Official Luthiers Forum!

This is my set of Tiger Myrtle I received from Tim at Australian Tonewoods . I'm completley stunned and blown away with it's beauty . Tim's Packaging , service and quality are absolutley top shelf.

Now,,,, I'm open to suggestions on binding, purfling , Rosette and top wood , and welcome any thoughts you guys and gals may have. ???

I do have some Tiger bindings . A thin black purfling between ? or a thin white Purfling between, or ...........


Thanks for looking


Regards to all you great folk !

Craig Lawrence

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Wow! Gorgeous stuff! Have you considered painting the top black?

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Fantastic natural sunburst there on that piece!!!

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

I also have these pieces which I may be able to make a neck with.

Craig Lawrence

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Very nice Craig, that set should make a spectacular guitar no matter what you bind it with, but blackwood would be nice.
Cheers

Kim

Fantastic natural sunburst there on that piece!!!

Great description John!

Nice!

Sweet!

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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."

Paint it black

Here is a painting of a Tasmanian Tiger which is believed extinct since the 1930's , although regular sitings still occur .

I wonder if I could/should include this somehow into the instrument . A strange beast, it carries it's young in it's pouch. (Marsupial)



Able to dislocate it's lower jaw at will. Talk about attitude !

I feel very very privileged to have this set . I don't normally go for guitars with a 'theme' , and this wood certainly doesn't need it .It's just that they are both Tasmanian and lookalikes , it's hard to ignore .I maybe on the wrong track here ?KiwiCraig39057.8552430556

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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I think you are onto something -- a Marsupial with attitude.....I like it!

That is amazing wood, Craig. I know your build will be outstanding. I couldn't make an inlay that would work, but if it were mine, I might get Paul or Craig to make me an inlay like the tiger photo, maybe inlayed on the FB extension.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

It's all good, Craig...surprise us!

Craig, that wood is yelling "Serge, Serge, Serge!" I'm telling you my friend, better send it to me!

WOW, awesome figure in there!

My personal taste as bindings on this one would be ebony but if you can manage to cut some wood from the sides, tiger myrtle would look great with a very thin black line along the side.

Hesh, I'm thinking Auditorium/S.J. with a lot of curve,, and a cutaway . A florentine to keep the attitude. Something that looks like it could BITE !
I did a rough sketch on a cutaway that mimics the Tiger's jaw , but that may be over the top ?
Not sure about top wood . I wouldn't like it to compete with the Tiger , yet I want it to belong. Bearclaw ? or would that be too much ?

Thanks for all your suggestions thus far. Please keep them coming.


Craig Lawrence

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Sorry Serge ,I was typing at the same time. Yes ,I have considered ebony binding as black suits the wood.

Oh , and a big thanks to you Kim , as you put me on to the set in the first place. Geez ,I wish it would stop yelling out SERGE SERGE

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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I give that wood
What a nice set, it will make a stunning guitar.
I say go with a bearclaw top and keep the trim solid colors...let the wood do the talking, it has a lot to say!

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Craig, resistance is futile, once wood is calling the Bear, it is the force of nature, you'll have sleepless nights untill you send it to me, i tell ya!

Well, Craig,

The neck pieces are screaming STEVE! STEVE! STEVE!
I'll send you my shipping address.

Really pretty myrtle you got there.
Are you going to chronicle the build for us?

Steve (I mean...STEVE!)

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Hey Steve, get behind and take a number, i was there first PAL!

Yeh Steve , I thought I might . I'm in the middle of a 12 string build at the moment , so I'll have to finish that . It's Myrtle too! but the American variety ( absolutley no relation )

The wood is no longer yelling out SERGE ,I'm sorry mate, but it did mention something about a big old bear.
Yep Steve , I'm more than happy with the neck pieces , considering how rare this wood is , I'm a very lucky Kiwi . The bookmatch neck should really make the package.

Cheers

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Craig this is killing me -- I have absolutely no idea what top, bindings or purfling I would do. Kinda makes me wonder if you can't miss with whatever you decide to go with.

OOPs a thought! How would a slightly amber burst work on a nice Lutz or Euro top?

P.S. Don't forget to feed the bear!

Great looking piece of wood Craig.

How about a rosette of Black Heart Sassafras. If you can find the right piece you could have the tiger's stripes in the rosette. Keeps the Tasmanian theme.



Plain Sassafras might look OK for the bindings too.


Whichever way you choose to build this beast I'm sure it will end up super.

BTW

The Tassie Tigers tail is part of it's backbone. In the extremely unlikely event that you ever come face to face with one you should grab it by the tail and it won't be able to get those dislocateble jaws near you

Cheers

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

[QUOTE=bob_connor]
BTW

The Tassie Tigers tail is part of it's backbone. In the extremely unlikely event that you ever come face to face with one you should grab it by the tail and it won't be able to get those dislocateble jaws near you

Cheers

Bob[/QUOTE]

Yeah Bob, thats just how I tackle them every time I gotta wrestle with one of them beasties. Their real cagie buggers though, they hide in the bushes unseen only ever launching an attack on me when I'm real drunk and they have the advantage, cowardly things.

However I think it is true that they are quite rare now days because that has not happened to me for quite a while

Cheers

Kim

Ah !, I think it has a name already "
    
        " THE BEAST "

The hero here is Tim Spittle (Australian Tonewoods), for making Tiger Myrtle available , albeit very limited.

I did think of a Tiger myrtle rosette Bob ,and I have enough to do just that ,as well as bookmatch headplate.

Howzabout a Tiger binding around the soundhole with a thin paua ring next to it . Kind of 'jewel' like.

I really feel I have an affinity with Tasmanian Myrtle. My first project I undertook when I first started this maddness was to build a dozen cam clamps. I couldn't find any wood I had suitable and went on the hunt around the farm and came across a wrecked old billiard table I had scrounged from the dump years before . I didn't know what wood it was , but it sure did fit the bill with the clamps. It was incredibly beautiful to work with and I fell deeply in love with it. Even then ,I had a feeling I would build a magnificent guitar with this wood one day . I then found it to be a deep red Tas. Myrtle ,so have been on the lookout ever since.

Tim has a lot of other beautiful woods as well.I got some Tasmanian Cheesewood off him in veneer form and it's stunning. Looks like ivory.


Hey Guys,,,,,,,,,,, Don't tell anyone,,,,, but I think I felt a pulse.................

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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