Official Luthiers Forum!

If you guys haven't seen Bob Cef's curly redwood, you're missing out on a treat! Buy some while he has it! Goodness!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I got mine ordered and


set002 is going on the quilted sapele. Sorry Don but your redwood top to go on the next one up I promise MichaelP38650.6505208333

Hey what are you guys doing snooping around in my wood stash

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Michael, you think I would be upset? No Way! That stuff is the Bomb!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

[QUOTE=Don Williams] Michael, you think I would be upset? No Way! That stuff is the Bomb![/QUOTE]

Hey that stuff I got from you is super. I just really want to put curly on the quilt so that I did not break my over the top streak I am on

Hey Don
Thanks for the plug. I didn't think you noticed.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

bob, you infernal humbug!!!!

i'm now $220 poorer...

how is the longitudinal stiffness? I've held lots o' redwood where the
cross stiffness was great but with the grain it was too flexible... With
some tests I did the kind that was too flexible failed and caved in.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

John longitudinal stiffness is surprisingly STIFF.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Curly Redwood is very dramatic looking stuff so the 2 parlors that I built with it I took an different approach in wood choice for sides and back.

Usually the back and side set are where the zoot comes in with the top being very nice but more conservative spruce or cedar. What I did was flip it around.

For the 2 parlors I built I used curly redwood with Wenge as the back and side set. Wenge if you havn't seen or used it is dark brown with black veins and looks very, very dark under finish. A couple of things to be aware of Wenge...it sounds very good but has pores you could drive a truck through and its splinters are really nasty.

With the back and side set so dark and from a distance very monochrome it really made the top stand out without anything distracting from the top. I built them about 8 years ago but they have held up well. Curly Redwood can sometimes be tougher than regular redwood as it seems that even with regular gigging it still looks good. The guy who has it is a real aggressive strummer but it has held up.

I have used well quartered very tame redwood on classicals with good results but would probably not try curly redwood on a classical unless I get a crazy flamenco player that wants something really outside the classical norm or maybe a steel string player who wants a nylon string for playing Brazilian Jazz I will probably pass but what a headturner...

I cant find my build notes but if I remember correctly I used "waterglass" to bring out the contrast in the grain. Waterglass is Sodium Silicate which is very alkaline and mildly harmful (as all silicates) if inhaled. In solution I used it to bring out the curl contrast. I would tend to use it on lighter figured woods to accentuate the grain figure. The PH of the wood affects the degree of contrast and any coloration when Waterglass is applied.

I dont use waterglass anymore but under a finish it is inert and a technique of bringing out curl. It is inexpensive and properly used, relatively safe. On the curly redwood it really added to the already 3D look of the curl.

I am not advocating the use of waterglass as I have gone non-toxic with my finishes but it is just on of the other tricks out there for wood finishing of figured woods which would probably be interesting to try if you are finishing with a finish like nitro.

Shawn I think E-Poxy should really pop the curl on this redwood but it doen't seem to need much coaxingBobc38650.9355902778

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

[QUOTE=Bobc] John longitudinal stiffness is surprisingly STIFF. [/QUOTE]

Then that is perfect!!

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

[QUOTE=Bobc] John longitudinal stiffness is surprisingly STIFF. [/QUOTE]

Sorry Bob...but we're supposed to keep this site clean of this sort of smutt. I am highly offended. Cease and desist immediately!

Holding out on me A...? No I didn't mean it that way. I must have missed the notice on the redwood

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Sorry Dave, and he had four more sets set aside which he promised to sell to me. I guess you missed out.
Neener neener.

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."