willow and poplar source

[Martin Sheridan]

I'm looking for a source for willow and poplar. I've always wanted to try both.
Can willow or poplar be used for the neck?
Working characteristices?
muchas tacos,
marteen

[RCWilliams]

martin give this chart a look it will give you side by side strength comparisons. yello poplar is not too far off maple, but I wouldn't be too secure about black willow with out reinforcement.

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/strength_table.htm

[Jake deVilliers]

Hola Marteen. Bruce Harvey at Orcas Island Tonewoods sometimes has those species.

http://www.rockisland.com/~tonewoods/Home.html

[Steve Swan]

Martin,

My pal Alex Friedman ha been laying up some nice poplar sets from europe in the last few years. Give him a call in South San Francisco, CA at (650) 303-2333. Tell him Steve Swan says "Hey!".

[Martin Sheridan]

Steve,
Thank you. Do you have an email address for him. Makes it easier for me to contact him from Mexico. PM is ok or my email should be with my signature.

[Don Harris]

Martin, I found this while snooping around the talk bass archives:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Sheridan

<<While we are on wood, where can I get some good willow.
I'd like build a bass with willow back and sides. I wonder where Barrie gets his. I guess I could call him.

Jeff Bollbach replied:

A&M in Canada. Try and Google it if not then call me during busy hours , I have the # in my shop>>

Here's a website for A&M: http://www.amwoodinc.com/indexUS.html

Did you already check with them? I'm interested in willow back and sides to use with a less than premium sitka top I have here. Is willow used in instruments slab cut? Any thoughts on the tonal properties of willow as compared to maple?

[Don Harris]

I talked to Gordon Carson in BC today and he has black poplar sets available. They've seasoned for eight years. $300. 250-566-4628. Didn't get an email, sorry.

-don

[arnoldschnitzer]

Originally Posted by Don Harris

I talked to Gordon Carson in BC today and he has black poplar sets available. They've seasoned for eight years. $300. 250-566-4628. Didn't get an email, sorry.

-don

This is nice sounding wood. Pretty too, in a plain, strip-ey sort of way. It's very difficult to bend ribs, though. I had trouble with creases on the insides of curves. I tried several methods, and had only moderate success. You might want to consider using the poplar for backs and getting some plain maple for ribs, like Bryant does in England.

[Martin Sheridan]

Arnold,
Thanks for the info on the bending of poplar, that would put me off using it for the ribs.

A friend made a bass from willow once and he said that bending the willow was easy.

Don, Thanks for the embarrasment of reminding me that I had asked this question once before.

There is supposed to be some good willow out of Colorado but the guy I knew who had it isn't there anymore.

[Don Harris]

I'm going to call A&M after Christmas to see what they've got and how much it costs. I'll let you know.

I'm alway happy to help embarrass. Really, I was just wondering if you ever followed up on the A&M angle out of pure self interest.

[Martin Sheridan]

No, I didn't follow up. When I got down here last year I was completing a bass. I've finished it and have been playing on it for almost a year.

Since then I've made two violins, a viola, started another violin and have taken an order for a cello. I'm interested in the willow and poplar(or other woods?) partly out of curiosity and partly for reasons of economy. A violinish wants a cello for his son and has little money, so if I do it it's almost going to have to be just because.

The Italians used Lombardy Poplar which was imported into the US and planted in many areas, but I've never heard of anyone harvesting any unless it's sold under a different name.
A few years ago there was a town, in Michigan, I think that wanted all of their Lombardy Poplar trees taken down. I told some wood cutter friends about it, but they were concerned about the wood having nails and spikes in it, so I don't know what became of it.

[Ken McKay]

I have some Michigan Willow for viola which is close to poplar I think. Bruce at Orcas Island has the poplar you need for cello. Good prices too.