The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Bass Zone => Topic started by: ack1961 on February 14, 2011, 12:34:53 PM
-
I have a chance to get a mid-80's Peavey Patriot bass that has a Mahogany body/Maple neck.
It's a passive bass with one Super-Ferrite pickup just slightly past the mid position (towards the bridge).
I don't own any, nor have I ever played a bass made from Mahogany - what can I expect?
Is Mahogany characteristically similar to any other wood in this configuration?
The reason I ask is because I have other opportunities to get a Patriot with a Maple body & Neck (like my Foundation) but I'm having a tough time deciding. Both basses would be purchased without playing them.
Thanks for any insight.
Ack
-
Generally speaking...
http://www.warmoth.com/Bass/Options/WoodDescriptions.aspx
-
An all maple bass will be snappier and more focused. More treble and bass, less blurry mids than a maho body. Maho sounds warmer, less attack and perhaps a bit more musical. With an all maple bass you will hear yourself and be heard even in less than optimal acoustic surroundings. An all maple bass can be too harsh for some (Rics are mostly maple) and a blessing for others. A maho body/maple neck combo is a classic "best of both worlds", warmth of maho, i.e. not too snappy, focus of maple, i.e. not too blurry. A rock player's bass who doesn't want to dominate, yet be heard. It's a combination many Asian basses of better quality have, but Gibson played with it in the seventies and eighties too (before returning to full maho on most of their basses).
-
I was running the same pup in the same position (bridge) in my (all maple - "crisper" sounding - set neck) RD and my (all maho - "rounder" sounding - through neck) PC and the sounds produced were most enjoyable to these ears...
-
My fanfret may look like a Precision, but I believe the body is mahogany. At least that's what it said when I got it. It's a great sounding bass. And, it's VERY warm. The Lollar doesn't hurt, either.
-
Thanks for all the input - I've already PM'd the guy with the Mahogany Patriot - hopefully, it will be in my hands in a week or so.
After reading some of your replies and visiting the Warmouth site (detailing wood characteristics), I went upstairs and A/B'd several basses made out of different woods. I tried to EQ them to be as similar as possible.
I never knew that there was THAT much of a difference between a Northern Ash/Maple/Rosewood, an Alder/Maple and a Maple/Maple/Rosewood bass. The difference is astounding, but spot on with what I've been reading about different wood characteristics.
I know my "test" is completely flawed in most people's eyes, but it's cool to be able to transfer some of the stuff I'm learning into a fun way to get better at all this.
Thanks for the help.