Official Luthiers Forum!

G'day!

I've been lurking around here for the last few weeks slowly reading through the archives and soaking up a heap of excellent ideas. This is really a top shelf forum.

I haven't even started my first build yet, and probably won't for a while yet. I'm still absorbing information from Cumpiano, Williams and Kinkead's books and this forum. So far I've learned quite a bit from the great posts here on this forum. I've even learned the answers to questions I didn't know enough to ask. And I've saved quite a few pictures for future reference.

My Christmas leave has been set aside for jig building. Side bender, radiused dishes, go-bar deck, molds, and maybe a fretboard radius jig.

I guess this leads me to my question. A mate of mine has some Tassie Blackwood slabs. Some is quarter, or close to quarter, sawn (but plain) and some has the growth rings and 30 to 45 degrees to the face of the board (but it has a nice figure to it). This wood can be resawn to acoustic back and side blank dimensions. Now, as I have no practical experience with guitar woods, what I want to know is how to tell if this wood will be any good for guitars. How many growth ring lines per inch is acceptable? Can the the 30 to 45 degree figured stuff be used for guitar building? Any other tips or tricks you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.

I'm happy that I found this forum before I started to build, and I'm blown away by the great atmosphere of open ideas and information sharing. Thanks guys.

(I'm already in trouble at work for spending too much time here! hehe!)

Joel.

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If God had wanted us to drink beer, he would have given us stomaches.

Welcome Joel! As you've pointed out, this forum rules!

I'm no expert when it comes to wood but I think that if your stock is dry and stable, there shouldn't be any problems if the grain runs at 45 degrees...

I remember reading/seeing a chart that compared flat sawn and quarter sawn wood, and the difference in stiffness was barely worth mentioning. I think quartered is still the prefered wood cut because it weathers temperature/humidity swings better. However, I'm pretty sure that there are many guitars out there without 1/4 sawn back and sides that are holding up just fine. If you have access to this wood for cheap, I'd say go for it!

Hope this helps,

Al
Alain Desforges39057.8576967593

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

Hi, Joel-
Welcome!
The blackwood should be fine for back and sides, even if not quartered- lots of backs are not quartersawn.
For a first guitar, I'd try for something that is reputed to be very easy to work, and I don't know much about blackwood. Pick an easy to plane,easy to scrape, easy to bend wood if it is within your budget (I don't know how cheaply your mate will sell you the blackwood)- I'd suggest something like EI Rosewood,
You can always add the blackwood to your wood 'stash' for #2, or #3, etc!
Of course, if blackwood is really easy to work- go for it!
John

Blackwood is pretty easy to work. You do have to be careful of runout when routing the binding ledges though. I would recommend using a gramil to cut the intial cutting if you suspect runout. I've found it to be a pretty stable wood, and certainly it has some fine tonal charcteristics.

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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 just thicknessed the top, back and sides of my first build with a handplane. If you use a hand plane to thickness be sure to keep in mind the grain orientation to reduce tearout (it took me a whlie to figure it out). It seems like that may vary depending on the cut orientation. But what do I know

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nay

My blogs
Hand Made Gutar
Woodworker++

Hi Joel, welcome to the OLF!

One nice way to start building there and great tips you have received here already!

You can be sure that we will help you in any way we can throughout your first build, you are at the right place, the best!

Good luck!

Serge

Welcome to the OLF, Joel. You've got the right books and the right forum, so get busy.    Australia is becoming pretty well represented here.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Welcome indeed Joel! My first is an Aussie blackwood, with a venetian cutaway. It bent like butter at about .085" thick. It is a wonderful wood (one of my fave's!) and you will be pleased with using it. Being off quarter as it is will not be that much of a problem, quilted maple is just flatsawn flamed maple...lots of guitars around with it!

Good luck

Shane

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Canada

Thanks guys.

So quarter sawn wood for the back and sides is desirable but not essential... Depending on how good the wood looks .

Hopefully, runout won't be too much of an issue with the blackwood I'm hoping to get my hands on.

Joel.Joel39058.1911458333

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If God had wanted us to drink beer, he would have given us stomaches.

Welcome Joel...You will find that there are a few Aussie blokes and a couple Kiwi as well so you are in good company.

Regarding the blackwood being somewhat plain, even dead plain figured it is still a really great wood in that there is alot of reflected light in the grain (chatoyance) that will look flashy as light hits it.

Search for the wood Aussie here and we will find that posts by those blokes.Shawn39058.2058217593

G'day Joel,
             Great to see another Aussie on board. Which State are you in ? Welcome to the best forum on the planet. Here's where you learn heaps thanks to the generosity of all the experienced ( and inexperienced) builders.
I'm unable to comment on the blackwood as I haven't used it ( yet ), but you'll get good advice from others who have. My good mate PaulB ( Sydney ) has just finished a stunner in Blackwood . Check it out ! He posted a thread a few days ago.
Don't forget we have Tim Spittle of Australian Tonewoods for your supplies who is also a sponser here. Wonderful service and incredible wood.
I also have the C&N book and Jim Williams . Jim lives in N.S.W. I'd love to visit him one day. You have quite a few versions on how to build a guitar ,so now comes a bit of confusion.
Don't ever feel any of your questions may be silly.It would be silly not to ask them here.
Look forward to hearing from you again Joel

Regards Craig Lawrence

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Welcome Joel!

Welcome!

Mike

welcome friend ;)

Hey Joel,

Welcome to the OLF

Kiwi Craig had some good advise re Tim @ Australian Tonewoods for your tonewood requirements and also about not keeping your questions to yourself.

As for the blackwood, like all wood the more flatsawn, the more reactive it will be to humidity and temp extremes. Therefore the more likely it is that sooner or later the glue joints will give way or it will simply split.

Having said that, it seems that a lot of wood, particularly cocobolo is being flatsawn on purpose to produce higher figure. I think that most of what you see advertised as "Wild and Crazy Figure" EIR which sells for a premium is no more than just flatsawn EIR.

So while flatsawn may not be as desirable for longevity, it is certainly being used more and more these days.

Anyhow, welcome M8

Cheers

Kim