Thread: Top and back timber selection

Originally Posted by IWieldTheSpade

Hi all,

I'm after some Australian timber to be the top and back for a thinline tele style guitar, but I'm not so well acquainted with the native varieties used for hollowbodies. I'd like something that's on the darker side (not too dark though) with a bit of an interesting grain in it - any suggestions?

Cheers,
Miles

My favourite australian tonal wood would have to be Tasmanian Blackwood, the sound wise is some what similar to koa but i find a more rich and slightly more deeper sound, grain i think will depend alot on the piece you find but can find some rich grain blackwood and even with a curly grain (sorry if terminology is wrong) and the overall color Tasmanian Blackwood would be right up your ally but would also depend a bit on the final finish too.

This picture shows what i mean about the curly grain running in somewhat of a horizontal direction, very beautiful imo

http://www.rwguitars.com/photo/image.../model1/02.jpg

but ofcourse the grain can be a total opposite and color different to as shown on the cole clark jack tenor ukulele

http://www.coleclarkguitars.com/imag..._uk_big_01.jpg

Would have to agree here Miles blackwood would be the way to go next you have to decide on highly figured or select plain jane blackwood.?

Regards Bob

Some of that compression grained blackwood on your website tickles the fancy a bit Bob. What's the workability like on that sort of timber?

Workability good, just work a bit slower with care it is very dense wood and very, very rare to get this sort of wood fully quarter sawn so as you can understand expensive but makes an outstanding blow your mind guitar if that is what you want.
Cheers Bob

Originally Posted by IWieldTheSpade

Some of that compression grained blackwood on your website tickles the fancy a bit Bob. What's the workability like on that sort of timber?

Photo attached the back of an Acoustic that is getting built at the moment with my compression blackwood.

Attachment 183739

Beautifull Blackwood Bob....but this example has backsawn/riftsawn and quartersawn grain....and runs in all sorts of directions as well...obviously does not affect stability...all the same,very attractive stuff

Look very close starting at the bottom you will see that most of this billet was fully quarter sawn this was at the stump then we have the compression wood as you go up still on the quarter but with the beautiful wild grain then we get near the top where it starts to go out into the beginning of a limb, still very stable wood and as my wood has been air dried for many years there will not be any problems a luthier worth his salt has no problems working with this' as this is some thing special and rare this what I am well known for.
Regards Bob

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

Beautifull Blackwood Bob....but this example has backsawn/riftsawn and quartersawn grain....and runs in all sorts of directions as well...obviously does not affect stability...all the same,very attractive stuff

Originally Posted by woodturner777

Look very close starting at the bottom you will see that most of this billet was fully quarter sawn this was at the stump then we have the compression wood as you go up still on the quarter but with the beautiful wild grain then we get near the top where it starts to go out into the beginning of a limb, still very stable wood and as my wood has been air dried for many years there will not be any problems a luthier worth his salt has no problems working with this' as this is some thing special and rare this what I am well known for.
Regards Bob

Sorry Bob...i see a mix of grains..the quarter-sawn seems to be much more noticable on the top...whatever...it is impressive...the fact that it doesn't move,even with that amount of grain run out and figure,shows what a good wood it is...can see why luthiers love it

No problem, no need to apologize with grain this wild looking that is easy to understand why you thought like you did, I have a few more sets from this billet up at my shop so I will take a photo of the end grain and post photo over the weekend, cheers Bob.

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

Sorry Bob...i see a mix of grains..the quarter-sawn seems to be much more noticable on the top...whatever...it is impressive...the fact that it doesn't move,even with that amount of grain run out and figure,shows what a good wood it is...can see why luthiers love it

Originally Posted by woodturner777

No problem, no need to apologize with grain this wild looking that is easy to understand why you thought like you did, I have a few more sets from this billet up at my shop so I will take a photo of the end grain and post photo over the weekend, cheers Bob.

More pics please....don't see this quality everyday

Hard to see in the photo the end grain but it is on the quarter maybe off a little where the grain becomes wild, but beleive me the billets were milled on the quarter.
Regards Bob

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