My 'Neck' of the 'Woods'!

[Tom Albano]

Hello, I was just wondering your thoughts on using Ash for necks? or even Mahogany?
Im seeing Ash used more and more and Mahogany it seems has been used for quite sometime .... anyway would you consider using these woods if requested by a customer?

thanks!
- T

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Tom Albano

Hello, I was just wondering your thoughts on using Ash for necks? or even Mahogany?
Im seeing Ash used more and more and Mahogany it seems has been used for quite sometime .... anyway would you consider using these woods if requested by a customer?

thanks!
- T

Mahogany is just way too soft for a Bass neck in my opinion. Ash is on the brittle side and is very grainy.

Mahogany is easy to get in clean pieces or Lumber. Ash is much cheaper than Oak in the furniture world and rarely desired over it. Maple in white clean pieces is hard to get and expensive as well. Also, there is much waste in using the white Hard Maple we use.

I am guessing the Mahogany usage is due to economics and ease of manufacturing and Ash is maybe used because it is easier to get clean white pieces and probably cheaper as well all around over Maple.

Cheaper or easier doesn't make it better. It would be nice to have a wood that is cheaper than Maple and easier to use with less waste that gives the same results. Still, I don't think either wood measures up.

Now, imagine that I agree to use something new like you are suggesting. What do you think the time frame for completion would be if I agreed and with using the same methods of curing and acclimation that I've used for almost 3 decades?

Take a few minutes or whatever it takes and study the contents of this link;

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/default.html ..

Click on each picture and read the captions. A picture they say is worth a thousand words. I used only a few for each pic. You can fill in the rest of the words..

Get back to me here when you've read it all and understand better what it is that we do different than most of the bass building world.

[Tom Albano]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Mahogany is just way too soft for a Bass neck in my opinion. Ash is on the brittle side and is very grainy.

Mahogany is easy to get in clean pieces or Lumber. Ash is much cheaper than Oak in the furniture world and rarely desired over it. Maple in white clean pieces is hard to get and expensive as well. Also, there is much waste in using the white Hard Maple we use.

I am guessing the Mahogany usage is due to economics and ease of manufacturing and Ash is maybe used because it is easier to get clean white pieces and probably cheaper as well all around over Maple.

Cheaper or easier doesn't make it better. It would be nice to have a wood that is cheaper than Maple and easier to use with less waste that gives the same results. Still, I don't think either wood measures up.

Now, imagine that I agree to use something new like you are suggesting. What do you think the time frame for completion would be if I agreed and with using the same methods of curing and acclimation that I've used for almost 3 decades?

Take a few minutes or whatever it takes and study the contents of this link;

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/default.html ..

Click on each picture and read the captions. A picture they say is worth a thousand words. I used only a few for each pic. You can fill in the rest of the words..

Get back to me here when you've read it all and understand better what it is that we do different than most of the bass building world.

Hello, thanks for the reply. I have gone through these pages, as well I have watched the show done on your shop "Cool stuff being made" (both induce high levels of GAS) ... I understand why you dont use Ash or Mahogany. I also see the amount of care that goes into what you do!

not for comparison ....
I was just thinking about companies like Gibson or even Alembic (mahogany) or MTD (ash) Other respected builders who do... I am NOT comparing a Smith bass to those companies I respect totally what you guys do and know Smith basses are not to be compared. But just the fact that they use those types of woods on there necks, I am assuming to get a different "tonal flavor" as well as for "looks".... I wanted to get your thoughts. Again Thank You.

Looking forward to my next which should be very soon.
-Tom

[Ken Smith]

We have been using Maple as the main or only wood in our Necks since the start 30 years ago. Maple has been used on Violin family instruments for centuries as well. It is considered the best for that component. I don't think we need to change for any reason unless we are looking to experiment or find a substitute for Maple if this wood becomes unavailable. I know about Ash and also Beech which has been used in Double Basses as well in mainly Germany a century or two ago on lesser models. Still, Maple is the King and will stay that way in my book.

Thanks for asking..

[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.