Favorite Top woods and why?

[Ken Smith]

Foe the last few years I have been sorting and using some of the best Flame/Tiger maple I have seen or had collectively. This wood is 10-12 years old within my stock. From this wood we make the White Tiger models as well as others in the line.

So, what is your favourite Top woods and why? I think you can tell from what we produce what I like personally. Now, I wanna talk about what you guys like.

[Lou Laurenti]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Foe the last few years I have been sorting and using some of the best Flame/Tiger maple I have seen or had collectively. This wood is 10-12 years old within my stock. From this wood we make the White Tiger models as well as others in the line.

So, what is your favourite Top woods and why? I think you can tell from what we produce what I like personally. Now, I wanna talk about what you guys like.

Ken

You use so many fabulous woods and many look outstanding. I truly love the Tiger Maple/Flame Tiger. I also love the Walnut used on your Black Tiger models. Right now its a toss up I love them both.

Lou

[Scott Pope]

I am a maple top fan as well. The tone. The clean articulation and the solid foundation at the bottom. But from the mid bass on up it stays out of the way so you can choose your primary tone wood at will: ash for snap, mahogany for girth, korina for complexity, walnut for variety (both black and west coast species), alder for the "tastes like chicken" tone, and basswood and poplar to burn in the fireplace as you sit in your living room enjoying playing your bass.

Now, for necks, I'm a fan of a purpleheart stringer in a 3-piece maple neck. But that's for a different thread.

[Adam Linz]

I use to have a Koa winged 5string bolt on burner when I was doing more electric playing. Ever since I was a kid flipping thru bass player magazine and seeing all these incredible bassists playing KSBs. Yes young ones there were magazines before everyone and their dog had the Internet. I got my bass in my mid twenties and sold it to a student who was going to surpass me as an electric player. Now I see that the Koa is no longer available as I have the itch for another KSB. I feel very lucky to have spent uncountable hours on that bass and to know what a professional instrument both felt like and how it could elevate my playing to unexpected levels. Thank you Ken for inspiring the bass players of generation X with your instruments and for helping us realize our highest potential. Best, Adam Linz

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Adam Linz

I use to have a Koa winged 5string bolt on burner when I was doing more electric playing. Ever since I was a kid flipping thru bass player magazine and seeing all these incredible bassists playing KSBs. Yes young ones there were magazines before everyone and their dog had the Internet. I got my bass in my mid twenties and sold it to a student who was going to surpass me as an electric player. Now I see that the Koa is no longer available as I have the itch for another KSB. I feel very lucky to have spent uncountable hours on that bass and to know what a professional instrument both felt like and how it could elevate my playing to unexpected levels. Thank you Ken for inspiring the bass players of generation X with your instruments and for helping us realize our highest potential. Best, Adam Linz

A Koa winged 5-string bolt-on burner? Really? Either it is NOT a Burner or the wood is NOT Koa. We never made Burners in Koa.

>> If you get me pictures of the bass or even the serial number, I can ID it for you so you know what bass or wood you actually have.

As far as Koa being available, in my book, it's no better than maple or walnut. It just costs 5-times as much not to mention the shipping from Hawaii. If we needed Koa, we would have it. Of all the woods we have used over the years, it was one of the least requested woods for our basses. When we made a Koa bass, it was either a hard sell or someone took it so as not to have to wait. It's pretty wood when highly figured but it doesn't beat beautifully figured maple or walnut in looks but in tone, Koa doesn't sound as good as it looks either if you ask me.

[Ronen Tat]

Visually I prefer dark woods for the top but my BSR6EG Q.maple/mahogany/Q.maple literally sings like no other bass I've tried. Maybe its the top, maybe the core, maybe the neck's mass or all together...

[Keir Riggs]

I myself prefer the zebrawood & mahogany combo. It just yields so much in tone when you need to cut through the mix w/o drastically adjusting your preamp. I also like the redwood tops too.