Walnut also works well as I have seen a few basses from it. This includes Italian local Walnut, American Black Walnut and west coast Claro Walnut.

It would be impossible to guess how THAT bass would be if a different wood was used unless, you make 2, 3, 4 or more Basses with matched Tops from the same Log and used a different species of back/sides sets for each bass.

Arnold has made one bass with Red maple sides that worked as well. It is softer so the back would need to be thicker in spots. Harder wood can go thinner from what I have seen. This goes for Tops as well.