Official Luthiers Forum!

Brad--would you have contact info for Gordon?
Thanks
Nelson

Nelson
european spruce is much more similar to Englemann than any other. I have 10-12 seasoned archtop billets if you are interested.
One more option.
Gg

[QUOTE=ggdelazzer] Nelson
european spruce is much more similar to Englemann than any other. I have 10-12 seasoned archtop billets if you are interested.
One more option.
Gg [/QUOTE]

You think so? The Engelmann I've got is really quite different (tap tone wise) from the Italian. I hear more similarities between Adirondack and European than I do between Engelman and Euro, although they've all got their own pretty distinctive tap tone.

I'm beginning to think that Englemann just doesn't grow on trees anymore.
Seriously, I believe that I've checked most all the sources mentioned above and still coming up short. Guess I need to try a couple of the hybrid.
Nelson

[QUOTE=Mattia Valente] [QUOTE=ggdelazzer] Nelson
european spruce is much more similar to Englemann than any other. I have 10-12 seasoned archtop billets if you are interested.
One more option.
Gg [/QUOTE]

You think so? The Engelmann I've got is really quite different (tap tone wise) from the Italian. I hear more similarities between Adirondack and European than I do between Engelman and Euro, although they've all got their own pretty distinctive tap tone.[/QUOTE]

Mattia
you're right, I should have said 'can' be much more similar...

Gg

"You think so? The Engelmann I've got is really quite different (tap tone
wise) from the Italian. I hear more similarities between Adirondack and
European than I do between Engelman and Euro, although they've all got
their own pretty distinctive tap tone."

Really?
I'd make a sizable bet that you, or I, couldn't tell the difference between
random pieces of Red, White, Euro, and Engelmann solely by comparing
their "pretty distinctive" taptones...

Heck, it's dang near impossible to tell them apart by using any method
available, including 30x hand-lenses, your fingernail, and your nose...

Yeah, you might be able to tell the difference between a selective few
pieces that you've lived with and bonked for awhile, but to apply that
very limited experience to a species as a whole is iffy at best...

[QUOTE=spruce]
Really? I'd make a sizable bet that you, or I, couldn't tell the difference between random pieces of Red, White, Euro, and Engelmann solely by comparing their "pretty distinctive" taptones...

Yeah, you might be able to tell the difference between a selective few pieces that you've lived with and bonked for awhile, but to apply that very limited experience to a species as a whole is iffy at best...[/QUOTE]

And I bet you'd win that bet. Which is why I referred to the pieces I've got. I was wondering whether I had terribly uncharacterstic samples, whether others felt Engelman was that similar to Euro (in terms of sound; visually, the stuff I have is almost a dead match for colour, but the euro is much, much 'silkier')

I've tapped/flexed/handled more Euro spruce (Italian) than anything else, and I've got limited experience with all the other species (and not that much with Euro, either, in the grand scheme of things, only handled a few hunderd tops while selecting the ones I wanted, and spent 'quality time' with only a fraction of that number). Granted, I always know what it is I'm tapping/listening to, so that makes the whole thing relatively suspect (non-blinded test, information bias, etc.) but what little Engelman I've got is less similar to Euro than the similarly tiny amount of Red spruce I've tapped.

End of the day, its about the individual piece of wood.

Hey Nelson, that's a bummer! Here is one other source that occured to me http://www.exoticwoods.com/Default.htm

It's no bargain compared to Larry Stamm. Good hunting!

Anthony
Yeah, Larry definitely has his wood priced right. Just wish he could come up with more of it.
Thanks
Nelson

Englemann
Can I get an opinion on Colorado Englemann?
Thanks
Nelson

Nelson,

Did you notice the widths? About 8 inches, will that work for your guitars? They look like they come from smaller trees (well quartered but lots of curve in the grain lines over the top width) but some look nice and clean. The first one appears to have a lot of compression wood (the darker lines) which can mean there is some runout as the tree was probably harvested from a slope. You wouldn't want those lines in a nice white set but his others look clean, just small. IMO Colorado Engelmann will be nice if it displays the usual characteristics of good spruce.

Good luck.

