Thread: Aussie wood for electric guitars

Hi Nobus, This should read Australian woods suitable for guitars as all woods suitable for acoustic will work for electric, as for the thread Australian tonewood Choices, Choices, sorry about the thread finishing like it did.
Now I can tell you what Tasmanian tonewoods that will work.
Tasmanian Blackwood, Tasmanian Myrtle, Tasmanian Sassafras, Tasmanian Eucalyptus, now please note, on top of musical instrument forum Banner Tasmanian Tonewoods click on this and it will take you to my website and there you will find information about the woods I supply, sound velocity chart plus density chart.
Blackwood is close to Mahogony from what luthiers have told me As for what is close to Alder no idea, hope this helps.
Cheers, Bob.

Originally Posted by Nobus

Hi, I am a newbie to this forum so please forgive me if I am going over old ground (I have tried searching the forum for similar posts).

I am a lefty guitarist and being thoroughly disappointed with what is available from major guitar suppliers I have decided to build my own electric guitars and, where possible, I want to use Australian wood. I checked out the Australian Tonewood: Choices, Choices, Choices post but it seemed to die off after...well lets just say it ended abruptly.

So here is my question: What Aussie woods can be used in the construction of a solid body electric guitar? What is good for the body, the neck and the fretboard.

The sort of thing I'm after is what Aussie woods can be used to emulate the tones/sustain qualities of the likes of Gibson and Fender guitars. Eg. Gibson use Mahogany for the body which gives a warm tone and Fender use Alder which provides a bright tone. What are the Australian wood equivalents?

Cheers

Despite the association of certain woods with gibson and fender, the primary difference is in the type of pickups with Gibson mostly using humbuckers and fender mostly single coil.
One of the primary concerns with selecting solid body timbers is density, so you dont end up with an injured back due to excessive weight.
So gibson used mahogany and fender used swamp ash and then alder, both moderately low density woods.
Sop keep this in mind when chosing your timbers and design.

Jeff, I agree with your comments below, but I also know that wood even from the same species varies a lot in weight, also if a guitar is well balanced built correctly weight should not be a problem.
Cheers, Bob


One of the primary concerns with selecting solid body timbers is density, so you dont end up with an injured back due to excessive weight.
So gibson used mahogany and fender used swamp ash and then alder, both moderately low density woods.
Sop keep this in mind when chosing your timbers and design.[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by woodturner777

Now I can tell you what Tasmanian tonewoods that will work. Tasmanian Blackwood, Tasmanian Myrtle, Tasmanian Sassafras, Tasmanian Eucalyptus,
Cheers, Bob.

Thanks for the response Bob, really appreciate it. Are you able to break it down any further, like the following:

What woods are good for the guitar body
What is good for the neck
What is good for the fretboard

Or doesn't it make a difference.

Cheers

Originally Posted by jeffhigh

One of the primary concerns with selecting solid body timbers is density, so you dont end up with an injured back due to excessive weight.

Hi Jeff,

My days of playing heavy guitars on stage are well and truly behind me. I'm strictly a sit down player now.

I am quite aware that density will vary within a species, Bob, and I have not recommended or dismissed any timber.
Do you have any tasmanian timbers that get into the 400-500kg/m3 range?
Weight does matter, but if you are using a capped body design then you have the option of relief holes to reduce the weight, at least in the body.
I do have a Myrtle 12 string electric that I built last year which is rather a heavyweight.

Blackwood is said to be similar to koa which is slightly brighter than the mahogany gibson uses. I'd probably use it for a fender style guitar also, although if your going for clear or translucent finishes it's darker than the maple, alder and ash fender typically uses. It is suitable for necks and bodies. Queensland maple is said ot be rather neutral so more like basswood than ash, but then alder isn't a particularly lively wood either. Remember Leo Fender chose his timbers for availability and workability not any mythical sound influence. It just happened that rock maple and ash added a little sparkle.

Fretboards are a bigger problem. They need to be fairly hard and durable. "Mulga" which is a collection of desert species are being used with good results, but the timber is sort of grey and streaked so if your looking for solid black or yellow or whatever it'll be a challenge.

I too am left handed, but add the complication that I play classical and find skinny necks a challenge. I found a rick 12 copy last year with a 1 7/8" nut and I have a copy of a selmer which lacks detail finish but is suprisingly satisfying. I am not prepared to pay warmoth prices.

Good luck with your project.

Originally Posted by jeffhigh

I am quite aware that density will vary within a species, Bob, and I have not recommended or dismissed any timber.
Do you have any tasmanian timbers that get into the 400-500kg/m3 range?
Weight does matter, but if you are using a capped body design then you have the option of relief holes to reduce the weight, at least in the body.
I do have a Myrtle 12 string electric that I built last year which is rather a heavyweight.

Given Spanish Cedar is in the 400-500kg range,perhaps it could be considered.

Spanish Cedar can get even lower than that
But it's not Tasmanian or Australian or even Spanish for that matter

Originally Posted by jeffhigh

Spanish Cedar can get even lower than that
But it's not Tasmanian or Australian or even Spanish for that matter

I know it's not spanish,or any of the above.There aren't many Australian timbers that are in the range of 400-500 kg though.Qld Maple can get rather light,as can Red Cedar,but most of our timbers are quite heavy.

Good morning Jeff,
In answer to your question below, No There is not any Tasmanian species that I know of between the 400 -500Kg/m3 range. the closest I can come up with on my density chart that by the way was done by Andrew Morrow at the CSIRO.
Is would you believe Mountain Ash the good old Eucalyptus, that comes in at 613Kg/m3, But I do have some lighter than that. in fact my winter clothing weighs more than a guitar body blank, mountains are covered in snow around me at the moment, if some one requires a light guitar go for pine or build up there muscle's. Cheers, Bob

Originally Posted by jeffhigh

I am quite aware that density will vary within a species, Bob, and I have not recommended or dismissed any timber.
Do you have any tasmanian timbers that get into the 400-500kg/m3 range?
Weight does matter, but if you are using a capped body design then you have the option of relief holes to reduce the weight, at least in the body.
I do have a Myrtle 12 string electric that I built last year which is rather a heavyweight.

Actually a king billy pine telecaster could be interesting.

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

Originally Posted by jeffhigh

Actually a king billy pine telecaster could be interesting.

I was going to throw Macrocarpa into the discussion as well Bob,

Macrocarpa (monterey cyprus)would be good I have used it for a flamenco back and sides,.ended up as a 1100gram total weight finished and strung.
Both it and King billy would not need to be quartersawn and defect free for solid body guitars, Rift to flatsawn and with tight pin knots would be fine, so perhaps some of the soundboard and b&s rejects could be used.