NZ Native Wood & My First Build

mjwhit · #1 09-26-2007, 11:39 PM

I am planning my first build and have a few questions.
Does anybody here have experience with new zealand native wood? I have an uncle who has a fair amount of native timber he said he would give to me, and suggested building the guitar out of matai. He has a hoard of native timber, but my question was has anybody on this site made a guitar out of native timber?
What did you use?
What sort of timber that is available in new zealand would be suitable for a fretboard?

Ive planned my first build at 1:1, its a neck through, and ill probably make the neck out of different wood and laminate it to make it interesting. NOt completely decided on hardware, but im thinking jazz pickups and maybe a humbucker in between them for good measure. Its going to have 4 strings and 24 frets.
sorry for the pics they were taken on a phone, ill get the camera out later. Feel free to comment on the shape of it.Heres the pics:

Greenman · #2 09-28-2007, 04:29 PM

Nice shape but I myself can not help you on the native wood bit.

mjwhit · #3 09-28-2007, 11:46 PM

cheers, My uncle gave me a big chunk of kauri to work with, and told me it would be plenty strong enough for a bass. Kauri guitars have been done before so it should be fine. Ill mix it up with a bit of mahogony laminated into the body for contrast. I laminated the neck today, the glue is drying as i type... Ill post pics tomorrow.

Timi · #4 09-30-2007, 10:38 PM

Weta Guitars in Wellington make lots of guitars from native timber, including kauri I think.

Don't know how happy they would be with you wanting free info, but maybe give them a try.

deltablues · #5 10-07-2007, 10:33 PM

apparently puriri is so hard, they used to use dynamite to split it back in the day! A friend of mine built a few instruments using it with success. www.customrust.co.nz
I don't think he builds anymore, but worth checking out as he might be able to answer some questions for you

cheers

PilbaraBass · #6 10-07-2007, 11:04 PM

for everyone's info...Kauri is also known as "agathis" and can be found on hundreds of production instruments...

Peck_Time · #7 10-08-2007, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

for everyone's info...Kauri is also known as "agathis" and can be found on hundreds of production instruments...

New Zealand Kauri is Agathis Australis, and is quite rare to see in instruments.

needmoney · #8 10-08-2007, 03:24 AM

Agathis, yuck!

PilbaraBass · #9 10-08-2007, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by needmoney

Agathis, yuck!

hey now...don't get all in an uproar about agathis...there's nothing wrong with it...

it's inexpensive, so does that make it "yuck"? no...it's as good as any alder IMO...

PilbaraBass · #10 10-08-2007, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peck_Time

New Zealand Kauri is Agathis Australis, and is quite rare to see in instruments.

true...much of the agathis used on inexpensive production instruments comes from Indonesia.

Peck_Time · #11 10-08-2007, 04:58 PM

All New Zealand Kauri is protected, there are no commercial Kauri plantations.

There is a trade in 'swamp' Kauri, that is, Kauri that has been fossilized in swamps.

mjwhit · #12 10-19-2007, 12:48 AM

Update!
Body cut with bansaw, body wings arent glued to the neck yet. Hopefully cut the rough shape of the neck this weekend with the bansaw. HArdware arrived, but needs a lot of woodwork before i can think about attaching stuff.

dingfelder · #13 02-27-2008, 08:52 PM

how did it work?

where in NZ are you?