The last time I posted here was 4 years ago. Where have I been?
Earlier this year I started a thread on
favourite Top woods.
It would be nice if more players posted here and there about woods. I would rather talk
'with' you than
'at' you so please, feel free to talk, ask, discuss woods or question my choices if you like.
Anyway, 4 years later, I am still pulling old wood out from my vast collection of maple, walnut and other woods to make every single bass we produce year round. Hundreds of basses have shipped out since I started this thread and all were made with beautiful old, aged exotic woods.
This week I pulled out some Quilted maple pieces for an order we have and in doing so, I couldn't make just one. The wood is so beautiful that I decided to make two other basses for stock rather then put the other pieces we split open back on the shelf to sit till whenever. This wood was purchased around 1992 and sat in a pile as lumber till about 1996 or so. Then, I cut all the long boards up into marked/matched pieces long enough (22-24") to make top & back sets. The set I pulled out yesterday had 5 pieces in it. Two of the pieces were highly figured so these will be the Tops as long as there are no hidden defects once we open the wood in half. The other 3 pieces ranged from nice to medium figure on the outside. We split the 5th piece as an alternate in case one of the others didn't make it. When split out today, all of the wood was just as nice inside as out. The 5th/odd piece will be split one more time, 4 matched thinner slices to make a set of maple laminates for the next time we need it.
Sometimes I feel that the wood actually talks to me. Should I see a shrink?
.. "Put me in a bass" I hear it saying. "Don't put me back on the shelf to sit another 20 years", something else I also hear from time to time.
I have an old double bass with a real or forged 16th century label (the bass is 18th I think) and it says, translated from Latin something like;
Viva fui in silvis
(I was alive in the wood)
Sum dura Occisa
(I was cut by the cruel axe)
Securi dum vixi tacui
(In life I was silent)
Mortua dolce cano
(In death I sweetly sing)
So, imagine all the wood in my shop sitting from 10 to 20 years waiting to Sing. Wanna help that happen? You know what to do!
Your comments are welcomed. Lets keep this thread alive one way or another. Even if you wanna show your bass here for a brief explanation of the woods used. I will be glad to share my memories on the woods with you.