Natural Premium Wood Option

[58super]

If the premium wood option is chosen for a natural finish stingray is it just the ash body that is upgraded or is the neck upgraded to birds eye as well?

Anyone know?

Thanks,
David

 

[Kirby]

I thought the birdseye option on bass necks was discontinued due to short supply, but I may be wrong. BP would be the best person to answer this.

 

[roballanson]

Yeah I seem to remember BP saying Bird's Eye supply was short - something about out bidding Lexus for the 30th anni necks.....not sure..

 

[smallequestrian]

The premium wood option was meant to refer to the bodies only. Scott Ball told me at Summer NAMM, that its really not something they are doing currently anyways and you'd be better off saving the extra cash.

 

[Eggman]

BP indicated it was a cost issue as well on the birdseye necks. I believe he said the blanks for the birdseye necks were about $90 and the blanks for the regular maple necks were about $9. I suppose that after labor and all the birdseye necks were an expensive option.

 

[58super]

BP indicated it was a cost issue as well on the birdseye necks. I believe he said the blanks for the birdseye necks were about $90 and the blanks for the regular maple necks were about $9. I suppose that after labor and all the birdseye necks were an expensive option.

I agree birdseye is costly but the upgrade charge is at a $500 list price.

 

[smallequestrian]

I agree birdseye is costly but the upgrade charge is at a $500 list price.

Please note my above post. The premium would option has nothing to do with the neck wood.

 

[58super]

Please note my above post. The premium would option has nothing to do with the neck wood.

Thanks. I'll skip the premium and hope for the luck of the draw.

 

[PocketGroove82]

thanks for the info posted here about the birdseye. I was wondering why I've seen fewer new model necks with birdseye. I remember in the 90s pretty much every ray I saw had a super sweet grain with some unique birdseyes, but now I'm finding them to be rarer on the newest basses.
Not that I'm complaining or anything..just an observation.
And anyways, I want full rosewood!

 

[plato]

Thanks. I'll skip the premium and hope for the luck of the draw.

IMO, MM bodies are premium to begin with.
What makes it premium? is it a one piece body? is it a nicer grain?

 

[Big Poppa]

WE dont offer birdseye as an option. we buy from the best mills and get a pretty decent random abount of birdseye. In the Eighties we could spec birdseye and get it regularly and we would use it and not cha=rge extra...as each year has gone on there is less of it and with the restrictions placed on other exotic woods we have to compete with furniture makers auto makers and anyone who uses premium wood in their products. The difference with most of those industries is that the buy the blanks and turn the wood into very thin veneer and macn pay more for a blank tha we can and still keep the prices where they are.

The premium wood option on basses relate to ash. IT is funny we call it natural ash but our customers would freak if there was a little mineral stain or tiny knot hole and we would reject fine wood and that would back up our production nad when we looked at it closely we were losing our asses on them due to the extremely high reject rate.
Instead of drawing a line in the sand and sa;ying that you couldn't get a perfectly clear piece of ash, we offered it as an upgrade. Its funny when the dealers and distributors had to reach into thier wallet the normal ones were just fine.

Nobody at the factory would reccomend that you spend the money on this option, ;after all they are natural and should have some natural character.

Regarding the $500.00 price do I have to explain that we dont get the $500? Each entity in the distribution channel has to make a profit

 

[roballanson]

BP - I wonder while we are on the subject you could talk a bit about your wood buying policy....
I know some bodies are Southern Ash, but where is it sourced and once a tree is chosen what happens to it?

I just ask becasue the story behind oak used in the barrels for whisky has a pretty cool story behind it.

Would you share a little please?

 

[plato]

I agree birdseye is costly but the upgrade charge is at a $500 list price.

...
Regarding the $500.00 price do I have to explain that we dont get the $500? Each entity in the distribution channel has to make a profit

What is that $500 option? Never heard about it. Is it an option to order a figured birdseye maple neck? If so, what's the street price for this?

 

[Big Poppa]

Plato
what is in your cereal this morning. re read my post first line is a good place to start!

 

[bovinehost]

What is that $500 option? Never heard about it. Is it an option to order a figured birdseye maple neck? If so, what's the street price for this?

The 500 upgrade is for a beautiful natural perfect BODY.

 

[Kirby]

I agree, I like a little character in my basses. I am not perfect after all, why should they be. Kind of like a little battle scar from their past.

 

[plato]

Plato
what is in your cereal this morning. re read my post first line is a good place to start!

heh...
I was referring to 58super's post.
Might be the cereal... but I'm still not sure what you guys ment by this $500 upgrade.

 

[IkaruShizzlemah]

The 500 upgrade is for a beautiful natural perfect BODY.

I wish that upgrade was available on girlfriends.

Oh, what a perfect world it would be.

Ikaru

 

[Big Poppa]

Ikuru what if they had the option for men?

 

[RitchieDarling]

I agree, I like a little character in my basses. I am not perfect after all, why should they be. Kind of like a little battle scar from their past.

I agree! My Sterling has three little oddities in the wood. One on the upper cutaway, one near the top contour, and one just above and to the rear of the switch. Not to mention the strange grain on the upper cutaway. And it's absolutely gorgeous!

Ritchie