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Standard Woods
Beauty is more than skin deep. The top wood you select for your new guitar or bass will influence the tone, just how much depends on a number of factors. Some woods are more obvious in how they shape tone, others are more subtle. Neck through construction isolates the effects more than a set neck does. Even your own personal experience in listening will have some bearing.
Don't be misled by the word standard - these are all exceptional woods. Standard simply means that we offer these wood choices at no additional charge.
Flame Maple pictured on an Orion bass. Like all Maples, Flame Maple has a bright, clear sound that is easy to distinguish. Most of our Flame Maple is western, and is less bright than the eastern Bird's-eye Maple. It's also the best choice for painted color finishes.
Bird's-Eye Maple pictured on an Essence bass. A dense wood that imparts a little extra brightness to your sound, Bird's-eye Maple, as most maples, is fairly easy to hear. The pale color is punctuated by little swirly "bird's eyes" to create this unique figuring pattern.
Bubinga pictured on an Orion lefthanded bass. More dense than Maple, Bubinga doesn't disappoint in high end response. A mixture of warm brown with closely packed near-violet fine lines that optically mix to form the unique color of Bubinga.
California Walnut pictured on an Excel bass. Walnut's superpower is fast attack - it's almost like the note starts slightly before you strike the string. Well, maybe not that fast, but it is something that is generally easy to hear. The color is a lovely warm brown, that lightens slightly over time. Also available in a premium wood as flame, superb and burl.
Lacewood pictured on an Essence bass. A nice, neutral tone which has even response. Near to Mahogany in color, with just a blush of pinky-orange, the unique patterns in Lacewood are determined by the angle the wood is cut.
Purpleheart pictured on an Essence bass. Shocking natural purple color that imparts brightness to the tone without overpowering the lows. Over time, purple color darkens and browns, but you can always see the violet. Also available in a premium wood as flame.
Vermilion pictured on an Signature Deluxe fretless bass. Prepare for a little extra bump in the lows when you use Vermilion as the top wood. Like Purpleheart, Vermilion's red color deepens and browns over time, arriving at a nice brick color in a few years.
Zebrawood pictured on a Skylark guitar. A straw-yellow with chocolate brown stripe grain, Zebrawood is another champion of the neutral, but with a slightly open and airy sound. Also available in a premium wood as flatsawn.