Solid Body Wood Options: |
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Gecko bodies are available in either of two construction methods: solid, single species, or laminate, double species. Solid is the traditional body, made with two pieces of wood, glued on body centerline. Laminated bodies add a face veneer, bookmatched for a symmetrical grain pattern clued over the solid body core. The advantage of the laminate body is that we may choose the face wood for appearances and the body core for tone. The 1/8” thickness of the face lamination is not sufficient to make a noticeable impact on tone.
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| 2-Piece centerjoined bodies. |
Alder (Alnus rubra):
Alder is used extensively for bodies because of its
lighter weight (about four pounds for a Strat® body) and its full sound. It's closed grain makes this wood
easy to finish. Alder's natural color is a light tan with little or no distinct grain lines. Alder has been
the mainstay for Fender bodies for many years. It looks good with a sunburst or a solid color finish. Because
of its fine characteristics and lower price, Alder is our most popular wood and it grows all around us here
in Washington State.
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Swamp Ash (Fraxinus americana):
We have two very different types of Ash: Northern
Hard Ash and Swamp Ash (Southern Soft Ash). Northern Hard Ash is very hard, heavy and dense. A Strat® body will
normally weigh 5 lbs. and up. It's density contributes to a bright tone and a long sustain which makes it very
popular. It's color is creamy, but it also tends to have heartwood featuring pink to brown tints. The grain pores
are open and it takes a lot of finish to fill them up. Swamp Ash is a prized wood for many reasons. It is a very
musical wood offering a very nice balance of brightness and warmth with a lot of "pop". It is a fairly light
weight wood which makes it easily distinguishable from Hard Ash. A Strat® body will normally weigh under 5 lbs.
Many of the 50's Fenders were made of Swamp Ash. The grain is open and the color is creamy. This wood is a very
nice choice for clear finishes. Swamp Ash is our second most popular wood.
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Bubinga (Guibourtia demeusei):
A very strong stiff wood used primarily for
bass necks and in laminations. Used by Rickenbacker for fretboards and Warwick for bodies. As a bass neck, it
brings bright midrange and a thick well defined bottom. Because of its weight it is best suited for laminate tops.
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Koa (Acacia koa):
This very beautiful wood comes exclusively from Hawaii
making supply very limited. It's weight varies somewhat from medium to heavy and is an excellent tone wood
for bass guitar bodies. Koa has a warm sound similar to mahogany, but with a little more brightness. Like
walnut, this wood may be oiled, but generally will look its best sprayed clear. Koa is sometimes available
in flame figure.
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Korina, Black (Terminalia superba):
It's true name is Limba from Africa.
Black Korina is usually a medium weight wood, but we occasionally get light weight pieces. The tone is very
similar to Mahogany. It features a very handsome olive color with black streaking. This is a great wood for
bass guitars. Korina has a naturally waxy feel to it. Oil finishes work well on this wood.
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Korina, White (Terminalia superba):
It's true name is Limba from Africa.
White Korina is a medium to heavy weight wood. The tone is very similar to Mahogany. It features a light
yellow/green color which looks great with a yellow tinted finish. This is a great wood for bass guitars.
Korina has a naturally waxy feel to it. Oil finished work well on this wood.
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Mahogany (Khaya ivorensis):
We use African Mahonany in our production.
It is a medium to heavy weight wood with a Strat® body averaging 5 lbs. or more. Mahogany is a fine grained
wood with good musical properties. The tone is warm and full with good sustain. The grain is easy to fill.
Looks good with clear or transparent red finish.
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Laminate Body Wood Options: |
Bookmatched tops formed of “dropped” over the face of
the body including over the forearm contour. |
Flame Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):
Flame, Fiddle-Back or
Tiger maple all generally refer to curls (or stripes) as illustrated here. Flame can be tight, wide, straight
or crooked. While we can supply solid 1-piece or 2-piece flame bodies, this wood is most beautiful in the
form of a bookmatched laminate top.
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Quilted Maple (Acer macrophyllum-Pacific Maple):
Quilted maple is a more
rare form of figure occurring mostly in western maple. It is distinguished by its billowing cloud or even popcorn
appearance. This figure can vary from large, wide billows to tight small blisters. As with flame, quilted maple
is most often used as a bookmatched top, but is sometimes available as 1-piece or 2-piece solid bodies.
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Koa (Acacia koa):
This very beautiful wood comes exclusively from Hawaii
making supply very limited. It's weight varies somewhat from medium to heavy and is an excellent tone wood
for bass guitar bodies. Koa has a warm sound similar to mahogany, but with a little more brightness. Like
walnut, this wood may be oiled, but generally will look its best sprayed clear. Koa is sometimes available
in flame figure.
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Figured Koa (Acacia koa):
Koa is exceptionally beautiful when it develops
the flame figure. Available only in thin laminate tops and sometimes available in higher grades.
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Walnut (Juglans nigra):
Walnut is a heavy weight wood, but not quite
as heavy as hard maple. It has a similar sound to hard maple but it tends not to be as bright. Walnut is
very beautiful with open grain. Oil finishes work great on Walnut.
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Figured Walnut (Juglans nigra):
The figure is predominantly flame.
It is only available as a bookmatched laminate top. This is a very handsome wood.
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Zebrawood (Microberlinia brazzavillensis):
This is another
heavy weight wood with very open grain. It has a distinctive look with light and dark brown stripes.
Zebrawood is more commonly used as a laminate top. Its weight and sound are similar to hard maple.
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Lacewood (Cardwellia sublimis):
Lacewood is imported from Australia.
It's a medium weight wood. The grain design ranges from very small spots to very large spots which create
its signature reptilian appearance. Lacewood looks best in the form of a bookmatched laminate top, but is
also available for solid bodies. The tone is similar to Alder.
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