Thread: Acoustic Guitar woods

Originally Posted by Different

Hey Kids I am working towards my first Acoustic build and was going through my wood racks today to see what is good for acoustic guitar making. Some of the following I know are good other I am not so sure about so any comments advice or warnings would be appreciated.

Ross, you didnt say what kind of guitar you wanted to build and that will of course affect your timber choices. You also havent mentioned the cut of the timber you have. You should use quartersawn timber for the soundboard and for the rest Ive seen all combinations of cuts work well. So.... with those caveats

• Blackwood 10 years stored - beautiful stuff although it can be a bit heavy. Very commonly used particularly if it has good figure.
• Qld Maple (Salvaged from a bank built in the first decade of last century) and some about 20 years stored I havent used it but very well regarded by many. Necks, backs and sides, there are some stunning guitars posted here using QLD Maple!
• Kauri 30 years stored Depends how it is cut (read needs to be quartered), Ive heard of it being used for soundboards, particularly for archtops
• Klinki Pine (at least 60 years old 50 x 300 x 3000 with nice heartwood colour showing) I know nothing about this stuff I suggest you send that to me, seriously if the density is similar to Kauri it will probably be alright, but it MUST have good tap tone.
• Tas Myrtle 10 years stored Lovely lovey stuff, sides, backs etc
• Kalantas 20 years stored Dunno
• New Guinea Rosewood 5 years stored Lovely stuff although it does chip out. Keep sides to under 3mm and it shouldnt split when bending
• Western Red Cedar 2 years stored Classic soundboard material, Im using some that is quartered and shows amazing silk. Can be a bit soft so take care.
• Merrango 15 years stored Dunno
• Rose Gum (cut just before WW2) Dunno
• Quarter Sawn Qld Silyk Oak 15 years stored Fabulous, used for necks and bodies, easily worked and attractive.

Now, tap tone. A good test is to grab a bit of the timber you are thinking of using, lift it between two fingers and give it a sharp rap with you knuckles. If it goes boooinggggg then good. If it goes thud then bad, use it for furniture. The more boing the better,

Sebastiaan

Sebastiaan

My plan is to build a 14 fret Dred for the first couple of builds then who knows.

Ross

I would explore the WRC or Kauri for the soundboard and bracing. Make sure it is quartersawn! This is to handle the pull/push of the strings and also to minimise the movement in the soundboard as humidity changes. Cole Clarke uses Bunya Pine with some serious runout which certainly looks different and attractive, but its not Cole Clarke's first guitar either...

Blackwood or NGR will make excellent and attractive sides and backs. QLD Maple or Silky Oak for the neck. Kauri Pine for the Neck and Tail blocks. Rose Gum for the fingerboard. You got it all there fella, go for it,

Sebastiaan

Mate I am just trying to get my research sorted out at the moment and collecting the minimum of specialist tools needed. I have a well equipped workshop but you still need a few Guitar only tools like today I pcked through my metal scrap and scrounged all the bits I need to make an adjustable Rosette cutter and should have it working tomorrow.
I am planning to but a radiused and slotted fingerboard to save the expense of the tools for the first build.
Am planning to use Qld maple for neck and end blocks.
I have a bunch of Myrtle left over from resawing door panels that is thicknessed to about 3mm so I will give that a go for the back & sides and probably the Kauri for Soundboard and braces.

I have just started to play guitar which triggered the desire to build and I am not expecting my first build to be a players dream so am also saving for a Cole Clark

Ross

for acoustic building I'd be hoping for as close to quarter sawn for all parts..
I'm sure you can get away with slab sawn for some areas but ideally quarter sawn is the ticket.
As far as sound and the timbers you have
Blackwood is one of the best choices for back and sides...some of the best guitars I've heard have been Blackwood B&S. Although the highly figured stuff looks spectacular I think the plain straight grain stuff sounds best.

