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Thread: Huon
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6th April 2013, 11:35 AM #1
Huon
Look, I know this is none of my business but, Houn is not a tone wood, far too oily. To quote Leo Kottke (he was talking about his singing) a guitar built from Huon would sound like duck farts on a muggy day. I have played one and it was quite franlky, horrible. Stick with King Billy if you want Tasmanian tops.....
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6th April 2013, 12:11 PM #2
You are right, Huon isn't highly reguarded as a tone wood. However, this bloke seems to do alright with Huon. A lot depends on experience and skill. The beauty of the timber encourages taking a punt.
Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum • View topic - Huon Pine Weissenborn
Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum • View topic - A Couple of New WeissenbornsCheers, Bill
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6th April 2013, 12:23 PM #3
Beauiful
This is a magnificent piece. Love the headstock vaneer. If I were a luthier (I am a boatbuilder), I would probabbly use king billy for the body with highly figured huon for the bindings, headstock and soundhole rosette - thanks for the link
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6th April 2013, 03:27 PM #4Retired
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Huon Pine as a soundboard
Huon Pine makes an excellant soundboard, is it because that you are a boat builder you are worried that all the worlds luthiers are going to start using Huon Pine as a soundboard and there will be none left for boat builders.? You need not worry about that as there is no shortage of Huon, For a start many of my customers ask for Huon tops in fact I have one customer that cooks the tops to remove the oil. King billy also has lot's of oil, so this is not a problem. regards Bob
Last edited by woodturner777; 6th April 2013 at 03:34 PM. Reason: corrections
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6th April 2013, 05:15 PM #5
Huon soundboards
Hi Bob,
No, I am not worried that Luthiers are going to take all of the huon as, the sizes I use are obviously much longer.
I am a professional 12 player though (note stunning martin 12 built to my specs in profile picture), and have played a few huon topped guitars only to be disspointed by the sound. I had no idea that you could remove the oil from these timbers as you mention with the King Billy and, if this can be done with Huon then, I agree that it should make a good tonewood (better than spruce given the fine grain)
cheers
Warren
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6th April 2013, 05:30 PM #6
WRB,
Could you post some pics of your guitar and the specs? I'm always keen to see something from the Martin custom shop.Cheers, Bill
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6th April 2013, 06:07 PM #7
Martin D12-20 Custom
Hi Bob,
It is based on a D12-20 slope shouldered 12 fret that I used to own and should never have sold. I had it made for my 50th birthday. The original D12-20 was a very plain guitar and production finished in 1974 so I thought I may as well make it special while I had the chance. The body is quilted Mahogany (one of the plainer sets from "The Tree") a grade spruce over adirondak bracing (D12-20 pattern). Tortoise shell bindings with D45 black and white purfling. The fretboard has D45 pre-war inlays as does the headstock. All inlays are blue pearl - in some places on the headstock inlay it looks a lot like opal.. The only thing I would change if I had it done again would be a request that the soundboard be planed to the same thickness as the 1964 (first year of manufacture and the year model I owned) as they were thinner and sounded incredible. The reason that they made them thicker the following years is that all of the 64 models went back to the factory for a neck reset due to the soundboard bellying up. I would quite happily sign a waver for this on my original contract if I had known that the were not going to stick to 1964 specs. It sounds great anyway... The other things I hate are the gold tuners. With the Martin custom shop, you have to specify everything or they just do what they think is best. I will change these to open tuners at some stage.
3.jpg4.jpg5.jpg
Cheers
Warren
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6th April 2013, 06:36 PM #8Retired
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Beautiful looking instrument.
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6th April 2013, 06:49 PM #9Saw dust maker!
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6th April 2013, 08:48 PM #10
Lovely guitar Warren, I think I could live with the gold tuners.
Cheers, Bill
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6th April 2013, 10:46 PM #11GOLD MEMBER
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Re: Huon
Beautiful guitar Warren. That mahogany is stunning!
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7th April 2013, 10:02 AM #12Senior Member
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Beautiful 12 string Warren
I'll have to agree with you on the Huon soundboards
For MY objectives in building, which are to produce a good sounding loud and responsive instument, I need a low density, high stiffness soundboard, and spruce fits the bill
The higher density, lower stiffness and oil content disqualify Houn for me.
Sure you can make a reasonable instrument from it and make allowances for it's density and lack of stiffness, but why bother.
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7th April 2013, 10:20 AM #13Alumnus of Wood and Strings
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With great respect, my violins beg to differ. One of my customers (who by the way is a Phd in Musical Performance {violin}) gave me a testimonial on a Huon top violin and said this..... "warm, great intensity and amazing projection" ...and... "Interestingly, I found the Baroque style of playing suited your violin too, perhaps it is in the timbers? (The other members of this ensemble) were also unanimous in hearing a brilliant violin, when played as one, and are now very curious about your mandolins!" .....
If that's a duck fart, then line up my ducks please!!!!
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7th April 2013, 11:57 AM #14
Mahogany
The Mahogany came from the same tree that produced this. R. Taylor has some sets left but, Martin only bought the cheaper stuff.
the tree.jpg
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7th April 2013, 12:11 PM #15
guitar set prices
Just an aside, What do Huon guitar sets sell for. I am going to be selling all of my Huon shortly and, being boat boards, they are all clear and some of them are 12" wide (x 16' long!!). Maybe I could keep one to cut up and sell to Luthiers (and retire to the Bahamas...)
Warren
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