sbskates Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 i need a bass that i can bang around while gigging that i can put stickers be rough with etc. i am in a 80's rock band. i was thinking of using a mahogany core for the neck pocket and bridge p/u's etc and 13 ply birch plywood for the wings. my tone is always warm and rumbly and the mahognay will do that. i know the wings should offer no resonance. i am thinking of this because i need a later in the night worry free beater bass. i just hate using good wood finishing it and planning on doing this to it. thats why i wonder about the plywood wings. i have been building bodys etc for a long while soi understand the plywood is wrong but i know its used in cheap guitars but i just wonder if the core is mahogany on my idea so i wonder if it will work for bass. i know guitar no way it just wouldnt have any high tone. anyway any thoughts here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
low end fuzz Posted February 13, 2007 Report Share Posted February 13, 2007 why spend the time it takes to make even a crappy bass if you wanna cover it in stickers and trash it? why not buy a 'tacoma' or something from the sears wishbook? then take 20$ upgrade the bridge and give it a good setup so you dont sound like total crap, and there you go! i made my first bass out of zebra and bass wood; with a 2 piece mahogany neck; it also had a pine control cover and a pickguard made from acrylic i took from work used for making hot tubs! its a HUGE piece of crap, but it stays in my closet, and i wouldnt do anything to harm it, because i made it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_ado Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 yeah if ur going to buiy a crap as bad id get a new bridge and a new nut i saw one the other day and it was crazy how off line the strings were like seriously at least 5-10 mill makes me feel so much better about the one im making now haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demiurge Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 If the tonelessness of plywood isn't going to bother you, what about concerns over the guitar being too neck heavy? If you can balance it out, that's fine, but still, legit hardwood really isn't terribly expensive. I dunno- if you're building yourself an instrument- even one you're going to beat up- why skimp on materials? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 If the tonelessness of plywood isn't going to bother you, what about concerns over the guitar being too neck heavy? If you can balance it out, that's fine, but still, legit hardwood really isn't terribly expensive. I dunno- if you're building yourself an instrument- even one you're going to beat up- why skimp on materials? I agree with both parts of this. The way I look at it, if you're using a mahogany core and regular neck, with all the parts on it, I'm thinking the bass is going to nosedive on you. Yeah, if you're keen on using plywood, then try to take into account balance issues before you build. As for plywood not affecting the tone, I'm sure there must have been a reason for everyone building guitars out of hardwood all these years, eh? Plywood sounds like *** no matter which way you cut it. If you're going to put the time and effort into building a body, why skimp on wood? You're going down to Home Depot and whatever, buying a sheet of plywood, look around for hardwoods when you're there. ANY real wood will sound better than plywood. It works easier, sounds better, paints better, not to mention I'm taking a wild guess and saying that breathing in that glue dust is probably pretty bad for ya. Hardwood isn't all that expensive, really, and the construction time is far less carving a one or two-piece body than sandwiching plywood and gluing it all together. Well, in either case, let us know how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 I'm not even sure if one could glue plywood side by side - I don't imagine it holding well due to the grain differences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCH Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 I'm not even sure if one could glue plywood side by side - I don't imagine it holding well due to the grain differences. There is no difference glueing plywood side by side compared to solid wood with vertical grain. At least in my many years of experience in woodworking. Types of glue and how it is glued will be a determining factor. just my 2 cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 By the time you buy a large enough piece of ply wood (say, 3/4" doubled up), you would probably pay just as much as a cheap body blank from Gallery Hardwoods or some other online dealer. At the very least, pick up some cheap poplar and Home Depot. It will likely be cheaper than a large piece of plywood (think about what all goes into making plywood). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doeringer Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 Poplar or Basswood will do a thousand times better and IF there is a cost difference, it will only be a couple of dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherokee6 Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 My $.35: ES-335's are made out of ply. But for your bass, I agree with the others. Just go to your local home center and pick up some maple for the wings. It'll be much better in the long run and you'll like to play it more on your gigs! You do need at least something decent to play on. The other route is good too: get a squier or other cheap bass do an upgrade or 2 and use that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 14, 2007 Report Share Posted February 14, 2007 ES 335's are made of lamianted, good quality, pressed plate hardwood, and semi-hollow to boot. There's lamination, there's plywood, and there's plywood of the lousy variety. Good ply is more expensive than solid wood (at least, my lumber yard will sell me enough african mahogany for two bodies for less than a good quality sheet of birch ply). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherokee6 Posted February 15, 2007 Report Share Posted February 15, 2007 Aircraft quality ply/laminate can be used. You can get it thru Aircraft Spruce amongst other sources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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