My 'Neck' of the 'Woods'!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bob Faulkner

I've been kinda wondering about something as well. I've been contemplating how a bass would perform with a walnut neck and maple stringers. Is that something you've tried before Ken?

I've come to like the tone of walnut, and one of the things I'm contemplating for my next high end bass is one with as much walnut in it as possible. Something like a BSR5EG with walnut core, top, and maybe koa or ash laminates. I was wondering if a walnut neck with the maple stringers would be possible (and desirable) on that bass (I know you don't have any already made so you couldn't put one of these out for quite awhile).

Would this bass be like wearing a ball and chain over your shoulder?

First, No. I have not made Walnut necks BUT I have seen a few. Also, Walnut has many hidden defects like Pin Knots and is not the best thing for a Neck. Walnut has the density of soft Maple and not Hard Maple that we use. Also, Walnut is on the brittle side and not flexible like Maple under stress so it would be more prone to shock cracks than Maple is.

We take years in the process for Every Smith Neck we make from the Lumber to the finished Bass. We would take no less time with your experiment BUT, we will not warranty the Bass if using Walnut as you describe. If you like the sound of Walnut as you say, make sure the Bass you are comparing it to has the same Fingerboard, Finish, Pickups and Electronics (and body woods, shape and thickness) as a Smith Bass so you don't get caught comparing Apples to Oranges kinda syndrome.

That being said, If I thought Walnut was good for Necks (and we have about 25,000 bf feet of it in stock), then you can bet it would be on the Menu just like the choices for body wood parts are.

[Bob Faulkner]

How about a maple neck with walnut stringers?

If you were picking woods on a 5EG for the best bottom end with good mids and sustain (I'm not that concerned with highs, but don't hate them either), what would be your choices for core, laminates, top/back, neck woods, etc?

Walnut, at least on the basses that I've played which were made with a lot of it tends to have a nice warm, "woody" tone to it. But I've never been able to sit down and compare several identically designed basses with different woods before. It's something I would enjoy, but not something that would be very easy to arrange I fear.

I'll definitely yield to your expertise on what works over time. To date I haven't had to even touch my bass neck as far as set up goes. The neck, while it does change with the seasons, has never moved enough to care about adjusting anything.

[Ken Smith]

I think in my mind, those two words warm and woody mean something close to opposite as far as sound goes. For Neck stringers (the going term) Walnut is barely 60% the strength of Morado or Bubinga. We did try some decades ago but stopped after a few Basses. The Burners had them more for looks on the upper end models with the assumption that 5 piece of Maple/Walnut would have some opposing pull so it was at least as good as a 3pc Maple only Neck. We didn't have problems either way. Bubinga or Morado was out of the pirce budget for those and not so available then in Japan where the parts was made up.

Walnut for Top & Back with Maple Core is our best for edge and Mid clarity with the Maple warming up the more raw sounding figured walnut. Non figured Walnut has a different sound with less grain compression by far. Maple T&B with the Walnut in the center is almost the opposite. Maple spreads the sound more and Walnut brightens it up. It's the outer plates, T&B that makes the main sound for us and not the Core. All of our woods used in the Basses have descriptions on our website here if you find the time to read it.

[Bob Faulkner]

It's very hard to describe tone in a text format. Woody to me means more of resonant, clear tone. I would describe warmth as a nice rounded sound spanning from deep lows to high-mids (not overly favoring a particular range too much). So subjective


Hmm, now I'm wondering about a flame maple core, ebony laminates and figured walnut top and back with maple neck and morado stringers. (same neck on my current Smith, no complaints with it so why mess with perfection I guess)

Ever used ebony laminates? Does it make the bass too heavy? What other woods would you recommend both tonally, and visually (contrast) as laminates in that configuration? I'm interested in a strong low end, so maybe bubiga? Not sure how that would contrast with walnut and maple though.

