Thread: Australian Timbers Suitable as Tone Woods

Bob and anyone else who would like to chime in… I’m going to throw a couple of questions your way.

While there are some great tonewoods around that sound fine when used on acoustic guitars, the other half of the building equation is appearance. I don’t know if it applies to everyone who is building hand made guitars, but I for one don’t want to make an instrument that will be mistaken for Martin or Maton. While there are a bunch of things we can do to differentiate our guitars from the mass produced ones, an easy option is to use the less commonly available timbers, even if just for accessorising (binding, bridge, fretboard, head plate etc).

So my first question is - What timbers do you think would be good for these applications, timbers that are unusual have a striking appearance or would complement the popular tonewoods as a contrast colour for bindings.

The reason I’ve though to ask is because I’m building a guitar for a guy and we’ve just gone through the process of designing it then digging through my timber stash to pick the timbers and it was the binding that we had most trouble deciding on (still haven’t). He decided on highly figured blackwood (my last good set) with a tapered back splice of huon to break up the figure and (at this stage) Qld maple binding. The neck will be a laminate of the three timbers. Being a Tassie guy he was keen to find a Tasmanian alternative for the maple but all I had was myrtle (tiger and normal) and it just doesn’t work with the blackwood.

Which brings me to my next question - What Tassie timber do you think would look best as the binding on a blackwood acoustic guitar. Silver Wattle, Warratah, Native Cherry, Musk (can you steam bend musk?), Lancewood, other and how hard is it to source some of these timbers? (I’ve never come across Tasmanian Warrath, Native Cherry or Lancewood for sale).

Cheers
James

I've often wondered about these species, and are they suitable for guitar building.....

Jarrah
Poplar
Tasmania Oak
Camphor Laurel

In answer to this question, Jarrah has been used, LMI in the States were selling sets.
But most of the comments I have heard for Acoustic guitars it is crapp.
Poplar has been used by many builders, very popular with some excuse the poor joke.
Tasmanian Oak this is used allot by Acoustic and electric builders.
Camphor Laurel I know nothing about.
Cheers Bob

Originally Posted by GhostGuitarist

I've often wondered about these species, and are they suitable for guitar building.....

Jarrah
Poplar
Tasmania Oak
Camphor Laurel

James, in answer to your questions,I totally agree appearance is very important when building a custom made guitar, you need to stand out from the crowd, headstock,bindings,bridge, fret boars, center strip down the centre, something that says look at me. I have not looked at this market, but this is not to say that I will not be interested as I do get some beautiful figured timbers including Musk but I dont know if it steam bends, this I will check out. forget about Warratah not available. but Native cherry available limited amounts, same with Lancewood, also another beautiful tassie timber Banksie would this work.? She Oak is another. lots of possibility's out there it just takes a luthier to build with it.
I just had a customer in Ireland build a magic Acoustic, fiddleback blackwood, back & sides, western red cedar top, Lacewood bindings, spalted beech for the soundhole rosette. there is lots of timbers in Australia that can be used for the same, also high figured veneers can be used. Its all about imagination.
Another idea high figured timber, burl Etc used for the Pick guard.
Cheers Bob

Originally Posted by feralfelix

many of the old school luthiers would use laminate when building classical guitars, particularly for the sides. I’ve been given a couple of reasons for this, one being that it helps prevent splitting or cracking when using timbers like brazilian rosewood. The other is that by laminating a soft wood like spruce to the inside of the sides it mellows the guitar and improves the sound by making it cleaner… a bit like putting soft coverings on hard surfaces in recording booths. There is a school of thought amongst some classical builders that the back and sides adds little to the sound of the guitar and that the important part of the sound comes from the top. I spoke to a luthier in sevilla who laminated spruce to the insides of all his guitars except those made with spanish cedar and he said he did it because he didn’t like the sound without and that by doing it this way he could get more sound consistency between instruments. Antonio torres tried to demonstrate much the same thing with his spruce topped paper-mache guitar.

however if you are building guitars to sell, you could hit some problems with market acceptability by using laminates. While not as prevalent with classical players, there is a general view that solid timber guitars are better… many would question spending big bucks on a laminated guitar. I personally think that this stems from cheap laminated top guitars, which tend to sound bad, biasing guitarists against any use of laminates on a guitar. The upper end of the guitar market wants hand made guitars, and it is easier for a small luthier to build with solid timbers rather than stuff around laminating them.

well them’s my thoughts

cheers
james

here here!!!

Jarrah - I've seen enough old jarrah with splits in it that I can't bring myself to trust it to last the hundred or so years I hope what I make will last. I feel the same way about Australian rosewood for the same reason.

Poplar - Is it the same tree as Europe? I know it is used in stringed instruments there.

Tasmania Oak - I can't think of any good reason not to use it (but there are so many timbers I could say that about that I like to look of better).

Camphor Laurel - Beautiful timber and I've long thought it would make great guitars.

I think long term stability is a big question mark on many of the harder timbers. Some of the more popular cabinet timbers have been proven to a large extent as they have stood the test of time in other applications. very olld Australian furniture made with Aust cedar, silky oak, Qld Maple, blackwood and myrtle isn't hard to find, and usually the timber is still in great condition, so I wouldn't hesitate to use any of these.

Hi James, I can see it now luthiers buying up all of the Antique furniture and pulling it apart to build guitars.
Have you ever tried Melaleuca also know as T.tree excellent tone wood for Acoustic & electric.
Cheers Bob

Hi Bob
I've only used tea tree in yacht restoration, can't say any of it looked good enough to inspire me to try it as a guitar timber (kind to pink tan colour with nothing that looked like figure). But there are a bunch of different tea tree species, the one you have down there must be better looking timber. If you have a photo of some it would be good if you could post it, would be interesting to see.

As for pulling apart antique furniture

First harp I made the timber came from a 90 year old Aust red cedar church pew and I've got enough BZ rosewood for a dread or maybe two smaller guitars which came from a piano stool I broke down ($30 from a lifeline store in Brisbane). I've also broken down a couple of antique dressers for the timber (some of the silky oak was used in the last guitar I made). My bedroom wardrobe is at constant risk of destruction, the whole thing is covered with Brazilian rosewood veneer ($60 from a garage sale).

Totally correct there James.
There is about 80 species of T.Tree very plain in colour like you say pink tan.
But there was a guy selling a few acoustic sets. but it is a very dense timber and can have blackheart colour and purple colours spalting, this would suit electric guitars and the plain for body blanks. its very hard to find large trees large enough to get quarter sawn 225 mm wide.
Regards Bob

Originally Posted by Feralfelix

Hi Bob
I've only used tea tree in yacht restoration, can't say any of it looked good enough to inspire me to try it as a guitar timber (kind to pink tan colour with nothing that looked like figure). But there are a bunch of different tea tree species, the one you have down there must be better looking timber. If you have a photo of some it would be good if you could post it, would be interesting to see.

As for pulling apart antique furniture

First harp I made the timber came from a 90 year old Aust red cedar church pew and I've got enough BZ rosewood for a dread or maybe two smaller guitars which came from a piano stool I broke down ($30 from a lifeline store in Brisbane). I've also broken down a couple of antique dressers for the timber (some of the silky oak was used in the last guitar I made). My bedroom wardrobe is at constant risk of destruction, the whole thing is covered with Brazilian rosewood veneer ($60 from a garage sale).

Tasmanian Myrtle. Nothofagus Cunninghamii.
Denisity KG. M3 705. Sound Velocity 4680.
Acoustic Sets in high figured Fiddleback will be available in 4 weeks, please Pm if interested.
Also available quilted myrtle for solid body.
Regards Bob