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Pear has been used for classical guitars, if I recall correctly.
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12-23-2023 08:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Cunamara
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Originally Posted by Cunamara
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Originally Posted by joelf
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Originally Posted by Dennis D
"Bog oak", smoked oak - these are ammoniated, which does really interesting things to the wood, including darkening it. Höfner has been working on a sustainable / local wood "Greenline" program for decades, and has started using it for fretboards and bridges. It's great stuff (see pix). They also use laurel, apple, pearwood, alder and more on various classical guitars.
Last edited by Hammertone; 12-25-2023 at 01:17 AM.
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Here's a nice Roger with Pearwood back plate and rims, made for Michael Compernass by Sandner, using NOS Roger parts. I have a one of these backplates in pearwood as well. Heavier than maple.
Black-dyed pearwood was used for decades for inexpensive bridges and fretboards supplied for use by German and American guitar builders. Not so much these days, I suspect.
Last edited by Hammertone; 12-27-2023 at 05:16 AM.
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Originally Posted by Rickco
Any other builder without Benedetto's "beyond reproach" reputation wouldn't get away with it and yeah, a piece of highly questionable wood in the hands of a master can outshine the top AAAA+ graded wood in the hands of a mediocre builder any day.
Torres, the father of modern guitar building made a guitar out of papier mache just to prove he knew how to handle the materials. And though it sounded fantastic, an instrument built to prove a point is still freaky in my book. I'll go with proven and sound design and materials any day, albeit utilizing sustainable woods.
There was an extensive study done a number of decades ago wherein many woods were tested to determine which species provided the optimum acoustic properties for lutherie. Interestingly enough, the best wood for violins and archtop turned out to be apple. But nobody builds with apple. Nobody would buy it and it's not a common wood to find in widths and cut to easily find and experiment with (each wood has different properties and requires its own unique dimensions to make ideal performance based on archings, contour, carving pattern, etc) so maple is a known, spruce is a known, and it forms the templates for anyone with less than a master level knowledge of factours and their effects.
Put a $15K price tag, a prestige name on it and a good PR machine in play and you've got the mystique. Case in point: Run out of adequate supplies of wood for bookmatched rosewood backs? Build mismatched three piece backs and say it's the result of meticulous innovation and evolution and yeah, they become collector's items sought after for top dollar.
Love the idea of pine. Knotty pine? I'll leave it to the collectors.
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mmmmmm Fuji apple would give a nice sweet tone
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Why not birch?
Joe Striebel built years ago a nice 16" archtop using highly flamed birch for the bottom.
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Originally Posted by Rickco
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Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note
He also uses a modern variant of papier mâché: Klas solution | guitar
Originally Posted by bluenote61
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12-24-2023, 08:35 PM #37joelf GuestOriginally Posted by bluenote61
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12-24-2023, 08:37 PM #38joelf Guest
Now I'm confused---again:
I though my S.S. Stewart was made from pine, but now that I see birch mentioned maybe it was birch.
Guitar mavens, help me out...
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It's not oak. He said It's "silky oak" which is possibly Grevillea robusta or Cardwilia sublimis. (depending on whether it's Southern silky oak or Northern silky oak. Stupid commercial names.)
They are both Australian trees and the builder seems to be from Queensland so he could be using either. It's not even closely related to the Oak genus.
https://kirbyfinetimber.com.au/produ...ern-silky-oak/
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12-24-2023, 09:09 PM #40joelf Guest
Scratch that. This from google:
'Materials: Handcarved bookmatched solid Adirondack spruce top; arched flamed maple back and sides; one-piece Honduras mahogany neck; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with block pearloid inlay; ornate floral abalone peghead logo inlay; checkerboard top binding, bound fingerboard and body; solid bone nut'.
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Originally Posted by joelf
You need hardwoods for body strength, softwoods (generally) for response so an acoustic signal can be efficiently turned into movement (sound radiation).
In an acoustic archtop, often you'll have at least two kinds of wood for the body.
It is notable that mahogany fits somewhere between maple and spruce and could be quite effectively used in top and back. It's easy to use, resonant and very durable. It's also an open pore wood which would require filling to get a smooth finish, so it's easy to build with, not so simple to finish.
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Originally Posted by Banksia
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12-24-2023, 09:50 PM #43joelf GuestOriginally Posted by Jimmy blue note
However, (clears throat): Jason, my local luthier, made a clear observation: my ca 1955 SS Stewart was made of (and this is where I'm confused) either birch or pine. I think he meant that the body was.
Spruce was not mentioned ever by him---nor was mahogany---and its his business to know comprehensively and explain about these instruments. I never argue with a guy who knows way more than me (including yourself)...
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Originally Posted by bluenote61
Guitar makers like Brian Monty (Canada) and Juha Ruokangas (Finland) have used it for top caps on their Les-Paul-sized guitars. Juha likes to blab about it a lot as part of his approach. Brian is a bit more curmudgeonly about it. Both make great guitars.
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Originally Posted by joelf
When you're talking pine and birch, you're talking about two different types of wood, each representative of two different functions, both of which are needed to make a guitar. Both are body woods. This is where an acoustic guitar is distinct from a solid body. Body construction is different.
You say birch OR pine. It wouldn't surprise me if it were a matter of birch AND pine... or birch as a laminate for an electric designed guitar that you'd play plugged in for best performance.
I guess Jason would best fill you in as to what's gone into your guitar. Lots of ways to build a guitar. Having it in hand is the only way to know.
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Originally Posted by Hammertone
But I also have a distinct memory of reading about all-birch acoustic guitars built IIRC in pre- and interbellum Germany, and hearing some samples that didn't sound bad at all. I'm pretty sure the Kirschnek/Troubadour archtop I had was all (laminated) birch. It too didn't sound bad at all, not given its deplorable state of conservation.
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Originally Posted by RJVB
Some pretty spectacular outer plies in the limited edition Ibanez'es that came across my bench in the day: Burl, extreme curl, crazy stuff. All skin deep but beautiful.
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Lloyd Loar knew exactly what to expect when using birch for L-5s. Awesome sounding wood for acoustic archtop backs (and sides); solid wood, of course.
Yep, Joe Striebel is an open-minded guitar maker with big ears as well:
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Knots and knurls don't mean a thing for the instruments' tone, rather for the sore eyes of some picky customers:
The prominent knots in the back of the c. 1670 ‘Tullaye’ suggest that Stradivari had limited access to wood. Photo: Taris… | Violin art, Stradivarius violin, Violin (pinterest.de)
Violin, Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1725, “Chaconne” - Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB)
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Originally Posted by Ol' Fret
Elias Prinz -- young talent from Munich
Yesterday, 10:24 PM in The Players