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Thread: Aussie wood for electric guitars
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15th September 2010, 02:26 AM #1Novice
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Aussie wood for electric guitars
Hi, I am a newbie to this forum so please forgive me if I am going over old ground (I have tried searching the forum for similar posts).
I am a lefty guitarist and being thoroughly disappointed with what is available from major guitar suppliers I have decided to build my own electric guitars and, where possible, I want to use Australian wood. I checked out the Australian Tonewood: Choices, Choices, Choices post but it seemed to die off after...well lets just say it ended abruptly.
So here is my question: What Aussie woods can be used in the construction of a solid body electric guitar? What is good for the body, the neck and the fretboard.
The sort of thing I'm after is what Aussie woods can be used to emulate the tones/sustain qualities of the likes of Gibson and Fender guitars. Eg. Gibson use Mahogany for the body which gives a warm tone and Fender use Alder which provides a bright tone. What are the Australian wood equivalents?
Cheers
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15th September 2010, 08:36 PM #2Retired
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Australian Woos for Electric guitars
Hi Nobus, This should read Australian woods suitable for guitars as all woods suitable for acoustic will work for electric, as for the thread Australian tonewood Choices, Choices, sorry about the thread finishing like it did.
Now I can tell you what Tasmanian tonewoods that will work.
Tasmanian Blackwood, Tasmanian Myrtle, Tasmanian Sassafras, Tasmanian Eucalyptus, now please note, on top of musical instrument forum Banner Tasmanian Tonewoods click on this and it will take you to my website and there you will find information about the woods I supply, sound velocity chart plus density chart.
Blackwood is close to Mahogony from what luthiers have told me As for what is close to Alder no idea, hope this helps.
Cheers, Bob.
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15th September 2010, 09:09 PM #3Senior Member
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Despite the association of certain woods with gibson and fender, the primary difference is in the type of pickups with Gibson mostly using humbuckers and fender mostly single coil.
One of the primary concerns with selecting solid body timbers is density, so you dont end up with an injured back due to excessive weight.
So gibson used mahogany and fender used swamp ash and then alder, both moderately low density woods.
Sop keep this in mind when chosing your timbers and design.
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15th September 2010, 10:30 PM #4Retired
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Australian Woods for Electric guitars
Jeff, I agree with your comments below, but I also know that wood even from the same species varies a lot in weight, also if a guitar is well balanced built correctly weight should not be a problem.
Cheers, Bob
One of the primary concerns with selecting solid body timbers is density, so you dont end up with an injured back due to excessive weight.
So gibson used mahogany and fender used swamp ash and then alder, both moderately low density woods.
Sop keep this in mind when chosing your timbers and design.[/QUOTE]
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16th September 2010, 12:55 AM #5Novice
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Thanks for the response Bob, really appreciate it. Are you able to break it down any further, like the following:
What woods are good for the guitar body
What is good for the neck
What is good for the fretboard
Or doesn't it make a difference.
Cheers
Hi Jeff,
My days of playing heavy guitars on stage are well and truly behind me. I'm strictly a sit down player now.
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16th September 2010, 07:27 AM #6Senior Member
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I am quite aware that density will vary within a species, Bob, and I have not recommended or dismissed any timber.
Do you have any tasmanian timbers that get into the 400-500kg/m3 range?
Weight does matter, but if you are using a capped body design then you have the option of relief holes to reduce the weight, at least in the body.
I do have a Myrtle 12 string electric that I built last year which is rather a heavyweight.
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16th September 2010, 09:55 AM #7
Blackwood is said to be similar to koa which is slightly brighter than the mahogany gibson uses. I'd probably use it for a fender style guitar also, although if your going for clear or translucent finishes it's darker than the maple, alder and ash fender typically uses. It is suitable for necks and bodies. Queensland maple is said ot be rather neutral so more like basswood than ash, but then alder isn't a particularly lively wood either. Remember Leo Fender chose his timbers for availability and workability not any mythical sound influence. It just happened that rock maple and ash added a little sparkle.
Fretboards are a bigger problem. They need to be fairly hard and durable. "Mulga" which is a collection of desert species are being used with good results, but the timber is sort of grey and streaked so if your looking for solid black or yellow or whatever it'll be a challenge.
I too am left handed, but add the complication that I play classical and find skinny necks a challenge. I found a rick 12 copy last year with a 1 7/8" nut and I have a copy of a selmer which lacks detail finish but is suprisingly satisfying. I am not prepared to pay warmoth prices.
Good luck with your project.I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong.
Wait! No one told you your government was a sitcom?
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16th September 2010, 10:22 AM #8
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16th September 2010, 10:35 AM #9Senior Member
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Spanish Cedar can get even lower than that
But it's not Tasmanian or Australian or even Spanish for that matter
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16th September 2010, 10:48 AM #10
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16th September 2010, 11:59 AM #11Retired
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Australian Woods for Electric guitars
Good morning Jeff,
In answer to your question below, No There is not any Tasmanian species that I know of between the 400 -500Kg/m3 range. the closest I can come up with on my density chart that by the way was done by Andrew Morrow at the CSIRO.
Is would you believe Mountain Ash the good old Eucalyptus, that comes in at 613Kg/m3, But I do have some lighter than that. in fact my winter clothing weighs more than a guitar body blank, mountains are covered in snow around me at the moment, if some one requires a light guitar go for pine or build up there muscle's. Cheers, Bob
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16th September 2010, 01:23 PM #12Senior Member
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Actually a king billy pine telecaster could be interesting.
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16th September 2010, 03:02 PM #13Retired
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Australian Woods for Electric guitars
You are right there Jeff, King Billy telecaster would be interesting but also expenisive as figured Blackwood as it is very rare these days, so it go's into soundboards unless some one is prepared to pay the price, I have some perfectly clean King Billy billets 250mm wide fully on the quarter, but I reckon soundboards is what they will be.
Now I know Macrocarpa is not a Tasmanian species but it was planted here by the early settlers as a wind break and fully on the quarter this would make a nice light electric guitar it is sold in the states as back & side sets and also as a soundboard.
Or other way is Macrocarpa body core and a nice 7mm figured drop top.
Cheers,Bob
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16th September 2010, 03:35 PM #14
I was going to throw Macrocarpa into the discussion as well Bob,
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16th September 2010, 04:05 PM #15Senior Member
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Macrocarpa (monterey cyprus)would be good I have used it for a flamenco back and sides,.ended up as a 1100gram total weight finished and strung.
Both it and King billy would not need to be quartersawn and defect free for solid body guitars, Rift to flatsawn and with tight pin knots would be fine, so perhaps some of the soundboard and b&s rejects could be used.
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