High-density Fiberboard?

[stepswork4me]

I'm no luthier, nor am I a tech. I'm just a guy who likes to play. So, please excuse me if this a stupid question. Have any of you ever tried or thought about building out of high-density fiberboard, aka hardboard? I don't ask because I think it would be economical or for any other logical reason. I ask for more experimental thought on the possible debunking of the tonewood debate in electric instruments. I know, it's been talked to death. These are just thoughts. What are yours?

 

[FunkMetalBass]

Never tried it, but look at it this way:

HDF is about 56-60 lbs per cubic foot.
Maple is about 39 - 47 lbs per cubic foot.

That bass will be ridiculously heavy if not made to proportions that compensate. Not sure where you'd find thick enough pieces either, unless you did everything with multi-laminates.

 

[mikeyswood]

There is no strength to fiberboards and they curl under their own weight. It would require some serious reinforcement.

There are plenty of companies that use plywood for bodies and there are also companies that make plywood necks.

 

[pilotjones]

Brubaker made an experimental bass out of what was essentially a kitchen counter top - chipboard with hard laminate facings. I don't know how it turned out.

 

[draftsmann]

Some people think Danelectros sound good, so there's a starting point.

What they call "hardboard" on our side of the pond is actually a low-density fibreboard. The stuff used in Britain for furniture and internal joinery is - here at least - termed "medium density" (MDF).

Most products of this kind swell and permanently distort & lose density if they get a whiff of moisture - I believe there are versions more impervious to water, but whichever version it'll either need to be veneered and sealed, or painted - as much to protect it from moisture as anything.

Actually, the idea of doing something Dano-like but with top-notch materials is interesting - the originals were very much built to a price. If you build one, I'll subscribe!

 

[abarson]

If the reference is to medium-density fiberboard, the stuff just isn't right for guitar building, primarily because of weight and sound damping, but it's fine for jigs, etc.

Danelectro used (uses?) masonite for their guitar top and back since 1956. Top and back were simply glued onto poplar or pine frames: can't get much simpler, and can't say that it hasn't been successful.
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Rick Turner came out with his Model T formica-topped guitars quite some time back, and no-one can dismiss his ear and innovation.
http://www.edroman.com/guitars/rickturner/modelt.htm

Martin has been very successful with building acoustic guitars with high-pressure laminate (HPL), which is essentially a variant of formica. There's tons of info on this via Google.

The esteemed luthier R.M. Mottola wrote a full article in American Lutherie Magazine #88 about the use of HPL for prototying that should be of interest. He's also a proponent of using wood laminates (high quality plywood) for a variety of builds.

 

[moonshinegtrs]

I've been building instruments "Danelectro Style" with better materials (furniture grade pine frame with hardwood neck & tailblocks). For awhile now. I really like the results.

Here's a couple of them:

Moonshine

 

[stepswork4me]

I've been building instruments "Danelectro Style" with better materials (furniture grade pine frame with hardwood neck & tailblocks). For awhile now. I really like the results.

Here's a couple of them:

Moonshine

Hey Moonshine,

I've got a few questions if ya don't mind:

1. Do you use the single smooth sided or the double smooth sided?

2. Do you know if it's the wet process type or the dry process type?

3. Does the tone really differ/suffer as opposed to alder, ash, or other traditional tone woods?

 

[moonshinegtrs]

No problem.
1: I always use the single smooth side. the rough side provides a better glue surface.

2: I am not really sure, but if I had to make an educated guess, It would be that it is the wet process

3: This is a tough one. Without a doubt, the tone is different. I don't believe that one is better or worse than the other. Now, understand that we are talking about hollow body instruments. I build a lot of resonator instruments. Resonators bodies are like speaker enclosures; they are made to be as stiff as possible, as opposed to an acoustic guitar that is made to vibrate.

Hardboard is stiff and , well, hard. I think that it is an excellent material for the type of instruments that I build (I also offer solid wood versions of my instruments; I love the sound of them as well).

I would not use hardboard to build a solid body instrument, but that's just me. I hope this helps.

Moonshine

 

[stepswork4me]

Thank you, Sir.

I wonder what, if any, difference in tone there would be in a solid body?

 

[Brad Johnson]

Brubaker made an experimental bass out of what was essentially a kitchen counter top - chipboard with hard laminate facings. I don't know how it turned out.

It turned out great but it didn't sound like his other basses. IOW it didn't debunk the tonewood debate, Sorry.

The infamous countertop bass...
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Besides, Kevin is a firm believer in the effect of wood on tone in his intruments. So am I. You'd have to be deaf not to. But believe what you need to, folks. It's a free country.


Carry on.