I know I'm working you over on this but at some point in the next few years I'm going to be looking for a new 5 string fretless, and kinda want to get the details hashed out now so I know what to look forward to.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bob Faulkner

It's very hard to describe tone in a text format. Woody to me means more of resonant, clear tone. I would describe warmth as a nice rounded sound spanning from deep lows to high-mids (not overly favoring a particular range too much). So subjective


Hmm, now I'm wondering about a flame maple core, ebony laminates and figured walnut top and back with maple neck and morado stringers. (same neck on my current Smith, no complaints with it so why mess with perfection I guess)

Ever used ebony laminates? Does it make the bass too heavy? What other woods would you recommend both tonally, and visually (contrast) as laminates in that configuration? I'm interested in a strong low end, so maybe bubiga? Not sure how that would contrast with walnut and maple though.

I know I'm working you over on this but at some point in the next few years I'm going to be looking for a new 5 string fretless, and kinda want to get the details hashed out now so I know what to look forward to.

I have done Bubinga in place of Mahogany Lams but Ebony being an oily wood would not be my first choice for that. Also, we make all of our own veneers so double re-sawing a 1" piece of Ebony will not be cheap along with the wood itself. We make good sounding Bass so why not just choose from what we have done already with proven results. Design mistakes can be VERY expensive.

[Bob Faulkner]

Ok so ebony is out as a laminate then.

I'm picking your brain because you know these things through experience where I don't. I just like to have a bass this expensive custom tailored for me. You don't offer much leeway in your custom builds other than wood selection so I'm going custom the only place you will .. With my 4 I had you build it with a Koa core with quilted maple top/back and let you pick the laminate. You picked walnut for the laminate. (my bass sounds so nice too!)

What is your impression of the flame maple core, bubinga laminates, and claro walnut top/back. Think there would be a good enough visual contrast between the walnut and bubinga?

I have so many different ideas and not sure what would work and what wouldn't. I'm sure I want a good figured walnut top/back this time, perhaps maple laminates. What do you think would make a good core wood that would both be a good visual contrast to those 2 woods in that configuration and really reinforce the low end character of the bass while not being too heavy?

I'm really working out a configuration I plan to order from ya in a few years. My wife and I are on track to get totally out of debt in a couple of years after which we're saving up a ton of cash and splurging on something for ourselves. My splurge is going to be another new Smith =)

She's still thinking on hers.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Bob Faulkner

Ok so ebony is out as a laminate then.

I'm picking your brain because you know these things through experience where I don't. I just like to have a bass this expensive custom tailored for me. You don't offer much leeway in your custom builds other than wood selection so I'm going custom the only place you will .. With my 4 I had you build it with a Koa core with quilted maple top/back and let you pick the laminate. You picked walnut for the laminate. (my bass sounds so nice too!)

What is your impression of the flame maple core, bubinga laminates, and claro walnut top/back. Think there would be a good enough visual contrast between the walnut and bubinga?

I have so many different ideas and not sure what would work and what wouldn't. I'm sure I want a good figured walnut top/back this time, perhaps maple laminates. What do you think would make a good core wood that would both be a good visual contrast to those 2 woods in that configuration and really reinforce the low end character of the bass while not being too heavy?

I'm really working out a configuration I plan to order from ya in a few years. My wife and I are on track to get totally out of debt in a couple of years after which we're saving up a ton of cash and splurging on something for ourselves. My splurge is going to be another new Smith =)

She's still thinking on hers.

In a couple of years and your having me write this 'book' now? Talk about a starving writer!.. kidding..

Ok, we make that combination all the time but with Mahogany as the laminate and not Bubinga. Do not try to tailor the sound with a 1/8" laminate. It doesn't do that much for the sound BUT it should be compatable density wise and that's why we have these three flavors: Chocolate(Walnut), Vanilla(Maple), and Strawberry(Mahogany)!

No Bananas 'n' Cream, sry..

I would suggest Walnut T&B, Mahogany core and Maple Laminates. I know you want something special but after 5400 Basses, we just keep making the same sauce because it tastes so good!. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"!!

When you are ready, call me and we will see what we can do to 'spice up your dish'. Each piece of Walnut has different grain and figure so in a way, it will be a one-of-a-kind.

[David Powell]

Originally Posted by Bob Faulkner

I know I'm working you over on this but at some point in the next few years I'm going to be looking for a new 5 string fretless, and kinda want to get the details hashed out now so I know what to look forward to.

Uh, yeah, I'll just have one of what he's having. Where's the end of the line?