My 'Neck' of the 'Woods'!

[Michael Wilson]

I would love to have a Smith bass made that has a, Maple Neck/w a Maple Fingerboard. Would look really nice with a Flame Maple T and B. Any chance Ken?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Michael Wilson

I would love to have a Smith bass made that has a, Maple Neck/w a Maple Fingerboard. Would look really nice with a Flame Maple T and B. Any chance Ken?

It is not just about looks in my Book. Maple is no where near as good for a Fingerboard as Ebony or Morado. Besides having less strength, it bends easier and gets dirty in a hurry. Violins had maple FBs centuries ago until they discovered ebony. Trust me, it would be a lot easier and way way cheaper to use maple over ebony or morado. It is just not as good or as stable for that type of use. We are not really in the 'cost-effective' mode here when it comes to durability. It must be made as good as it can be and maple for a FB in my book is inferior in comparison.

[Michael Wilson]

In other words, you use what you feel is the best woods for your basses, even if someone wanted maple as a custom order? There has to be some positives around MF. Fender has been using MF for many years with positive reviews, for that matter almost every builder that i know of uses maple for FBs. But i do understand that your following loves your choices, myself included, but i still would like to keep my ebony FB and have a maple FB made on a BT6 version. That will allow me to sell my Fender Jazz /w MF and replace it with a new custom order Smith BT6/w MF.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Michael Wilson

In other words, you use what you feel is the best woods for your basses, even if someone wanted maple as a custom order? There has to be some positives around MF. Fender has been using MF for many years with positive reviews, for that matter almost every builder that i know of uses maple for FBs. But i do understand that your following loves your choices, myself included, but i still would like to keep my ebony FB and have a maple FB made on a BT6 version. That will allow me to sell my Fender Jazz /w MF and replace it with a new custom order Smith BT6/w MF.

A Fender is a Fender and a Smith is a Smith. A Smith with a maple fb will not become a Fender and nor will a Fender with an Ebony fb become a Smith.

I can save a bit of money doing what Fender does making a Neck of Maple and putting frets right into the Neck without having to make and glue on a separate fingerboard. But, I do what I do.. Sorry..

[Bryan L Williams]

Mr. Smith,

After much searching, I have not been able to find out how you finish your Ebony fingerboards. Do you use some type of oil?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bryan L Williams

Mr. Smith,

After much searching, I have not been able to find out how you finish your Ebony fingerboards. Do you use some type of oil?

There is no finish on the boards. Just fine sanded and then oiled. I would not call the oiling a real finish as Ebony is oily in itself. It just helps keep it lubricated to a degree.

I once read that the key to a good finish is in the sanding. Polishing wood up to the look of glass makes a world of difference.

[Ben Rose]

Can the morado fingerboard be ordered on higher end models like the GN or TN series?

[Bryan L Williams]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

There is no finish on the boards. Just fine sanded and then oiled. I would not call the oiling a real finish as Ebony is oily in itself. It just helps keep it lubricated to a degree.

What type of oil do you prefer to use on the Ebony boards?