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I was doing a test for a blade manufacturer and this is one result. It's a White Oak guitar set, all from the same billet. It really intrigued me that the knot ruined the backset, no way to avoid it.

Then as I was sawing, I remembered all the porting work various OLF luthier were doing. And.... I know this port is in the wrong place. So I toyed with the idea that a qualified luthier could do an ebony inlay into the knothole and bring it back into line of traditional luthiery. Of course, it's a non-traditional wood anyway.

White oak was used in Arkansas for roofing shingles. And it is not uncommon for these roofs to last for a hundred years. I saw a home the other day downtown that caught fire. What was under those asphalt shingles but an old shingle roof of white oak. I guess it split easy enough. They would have avoided a knot like this for shingles.

My question, if this wood were yours, would you build a guitar out of it? It's mostly flatsawn, the sides are flamed with about 40 degrees of angle to the grain, so it's riftsawn. Species: quercus spp.Dickey38741.5237268519

My friend Chris was telling me recently that he had read that Martin's research into domestic alternative woods led them to put white oak at the top of their list for what they would use if they had to rely on a domestic source.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Sure, give it a try. If you have the time it would be in interesting experiment to see what you could do with that back to make it look nice.

Josh

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Josh House

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Bruce try switching the bookmatch putting the outside edges in the middle. Let's see what that looks like. Those knot holes are a good place for some creative inlay. Actually Martin has built guitars. It is a good tonewood. So who is that blade mfg?

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Why not? It would make a really cool guitar, similar to a Taylor "Pallet" guitar. Could be a fun project for someone into whimsy. Love that flame!

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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.
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This set reminds me of the eyes of an elephant. I tried breaking the knot out before sawing. It survived that. Thought it would fall out during sawing. It survived that. Nothing left to do but port or inlay.... But would you build a guitar out of it if it were yours?

For the beginner that i am, sure i would use it and practice inlaying at the same time on it, i'd also be curious to know if the holes left like that would do anything to the sound i.e experimenting with it, just curious, if you try it, let us know what happens!

Bruce,

Looks like an owl to me. Fabulous looking piece. I'd be tempted to do some inlays to make that look like 2 "wise eyes" looking out at you. Alan Carruth rates oak as a back side wood. Sure it's begging you to make it into a guitar.

If you don't want it you can send it to me

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Here ya go Bruce. an idea!!!

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

Good idea John.

Bruce you could inlay a coulpe of squirrels comming out of the knots. Go for the whimsy.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Bruce, I'm really surprised. You're overlooking the most obvious answer of all. If you don't like where the holes are, just cut them out and move them to where you want them. Problem solved!!!   

John

Bruce--man, I'd try! That's a really pretty piece of wood. What occurred to me, was making this into a 3 piece back. Then orienting the two outer "holy" halves so that the holes fell into the waist area. If you had one more side piece, you could use that and make the whole thing look great.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I'd make a tribal ritual mask from it.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

That Judy Threet is incredible, this deserves to be seen by all of us. Looks like the real thing. Great idea. Only maybe I need to put an Ivory-billed on the outside looking in?

I really like the color and curl. I think it could make a really cool looking guitar if you just filled the knot holes with black epoxy filler or something of that nature.

Have fun!

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

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Okay, why fill them? Here's a chance for a great experiment: make 'em round, and use them as lower bout soundholes, with no holes in the soundboard! It should work, and it might make an outstanding instrument.

Inlay a big black snake going in one hole and out the other.
Actually, I'd epoxy the knot back in, add a thin veneer on the inside for reinforcement, and build with it. I love character in wood.

Ron

Do you have many Tribes in Arkansas RussellR38741.8107638889

Well we used to: the Choctaw, the Cherokee, the Osage, the Chickasaw, the Arkansa, the Illinois, the Quapaw, the Caddo, and the Cahinnio were all in Arkansas at one time or another.

Or at least something eye related.
Judy's amazing isn't she? That's almost all woods as well, and the knot in the tree is also constructed of variouse woods.


Bruce if you want any help with inlays just yell. I can help out with tips/tricks at least.

Craig Lavin

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www.handcraftinlay.com

What Bruce said, Russell.

Hey Bruce, paint it to look like a duplex bird house.
Or a two-holer outhouse seat.

Ronold man38741.9607986111

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Thanks Craig, appreciate it.

Ron, that outhouse thing is old hat!

I'd like to have one of those seats, but I don't think my wife has the same sense of asthetics that I have.

Ronold man38741.9704166667

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Can you get that seat with a tortois pickguard?

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

[QUOTE=Dickey] [/QUOTE]

Jee, I see my face in there.

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