Southpa Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 (edited) I just acquired this chunk of bigleaf maple, traded for less than half its weight in Honduran mahogany. The piece is a little over 6 ft. long, 18" wide at the base and useable wood tapers to 9" across at the 4ft mark. When I say "useable" wood I'm referring to the parts that are consistently 2" thick. The sides and top thin out to bark areas. Lots going on in the grain, small burls scattered throughout (near surface wood) and some flaming. Now I just have to figure out the best way to get the most out of this wood. But its a beginning. How 'bout some audience participation? What would you like to see done with this wood? Solid body tele? Its real heavy stuff tho! A few necks and split it for carved, bookmatched tops to go over the mahogany I still have left? I was told that this maple isn't as good as the eastern stuff but I'm still game. Edited November 12, 2004 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 SWEEEET DUDE!!! i say make a V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Umm... a long-scale solid-body electric bass dulcimer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted November 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 (edited) no thanks Edited May 18, 2005 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 (edited) No V? I think it would most excellent. Oh nevermind. V IS a bad idea Edited November 12, 2004 by AlGeeEater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 My bad. I apologize. Seriously, it looks like there is some really neat character, but it's hard for me to say what could come out of which part when I look at this pic. Could you post something that has a straighter angle... maybe with a yard stick to give us a scale? D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted November 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 (edited) V IS a bad idea Sure a V is a GOOD idea. I got enough wood here for more than one guitar. I just have to figure how and where to use the best parts without making too much scrap. I'll put some more pics up later. Edited August 17, 2005 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmmr Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 seeing that huge piece of wood gets me thinking about a one-piece guitar, body and neck made out of one chunck, has this been done before? how would it affect the sound as opposed to the neck-through design? not directly related to your question Southpa, but food for thought anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 I'm not sure how...but I've thought for awhile about making a guitar that literally still looks a bit like a tree, with unfinished (but sealed...) bark along the edges of the body & headstock. But you have bark only along one side. Use the straighter-grained parts for necks & fingerboards; the more flamed or burled parts for tops & headstock veneers. Making an entire body out of maple would give a very bright sound (I know, I've got one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 With a large amount of maple, I'd say at least -try- for one solidbody, one piece steinberger style guitar: One piece, as in neck and body carved all from the same chunk, no bolt on, glue joint, anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Cavanaugh Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 With a large amount of maple, I'd say at least -try- for one solidbody, one piece steinberger style guitar: One piece, as in neck and body carved all from the same chunk, no bolt on, glue joint, anything! Dude, that's not Rock Maple as used in necks if I'm correct, I think it's the western variety. I'm not too sure it's all that strong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page_Master Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 big leaf or what is known as soft maple isn't used too widely for neck or fretboards, well, to my knowledge anyway. soft maple is perfect for bodies and tops though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 It also shouldn't be nearly as bright as hard maple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsilver Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Southpa, I think bigleaf maple is commonly used for tops on solid bodies. I like your idea of cutting bookmatched tops. With a piece of maple that wide and thick, you can get lots of tops with varying grain / burl that will keep you in projects for a long time. If it is 18" wide and long enough for a body (say 20-24"), you can cut it down the middle to make pieces 18"x24"2", which when resawn will make lots of tops. I also like your idea of using some on a tele. With the remaining pieces that aren't as wide, it may be worth trying a neck. I wouldn't try it flatsawn but since you have the thickness would turn the wood on edge. laminate it around a stiffer center core strip of wood and then use carbon reinforcing rods (not sure these would be necessary but wouldn't hurt). Anyway, have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Great finding, a plank like that will yield an enormous amount of bookmatched tops! But like some had pointed out it's not "too" good for necks, I know of people here that have laminated it with harder woods, but Ithink that for tops will be the best use for it. You can even post some pics in the supplies section and sell some to get the rest of the stuff to finish the guitar, or just look at Drak 12 tele thread and just get creative and make a lot of guitars with it. The possibilities are endless, a piece 18X1X24 will be enough for a 1 piece carved top on an LP. or just have it ripped in half (8") and resawn to approx 1/4" and that same piece will give about 4 bookmatched tops for a flat top guitar like a strat or Ibanez. Good luck with whatever you decide to do with it! If you decide to sell some post the pics because I'm looking for some wood as we speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 V IS a bad idea Sure a V is a GOOD idea. I got enough wood here for more than one guitar. I just have to figure how and where to use the best parts without making too much scrap. I'll put some more pics up later. Nah bro, i was thinking about all the scrap when i said that. V's arent exactly space savers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genbloke Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 I think a bookmatched maple topped LP would look great with that wood. Genbloke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Hey Southpa, That is some nice looking wood, and lots of it. I might suggest one thing, and that is taking a lot of pix and asking Tommy at USACG to give you some ideas. Afterall, that is a large part of what he does for a living. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Western Bigleaf Maple, to me, is only useful for quilted or flamed tops. Stain black and sand back sort of stuff. It doesn't have nearly the brightness or hardness of Eastern Hardrock for sound transmissions or stiffness for necks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prost893 Posted November 14, 2004 Report Share Posted November 14, 2004 Wow Southpa great find! That is a really wonderful piece. I can see some great bodies, tops, and backs coming from that. Good luck with it and good trade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted December 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 Time to bring this thread back to life. I'm in a bit of a quandary here. In order to get the BEST from a piece of wood one is sometimes forced to make some sacrifices. I finally got the time to figure out how to render my plank down. There are 2 nice burls that go all the way thru the 2" thick slab. I've marked out 2 bookmatches. To position the burls in the best locations for the bookmatches I will be forced to waste some wood. That sorta sticks in my craw as I might only be able to get one more "uninteresting" bookmatch from further up the plank. And I would be wasting about 8" from below the bookmatches. Now I'd like to make a single piece tele out of this wood, but I don't see it happening if I want to use the burls. I tell ya, making this first step can be a science unto itself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 6, 2004 Report Share Posted December 6, 2004 don't worry about it.wasted wood is just what comes from a figured top. with all my tops i have lost at least as much wood as i used,just to get to the best figuring. but to ease my mind,i always store away the scraps and tell myself they will eventually become binding,inlays,laminate strips,humbucker rings,cavity covers etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted December 7, 2004 Report Share Posted December 7, 2004 I've spent numerous hours working out yield-sheets for a furniture company. Even with nice straight planks, there's waste. And I'm still hauling around some "nice sized" chunks of waste-wood, in hopes that I can use it instead of wasting it. Now that I can see some proportions on this slab, it looks like you would be hard pressed to squeeze 4 tops out of this. So you pick the best layout that will give the best tops, and if that's comes to 3, then you have 3 nice tops... and some "other" wood. Maybe you can work some wings for a V out of the left-overs. Or some other design that doesn't look like anything conventional. But, that's something you can ponder later. Right now, concentrate on those burls. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted December 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 (edited) Next bit of progress. I got 2 - 3/4" bookmatches from the plank and I think I can squeeze out a 1 piece tele body with the rest. After cutting and planing the bookmatch faces you can see how the grain has "wandered" a bit (damn that 1/8" kerf!) so they ain't perfect. But the burls and figuring look pretty symmetrical. Edited December 15, 2004 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SawDust_Junkie Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 That is one fine piece of wood Pa ! I found a similar hunk of Ash at a local woodworking shop, but it is only about 4' long, but about twice as thick as your original slab. I would love to have it as I could get several one piece body blanks out of it, and they only want $79.00 for the whole slab, but I couldn't figure out for the life of me how I would ever resaw it to the thickness I would want. I figured I would have to have a portable sawmill to do it. What did you use to resaw yours to get those 3/4" bookmatched tops ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.