Thread: tonewood on ebay???

G'day , while your waiting on some advice, which I'm sure is just around the corner, did you know that Maton run tours of the factory so if your ever down this way it may be interesting for you to see, believe me the guitar collection in the foyer is worth seeing in itself.

G'day,
The sponsor of this forum Bob from Tasmanian tone woods will definately be able to get you something very special. The piece of Myrtle burl I bought from him is incredible, not only that but it is going on a guitar where the rest of the timber was sourced from ebay. It arrived straight and true and is of a great quality considering the price I got it for. Good luck and welcome to the addictive world of guitar building.

Hi ,

I wouldnt use Huon for a full sized guitar soundboard. It can be good but its usually not cut on the quarter and Im not sure it has the cross grain stiffness. This means you will need to use a lot of bracing and that will deaden the sound. King Billy sounds great, there is also Bunya. Both are much better options. That said Western Red Cedar makes excellent soundboards and is widely available and inexpensive. You will need to think carefully about your bracing stock which ever you decide on, most use spruce. Laminates of indigenous timbers with CF tow would work as well.

Tiger Myrtle is wonderful to bend so it is a great tonewood to start with. It is also going to get a lot more rare and expensive, Id buy up if I had more cash.

Forum sponsors have their reputations up for all to see and Bob's timber (Tasmanian Tonewoods) receives raving reviews. Ive had mixed results off EBay.

I agree with all of the above. Can I suggest using cheaper timber on your first build and working up to the more expensive stuff.
Ebay is Ok but look for the refund policy and the sellers feedback. I should declare my interest here as an ebay seller.
You should also check out the tonewood thread on this forum. Some awesome wood.

Cheers
Steve

Sebastiaan,I note below that you say Huon pine is not usually cut on the quarter thats correct as the sawmiller is aiming for the best recovery and to mill a log on the quarter gives you the least recovery that is why tonewood costs more because of higher costs involved.
I also note that you say that forum sponsers have there reputations up for all to see that is why my Huon pine soundboards are fully on the quarter I would not supply soundboards any other way I am in my business for the long haul not the short haul.
I also note that that Steve/ Stopper suggests uses cheaper wood for his first build well I see is a carpentry joiner and a perfectionist so I dont think he is going to stuff up his build, as for that you yourself would not use Huon Pine for a full size guitar just because a few builders have said it is not suitable.? just look at different bracing different thickness of the soundboard Etc I have spent most of my life been told you can't do that so I have done it just to prove it can be done thats what life is all about if it can't be done what went wrong.? I will try another way but to be honest I do not see why Huon can not be used on a larger guitar, now I will sit back and have another cup of tea and wait for the knockers to come out of the woodwork.
Cheers, Bob

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Hi ,

I wouldnt use Huon for a full sized guitar soundboard. It can be good but its usually not cut on the quarter and Im not sure it has the cross grain stiffness. This means you will need to use a lot of bracing and that will deaden the sound. King Billy sounds great, there is also Bunya. Both are much better options. That said Western Red Cedar makes excellent soundboards and is widely available and inexpensive. You will need to think carefully about your bracing stock which ever you decide on, most use spruce. Laminates of indigenous timbers with CF tow would work as well.

Tiger Myrtle is wonderful to bend so it is a great tonewood to start with. It is also going to get a lot more rare and expensive, Id buy up if I had more cash.

Forum sponsors have their reputations up for all to see and Bob's timber (Tasmanian Tonewoods) receives raving reviews. Ive had mixed results off EBay.

thanks for your thoughts sebastiaan,
I can see the logic in having to make the soundboard thicker or have extra bracing if huon is a weaker timber than generally used for soundboards.
As a complete beginner luthier would I be right in concluding that having a "tie" at the end of the guitar to hold the strings instead of a traditional bridge would drastically reduce the strength needed in a soundboard? therefore being able to have a normal thickness and bracing on a huon top?
I really like tiger myrtle for the grain and from what I've read and heard it is a good tone wood for back and sides.
I liked the idea of huon pine just because I know how rare and special it is.
I have found a tiger myrtle set and also a huon soundboard on ebay australia, if anyone wants to check them out and let me know what they think just search for:

"tiger myrtle back and side set"
&
"ancient huon pine soundboard"

I really like the look of the figure in the huon and the myrtle seems a reasonable price, I'm just too scared to jump in and buy them at this early stage, hence all the questions!

thanks

Rob.

