sexybeast Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 I am offially hooked on building guitars and am planning my second build, a neck through flying V. I am, however, broke. I plan to use Cherry for the neck. i hace a ton of Cedar in thick pieces from my deck. Can I use it on the wings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cknowles Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 What have you got to lose by trying it? The worst you can do to a piece of wood is to turn it into food for the fire pit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 Half walnut, half SPANISH cedar (don't know what you have...) Scott French Gutiar Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted October 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 I have Western Red Heartwood. Deck stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 i use a good bit of red cedar in my sculpting and it's a pretty soft wood. i'd be just a bit worried about the tonal qualities of it though the main parts of your guitar would be mounted to your cherry wood if you're doing a neck through. if the tone turns out a bit soft or muddy you should be able to fix it with different pups. it should be visually striking so i'd say go for it and let us know how it turns out. good luck with your project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 I have Western Red Heartwood. Deck stuff. Western Red Cedar?(Heartwood??). Western Red Cedar is a very resonant wood. It may be a bit soft, but could be fine if you protect it with a good finish and are careful. The WRC I have used for soundboards is punchy, and has a sweet ring. I love it as a soundboard wood. I don't know if they use WRC for decks though, you may have something totally different. I have not found many woods that are truely a horrible choice for a solid body. They just have a bit of a different flavor(in my book sky is the limit on body wings, as the neck section could be a complete guitar on its own.). Have fun with it! Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Hey Rich, your thoughts on WRC (mainly cause on acoustics I'd chose cedar over spruce any day for some reason) for a Archtop Top? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvyn Hiscock Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 I have recently made a couple of guitars with cedar and it is a good wood. Both sound bright and ring really well. Of course, with a neck-through you will have other considerations as the string will not be anchored into the cedar but I like it. It is soft and easily marked but it is a good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Are you the "Real" Melvyn Hiscock? If so we'll have to get you a VIP Badge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitefly SA Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 I think it is "the real" Melvyn Hiscock. Wait, I know how to establish this, will the real Melvyn Hiscock please stand up.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doeringer Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Melvyn "the newbie" +1 for the VIP badge....we're honored! and thanks for all the help. My question about Cedar for guitar is, does it still keep moths away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Are you the "Real" Melvyn Hiscock? If so we'll have to get you a VIP Badge VIP ? It seems to pop up almost everytime he posts, but by the sounds of it a pair of P90's are more to his liking Jem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Heh. Yep, that's Mr. H hisself, methinks. A spruce bodied and WRC bodied electric are both on my to-build list. They'll be soft, and dentable, yes, but should be lovely. Ever tapped a WRC or Spruce board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Heh. Yep, that's Mr. H hisself, methinks. A spruce bodied and WRC bodied electric are both on my to-build list. They'll be soft, and dentable, yes, but should be lovely. Ever tapped a WRC or Spruce board? One solidbody project I have on my to-do list. Is a Douglas Fir neck thru. I really dig Doug Fir Also. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Heh. Yep, that's Mr. H hisself, methinks. A spruce bodied and WRC bodied electric are both on my to-build list. They'll be soft, and dentable, yes, but should be lovely. Ever tapped a WRC or Spruce board? One solidbody project I have on my to-do list. Is a Douglas Fir neck thru. I really dig Doug Fir Also. Peace,Rich I've already made a Doug fir chambered (well, lots of forstner holes in it plus 1/8" thick wenge top and back) 'solidbody acoustic' baritone guitar. And it sounds just lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted October 20, 2006 Report Share Posted October 20, 2006 Douglas Fir seems very sprucey/cedary/select piney in nature.... I ask cause I'm gathering as MUCH information on this kinda wood for acoustic archtop choices. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted October 21, 2006 Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 Douglas Fir seems very sprucey/cedary/select piney in nature.... I ask cause I'm gathering as MUCH information on this kinda wood for acoustic archtop choices. Chris You might be suprised at some of the famous builders out there that use DF for their personal guitar. DF is a tad bright, but this is because it transmits sound so darn well. I have DF that has been aging for about 3 years now. It was from stock that averaged 30-45 RPI . Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted October 21, 2006 Report Share Posted October 21, 2006 Douglas Fir seems very sprucey/cedary/select piney in nature.... I ask cause I'm gathering as MUCH information on this kinda wood for acoustic archtop choices. Chris You might be suprised at some of the famous builders out there that use DF for their personal guitar. DF is a tad bright, but this is because it transmits sound so darn well. I have DF that has been aging for about 3 years now. It was from stock that averaged 30-45 RPI . Peace,Rich Is that a hint that I should order some DF sized archtop top pieces from you? lol Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexybeast Posted October 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 Next question: Will cedar work as a laminate between two pieces of cherry in a neck thru? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 I'd just use straight-up cherry; Western Red Cedar's not exactly the strongest wood out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted October 23, 2006 Report Share Posted October 23, 2006 I second Mattia. WRC has a fair weight to strength ratio, but is not as strong as Cherry by volume. Chris- "Is that a hint that I should order some DF sized archtop top pieces from you? lol". Nope, that means I have my material aging for me to use(would be kinda silly to go through that much trouble and then just sell it ). You should stick with your original game plan and go for nice Pine. After you get used to the carving and bracing then experiment. Remember it is just different flavors of wood (they all have advantages ). DF is just another flavor. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvyn Hiscock Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 I have to may that I have just checked in the mirror and I am, indeed, me. Although, who is to say I am dealing in the same reality as you??? But seriously, Heavy woods and light woods can sound good on electric guitars, there are other forces in play. Make it right and be surprised . . . As for Douglas fir. I use it for acoustic braces as the quality can be so good. I hav ebeen thinking about making necks from it. One problem is that it can develop grain staining over time so what looks good on an acoustic top or on a neck looks nasty over time. I have been playing a cedar tele-esque thing with maple one-piece neck (actually over 100 pieces if you include heads and frets, truss rod and dots) with a thin maple front and two humbuckers wired to a five-way giving back/both in parallel/both in series/both in series out of phase and front with a coil tap to add more to this. It s a lot of fun, Cedar is good. Cedar marks easily. Use cedar and be careful. Go and pay, have fun and try things and Mattia, send me some mapole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted October 24, 2006 Report Share Posted October 24, 2006 Hahahahaha, of course I plan to make a beater first Rich. And I got the hint you had an excess. I don't wanna impose or your personal reserves. Plus, I found a place online that I can get nice sitka with like slight discoloration in archtop blank for for discounted prices... so I might do that instead of pine for a first archtop try. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvyn Hiscock Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 I was looking at some Douglas fir in the workshop yesterday and I was thinking about a neck through with it. There are some rojects taking up time at the moment but I am sure I can spare some time to make up an interesting douglas fir guitar. We have, literally, about a ton of it at the workshop so finding a good bit won't be hard. We also have a lot of maple boards suitable for neck laminates. Again, quite literally about a ton so any UK builders wanting stuff (I know I am probably not supposed to solicit on here but I also know how hard it is to find wood when you are starting out and we can machine it too) If and when I do this douglas fir neck I will post details. As I type this I am wondering about acoustic necks too . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvyn Hiscock Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 So, I glued up three pieces of Douglad fir and two small pieces of Sapele into a five-piece neck (the sapeles was only there as the Fir was not quite wide enough) and the planer decided to play up and remove wood at an angle. It was a shame as it was long enough to get a through neck from it. It looked like being fun. Have to reset the planer and try again. This time it'll be a three piece, possibly all Fir. I will keep you informed. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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