Thread: Australian Tonewood: Choices, Choices, Choices

Actually, include them for uses like Speaker and amp cabs, stands, all sorts of stuff! The more information the more people we help.

At the moment, I am looking at Queensland Maple, Bloodwood, Ironblood, blackbutt, Tasmanian Blackwood and Red Cedar.

Hi Stud,

Im not an electric maker but have seen some wonderful instruments from Qld Maple. The highly figured stuff can be astonishingly pretty. I have used several grades of Tassie Blackwood and it is a very useable and popular tonewood. Once again it can be really pretty as well. Ive not seen Bloodwood, Ironblood, Blackbutt or Red Cedar used. I suspect the Red Cedar would be too soft. I know that others are prone to cracking.

A couple of other timbers to consider are WA Sheoak and Cooktown Ironwood (somtimes called Australian Red Ebony). Kauri Pine, King William Pine and Bunyah Pine are used in acoustics.

Search the archives here. You will find heaps of information and inspiration. There was also a paper here http://www.gottsteintrust.org/media/AMorrow.pdf

I assume this is an assignment?

Hey guys, I am trying to figure out which timber to use in my builds, and realised that there isn't really much information about Australian Tonewoods out there, outside of the Department of Primary Industries pages, and they don't have much about tone.

That statement is not strictly correct. I published a paper in JAAMIM only about 6 months ago about tonewoods in mandolins that is all about tone. While not a guitar the principles are the same and the guitar makers have told me they get similar results. It is on my web page

Mandolins by Peter Coombe - Publications

Peter

Thanks, both were interesting reads.
Nah, this is my own thing - I am a uni student, but this is a semester off, and I love guitars, so, build a guitar!

i reckon some of the western acacias,like yarran or dead finish would be spot on for certain aplications, even better than the traditional tonewoods such as african blackwood

I Reckon you can't go past a good quality chunk of Sassafras. For information and good wood, talk to Bob at Tasmanian Tonewoods, he will set you straight! He's the main sponsor of this part of the forum I believe, and is known here as "woodturner777", His weblink is also at the top of the page!

Ox

Originally Posted by Student

Thanks, both were interesting reads.
Nah, this is my own thing - I am a uni student, but this is a semester off, and I love guitars, so, build a guitar!

Are you building an electric or an acoustic?...if you are building an acoustic, look for a good 'tone" wood, if you are building an electric, don't waste too much time being concerned with the "tone" of the wood.....it'll make next to no audible difference by the time you install pickups and run through an amp using an effect or two.

I know that in most cases the tonewood in an electric won't matter, but a lot of the stuff I do is through a clean tone... Progressive rock isn't just about overdrive, wah and phasers :P

Also, as this will be a baritone (Big hands, so I will be using light strings for tunings ranging from B standard (on the 7th string) to F# standard), it needs to be strong, and I like a darker, denser wood (heavy as a really heavy thing :P)

Eventually I do intend to make Semi-hollow and spanish acoustic guitars as well, so that will make a difference.

Even with a clean tone....pickups and an amp......it's pretty much all down to that..!!

Originally Posted by Student

I am looking at Queensland Maple, Bloodwood, Ironblood, blackbutt, Tasmanian Blackwood and Red Cedar.

Bloodwood is great for fingerboards. Im using it on my baritone rg im working on. Tassie blackwood is good for necks and stuff too..qld maple can be used for bodies..I havent used, though Im told its pretty heavy..not too sure

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Hi Stud,

Im not an electric maker but have seen some wonderful instruments from Qld Maple. The highly figured stuff can be astonishingly pretty. I have used several grades of Tassie Blackwood and it is a very useable and popular tonewood. Once again it can be really pretty as well. Ive not seen Bloodwood, Ironblood, Blackbutt or Red Cedar used. I suspect the Red Cedar would be too soft. I know that others are prone to cracking.

A couple of other timbers to consider are WA Sheoak and Cooktown Ironwood (somtimes called Australian Red Ebony). Kauri Pine, King William Pine and Bunyah Pine are used in acoustics.

Search the archives here. You will find heaps of information and inspiration. There was also a paper here http://www.gottsteintrust.org/media/AMorrow.pdf

I assume this is an assignment?

Very true,Queensland Maple has no peers,and yes,it is astonishingly pretty,as well as being a world class tonewood

I beg to differ Chris, Queensland maple has no peers, yes it is nice that I agree.
Still waiting for photos, but as for has no peers, you have not seen some of my woods up close, high figured blackwood, fiddleback blackwood, birdseye blackwood, figured and quilted myrtle. marbled mountain ash burl,
blackhearted sassafras it is each for his own they all have there place.
Cheers, Bob

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

Very true,Queensland Maple has no peers,and yes,it is astonishingly pretty,as well as being a world class tonewood

Originally Posted by woodturner777

I beg to differ Chris, Queensland maple has no peers, yes it is nice that I agree.
Still waiting for photos, but as for has no peers, you have not seen some of my woods up close, high figured blackwood, fiddleback blackwood, birdseye blackwood, figured and quilted myrtle. marbled mountain ash burl,
blackhearted sassafras it is each for his own they all have there place.
Cheers, Bob

I can honestly say some of the woods I have seen and held in my hands at Bob's place and here at mine would be the most spectacular I have ever seen, without a doubt. If there were such a thing as a competition between woodies as to who can get their hands on the most amazing woods, Bob would win hands down.....quite simply, there is no competition, or at least if there is, they are keeping it a secret and never showing it.

Okay. I am leaning towards Queensland Maple and Tasmanian Blackwood I guess. Most of the other woods I listed are either not very dense or won't paint :P

Well, I have a new version of the design, and I haven't figured out whether I am painting it or staining it, but does anyone have photos of them in very dark stains? blackish... that or I will paint, and then it comes down to density - which will make the stronger, heavier guitar? I am a pretty big, burly lad, so I want a guitar that is heavy so it doesn't feel like a twig - I want it to feel like it could take a really hard kick :P