Wood Etc. as it relates to Smith Basses..

[Ken Smith]

Over the years we have offered our parts and sometime woods for Sale on and off depending on availability as well as policy. To get the ball rolling I will post a few related links from our website to look over. Please feel free to start you own thread or ask any related questions in the Forum for discussion.

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/woodpa...econtents.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/options.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/access...arts_index.htm
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/accessories/default.html

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/models...mycontents.htm
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/sawmill/sawdefault.html
http://www.kensmithbasses.com/ft/default.html

[Tamás Száva]

What sound does cherry exactly produce? One of the leading musical instrument builders of this country told me that cherry was an exellent wood choice for a bass body center, due to its light weight and sound, but in fact I've never heard of any cherry bass.
It's interesting for me because -although my next bass will be a Smith for sure now- originally I've been thinking of having one built here. The problem was that I wanted swamp ash then, which doesn't grow in Europe. So we started thinkink of domestic wood choices and it turned out that there weren't so many. Hungarian ash for example (used earlier by German company Esh - used to own their bass-) has even more aggressive mids compared to swamp, and is usually extremely heavy, etc. (This lack of wood choice would explain why most European classical string instruments used to be built of maple, pinewood and ebony...)
Same sound as maple, or goes deeper?

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Tamás Száva

What sound does cherry exactly produce? One of the leading musical instrument builders of this country told me that cherry was an exellent wood choice for a bass body center, due to its light weight and sound, but in fact I've never heard of any cherry bass.
It's interesting for me because -although my next bass will be a Smith for sure now- originally I've been thinking of having one built here. The problem was that I wanted swamp ash then, which doesn't grow in Europe. So we started thinkink of domestic wood choices and it turned out that there weren't so many. Hungarian ash for example (used earlier by German company Esh - used to own their bass-) has even more aggressive mids compared to swamp, and is usually extremely heavy, etc. (This lack of wood choice would explain why most European classical string instruments used to be built of maple, pinewood and ebony...)
Same sound as maple, or goes deeper?

I've never played a Smith with a Cherry core, but have a Black Tiger with Cherry Lams. Sorry, I know that's not much help. I would say the tone would be well rounded like a Mahogany but with an extra kick that you would expect from Maple. I might be wrong, but I don't think Ken uses Cherry any longer??? Maple, Mahogany, and Walnut are great Core choices if he doesn't.

Ken, this is right up your alley. Give us the poop on Cherry as the Core wood (even if you don't use it any longer).

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Tamás Száva

What sound does cherry exactly produce? One of the leading musical instrument builders of this country told me that cherry was an exellent wood choice for a bass body center, due to its light weight and sound, but in fact I've never heard of any cherry bass.
It's interesting for me because -although my next bass will be a Smith for sure now- originally I've been thinking of having one built here. The problem was that I wanted swamp ash then, which doesn't grow in Europe. So we started thinkink of domestic wood choices and it turned out that there weren't so many. Hungarian ash for example (used earlier by German company Esh - used to own their bass-) has even more aggressive mids compared to swamp, and is usually extremely heavy, etc. (This lack of wood choice would explain why most European classical string instruments used to be built of maple, pinewood and ebony...)
Same sound as maple, or goes deeper?

Ebony is not from Europe. It is imported from Africa and India mainly. Many countries but wood form others for centuries including the USA. How about the Bow woods? Those are from Tropical America usually.

On the Cherry, it is almost as hard as Maple and Walnut so I don't see the light weight part about it. Many fine Hungarian Basses, Cellos and Violins have been made with domestic Carpathian Maple which is not so hard or heavy. Try some of that and I am sure you will like it. As for the Bass itself, I don't know what your Luthier can do but I would easily make good Basses with the same Maple as used there for Violins.

Tonight as a matter of fact I did a Symphony Rehearsal with a bass believed to have been made in Hungary. It has an Italian Label but is a counterfeit. It's my Bisiach labeled Bass. It sounds great and is one of my lightest Basses but not small at all. Must be the wood used.

[Tamás Száva]

Thank you! Interesting. (Yes, I knew ebony was an exception.)

Just one more question. Do highly figured woods sound significantly better? Are they denser? I would like a black walnut T&B and maple core, but I don't think I could afford figured walnut...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Tamás Száva

Thank you! Interesting. (Yes, I knew ebony was an exception.)

Just one more question. Do highly figured woods sound significantly better? Are they denser? I would like a black walnut T&B and maple core, but I don't think I could afford figured walnut...

Most of our GNs and even some MW Bolt-ons have figured Walnut. It is the degree of Figure that sets the price in my Basses at least.

On the sound, Figure is usually more molecules of wood brunched together thereby having more mass. Like rolling up a piece of paper into a small ball. It is no denser for its size then a larger sheet or paper. Same thing in wood or anything else. What sounds better is what your ear likes alone just like the taste of food. What some love, others hate!

[Tamás Száva]

Ken, I haven't made up mind which bass to choose yet, but now I'm thinking about ordering a BSR-5M-A. Do you build two piece bodys? (Without a center block...)