As I read through Rraymonds Torii Jr. classified ad, I noticed there was some confusion about the amp base woods. I'll try to clarify whats going on...

The first plate amps needed wooden bases, walnut was chosen for this as well as offering the molded wood base. When I lived in AZ I was buying west cost walnut which my yield from each board was 80-90% of each board.

For reasons Rick stated, walnut I was able to buy since moving to NC, was mostly the outer edges of the tree which has a lot of sap wood, which is ugly and very white compared to the heart wood. I was throwing away at least 50% of the wood I was buying!

The new wood we use now is Sapele, which if bought in the correct widths needed yields 90% or more, literally just throwing away the the very edges of each board. But, it needed to be dyed (not stained) to mimic the color of the walnut bases we had been selling. Cost per board ft is roughly 30% more expensive than that of the walnut, but the yield is much better, and Steve agreed to the change.

Now when ordering a custom wood, I.E. cherry, maple, or even oak, you are getting exactly those woods. No stain, dye or otherwise. The main reason for the cost increase has more to do with the fact that the "walnut" bases are ordered in quantity, where as the "custom" woods are a one offs for the most part, and have to be built one at a time, so set up, to build one amp base has to be considered. Let alone, having to go to town to buy just one board to make the base.

In the case of exotics, its a cost of board and shipping to get the one board to me. Sometimes shipping being the major cost of the wood. I just did a Ziricote base, and the wood for the base (and it was just enough to build the base) cost me $98.+ cost of shipping.

There have been a few times when a board was not able to be located,  and I have veneered a complementary wood with the requested wood, but that has been very rare.

Hope this helps!

ZYGI

I noticed when I tried a Rachel that the wood did not seem to be walnut, a more tropical variant of the open grain structure...sort of walnut pumped up. I really liked it though, so was not upset when my Torii MKIV came with it. The opposite in fact. To me it is generally a more interesting and characterful wood. I would not call mine red, though there is clearly some red iron in the wood, it is more yellow/brown ...not just like lighter walnut, but similar with very slight red undertones.

I wondered about calling it walnut when it did not look like walnut to me, but forgot about it I liked it so much.  

Can you say how are the bases finished (oil, lacquer, etc.)?

Thanks.
John

John, Archie,

I can only answer for the bases I build as to the finish I use....As I only build the "Other Woods" and an occasional small run when the other company is so far behind.

I use Catalyzed Lacquer with a vinyl sanding sealer base coat. If someone wanted I'm sure you could get an unfinished base to finish yourself. I'm doing a Z-Rack right now that is unfinished.

For most people, if you were to tell them that they had to re apply oil to the base every 6 months to a year depending on where they lived, I think they would back away. Most people just want to turn the amp on and listen.

I know from what I've seen the other guys use lacquer as well and they have done a pretty good job of finishing from what I saw. With that said, if the coats are applied to close to one an other, the finish can look hungry. But it still has the same number of coats, it just looks like it needs more.

Archie, why would it be OK to sell Sapele under the name African Mahogany when that name is just a marketing name for Sapele? They are not one in the same, but they are from the same family. Sapele usually being much dark and more brown than Honduran (Genuine) Mahogany.

I'm guessing here, the reason the wood was never changed on the web site, because it would confuse people.

Zygi

My base is red, I wonder how that happened?

Wood is amazing. It varies regionally too, even the same "tree" will have wood with different characteristics in different climates, elevations etc. The creator has a master plan!

Sure is a lot of nonsense written about "tone woods" in the instrument world, yet . . . I think there is some truth in among the hype and mythology too.