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Okay, a buddy called who is a bass player. He asked me if I could fret a bass that is now a fretless. I said sure, but it would ruin the resale value....

He goes with that and bingo drops $3700 for a used Wal Bass out of the UK. After going online with his idea to fret a fretless bass, he hears the same sentiments from Wal Bass owners...... don't do it!

So now my friend has two Wal fretless basses. Two to three year wait on a new one he sez.... So we are not going to cut fret slots on the Wal neck. I'm going to make him an entire duplicate neck for his Wal. Does anyone know the species of wood which makes up the two center laminations in the Wal neck?

The other woods appear common, mahogany, and maple. The wood in the center appears to be very fibrous, and yellowish white in nature. It's not something I'm familiar with. I'll post pictures for later.

Thanks for any info you can give or places to look for information. Maybe I should contact Wal basses? They might just be willing to share that information.

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hi bruce, if you send me photos and details of the bass, i would be willing to contact wal directly for you as its not too far away from me.

paddy

Basically the wood in the center two laminations are the mystery wood. I recognize of course the mahogany and the maple, but the center wood is somewhat of a mystery to me. What do you think it may be?

While we are at it, we may as well go to an original duplication of the woods. Very interesting bass guitar. TIA for any help. Wood guys? Paddy thanks for the offer to contact Wal direct, that would be helpful.

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i have called pete stevens and left a message bruce, i will let you know as soon as i know, if you know what i mean!

paddy

Bruce

From what I can see It has the look of Air Dried Holly.

Or Ash

My vote would be ash as well. At first I didn't think is was pourous enough but then I thought again. Another vote might be hickory. It can have that same look but it's very heavy and I don't think anyone would use it for neck wood.
I'm not much help am I?

I've never used Ash or Holly, so it looks foreign to my eye. It has a yellowish cast to it, but the finish is very clear.

The mahogany and maple are the correct colors in the photos, so you can guess the center wood is as well. Clear finish, no tint that I can tell.

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O.K. These wood may sound crazy but wal used these for necks. Hornbeam in the center Mukalungu strips and them hardrock maple.

Good Luck!   Addam Stark38775.5898842593

Thanks Paddy.

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Hornbeam, what is that Addam? I think they make Klemmsia clamps with horbeam.


Makalungu, man, that I can't even say that. I wonder if my wood supplier has heard of these.


Well Addam, I know you aren't just pulling these woods out of your hat, I'll go peek at my wood pics in my Paxtons catalog. Thanks.

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No Pics. Hmmm, Mattia shared a webpage with all kinds of wood pics, maybe he'll come along and share that again.

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Bruce, Hornbeam is a common hedgerow tree in the UK Carpinus betulus, I believe that it is also cultivated as a park and hedge tree in the US. You also have a native US Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana. It's a hard, fine grained timber from which the old nine-pin skittles games in the UK were made and is used in piano making. I used Hornbream for the fingerboard and soundboard frets on my 7-course lute. Lovely timber, nice for carving.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=Bruce Dickey] No Pics. Hmmm, Mattia shared a webpage with all kinds of wood pics, maybe he'll come along and share that again.[/QUOTE]

http://www.upnorthstrings.com/laminatedguitarplates.html

That one?

Mattia, not it. You remember the site with all...
the wood species depicted. I think the guy saves pics off the web and it has hundreds of photos of wood, and nothing but wood....

gotta go save a smoke damaged baby grand, a friend called. Back later. Thanks.

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Gilmer Wood Company has these woods in stock. Check them out, they have everything.

Bruce,

That will be this one then:

HobbitHouse

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Hornbeam from HobbitHouse



Maybe so?

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Colin, nice carving, that would be good for necks then.... if it's strong. I am almost 99 percent sure I saw it on cam clamps somewhere. So it must be strong too.

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Uh, what Dave linked to. Didn't double-check the link I copied, that's another window I had open at the same time. Oops. Hobbit House Inc it is!

[QUOTE=Bruce Dickey] Colin, nice carving, that would be good for necks then.... if it's strong. I am almost 99 percent sure I saw it on cam clamps somewhere. So it must be strong too.[/QUOTE]

Maybe a bit on the heavy side for a complete neck Bruce but would sure make a good laminate as in this bass. Good and hard enough for a lute fretboard. But gut strings aren't too demanding! It's like Lime in that it can be carved in any direction with or across the grain.

My Klemsias are Hornbeam. Yep.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Hormbeam is used for the sole on nice German hand planes.



Plane body: red beech
Sole: hornbeam

Did you finish that plane Addam, it sure looks nice.

Oh wood, we're talking wood here. Addam, so really how do you know what Wal used in these necks? While I'm at it, I may as well hit the nail on the head.

I might even build me a bass too and make it a Wal-Dic Bass.   

Got an email into Gilmer for some hornybeam and makulungutu.... wwhatever, looks like mahogany to me.

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No hand plan finishing for me, but you never know. I have a buddy that has a couple and he has the paperwork that came with the basses and it tells about the neck woods, we had looked into the woods for building necks for a bass or two a couple of years ago. Never did get to it.

Aha, boy I'd like a look at those papers. Maybe Steve the guy who owns this bass actually has papers on it. Heck, if a dog comes with papers a bass should too.

Good Idea: Dickey Acoustic Guitar Pedigree showing all the details and hand written notes and a Special Folder to keep it in and a Certificate of Ownership to the original owner suitable for framing.... etc etc...

That was fun. Okay, I'll put a call in to Steve. Guess what this guy does? He's a TRAIN ENGINEER, the guy plays bass and drives a blooming train down the tracks. Makes more money that me!

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