So Concerned About Our Necks, We Forget Our Bodys!

[exhaust_49]

Everyone seems to rant about quartersawn vs. flatsawn necks but what about the bodys. With a quartersawn neck is it better to have a quartersawn body or a flatsawn body? Im using mahogany as the wood.

[LGM Guitars]

It's not a big deal with the body really, not like a neck. If you can find a piece of quartersawn wood that big for a body go for it, chances are good you won't find it though.

With necks quartersawn is ideal because it's the most stable cut, it's less likely to warp. Bodies, well, if they move a little tiny bit it's nothing a slight bridge adjustment can't take care of, the body can be virtually any shape, size, angle, or curve and it's still functional. The neck and alignment of neck to bridge is the critical part. That's why neck wood is so critical. Having said that, finding quartersawn maple is really hard these days but a nice dry piece of flat sawn glued up properly is still really stable.

[exhaust_49]

Thanks for the reply. I'll keep that in mind

[Dugz Ink]

...but a nice dry piece of flat sawn glued up properly is still really stable.

And that's very important to understand; if you use two pieces of bookmatched falt sawn wood side by side, they will usually pull against each other becuase the grain of easch is pulling/pusing in oposite directions.

When you mount those two pieces (as a face) on a third piece of wood, then they all work together to provide more stability because the layers can no longer bend at their own rate.

A simple example of how that works can be seen by using a dark piece of paper and a light piece of paper. (The colors don't affect the experiment; they just make it easer to describe.) Place the dark piece on top of the light piece, then roll them up together. Then end of the dark piece will stick out farther than the light piece.

Now, un-roll them, and glue the dark piece flat on top of the light piece. After they dry, try to roll them up again. It's harder now because 1) the dark piece cannot shift aned slide like it did the first time, 2) the dark piece cannot be compressed verey much, and 3) the light piece cannot be stretched very much.

So, mulit-piece bodies provide more strength by giving you opposing grains, and by creating layers. This allows you to use flat sawn wood for bodies without fear of warpage.

D~s

[exhaust_49]

You just changed my point of view. I am making an lp and was going to use a one piece back but now I mite use a two piece back.

thanx

[ibreakemineedtobuildem]

Not to hijack,but I have a question.Would a quartersawn piece finished in tung oil be more likely to warp left or right as opposed to up bow or back bow?If so,wouldn't a flatsawn piece be good considering it would be more likely to warp up or back which could be corrected by a truss adjustment?Not that flat is better than quartered,just a question.

[Dugz Ink]

First, tung oil will not have a negative effect on the wood. If anything, finishes that lock out moisture (like tung oil) will help to keep wood (that was properly cured/dried to begin with) from absorbing moisture, which helps to impede the warping process.

As for which warps and why, here's an example of flat sawn wood.

Part of what makes a tree so strong is that those rings are pulling against each other, and even after the wood is dead and dried, the tension still remains. However, since the rest of the tree isn't there to offset the tension in this piece, the outside edges will try to curl.

EDIT: A quarter sawn board out this same tree would be less than 1/3 of of this example. That means that the wood is off-axis to the center of the tree, which reduces radial warping.

D~s

Edited November 4, 2004 by Dugz Ink

[exhaust_49]

do you have a picture end on of quarter sawn wood druz?

[Dugz Ink]

No... and I created that image of flat sawn while I was at work, where I have numerous graphic programs at my fingertips, (I work at a multimedia design firm.) so it will have to wait until the morning.

Unless someone else can posts something.

D~s

[exhaust_49]

if you do create a design of one Duzs please post it.

[exhaust_49]

bump

[Dugz Ink]

No... I didn't forget you... it's just been a busy Friday at the office.

However, I was able to put together a graphic during my lunch break that should help you to understand the difference between "flat" sawn and "quarter" sawn wood. Think about what I said about the grain pulling and twisting the board as you look at this:

I hope that helps.

D~s

[exhaust_49]

that helps a lot Dugz. Thanks for giving up part of your lunch break. I see why quarter sawn wood is less likley to warp.

Edited November 6, 2004 by exhaust_49