I've seen a lot of drum shells made of oak, and it seems to sound good on a tap test. Why is it not seen on guitars and basses? Too heavy? Reminds people of furniture?
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Oak
- Thread starter HogieWan
- Start date
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
It is indeed a heavy wood. For drum shells it's thin ply as well. Only thing i've ever tried it on was a fretboard (quartersawn)
Hi.
You pretty much nailed a couple of reasons, perhaps the most common ones.
A couple of others would be stability issues, splintering, PITA to work with compared with woods of the same characteristics often costing a fraction of the price of oak.
Regards
Sam
You pretty much nailed a couple of reasons, perhaps the most common ones.
A couple of others would be stability issues, splintering, PITA to work with compared with woods of the same characteristics often costing a fraction of the price of oak.
Regards
Sam
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
I have the opportunity to pick up some "scraps" for cheap (flatsawn 8x24x.75 for $1/each). These are good enough for practice and testing, I assume.
mikeyswood
Inactive
Yep. Make sure to examine the boards. Any shake or check could result in an explosion as well as the need for new pants.
I'll wear eye, ear, and pant protection.
I'm using a CNC, so I need to test that my models are cutting correctly. It's kind of enclosed, so I won't be standing right over it should something happen.
Its no heavier than hard maple, and certainly less heavy than rosewood or wenge.
Maybe its my English aesthetic, but I really like it when the grain gets a bit interesting. Right up there with elm for me.
yeah, but rosewood or wenge arent common solid body woods, and yes, it does look quite nice when used as a top, the grain can be quite interesting.
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
Its no heavier than hard maple, and certainly less heavy than rosewood or wenge.
Maybe its my English aesthetic, but I really like it when the grain gets a bit interesting. Right up there with elm for me.
In contrast of other lighter woods Oak is heavy. Make a solid body out of Hard maple, wenge, rosewood or Oak, surely heavier than ash, poplar...etc, that's what was meant...... wasn't very clear, was I?
I used oak (with maple stringers) for a bolt-on neck on my "Black Pearl". It really IS a PITA to shape, but I never had any problems with splinters...
Check it out here: Link Removed
Check it out here: Link Removed
I was planning to use it as a prototype neck as these pieces are even cheaper than maple besides being a bit interesting.
I am also going to attempt make drum shell with my CNC, so I was buying this oak anyway.
I am also going to attempt make drum shell with my CNC, so I was buying this oak anyway.
I've read that some of Orville Gibson's early guitars were oak (acoustic, of course), and that the early Peavey T-40 bass and T-60 guitars were oak. A bit heavy, at least my T-40 is. I've used ash and oak together on furniture projects and it is darned difficult to tell for all except quarter sawn. I used the same local Ash for my first bass build.
mikeyswood
Inactive
