Hey, Ken! Why Not These Woods?

[Ronson Hall]

Ken, I originally asked Tim this question, and although I think he gave me a great answer, he encouraged me to ask the source, so here goes...

As I surf around looking at other high-end basses, I notice that a few builders use woods such as "spalted maple" and "buckeye burl." I've tried to imagine a Ken Smith built from one of these "unusual" woods, but it's not easy!

Give me the skinny on why these woods are not offered by you. If I'm beginning to get to know your style, I'd bet that although these woods are unusual looking, they're probably not the best choices for sound, tone and reliability. Am I right?