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dberkowitz
 Post subject: Tzalam
PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 8:38 am 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:35 am
Posts: 671
Location: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
A client asked about this tonewood and I've never heard of it nor have any idea of its workability or tonal characteristics. Anyone play with this stuff?
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Bryan Bear
 Post subject: Re: Tzalam
PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 9:21 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:12 pm
Posts: 3308
First name: Bryan
Last Name: Bear
City: St. Louis
State: Mo
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I've not worked with it but I've seen a bit of it and it is pretty. It sometimes gets marketed as Caribbean walnut (though it is not really related to the walnut) visually, it reminds me of walnut with more chatoyance so the name probably comes from it's appearance though I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it works similarly also.

I wouldn't hesitate to use it. In fact, last time I was at Hibdon I was trying to choose between a chechen set and a tzalam set. I ended up with the chechen because I have a several walnut sets in my stash and wanted something with a different color palate.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.
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Heath Blair
 Post subject: Re: Tzalam
PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 11:48 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:14 pm
Posts: 1066
First name: Heath
Last Name: Blair
City: Visalia
State: California
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I have a set that I bought from Hibdon several years ago. I'd put it somewhere in the walnut/mahogany family of tonewoods, as far as density and stiffness are concerned. It doesn't seem to command the high prices that similar tonewoods do, so I considered it a bargain at about $125 for a set with very strong curl across the entire board.

You can see some of what Hibdon has these days here:
http://www.hibdonhardwood.com/collections/t-zalam-back-side-sets

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ernie
 Post subject: Re: Tzalam
PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 12:07 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:08 pm
Posts: 2712
First name: ernest
Last Name: kleinman
City: lee's summit
State: mo
Zip/Postal Code: 64081
Country: usa
Focus: Build
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I have lots of it very workable also known as carib koa, another moniker, lighter in colour than e. walnut, glues, stains , fills easily. planes reasonably,harder in density than e. walnut but density is all over the place including the colour sometime. one can get it from a flooring supplier for less $$
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Peter Norman
 Post subject: Re: Tzalam
PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2015 3:49 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 7:32 am
Posts: 14
First name: Peter
Last Name: Norman
City: Grand Falls-Windsor
State: NL
Zip/Postal Code: A2A2V6
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I built my first guitar with Tzlam. LMI used to carry it and sell it as Mayan Walnut.... not sure if they still carry it. Very workable and easy to bend, and finishes nice.
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dberkowitz
 Post subject: Re: Tzalam
PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2015 6:27 am 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:35 am
Posts: 671
Location: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
I'm still looking for some feedback about the sonics.
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Quine
 Post subject: Re: Tzalam
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 8:16 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:42 am
Posts: 1135
Location: Hudson, MA
First name: Kevin
Last Name: Quine
City: Hudson
State: MA
Country: Usa
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
How the heck do you pronounce it??
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Bryan Bear
 Post subject: Re: Tzalam
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 9:21 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:12 pm
Posts: 3308
First name: Bryan
Last Name: Bear
City: St. Louis
State: Mo
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Quine wrote:
How the heck do you pronounce it??


Quine, didn't you make a parlor guitar from it a while back?

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.
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