Thread: paulownia for guitars

Originally Posted by R3R

love the construction pics notamen

i am delighted that you have made the neck out of this wood..

initially i thought it might not be strong enough but your pics say otherwise

I'm working on taking better pictures. But I'm glad you enjoyed the photos as much as I do putting them up.

The paulownia neck was build in the traditional spanish heel construction, wasn't reinforced, and the neck also has a very flat profile, for my playng pleasure. Still, it's been over a year, and it's still very stable, as you would have read about this timber, in spite of string tension. But bear in mind, that this neck takes nylon strings at medium tension - D-addario J45. For higher tension, like on a steel-string guitar, maybe you can let me know when you build one with a paulownia neck. But my feeling is that, it'll fair pretty well. Reinforced it with hardwood, like ebony, down the middle, if you like and it'll look very handsome as well.

Keep the music alive!

Originally Posted by notamen

I'm working on taking better pictures. But I'm glad you enjoyed the photos as much as I do putting them up.

The paulownia neck was build in the traditional spanish heel construction, wasn't reinforced, and the neck also has a very flat profile, for my playng pleasure. Still, it's been over a year, and it's still very stable, as you would have read about this timber, in spite of string tension. But bear in mind, that this neck takes nylon strings at medium tension - D-addario J45. For higher tension, like on a steel-string guitar, maybe you can let me know when you build one with a paulownia neck. But my feeling is that, it'll fair pretty well. Reinforced it with hardwood, like ebony, down the middle, if you like and it'll look very handsome as well.

Keep the music alive!

aah yes...the nylon strings bring much less tension...i forgot about tht

unfortunately i prob won't be using paulownia for necks anytime soon as i am going in the other direction... towards using the more dense/stiff woods rather than less dense but resonant woods

Originally Posted by R3R

aah yes...the nylon strings bring much less tension...i forgot about tht

unfortunately i prob won't be using paulownia for necks anytime soon as i am going in the other direction... towards using the more dense/stiff woods rather than less dense but resonant woods

hi R3R, from your experience, for neck woods, with all else being equal, what are the differences between using a dense/stiff and a less dense/resonant one?

Originally Posted by notamen

hi R3R, from your experience, for neck woods, with all else being equal, what are the differences between using a dense/stiff and a less dense/resonant one?

i did a 1-piece cocobolo neck (truss rod from back) recently using something like 7/8" stock

the typical bolt on neck is around 1"

just from the cocobolo neck (and in comparison to maple and mahogany necks - i have a few guitars i can compare to) i make the following observations:

1. the cocobolo neck has not deviated one iota from the straight line using strings gauge 10 and tuned to standard pitch...and it is not particularly thick as i shaped the neck to quite a slim rounded profile (but not thin)

greater density = greater strength ...which means i can use less wood to get the stiffness of a larger neck made from less dense materials

win, win in ma book

2. there appears to be a stronger fundamental tone using the cocobolo relative to maple and or mahogany

this creates a sound with more clarity...espc on the lower notes where, on less dense material neck, lotsa overtones can contribute to a wolfy/muddy sound when using high (or even moderately high) gain settings on the amp

moreover the attack (of the sounded note) is a bit faster and the decay slower leading to more sustain

3. this cocobolo did not require a finish at all (not all dense woods like this btw) and i found the feel to be far superior to a finished neck - satin/oiled/or otherwise

in fact there is a silkiness that comes from the patina that develops after a while of playing the neck ...tht is simply quite luxurious

i now rarely play any other guitar due to this fact alone

4. i have been itching to do a neck without a trussrod using this material and i suspect it be more successful than using typical maple material

i really dont want to adjust a neck at all and am looking for material that just do not deviate from the straight under the (quite light string pressure) of strings tht are gauge 10 and tuned to standard pitch (iirc it is around 140 pounds of lateral tension pressure...not sure what the vector component of the force is acting downwards on the neck, though)

maybe when we get a nice stretch of weather here in the west, i will soon start doing something of the ideas in me head

sorry to resurrect an old thread but i thought i'd get more discussion here.

any thoughts on this wood as a tonewood?

i see a few body blanks going for quite cheap (as well as those already routed) on the internet.

will be for a bass, and the lighter the better.

Originally Posted by ftssjk

will be for a bass, and the lighter the better.

You'd want to be careful how light you go in the body, otherwise it will do a neck dive every time you put it on

Chop the cheap body in half and make a through neck

Well... It's traditionally used for Musical instruments in it's home range...
Then.. the early Fender electrics were made with Pine bodies.... Solid Spruce has been used plenty of times on electrics as well... No reason Paulonia wouldn't work just fine.

I say go for it!

Thanks