What timber to use for the body?

[slowlearner]

Hi all, forum newbie and newish to bass building. Need some help in timber selection for a custom instrument I'm about to start on. My S.I.L.'s new fender bass VI style flower bass...



The neck and board are vic ash/tas oak. Wanting something very light (and cheapish) for body timber as we're trying to keep the weight down for her. Was thinking some sort of pine but don't know how to go about getting it. Any other suggestions as to what might work?

Thanx,

Pete

[simso]

Do you intend to paint, stain or lacquer

[slowlearner]

Paint. Acrylic laquer. The appearance of the timber isn't important at all. Just the weight and stability.

[woodrat]

Paint. Acrylic laquer. The appearance of the timber isn't important at all. Just the weight and stability.

Hi Pete, If this is the criteria then I would suggest that a good candidate may be Queensland hoop or better still QLD Kauri if you can get it . Hope that info may be helpful....


Cheers

John

[simso]

I like the solid woods as mentioned above, but you can also go ply, its solid and stable.

[P Bill]

Hi Pete Nice to see you over on this forum.

[Nick]

+1 for the ply if you are painting a solid colour. Nothing wrong with ply for a solid body & as Steve said, it's stable so you don't have to worry about it cupping & moving on you. Just have to make sure to fill the edges good & proper so the different grains don't show through. I still have a Vester Bass in the wardrobe that is a ply body (all of Vester's electric guitars were of ply construction) & I defy anybody to hear any sonic differences between it and a solid 'wood' body and it was used for awhile gigging when I first swapped over to the foundation section of the band .

Welcome to the forum by the way, good to have another brain to add to the mix!

[kiwigeo]

I still have a Vester Bass in the wardrobe that is a ply body (all of Vester's electric guitars were of ply construction) & I defy anybody to hear any sonic differences between it and a solid 'wood' body and it was used for awhile gigging when I first swapped over to the foundation section of the band .

[Nick]

I still have a Vester Bass in the wardrobe that is a ply body (all of Vester's electric guitars were of ply construction) & I defy anybody to hear any sonic differences between it and a solid 'wood' body and it was used for awhile gigging when I first swapped over to the foundation section of the band .

Yeah thought that comment might inflame but what the hell.

[slowlearner]

Hi Pete Nice to see you over on this forum.

Thanx Bill. Thought this might be more my speed on a few fronts.

Re ply; um, yeah. no. Ply guitars weigh a tonne. Besides, even if I fill the grain well (which will take litres and litres of primer and clear) it will sink in 6 months and look crap again.

Found some Kouri Pine (Malaysian same species as QLD) at my local timber place so I'm gonna go with that I think. For $25 I think it will do the trick.

Thanx all for the help.

[woodrat]

Hi Pete Nice to see you over on this forum.

Thanx Bill. Thought this might be more my speed on a few fronts.

Re ply; um, yeah. no. Ply guitars weigh a tonne. Besides, even if I fill the grain well (which will take litres and litres of primer and clear) it will sink in 6 months and look crap again.

Found some Kouri Pine (Malaysian same species as QLD) at my local timber place so I'm gonna go with that I think. For $25 I think it will do the trick.

Thanx all for the help.

Hi Pete, Did they call the Malaysian stuff Dimar or Dimar Minak or something like that?

[Nick]

Re ply; um, yeah. no. Ply guitars weigh a tonne.

No more than solid timbers after all they are just layers of pine or Meranti e.t.c so will weigh no less than the equivilent solid timber but there are lighter timbers out there such as Basswood or Poplar (I know Gilets used to supply Poplar, not sure if he still does?)

Besides, even if I fill the grain well (which will take litres and litres of primer and clear) it will sink in 6 months and look crap again.

Epoxy fill (either Wests or Zpoxy) won't suffer the same fate then just do your priming over the top of that.

But the Kouri Pine certainly sounds like the right price. If it ticks all the boxes then go for it!

[slowlearner]

Hi Pete, Did they call the Malaysian stuff Dimar or Dimar Minak or something like that?

Yeah that's it. Got some in garage now. Picking up my new thicknesser tomorrow and it will go through that. Already cut some lengths and it's beautiful, light stuff.