Thread: Bunya and King Billy pine

Hi Col,

For King Billy - about 15-16 bucks a super depending on supplier. Thats for clear boat grade - may be different for instrument quality timber.

regards,

AD

You be likely to find Bunya Pine in QLD, I've seen King Billy on Tasmanian Timber web sites but believe it is now quite rare to have it released into the commercial market. I have a block about 70 x 70 x 200mm waiting for a special occasion. Good luck on your hunt.

Bunya pine is found everywhere round here, the tre has limbs which slant down, looks crazy and has the biggest cones and inside is the delicacy "Bunya nut". this tells me the timber shouldn't be too hard to source.
(NB;, never stand or park your vehicle under a "loaded" Bunya tree, the cones are massive and do a lot of damage)

try www.kirbyfine timbers.com thanks dvo

U- wombat, yes both timbers are used by acoustic guitar makers as an aussie alternative to spruce, which is the main quality top wood used.

Bunya is now being used by Maton, Cole Clark and others in production guitars. KB pine seems to be considered by some (Gilet) to be not strong enuf along the grain for steel string dreadnought sized guitars but is used in mandolins, ukuleles and classical guitars which traditionally have used western red cedar.

I have played some Bunya guitars and its real nice sound, dunno if its as sonorous as spruce, i dont think so but it is still pretty good, has warmth and character.... Can depend on how the guitar is built and braced.

some links

http://www.scottwise.net/
http://www.petercoombe.com/jaamim.html
http://www.desanthony.com/

In sth east Qld u will find either timber along with Spruce and others from some mainstream suppliers such as Lazarides at Banyo and Woodworld at labrador or Mullumbimby woodworks over the border. You gotta get out and snoop around some woodyards..what u want may not always be marked or even on display, it might be out the back or just in a pile in the corner...

in yr neck of the woods talk to Scott in margret River or Rad up in Freo, Djalimari in Denmark or check this site http://www.australiantonewoods.com/

prices r clear
Huon Pine $70- $90, King Billy Pine $60 - $80, Celery Top Pine $40 -$50 Bunya Pine TBA

I have some nice 1/4 sawn bunya i picked up in Toowoomba for 30$ enuf for 6 guitars or multiple smaller instruments and some KB pine i picked up at woodworld for 25$ enuf for 1 guitar, its dry and old..and tap tones well. Best KB i have seen was in Tassie. Its not hard to find it, u need the right peices for guitar tops...

Kirby's has the right stuff but he set the wrong link to his site.

Doug Eaton

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~daleljacobsen/

knows a lot about such things so if yr serious about guitar making dont be afraid to give him or another active luthier a call. as a guitar is not just a soundboard, so Aussie timbers for back, sides, neck , bridge, bracing, neck block , headstock veneer and fretboard may
also need to be considered. this may be various varieties but some are tried and tested and each part of the guitar needs specific qualities in the timber

neck= Qld Maple, Blackwood, eucylypts such as Red tingle, Jarrah, Mountain ash, some of the rosewoods, necks need to be strong, light and hold straightness and help the overall bodywood tone in an acoustic.

back/sides = matching pieces, often Blackwood, Qld Maple,Qld walnut, NSW rosewood, sheoak, jarrah, myrtle or Sassfras, different woods give a different projection of the soundboards qualities and add color to the overall tone.

Fretboard= hard long wearing woods like Gidgee, Mulga, Brigalow, Australian ebony, lancewood, Cooktown ironwood...some Eucylypts such as Wandoo or Jarrah

Bridge= traditionally rosewood or ebony but the same woods as the fret board will work well, acacias, casurinas, aussie rosewoods or ebony. Needs to be strong but also transmit sound from the strings to the soundbaord well..

Bracing= strong and light, bunya, hoop, blackwood,red cedar ....

at the end of the day its up to what kind of sound u want from the instrument in reference to the qualities of the specific woods...i have heard a blackwood topped guitar with a casurina bridge that sounded quite 'bluesy' in tone...I think there are also other woods that have been used other than those noted above that can also work well, ash for violins and other uses like slide guitars, huon pine or hoop pine for soundboards, i have seen pianos with Huon soundbaords and harps with Sassafras sound boards... wandoo for back sides is apparenlty very loud

basicaly u just take the qualities used in Traditional luthery timbers and find aussie ones with similar qualities, then u may be surprised....

have fun, let us know how u go..

cheeeeeers
john

Guys many thanks for all the help..

and John you have answered a couple of questions I was about to ask... I will be in Denmark some time next week so will be looking up Djalimari..once again many thanks one 'n all ..Col

Reeves you seemed to have answered a question thats been plagueing me for some time now

See awhile back I was thinking of building an electric guitar out of Jarrah and Sheoak... but I seem to recall getting whacked out of the playin field as they were seen as too heavy to build a guitar out of... now my arguement went along the lines of with a solid body electric you dont have a big hunk of wood anywhere you have thin body you have thin neck and thus the weight wouldnt be too much to handle...

Now Ive not shelved that plan (ie: to build an electric) just put them on hold for a time... and now youve made the comments above seems that a Jarrah necked Sheoak bodied solid body guitar does have potential?

And not to hyjack the thread (but probably will) Ive got a question for you... as a REALLY learner banjo player to a banjo player... HOW THE BLAZES DO YOU TUNE THE THING!!! I keep blowin the damned small string! every time I try to tune it... ping!! then the cuss words flow cause I gotta go buy yet another flamin set of strings!! :mad: Ive been told its tuned to D but by god I cant get the friggin thing there!

Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

Reeves you seemed to have answered a question thats been plagueing me for some time now

hey wow i'm 2 for 2...its a good day up in the hills

See awhile back I was thinking of building an electric guitar out of Jarrah and Sheoak... but I seem to recall getting whacked out of the playin field as they were seen as too heavy to build a guitar out of... now my arguement went along the lines of with a solid body electric you dont have a big hunk of wood anywhere you have thin body you have thin neck and thus the weight wouldnt be too much to handle...

mmm i guess theres only one way to find out,, thats build a protoype, the woods will look real good and as for sound, they r both legitimate tonewoods so u will get a decent sound...as for weight, well, it might be high be in general with the slimline..i say go for it..

Now Ive not shelved that plan (ie: to build an electric) just put them on hold for a time... and now youve made the comments above seems that a Jarrah necked Sheoak bodied solid body guitar does have potential?

wont know till u string it up and plug it in....definaltey wortha go tho...

And not to hyjack the thread (but probably will)

haha well i dindt start this one so i feel no ethical obligation to retain its integrity ;-)

Ive got a question for you... as a REALLY learner banjo player to a banjo player... HOW THE BLAZES DO YOU TUNE THE THING!!! I keep blowin the damned small string! every time I try to tune it... ping!! then the cuss words flow cause I gotta go buy yet another flamin set of strings!! :mad: Ive been told its tuned to D but by god I cant get the friggin thing there!

ok high to low..
high G
D
G
B
D

is the gneral banjo tuning...for 5 string....

4 string is a tenor and can be tuned same a s a guitar or ukulele...or mandolin...

good luck with it mate..

cheeeers
john