Tonal Qualities Of Victorian Ash

[octafish]

Hi there, this question is mostly for the Aussies. I guess if anyone has some first hand experience that would be great no matter where they are from.

I am slowly progressing in a junk guitar rebuild. A lot of hardware was missing or broken on the original plywood body but I cobbled together a gerry built bridge and rough drilled some through holes to string it up. It sounds nice even with a piece of threaded bar as the bridge.

I have a nice piece of victorian ash that is the right size for a body that I will use, but I was wondering if anyone could tell be what this wood sounds like. In a general way, I know all timber sounds different from tree to tree.

Edited September 14, 2005 by octafish

[octafish]

bump

[stiggz]

well it will sound like ash, a bit crisper than american, like a strat (depending on pickups of course). but please make somthing decent out of it, not a junk guitar!! print out a basic CAD template, buy a neck if you are not up to it your self, use decent hardware, even cheap ebay rubbish is better than using cyclone rod as a bridge.

dont waste this wood on somthing you wont learn from

luke

[octafish]

Don't worry I got the guitar from the tip, that is why I called it a "junk" guitar, I've had a straight edge all over the neck and its got a slight back bow when unstrung and straightens up when strung (.010 set). I've got a TOM on order to replace the cyclone rod.

I just wanted to hear the pups because I'd never seen anything like them. I'll take some pics in the next week and ask about them then. Also I wanted to check the neck under tension.

Even with a plywood body it sounds luverly, its got a Paris Texas feel, definately low output pups. Not to bright but "shimmery".

I'll learning from this don't worry, I havent touched a router for over 14 years so I'm taking it slow. Is there any reason I shouldn't use the existing body to base my design on?

[rhoads56]

well it will sound like ash, a bit crisper than american, like a strat (depending on pickups of course).  but please make somthing decent out of it, not a junk guitar!! print out a basic CAD template, buy a neck if you are not up to it your self, use decent hardware, even cheap ebay rubbish is better than using cyclone rod as a bridge. 

dont waste this wood on somthing you wont learn from

luke

←

It wont sound like Ash, because it ISNT ash. Its ALSO CALLED Tasmanian Oak, but it isnt an oak either.

And the reason no-one has replied, is because no one was made a full body from V.Ash/T.Oak.

Ive used it for a top, but no idea what qualities it added or took away. Just sounds good. Maybe it was the choice of pickups and back wood. Maybe the ash/oak is amazingly awesome. Maybe it actually makes it sound much worse.

[octafish]

I realized that Vic Ash is:

a) not ash

and

marketed under Tasmainian Oak or Tasmanian Hardwood. Usually either Vic Ash or Tas Oak or another timber I can't remember (something from up north?).

This is a genuine piece of Vic Ash that came from a mill my old boss got supplies from. It has sat in his lumber collection for about 6 years now and is still straight as a die. I looks like nice wood and certainly makes a nicer ring when hit with a mallet than the duuh I get from the plywood. As long as I don't snafu the neck and hardware I figure I can make another body from more traditional tonewood later down the line.

[stiggz]

perry,

i was under the impression, and have been told by someone that victorian ash, is just that, ash, similar to european ash in most qualities, density, colour, grain orientation and tonal properties as well. Since u know your stuff probably better than i do im gonna have to give you the benifet of the doubt on this 1

luke

[rhoads56]

perry,

i was under the impression, and have been told by someone that victorian ash, is just that, ash, similar to european ash in most qualities, density, colour, grain orientation and tonal properties as well.  Since u know your stuff probably better than i do im gonna have to give you the benifet of the doubt on this 1

luke

←

haha, can we close this thread now, so it looks like im right, when i might actually be wrong

[lovekraft]

No need - Victorian Ash/Taz Oak is a Eucalyptus - AFAIK, there are no true Ash (Fraxinus) or Oak (Quercus) species that are indigenous to Australia. Victorian Ash is often used in the US for high dollar hardwood floors. I have no idea how it sounds!

[Phil Mailloux]

Speaking of Victorian Ash I was in a wood yard a couple of days ago and the guy showed me a pile of victorian ash. I have to say that if that stuff is not like american ash it sure looks identical, same type of grain, color very close to identical... I don't know...

On the other hand I bought a piece of silky oak big enough for a top with the nicest quilt figure i've ever seen, all for $10

[Jivin]

Maton use Victorian Ash as tops for their Mastersound 2000 DLX SD models, but I am not certain that they are thick tops, they may just be veneers?

Might be worth a look or a phonecall or something.

- Dan

[azycoona]

hey ther ive carved a neck outa vic ash but have not yet put it to use i have to say it is one of the hardest woods ive ever seen and a very pourus wood,jim dyson from brisbane makes some of hes guitars with it,its realy heavy but got a dead straight grain using the tap method its not very resonate at all i would say it would give a very bright sound but still i dont know for sure thats why im not gonna use it,in my opinion nothing beats queensland maple for ballsy clean low end tone and is the backbone of maton,belman,cole clark and heaps of aussie luthiers cheers azy

[octafish]

Cheers, Thanks for the info. Vic Ash is hard but not the hardest timber Ive ever seen.

I used to work in a pallet factory (not CHEP). One of my jobs was to break down pallets that we collected from FoMoCo. Sheet metal came on these massive pallets made out of 4 120mmx120mmx4m pieces of the hardest timber I've ever seen (harder than redgum or malleygum) held together with 200mm long nails. Unfortunatley it was treated with some sort of quarantine safe fumigation so we were a bit leery of using it. After a year in the yard we tried ripping some of it to recycle but only three pieces dulled the 3m tall bandsaw at the factory. $250 resharpen ouch (Big Saw though huh).