G'day Bob, thanks for your input, you are right about the starting with cheap wood thing, I have done that too many times ie; practised various projects on scrap pieces of wood only to end up spending alot of time on it and it ending up how I wanted it anyway! only on a crappy piece of wood. I don't want to come off sounding arrogant but my skill level isn't what's concerning me, it's the getting the right timber etc, that's the worry I figure if I get the right timber then it's all up to me to get a great guitar out of it, "you can't make a silk purse out of sows ear" as they say...

OK, found it, still cheap for what it is but then again you can get a kick #### bearclaw spruce for that money. But I understand the mojo.

"It is in many ways similar to Canadian Yellow Cedar. Weaker along the grain compared to spruce. You will need to factor this when bracing"

Yup, you sure will. So when you get to thinking about bracing you will need to research what you are going to do. Are you planning a Dreadnought, a Classical guitar, a Martin style guitar, Parlor, Maccaferri etc, etc. Whatever it is I would brace with Spruce and make the soundboard at least 1.5 mm thicker than the spec for spruce.

I used the floating bridge for a number of reasons. Firstly style, it looks cool. Secondly, its very difficult to get a bridge stuck down with the soundholes in the sides up the neck end. Thirdly it is tradition in bent top instruments. Fourthly, it is adjustable. With a floating bridge it tends not to rock back and forth as much as a glued on bridge. Coupled with the bent top it leads to a more punchy gypsy jazz sound. Guitar strings move in a rotating ellipse when they are plucked. This means the bridge moves from side to side as well as up and down and backwards and forwards (ie three axis). In theory this means a floating bridge (two axis) wont transfer as much energy to the soundboard but the bent top leads to a more stressed soundboard which transmits sound a bit more efficiently. The current trend to high domes in acoustic guitars is an attempt to use this phenomenon.

Do you have a book and plans? If not I reckon you should get a good book, a good set of plans and start thinking and researching. This is a deep subject and sooo rewarding You are in for a good time!

BTW, write to Bob as well, you never know what these tonewood people have hidden away.

really? you can get a wicked spruce top for $180? I really had my heart set on all Aus woods
I also have a mate in queensland who does salvage, last time I spoke to him he said he was starting to supply tonewoods, maybe I'll see what he's up to, Is there any good tonewoods from qld?
I am planning a dreadnought by the way.
ok so it's called a floating bridge not a guitar tie! can I find pics of your guitar somewhere?
I don't have any books or plans but I have been searching and have been eyeing off the masterclass in guitar making from thomas lloyd school of guitar making in melbourne, it seems to be the business.
thanks for your comments
Rob.

Rob, in answer to your question below you are worried about not getting the right timber for your build, you decide what you want for your build,
Tiger myrtle back & sides, if that is what you require, soundboard King billy or Huon pine soundboard let me know as I have it all in stock and fully quarter sawn.
E-mail me through my website.
Cheers, Bob

Originally Posted by robbo1980

G'day Bob, thanks for your input, you are right about the starting with cheap wood thing, I have done that too many times ie; practised various projects on scrap pieces of wood only to end up spending alot of time on it and it ending up how I wanted it anyway! only on a crappy piece of wood. I don't want to come off sounding arrogant but my skill level isn't what's concerning me, it's the getting the right timber etc, that's the worry I figure if I get the right timber then it's all up to me to get a great guitar out of it, "you can't make a silk purse out of sows ear" as they say...

Spruce is cheap and plentiful, basically the Northern hemisphere is tonsured with it. Luthier Tonewood - Bearclaw Engelmann Spruce tops (eBay item 200471987467 end time 08-Jan-11 14:38:22 AEDST) : Musical Instruments that was without searching hard. That said the seller you pointed to had Kauri Pine tops as well. Kauri Pine is a good tonewood as well and much more like Spruce than Huon. I was tempted but am over budget for timber this year.

Most guitar building courses and books will use Spruce as the standard and you need to adjust from that standard. When you have a few instruments under your belt it gets easier as you know what things sound like when you tap them, how stiff they are when you bend them etc. Until then you will need to rely on advice from big mouths on the internet unless you join a class and talk to a real expert. The Thomas Lloyd book / DVD looks good BTW. You Tube is another good source. The videos by Robbie OBrien are particularly good. Search by luthier etc.

There are a lot of Aussie timbers that can be used. Tiger Myrtle is a premium. It taps like cardboard but works well and the instuments sound great. A few others, QLD Maple, QLD Walnut, Monterey Cypress, Tassie Blackwood, Tassie Myrtle (yum....) Silver Wattle. For guitar timbers we prefer them quartersawn so that the instruments performance doesnt change when the weather changes. Salvaged timber can be great if the Sawyer knows what they are doing. Luthery timber is kind of the princess of the sawyers world.

Find a thread called Bitsa Guitar so you can see what QLD Walnut looks like. Where in Sydney are you?