Thread: Aussie wood for electric guitars

One day Bob, Im a bit like you at the moment, work, work, work.

G'day, I am building a les Paul, and these are the woods I'm using, Tasmanian blackwood body and neck ( it'll ring like a churchbell ) Tiger myrtle top, and because there really isn't a tassie wood hard enough for a good electric fretboard, I'm using gidgee, you can get it in medium or a dark finish comparable to rosewood. I also highly reccomend Tasmanian Tonewoods, Chris has given me lots of great advice about woods and comes very highly reccomended.

Hi wiley, you say there is not a Tasmanian wood hard or dense enough for fret boards sorry mate your wrong there is.
Cheers, Bob.

Originally Posted by wileyc007

G'day, I am building a les Paul, and these are the woods I'm using, Tasmanian blackwood body and neck ( it'll ring like a churchbell ) Tiger myrtle top, and because there really isn't a tassie wood hard enough for a good electric fretboard, I'm using gidgee, you can get it in medium or a dark finish comparable to rosewood. I also highly reccomend Tasmanian Tonewoods, Chris has given me lots of great advice about woods and comes very highly reccomended.

Originally Posted by woodturner777

Hi wiley, you say there is not a Tasmanian wood hard or dense enough for fret boards sorry mate your wrong there is.
Cheers, Bob.

Grey Ironbark (eucalyptus paniculata), which i believe grows in tasmania,is around 1100kg density.Apparently has interlocked grain , probably means heaps of figure!Tasmanian Ironbark (eucalyptus sieberi) might work? Paddock grown Blackwood /Acacia can be extremly hard and heavy.There would have to be few,you would think? Cheers

Originally Posted by woodturner777

You are right there Jeff, King Billy telecaster would be interesting but also expenisive as figured Blackwood as it is very rare these days, so it go's into soundboards unless some one is prepared to pay the price, I have some perfectly clean King Billy billets 250mm wide fully on the quarter, but I reckon soundboards is what they will be.
Now I know Macrocarpa is not a Tasmanian species but it was planted here by the early settlers as a wind break and fully on the quarter this would make a nice light electric guitar it is sold in the states as back & side sets and also as a soundboard.
Or other way is Macrocarpa body core and a nice 7mm figured drop top.
Cheers,Bob

G'day, I'm building a les Paul using the following 1 piece chambered Tas blackwood body, 1 piece blackwood neck, 1 piece tiger myrtle top (purely for looks), and because there isn't really a tassie wood hard enough for a good fretboard, I'm using dark gidgee, which is very comparable to rosewood. The blackwood will give a little more bottom end in tone and will resonate like mad (the phrase ring like a churchbell has been used), yes it may be a little heavy, but its all about the tone, couple this with 50's style pickups and wiring and it'll be a killer. I am doing the build from a stewmac plan, and it should be great fun to build, and should play like a dream, fingers crossed. Feel free to swap ideas as I'm new to this myself.

So what are you trying to say with your quote Wiley.?
I was replying to you saying that there was not a Tasmanian Timber suitable as a fretboard sorry your wrong there.
Cheers Bob.

Originally Posted by wileyc007

G'day, I'm building a les Paul using the following 1 piece chambered Tas blackwood body, 1 piece blackwood neck, 1 piece tiger myrtle top (purely for looks), and because there isn't really a tassie wood hard enough for a good fretboard, I'm using dark gidgee, which is very comparable to rosewood. The blackwood will give a little more bottom end in tone and will resonate like mad (the phrase ring like a churchbell has been used), yes it may be a little heavy, but its all about the tone, couple this with 50's style pickups and wiring and it'll be a killer. I am doing the build from a stewmac plan, and it should be great fun to build, and should play like a dream, fingers crossed. Feel free to swap ideas as I'm new to this myself.

Nobus, in regards to your original question, the wood selection for an electric guitar is really irrelevant, you can use plywood if you really want and paint it.

Wood selection however is really importamt on acoustics violins etc

Originally Posted by simso

Nobus, in regards to your original question, the wood selection for an electric guitar is really irrelevant, you can use plywood if you really want and paint it.

Wood selection however is really importamt on acoustics violins etc

I want to see the studies showing different timbers performances when the players hand is on the neck and the body is slung lovingly at crotch height or on the thigh.

Originally Posted by woodturner777

So what are you trying to say with your quote Wiley.?
I was replying to you saying that there was not a Tasmanian Timber suitable as a fretboard sorry your wrong there.
Cheers Bob.

Sorry about the double post one went missing on me, thanks for the input Bob, I was unaware of that since the luthiers I have spoken to told me the hardest we have here in tassie is native olive and its not as hard as rosewood or ebony, and I should consider mainland woods such as jarrah or gidgee, especially gidgee if you want a very dark/black fretboard. My apologies if I have misinformed anyone, I was only going on the information given to me.

No worries, no offence taken, you will find some of the eucalyptus growing in the high country very dense and suitable for fretboards.
But not dark or black if this is what you require but you could dye the fretboard.
Cheers Bob

Originally Posted by wileyc007

Sorry about the double post one went missing on me, thanks for the input Bob, I was unaware of that since the luthiers I have spoken to told me the hardest we have here in tassie is native olive and its not as hard as rosewood or ebony, and I should consider mainland woods such as jarrah or gidgee, especially gidgee if you want a very dark/black fretboard. My apologies if I have misinformed anyone, I was only going on the information given to me.

Originally Posted by woodturner777

No worries, no offence taken, you will find some of the eucalyptus growing in the high country very dense and suitable for fretboards.
But not dark or black if this is what you require but you could dye the fretboard.
Cheers Bob

What species of eucalypts Bob?

G'Day Chris, Yellow gum Eucalyptus johnstonii.
Cheers, Bob

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

What species of eucalypts Bob?

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

I want to see the studies showing different timbers performances when the players hand is on the neck and the body is slung lovingly at crotch height or on the thigh.

Dont need a study, common sense prevails. PS I repair musical instruments for a living

Originally Posted by simso

Nobus, in regards to your original question, the wood selection for an electric guitar is really irrelevant, you can use plywood if you really want and paint it.

Wood selection however is really importamt on acoustics violins etc

I thought wood selection was relevant,must be purely for aesthetics then,Cheers