discreet

Obviously Floyd posts need to be anchored into denser body wood. So Paulownia is probably not suitable for guitars, or at least guitars fitted with that kind of tremolo hinge. I assume the main stresses on a bass body are going to be at the neck joint and the bridge anchor. So far both are fine on my Jazz, but I'll report back if anything untoward happens. I'll also report back if nothing untoward happens. I want to try Obeche next, that's another light wood, but not as light as Paulownia. My Hayman 4040 was made of Obeche 42 years ago, clearly that has stood the test of time. I believe Basswood is relatively light and stable, too. It may be the case that chambered basses are the way to go if light weight is required. Luthite is a synthetic option, but more research needed!

In my book, too. If a bass hangs well on the strap it's easier to play and a heavier bass becomes tolerable.

Aww, that's a shame. Won't be able to get there, but have a blast. Hope your new project is everything you want it to be.

Sorry Jack, I answered this as quickly as I could...

So we can't even edit posts in a PM conversation, now? What's going on with that? Are there any plans to improve this?

Paulownia: It's very light and very soft. It's not as light and soft as balsa, but it's definitely going in that direction. Softer than obeche, which is another light wood I'm going to experiment with. As for paulownia, you have to be careful with it. It's quite grainy and porous in its raw state, so you need to grain-fill it and apply sanding sealer before sanding and priming. It is very easy to work with apart from that. I'd recommend a final coat of something very robust and hard-wearing to protect it. A marine coating, or maybe Ronseal Hardglaze, something like that. I really like it, the disadvantages are worth it because it's so light. As far as sound goes, that's a moot point - in my opinion whether you use an exotic hardwood from the unobtainium tree, or a two by four from Wickes, it makes little or no difference to your 'tone'. This is a very short sound clip I made just after I finished the bass. I think you'd be hard pressed to identify which 'tonewood' this is, even though there are those who claim to be able to do so!

Loxx are great. Never had a problem with them.

Found out how to delete (or at least hide) posts in threads using Options. But can this facility be included in PM conversation threads too, please? I liked the previous set-up where you could keep a conversation going indefinitely by deleting previous irrelevant posts without having to start a new conversation.

That's a gigging amp. But only if it's all-valve, of course...

Probably... the pics I've hosted and linked to (i.e. all of 'em) are still visible.

David!! Is that really you??

Get yer bloody hair cut, you hippy! And for God's sake have a shave! *Frowns, reads Daily Telegraph*

Ah sorry. I assumed that, like most people on this forum, you'd be bald.

What, that's actually a pic of you smiling? You round-headed loon!

So THAT'S what he's been up to all this time...

Had a Hayman 4040 bass made from obeche. I'd use that wood for sure. I think it's less balsa-like than paulownia.

Having stumbled across paulownia and Ultralites and put together a 7lb Jazz more or less by accident, I'm not going back to 9lb basses! Never gave it much thought, but a light bass is just so much nicer, for many reasons.

That's what I thought, but with no f-hole or anything to show it's not a solid bass.

Aye, there's the rub... ha, ha, ha! Ahem. That pic is very intriguing... presumably you could cap it so as to present a 'normal' bass to the world, but much lighter..?

Not a big fan of what I call 'coffee table' basses, or natural finishes in general - give me aged Olympic white or faded Sonic blue any day of the week. Having said that, I do like some of the wood finishes on Spector basses, and some of their transparent paint finishes are excellent. Seems to suit the brand, somehow.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger! It's your mortal soul at stake mate, not mine. And tea is horrible without milk.

A Fender Rumble 100W combo isn't big or heavy (less than 10kg), but is surprisingly loud if you find yourself unexpectedly needing more beans. I had the 500W version for a while and it was arse-shatteringly loud, even though technically 'only' 350W without an extension cab. Great sound, too. https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_rumble_100.htm

That was a message from the dark side telling you to buy more milk.