Suitable for Body Timber?

[IWieldTheSpade]

Hi all,

I've got a slab of coachwood about 20/30 years old, but I'm not sure if the grain is suitable for using as an electric hollowbody (similar to a thinline telecaster). It has a slight bow across the grain. Any opinions?

Thanks

[truckjohn]

Sure.. but it will be one heavy Telecaster.... Coachwood is fine stuff... Plenty stable.

The original Tele's were made of Pine.. Eventually them moved to stuff like Alder and Swamp ash - but all 3 of those are fairly light, soft, and easy to machine...

If you were really feeling adventurous - you could use Bunya, Radiata, or KB....

No reason it wouldn't work, though... especially if you already have it.

[IWieldTheSpade]

Sure.. but it will be one heavy Telecaster....

There's going to be a fair bit of hollow space in it, which is why I went with the coachwood - didn't want to risk neck heaviness. The piece I have for it doesn't seem ultra heavy though, just comfortably weighty

[woodturner777]

Looking close at the billet it looks totally back sawn, if you resaw this for book matching you could have problems as it could bow, but then again if it has been dried for between 20/30 years you might be lucky, the reason it is bowed is because it is back sawn.
myself I would not take the risk. Cheers Bob

Hi all,

I've got a slab of coachwood about 20/30 years old, but I'm not sure if the grain is suitable for using as an electric hollowbody (similar to a thinline telecaster). It has a slight bow across the grain. Any opinions?

Thanks

[woodturner777]

Look at the end grain see how it is cupped, this is the way it wants to go.

Hi all,

I've got a slab of coachwood about 20/30 years old, but I'm not sure if the grain is suitable for using as an electric hollowbody (similar to a thinline telecaster). It has a slight bow across the grain. Any opinions?

Thanks

[IWieldTheSpade]

Looking close at the billet it looks totally back sawn, if you resaw this for book matching you could have problems as it could bow, but then again if it has been dried for between 20/30 years you might be lucky, the reason it is bowed is because it is back sawn.
myself I would not take the risk. Cheers Bob

I'll be using it as is, it's a longer billet that I plan to cut two lengths from and glue side by side to make a body blank. Would it be stable enough like that?

[woodturner777]

I'll be using it as is, it's a longer billet that I plan to cut two lengths from and glue side by side to make a body blank. Would it be stable enough like that?

This is what I am saying to you, if you resaw this blank in half and flip over side by side for book matching you will have two cupped pieces, it is up to you if you want to take the risk but it will cup and move on you, you decide.
Cheers Bob

[IWieldTheSpade]

This is what I am saying to you, if you resaw this blank in half and flip over side by side for book matching you will have two cupped pieces

I'm not sure if we have the same idea here Bob. The attached picture shows what I want to do with the billet

Thanks

[woodturner777]

I'm not sure if we have the same idea here Bob. The attached picture shows what I want to do with the billet

Thanks

So it is a long billet.? that you will cut down the centre then join.?
I still would not trust it not to move in time, as that is the nature of wood milled like that, but as I said this is up to you I can only suggest if it was up to me dont do it.

Look at this way do you want to spend the time building a guitar from this piece of wood and then find years from now it is warp.

[truckjohn]

If you are really concerned, you could run it through the planer to flatten it, then mark some lines across it - and then over the next couple weeks - use winding sticks to see if it shifts around... Take it outdoors to see how bad it cups back up with humidity...

Now... If you can make a successful coffee table out of the stuff... then why not an electric guitar body that's only like 0.4m long

I don't think that Fender ever actually used "Quartersawn" wood in any their electric bodies except perhaps by mistake.... Every one I have seen is generally perfectly flat sawn.... I would hazard a guess that the standard American timbers used aren't as stable as Coachwood....

Thanks

[IWieldTheSpade]

What if I were to saw the strips off the sides of the billet and glue them together instead, leaving the arced section out? How close could I get to the centre of the billet without risking having a piece that could warp?

[Stopper]

I have found coachwood to be pretty unstable. I've used it in coffee tables, standard lamps, beside tables, cupboard doors etc and over time it moves substantially. I agree with Bob. It will continue to cup over time. I would use it for something else.
regards
Steve

[woodturner777]

I have found coachwood to be pretty unstable. I've used it in coffee tables, standard lamps, beside tables, cupboard doors etc and over time it moves substantially. I agree with Bob. It will continue to cup over time. I would use it for something else.
regards
Steve

Now there you go with Steve and me, who both cut wood for a living have told you not to risk it, please dont risk it and waste your time, use it for a chopping block a curly chopping block in years to come.
If you are going to be spending all this time building a guitar build it from wood that will not move.
Regards Bob