Shane

_________________
Canada

Hi Shane
Yes, I did notice that most of Simeon's is narrow and only saw a couple pieces wide enough for 17" archtops.
I was concerned about the streaking also.
I really appreciate all the comments above and consider them as valuable information.
Probably should give the Lutz a try.
Best regards
Nelson

Mostly Nelson, I just hope you find the wood you need. If I come across another supplier I will let you know. Did you try Dan Boltwood of Boltwood Tonewood? I don't think that he has a website or anything but he cuts A LOT of Engelmann for export, I think he runs two shifts at his mill in interior BC. I don't know if he has put away anything or if he just cuts for the larger manufacturers. I can get a number or some other contact info if you like.

Best

Shane

_________________
Canada

Wow, I hadn't looked this thread over, but since it wasn't ending, I figured something cool was happening, so I just took a look now...

Nelson, do you ever pick up a phone and just call these good folks? websites cannot list everything folks have, and more often than not, when you call and ask, they'll tell you if they have some on the way, soon, too.

Websites are cool, but in the tonewood biz, nothing beats the old fashioned telephone.

And I'm with Bruce that some Engelmann can be as stiff and hard as even the best red. I got a couple sets mixed into my stack of red, and I never could find them again. They just, well, ended up staying in the stack <g> I now take a blue marker and mark the edges of each set of Eng. that comes in here as soon as I unwrap the package....

"Can I get an opinion on Colorado Englemann? "

That looks to be cut from a standing dead tree judging from the discolored
sapwood...
Lots of standing dead Engelmann in Colorado...
If you go after it, make sure you ask whether it's bug-hole free...
Hard to see those buggers sometimes....

I'm not a big fan of compression wood both from a cosmetic viewpoint and a
weight perspective--the wood usually tends to be heavy...

Looks just OK, but by no means is it "spectacular wood".
How in the world would he describe wood that truly was spectacular?

How in the world would he describe wood that truly was spectacular?

It's E-bay! He'd find a way <bg> He'd put "L@@K!!!!!!!!", and other silly sh^t in the title...

I'll but sandpaper on E-bay, but never wood.... trusting your tonewood supplier is a must, and if he/she only sells on e-bay, I skip 'em. There are too many great wood dealers, like the ones we have here, to go taking chances on these types of characters....

[QUOTE=Mario] How in the world would he describe wood that truly was spectacular?

It's E-bay! He'd find a way <bg> He'd put "L@@K!!!!!!!!", and other silly sh^t in the title...

I'll but sandpaper on E-bay, but never wood.... trusting your tonewood supplier is a must, and if he/she only sells on e-bay, I skip 'em. There are too many great wood dealers, like the ones we have here, to go taking chances on these types of characters....[/QUOTE]

I've had good luck buying wood on eBay, but I gotta say that every time it's been from a business that also sells via their website/has a non-eBay business. As with all things eBay, ya gots to be very careful. There are still great deals to be had (recently bought a lot of 11 quilt maple tops for electric guitars, medium to good figure, kept half, sold half at very fair prices for the local market, ended up getting my half for essentially nothing)

Mattia

It doesn't look like anyone has mentioned Gordon Carson at Mountain Voice
Tonewood. I have a couple billets that are good Engelmann. Look here
http://www.valemount.com/mountainvoice/

Also, my favorite supplier of Engelmann is Don Musser in Colorado or New
Mexico (right at the 4 corners region). He doesn't have a website, and I don't
think he advertises much. I think you will need to call him. I will have to look
him up on my old reciepts. Let me know if you are interested. He is one of
the old timers in the tonewood business like Bruce Harvey.

Did anyone mention http://hvgb.net/~tonewood/ Northern Canadian
Tonewood? I have never order wood from there. KenMcKay38712.3325115741

Ken, I've purchased flamed maple archtop billets from Northern Canadian Tonewood and it was very nice. I find their prices a bit on the high side.

Thanks for the link to Gordon Carson's website (it's been bookmarked for safekeeping)

Thanks for the links, guys.
I'll take a look.
Nelson

Ken--Thanks for the info on Gordon Carson. I ordered several sets of Englemann from him. Seems like someone else might have mentioned him in one of the previous posts but can't remember without re-reading all the above.
Mario--You will be happy to know that I picked up the phone and gave Gordon a call.
Thanks again to all.
Nelson

You are welcome!