acoustic backs as tops

Hund Basses · #1 07-03-2009, 05:54 PM

i was wondering of anyone here has ever used and acoustic back for the top wood of a solid body

thanks,
Dylan

tplyons · #2 07-03-2009, 06:04 PM

Don't see why you couldn't. You'd be taking a tonewood and gluing it to something else, so somewhat negating the fact that it's a tonewood. But if it's still pretty, I would assume you could use it as a top.

Taylor Livingston · #3 07-03-2009, 06:32 PM

I'm pretty sure acoustic backs are thinner than the usual solid body tops. You might not be able to contour unless you like that "sanded through the top" cutout look.

erikbojerik · #4 07-04-2009, 03:28 AM

Stock thickness for acoustic backs is normally around 1/8" so you could certainly use it.

At that thickness, you could mill the forearm contour into the underlying body wood, then glue the top down and bend it over the contour - no sand through! A little moisture, a little heat gun, and Bob's your uncle.

T-Bird · #5 07-04-2009, 03:55 AM

Hi.

The question WHY? remains

.

A selected, bookmatched acoustic backpiece is going to set You back more than a similar pieces of wood that doesn't meet the requirements of an acoustic instrument.

Alternatively, if You already have the pieces (which I think you do

), using them in an acoustic project would perhaps be better.

I'd for one would hate seeing "tonewoods" being used for something else than where they perform best, so to speak.

Regards
Sam

Hund Basses · #6 07-04-2009, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.

The question WHY? remains

.

A selected, bookmatched acoustic backpiece is going to set You back more than a similar pieces of wood that doesn't meet the requirements of an acoustic instrument.

Alternatively, if You already have the pieces (which I think you do

), using them in an acoustic project would perhaps be better.

I'd for one would hate seeing "tonewoods" being used for something else than where they perform best, so to speak.

Regards
Sam

well i got to sets of figured rosewood backs for $60 so i think it was a good deal

they will be used for the front and the back of a chambered single cut

T-Bird · #7 07-04-2009, 11:29 AM

Hi.

I had a hunch that You already had the pieces

.

That's cheap, at least over here, don't know about the rest of the world.

The above statement of mine is mostly based on a fact that over here, acoustic "grade" wood is almost nonexistant, so it might not be such a big deal somewhere else.

I'm not too thrilled about the idea of buying wood for an acoustic on-line, so I'm screwed so to speak

.

Regards
Sam

erikbojerik · #8 07-04-2009, 11:58 AM

Well yes - often the stock chosen for acoustic back sets is quartersawn, and that's for a reason - but they are also perfect length & width for a drop top, and often are available in woods that you don't usually see offered in 1/4" thicknesses for solidbody drop tops (i.e. rosewoods, ebonies, etc).

Hund Basses · #9 07-04-2009, 12:58 PM

yeah it was hard to find a 1/4" rosewood top for this build so i thought that acoustic backs would work just as well and they are easy to find in rosewood

erikbojerik · #10 07-04-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hund Basses

yeah it was hard to find a 1/4" rosewood top for this build

I may have recommended this to you before - you are a day trip away from West Penn Hardwoods (Olean NY) where you could handpick a 4/4 slab of rosewood off their shelves, and have them resaw and thickness it for you.

If you really really preferred 1/4" over 1/8".

Hund Basses · #11 07-04-2009, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikbojerik

I may have recommended this to you before - you are a day trip away from West Penn Hardwoods (Olean NY) where you could handpick a 4/4 slab of rosewood off their shelves, and have them resaw and thickness it for you.

If you really really preferred 1/4" over 1/8".

I know i was gona go there i just did not have the time so when i saw these i figured they would work but when i have time im definitely going to west penn