Tone woods...??? (wooden spoon post)

Spyke · 2009-02-10T09:26:13+00:00

While my knowledge of tone woods and the like are functional at best, I thought I'd learn a little more by starting a bit of a debate, friendly of course. I...

Tone woods...??? (wooden spoon post)

Wizard

Alan - please make me a guitar body that looks similar to this:
http://www.giffinguitars.com/images/CaramelTw.JPG

Manfred-Klose

Kind of similar to my next project, i recieved an old ibanez strat from a friend,but the only problem is that the body was made from some cheap compressed wood, so going build a new body for it(ASH), the neck is still ok.

AlanRatcliffe

Ooh nice - black limba with a simple transparent brown over the top. Looks almost like some walnut like that.

Looks a little odd with the dogear P90 and the pickguard though. I would either have had both pickups as dogear P90s and no pickguard or both soapbar P90s on a pickguard.

Wizard

Alan - agree completely on the pickups and the pickguard.
Now stop saying "oooh nice" and just offer to make me one.

Wizard

http://www.randyciak.com/guitar/images/tribal_dc_custom_scalloped_neck2.jpg

AlanRatcliffe

Wizard wrote: Now stop saying "oooh nice" and just offer to make me one.

I might consider it - I do one or two a year. PM me if you're serious.

How about a nice tobaccoburst though. Works really well with korina:

Chambering a necessity IMO, as unless it's a thin body (like a LP junior or Special) korina can be a bit heavy.

Wizard

Wizard runs off to research Korina ...

AlanRatcliffe

Sorry! Limba = korina so I use the two names interchangeably without thinking.

Wizard

Wizard runs off to research limba ...

Wizard

Had an epiphany yesterday.
Saw yet another guitar that looked 'just right'.
It's colour was described as 'Dark Violin Sunburst'.
Maybe there's a connection ...

http://www.musik-schmidt.de/images/product_images/original_images/Ibanez-SZR-520-DVS_1.jpg

AlanRatcliffe

Probably. Violin bursts and tobacco bursts are the most natural looking (aside from clear and amber tints of course).

You may also like a good honey burst on the right piece of wood and done properly:

Check out Suhr gallery of finishes, which is nice, because they will often show the same finish on different woods, so you can gauge your favourites.

Also look at PRS guitars - some of the best looking finishes in the business:
http://www.prsguitars.com/privatestock/downloads.html

CDee

Wizard wrote: Had an epiphany yesterday.
Saw yet another guitar that looked 'just right'.
It's colour was described as 'Dark Violin Sunburst'.
Maybe there's a connection ...

http://www.musik-schmidt.de/images/product_images/original_images/Ibanez-SZR-520-DVS_1.jpg

Hey Wizard, I think we should change your name to 'Woody' :roflmao:

But seriously, that is a nice looking finish...

Wizard

Alan - there are some magic fantasy bodies in that link.
I really like the "no pickguard" approach.

Methinks its time to start thinking about making a guitar body. I don't back myself to generate a "burst" finish, but the plain finishes are just great.
I'll wait for Manfred to make all the mistakes ? ... then capitalise on the experience.
I think a flame maple top over a mahogany base; bolted to a ready-made rosewood fingerboard.

And if I stuff it up ... I'll just do it again ?

P.S. I already have a nickname of "Woody" but for completely different reasons.
Went to a Cowboy fancy dress, with a plastic hat and gun - and ended up looking just like Woody from Toy Story.
Nice co-incidence ?

Manfred-Klose

I'll wait for Manfred to make all the mistakes ... then capitalise on the experience.

...And i have made quite a few mistakes so far, stupid little things.

Wizard

This recession is making MOST stuff cheaper.
Just not my woodwork hobby.
Went to Country Woods this morning to perve at their 'bargain bin' - almost empty.
Got some interesting planks of Cyprus - as a new wood to try out.
Even that wasn't given away too cheaply

The owner says most clients are now wanting their offcuts - previously they abandoned them.

Manfred-Klose

The owner says most clients are now wanting their offcuts - previously they abandoned them.

More and more people are starting to build their own instruments, its only a matter of time..........

or as i like to say, life's too short to spend your time playing on a normal guitar.

Wizard

Manfred Klose wrote: More and more people are starting to build their own instruments, its only a matter of time..........

After seeing the price of the bodies I like ... and the capability I have in my workshop ... I am beginning to add 2 and 2 together

Wizard

I tested a piece of African Mahogany as a candidate for marimba bars.
--> NOT good.
Doesn't ring clearly and sustain the note like Padauk or Madagascan Rosewood.

Two very different jobs for the tonewood:
- primary source of the sound itself
- secondary soundboard to amplify the primary sounce; while imposing its own timbre on the sound

In percussion instruments the tonewood is the source of the sound itself.
In acoustic guitars, violins and piano's the tonewood is the soundboard made to vibrate by the energy from the strings
In a banjo or kora, the 'soundboard' is a membrane similar to a drum

Soundboards are generally large, thin 'plates' made to resonate by energy transferred by a bridge.
Air resonance in a tube acts as the amplifier for a marimba.

Good tonewoods for direct percussion:
--> rosewood, padauk, kiaat, ...

Good tonewoods for soundboards:
--> spruce, redwood, koa, mahogany, ...

Wizard

Some more insights from my learnings ...

The top of an acoustic guitar is the soundboard - its job is to vibrate and generate sound.
Back and sides are designed to reflect sound.
Different jobs entirely.

Spruce good for resonance; Maple good for reflection.

Now I understand why my marimba's with maple frames sounded the best; and pine frames sounded the worst.
Maple reflected the sound well; pine absorbed it.

(New design idea --> need to have a maple bottom plate for marimba's)

Wizard

Political conflict in Madagascar - will it affect supply of Madagascan rosewood?