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Post subject: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 1:30 pm
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I'm thinking of ordering a jazz bass in natural swamp ash and I'm wondering about what kind of wood grain I would end up with. I have seen some ash body guitars that had some rather ugly ash grain (big ugly patterns, not well matched pieces). Am I correct in assuming that a custom ordered instrument from the Custom shop will get me the best body wood grade available at Fender (such as the best looking grain, best matched pieces, etc)?

Anyone have any insight on this?


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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 12:35 am
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TC5A wrote:
I'm thinking of ordering a jazz bass in natural swamp ash and I'm wondering about what kind of wood grain I would end up with. I have seen some ash body guitars that had some rather ugly ash grain (big ugly patterns, not well matched pieces). Am I correct in assuming that a custom ordered instrument from the Custom shop will get me the best body wood grade available at Fender (such as the best looking grain, best matched pieces, etc)?

Anyone have any insight on this?


The custom shop uses the better woods in their instruments, and you can specify lighter body weight as well as AA flame maple necks (AAA on masterbuilds). those are just a few choices I am aware of, but I'm sure there are more. If you get a masterbuilt guitar the sky or budget is the limit.


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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 6:37 am
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Yes I think for a masterbuilt anything goes, but at a price of course. It would be so great if it was possible to see photos of body or neck blanks and select a piece before building an instrument, but I imagine this can only be done at masterbuilt level, which is unfortunate. I would gladly pay an additional fee to get the opportunity to select the piece of wood I want but bumping up to masterbuilt makes this a very costly proposition.

Surely this is something that could be implemented as an option for team built instruments (?)


Last edited by TC5A on Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:11 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:39 am
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Like this? : http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JBas64SNRANT/


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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 2:33 pm
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M40A1 wrote:


That is really nice!

I would be willing to bet that any piece of ash used by the custom shop will be a great looking piece of wood.


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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:07 am
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The grain on the sweetwater link looks good.

I was looking at this picture below which is an example of ugly Ash grain. This is a Mexican Fender though:
http://www.sheltonsguitars.com/2008/9-1 ... 15-08.html

I would hate to get something like that from the custom shop!

This one however looks good:
http://www.sheltonsguitars.com/2009/9-1 ... 20-09.html


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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:46 am
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I do not think you will be disapointed with anything from the custom shop.


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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 1:04 am
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I ordered several MB guitars, to me weight and of course the sound/tone was most important. However for my sunburst Strats I wanted some nice grain, everyone has a different taste on whats nice, but the MB sent me some pictures to choose from. These where bodies before paint. For my Ash body Strat I went actually with the recommendation given by the MB. I liked a particular grain on a body, but he felt a different body probably give me the sound I am after. I don't know how the guitar would have sounded with the body I liked visually better, but the guitar sounds for sure how I wanted it. All my custom order guitars were built by C. Fleming and they exceeded my expectations in sound, feel and looks.


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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 6:30 am
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Sounds good. That would be the ideal scenario, to get photos of blanks to choose a preferred piece, but I guess this kind of personal attention calls for the Masterbuilt treatment, and associated cost.


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Post subject: Re: Wood grain / grade quality in CS instruments
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 7:00 am
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TC5A wrote:
Sounds good. That would be the ideal scenario, to get photos of blanks to choose a preferred piece, but I guess this kind of personal attention calls for the Masterbuilt treatment, and associated cost.


Yep, but it's worth it.


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