Genuine Swamp Ash

[Dingus]

Has anybody out there got a Fender - style bass made out of lightweight swamp ash , and how does this wood sound ? I've been reading up lately about body woods for Fender basses and I would be interested to hear if such a lightweight wood sounds hefty enough to give the full and beefy sound that we all know and love from Leo's creations . I have never subscribed to the idea that heavy basses sound best myself , based on my experience that my light basses have sounded as good as my heavy ones . Anyone had experience of a featherweight Swamp Ash Fender- type bass like a Mike Lull ect . that sounds great or not so great as a result ?

Edited November 28, 2012 by Dingus

[Lfalex v1.1]

I have a MIA Fender Jazz in Ash.
Not "Swamp Ash", mind, just Ash. It's a comfortable weight. Sounds "open" and "resonant" (for want of better adjectives)
It has a Rosewood fretboard, and I use DR Sunbeams on it.

Alternatively, I have a Squier VMJ (Maple body, neck & 'board) with a BadAss II and wearing DR Fatbeams.
It is heavier and sounds much more aggressive, compressed and growly.

[iiipopes]

In the early '80's I had a fairly light ash '75 J-bass. Sounded great. The only reason I sold it was because a pickup died and the frets were worn, and at that time there was no competent luthier where I live that could fix either. Now there is, now it has been, and I know who owns it if I ever want to play it again. It is his #1 bass.

More about wood and tone:
[url="http://www.warmoth.com/bass/Options/WoodDescriptions.aspx"]http://www.warmoth.c...scriptions.aspx[/url]

Edited November 28, 2012 by iiipopes

[Lozz196]

I`ve had a few basses made of swamp-ash. None have been particularly light though, though not over-heavy either. The tone to me is slightly scooped, and using at home for practice, slightly less brash and full than alder, which seems overall more balanced. In all honesty though, at band practice levels I never noticed the difference, and recorded, the 78 Precision I`m selling, which is swamp ash, has one of the best recorded sounds I`ve heard, certainly not lacking in anything. So swamp ash is fine with me.