Queensland maple is standard fare used in australia for neck stock by the big companies.....I'm not a big fan of it.
If I couldn't use mahoganny for necks I'd try Blackwood before Queensland maple..
Although Queensland maple guitars can sound good I've played a huge percentage of them that didn't impress me much....but certainly a few 25+ year old maton
cw-80's that I thought we're ok.

Cedar I like ...A lot don't but I really like it as a steel string soundboard... I'm a Jazz type player so I like the warm mellow characteristics of cedar...If I wanted a guitar to strum quite hard though I'd opt for a spruce face...

haven't had any experience with the other timbers you mention though I've heard Tas Myrtle get talked up regularly..

Yep, I'll echo gratay's and Seb's thoughts.
Blackwood is an amazing timber for acoustic B & S and electrics for that matter.
Tas. Myrtle in acoustic B & S are getting a reputation for a very balanced sound
whilst being quite loud(not a negative in my book). If you've got that much timber, maybe plan ahead and work out your timber selections so you can formulate your own judgements as you go.
I'm assuming you won't be stopping at one build. Very few people do

Originally Posted by oz tradie

Yep, I'll echo gratay's and Seb's thoughts.
Blackwood is an amazing timber for acoustic B & S and electrics for that matter.
Tas. Myrtle in acoustic B & S are getting a reputation for a very balanced sound
whilst being quite loud(not a negative in my book). If you've got that much timber, maybe plan ahead and work out your timber selections so you can formulate your own judgements as you go.
I'm assuming you won't be stopping at one build. Very few people do

Thanks for the advice guys!

No I wont be stopping at one I have ideas that will take at least 4 or 5 guitars to work through and I am sure as soon as I start on one I will have ideas for 3 more or 4 more!

Ross

Best laid plans of mice and me as they say.
I was to spend all of yesterday making some tools I need like a Rosette cutter and as luck would have it my Lathe motor blew up just as I got started!



Ross

well, you might have to opt for my elaborate rosette cutter which is a popsicle stick with a scalpel blade poking through it at one end the required depth of the rosette channel.....and a tiny hole drilled in the other end..
you then drill the same size tiny hole in your soundboard and use the drill bit to anchor and you just pivot your popsicle stick..
the rest is a bit of therapy with a chisel to extract the material from the channel.

Originally Posted by gratay

well, you might have to opt for my elaborate rosette cutter which is a popsicle stick with a scalpel blade poking through it at one end the required depth of the rosette channel.....and a tiny hole drilled in the other end..
you then drill the same size tiny hole in your soundboard and use the drill bit to anchor and you just pivot your popsicle stick..
the rest is a bit of therapy with a chisel to extract the material from the channel.

I admire your ingenuity but I am a bit too anal to resort to such agricultural solutions I kind of like whipping up something on the lathe that then lasts me many years.
Problem is the lathe and reversing motor are old and getting it fixed might not be cheap.

Ross

Originally Posted by Different

I admire your ingenuity but I am a bit too anal to resort to such agricultural solutions I kind of like whipping up something on the lathe that then lasts me many years.
Problem is the lathe and reversing motor are old and getting it fixed might not be cheap.

Hmmm. you'll never get a guitar built at that rate ...

Go for the popsicle !

Popsicle works a treat !!!
What's more it's so darn simple too.

C'mon you American wannabees (no offence to our American brethren) its a PADDLE POP stick, isn't it?
Anyway
Isn't it funny how there is no middle ground with rosette and sound hole cutting. It seems its either ridiculously cheap - stick and scalpel blade, or ridiculously expensive - stew mac method, dremel $99, router base $50, circle cutting attachment $50, router bit $10
Still, one should never pass up an opportunity to by tools

I'm quite content being an Aussie, Mongrel.

I'm choosing popsicle for the sole reason it sounds so funny !!!!

There are lots of options out there for cutting rosettes. You forgot the other expensive option for your drill press.
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdpro...Rosette+Cutter

And here's a 'mid-price' option.
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdpro...FCircle+Cutter