Wood questions

Basically all of those (besides rosewood) are not tonewoods. Anything you make with those will probably be a disaster.

Here's a wikipedia listing of some tonewoods to help you get the idea. I'm sure you can find some of these locally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonewood

 

Tonewood is a term for commonly used woods used in instruments. The purpose of it? charge you more for them. Don't know about spruce or birch but pine have being used before for guitar building. Look for something stiff for the neck and every thing should go ok.

 

Use something that is part of the hardwood familly, has a long grain structure, is not too heavy and pleasing to the eye. How about Maple and Ash ? They must grow in Finland I assume, and due to the harsher climate then the southern hemisphere, the might grow even harder and stronger. I'm just guessing really ....

 

I don't know how it would work for a solid body electric, but Spruce has been used as acoustic guitar tops of ages.

 

I've seen birch used in guitar bodies and occasionally even in necks. I've seen some really nice looking solid body instruments with spruce tops. I've even seen pine guitar bodies. The main issue is that pine can be very sappy (can ooze out into or under a finish, causing complications), and it is fairly soft, so it dents easily.

 

Browne basses used it on this bass.

 

WARNING! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TAKE AS FACT!

 

tone wood is nomenclature (terminology) used in acoustic instrument making. due to the nature of solidbody electric guitars utilizing a magnetic and/or piezo pickup, the original concept and confines of tonewood are significantly reduced in their overall impact on an instruments tone



if a wood is stiff enough and/or hard enough, most any wood (even non-traditional tone woods!!!!!!!!!!) can be utilized with great success if you utilize sound wood selection and solid construction methods

to state otherwise would be nothing more than propagation of myths, gypsie tales, and tomfoolery

all the best,

R

 

Speaking of wood, Rodent have you found a suitable supply here in Charlotte?

 

I have some birch that seems VERY hard and tight grained I wouldn't hesitate to use the pieces I have for necks but I am not sure if what you can get would be the same....t

 

If I remember correctly, I think birch may be one of those woods where there are species in northern Europe that are much harder and stiffer than those in North America. Suburban should have some confirmation and/or numbers. He may have used it in a bass. IIRC, the species is Betula pubescens.

 

PseudoGnosis seems to have spoken without benefit of thought on this subject. All of the woods you mention in the right locations would build a satisfactory instrument. The only concern I might have would be the durability of the pine. It dent's rather easily as does the spruce. Your top wood should be durable enough to take heavy picking and still look good.

Wood selection can and does have an effect on the overall tone and sound of an instrument. Enough to drive you towards one and away from another for a first build? Not a chance. As a matter of fact, I use yellow cedar and spruce for necks on some of the classical guitars I build. I am even considering doing an all spruce (except the FB) bass for a good friend of mine. Should sound stellar!

Greg N

 

Apparently I've been very mistaken. I was just repeating what I've heard around. I knew woods like those could be used for practice instruments, but most builders pass them up for tonewoods during most of their other builds, I wasn't aware of their use otherwise. I apologize again.

 

There are plenty of woods that are fine for a bass, but which would not make a saleable bass, due to the buying public's perception of what a "proper tonewood" is. Unfortunately.

 

I know a lot of builders that have used pine (just an example since it's the wood that comes up the most as unsuitable) with VERY satisfactory results. Just to name a few, Nordstrand, Lecompte and Benedetto built a guitar with hardware store grade pine as a top KNOTS AND ALL used as the top (which is considered to be the most tone affecting part of an acoustic instrument) on an archtop guitar. He said it sounds just as good or better than his Master grade instruments.

 

And let's not forget the classical guitars built with paper mache' bodies and complete steel string acoustics built from the pallets that the "tonewood" was delivered on that sound fantastic. Hmmm, Wonder why if these sound so good Ovations sound so... OK, not going there.

Greg N

 

Ovations are an acquired taste, I think (I've never acquuired it, though.) Don't know whether it's due to the top, the bracing, or the pickup.

 

The birch in Northern Europe is called Karelian or Masur Birch. It is very hard and dense.....pretty stable too. It can exhibit some incredible burl like figure which is caused by insect infestation. Go over to Gilmer and check out some of their stock. Only problem is that it is not a very large tree, so the available stock big enough for a build may be tough to come by and expensive also.

Check this out....about 1/3 down the page.

http://www.gilmerwood.com/new_unique.htm