Akula Posted May 9, 2010 Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 Hey there, I'm on the hunt for Ovangkol (aka Shedua, hyedua, and others). Cant find it anywhere in the UK, although I'm sure I'm just not looking in the right places. I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction? I've contacted a few timber suppliers, nobody seems to have any. I'm after a 6"x1"x3ft board, preferably planed. Also, in case theres no chance of finding any ovangkol in the next few weeks, could anyone suggest an alternative? I've heard its a "cheap man's rosewood", which considering I'm not looking to spend lots of money, seems about right. I've considered walnut and sapele, but I'm not sure I'm gonna get the sound I'm after. Cheers for any help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Aaron Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 What are you planning to use it for? It's hard to suggest a replacement if we don't know the application! Ovangkol isn't too expensive yet, but it's a CITES threatened species now so we'll probably see the price start to climb in the coming years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akula Posted May 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 Aye, my bad. I'm using it for the back of a bass guitar, the center is maple, top is ash, and fingerboard is wenge. I'm after something to bring the warm low-end back to the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
low end fuzz Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 hollowout the middle and throw anything back there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Aaron Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 hollowout the middle and throw anything back there I'm inclined to agree about the back, though I won't speak to chambering the body (because I'm too opinionated on that particular subject to be objective). I'm not fully convinced that the back plate of a solidbody guitar (bass or not) will have much impact on the tone of the instrument, because the main coupling points rarely make contact with the back (bridge, neck joint, etc). Your coupling points are likely going to be mostly maple and ash: I think they're going to determine most of the tonal character of that instrument. How thick is each layer of the body going to be, and what type of neck joint (and neck material) are you planning to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akula Posted May 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 Its a bolt-on neck join, the bass is chambered with f-holes. Maple center and back are 1" thick, ash top is 1/2" thick. I know the back isnt going to have direct contact with the vibrating strings, but I was under the impression that it would help determine how the body resonates acoustically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Aaron Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 (edited) Its a bolt-on neck join, the bass is chambered with f-holes. Maple center and back are 1" thick, ash top is 1/2" thick. I know the back isnt going to have direct contact with the vibrating strings, but I was under the impression that it would help determine how the body resonates acoustically. It certainly won't affect the resonance of the air cavities in the chambers, and if the bridge is anchored in a center block it won't be able to do much to set the top & air cavities resonating anyway, so you won't even have air-coupling between the top and the back. Unless the chambers are truly gargantuan and the back and front are carved very thin, the back and front "walls" of the cavity will be too stiff to resonate at any useful (i.e., low) pitch, regardless of whether or not the bridge & air cavities are able to drive them. Ever try knocking on a chambered Les Paul, Tele, or even a 335? When you do, does it just go "thunk" louder than a solid guitar, or does it actually resonate at some sustained pitch? (Personally, I haven't found any guitars that do any more than just "thunk.") The whole point of a semi-hollow (vs a true hollow, which is largely an acoustic instrument) is to reject feedback, which it does by rendering the back and front plates unable to resonate efficiently. That's why Gibson started making semi-hollows in the first place, and built (and build!) them with plywood front and backs. Thus, I seriously doubt that the back wood will contribute much to your tone: practically no coupling to the neck or bridge via physical connection Or air-coupling. P.S. The fact that most basses are played with a strap (with the player standing up) means that your body will dampen the back plate anyway, so even if it is capable of resonating and contributing to the sound somehow that way, it's going to have a hard time of it thanks to the player's belly. Edited May 11, 2010 by B. Aaron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akula Posted May 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 Ok. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'll continue my build with the iroko I have, but I'm still on the lookout for ovangkol... It looks nicer, anyways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Aaron Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 Looks always count! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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