At MM BASSES we are aware about the over explotation of natural resources, mainly discriminate deforestation of forests.
Instead of buying traditional imported woods we choose alternatives Colombian woods: light, medium and hard density, with excellent appearance and acustic qualities for instruments, and in the manufacture process we optimize each piece to get the minimun waste of material.

 

Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla).

Uses: Neck / Body.

Heartwood is reddish, pinkish, salmon colored, or yellowish when fresh, deepening with age to deep rich red or brown. Luster high and golden, texture rather fine to coarse, grain straight to roey, it can be found as wavy, or curly, often with an attractive figure, odor and taste not distinctive.

Medium-light to Medium density (aprox. 30 to 52 pcf).

Cedar (Cedrela odorata L.).

Uses: Neck / Body.

Cedar is a lightweight and stable wood. It makes excellent bass bodies due to its light weight and ringing resonance. The dust is very fragrant and fine and tends to irritate, also manages to find its way into the mouth frequently and tastes awful.

Medium-light all the way down to "ridiculously light" (aprox. 30 pcf).

Comino Crespo (Aniba spp.).

Uses: Body / Pickup covers.

The woods are typically yellowish with a greenish hue when fresh, becoming brown or olive on exposure. Narrow sapwood light yellowish. Luster medium to high, grain straight to interlocked, and texture fine to medium. It has spicy odor, and taste may or may not be distinctive.

Medium-high density (aprox. 40 to 45 pcf).

 

Roble Flor Morado (Tabebuia rosea).

Uses: Neck / Body.

The Flor Morado heartwood is light brown to golden color, not clearly differentiated from the sapwood. Luster is low to medium, texture medium to rather coarse, and grain straight to roey, without distinctive odor or taste when dry.

Medium density (aprox. 40 pcf).

 

Granadillo (Caesalpinia granadillo).

Uses: FretBoard / Neck / Body / Pickup covers.

Granadillo is a dark red to chocolate brown or nearly black, usually with fine pencil-striping of parenchyma, sharply demarcated from the yellowish or pinkish white sapwood. Variegated wood that makes a good rosewood substitute. It is relatively dense and tough, exhibiting a consistency of well-behaved, straight grained specimens.

Very high density (aprox. 78 pcf).

Guaímaro (Brosimum alicastrum).

Uses: Neck / Body.

Sapwood and heartwood have uniform yellowish white color, wood around knots and other defects may be a distinct red. Texture is fine to medium; grain is straight to irregular and shallowly interlocked.

Medium-hight to high density(45 to 65 pcf).

Guayacán (Tabebuia chrysantha).

Uses: FretBoard / Neck / Body / Pickup covers.

Guayacán is a very resonant, interesting exotic hardwood. Its color ranges from yellow to yellow-brown with some specimens exhibiting vivid red streaks.

Very high density (aprox. 66 to 75 pcf).

Incienso (Myroxylon balsamum).

Uses: FretBoard / Neck / Body / Pickup covers.

Incienso is heartwood reddish brown becoming deep red or somewhat purplish upon exposure, grain is typically interlocked. Makes it excellent as a red accent wood.

High density (aprox. 54 to 62 pcf).

 

PurpleHeart (Peltogyne spp.).

Uses: FretBoard / Neck / Body / Pickup covers.

Purpleheart is dense and tough, and full of silica which will dull your tools. It is a very popular neck stringer, and when figured lumber can be found with roey, curl, or broken stripe figure, it makes an attractive top wood.

High density (aprox. 50 to 66 pcf).

 

Walnut (Juglans spp.).

Uses: Neck / Body / Pickup covers.

Walnut heartwood is chocolate brown color and generally darker than the North American black walnut, sometimes with a purplish cast. Texture rather coarse it can be found exhibiting curl and burl figure. Luster high and the grain can be found straight to irregular, it odor and taste is mild but distinctive.

Medium-light to medium density (aprox. 40 pcf).

 

Sapán (Clathrotropis brachypetala).

Uses: FretBoard / Neck / Body / Pickup covers.

Sapán's heartwood is yellowish brown to dark reddish brown color and striped with rather fine uniform parenchyma laminations of lighter color. It is stiff and hard, though, and little open-grained.
Very similar to Wenge (milletia laurentii).

High density (aprox. 50 to 55 pcf).

 

These and other wood choices subject to availability.

Grain and coloration of woods may vary.

Specific pieces of wood as body tops, fretboards, etc., can be previewed at time of order and/or during the manufacture process.