Black Limba As Back Wood?

[Daniel Sorbera]

For my next acoustic I'm thinking of doing a slightly smaller mini-jumbo body shape (probably something close to the avalon A series) with a ceder top (and probably a cutaway). I was looking around and I think I might like to try black limba for the back and sides. Has anyone ever built with it or heard anything about it? Do you think it would work well on an acoustic?

[verhoevenc]

Works great for it. I in fact need to get down to my shop and do some cutting, cause I'm about to cut out 8 sets of the stuff (and two more non-matching sets...). But yes, it's a great wood, and just like in electrics, in acoustics it's very "mahogany-y". I've seen a couple builds with it, Gilmer also sells sets of it (although the figure on their's isn't great, but good price for it). Search the OLF and a couple black limba backed guitars will come up with it. What kinda cedar you gunna put on there? I think it'd look strange with WRC, but PO cedar or AYC might look nice with it if you're really dead set on a cedar top.

Chris

[Daniel Sorbera]

You really don't think it will look good? I saw a picture of a classical black limba/WR cedar on rctonewoods.com that looked amazing. Plus I just happen to love the look of WR cedar. To each his own I guess. How does that Alaskan yellow and Port Orford compare to western red in terms of tone and how you build it (ie thickness)?

Lately I'm finding that I much prefer the tone of cedar guitars to spruce ones, and smaller bodies to larger. So thats why I'm building this one. Plus I already have the rosewood/spruce jumbo monster so I want something completely different for the next one.

[fryovanni]

I am a huge fan of WRC. I think it would look good with Black Limba. The WRC Marc at Gilmer has is probably the best I have found. It is good stiff material. I would say it should thickness out to about .120"-.130" on a small jumbo(at least the gilmer WRC). I like Port Orford also. I think it falls somewhere between Eng. Spruce and WRC(it is best to hand pick the stock though). Alaska Yellow is heavier, mostely used for back and sides. However it could be used as a top. You would be heading down the Mahogany top path though. I have seen the wood Chris is about to chop up. You ought to see if he might be willing to part with a set(nice looking stuff).

Good luck(not that you will need it) with your next one .

Peace,Rich

[Daniel Sorbera]

I have seen the wood Chris is about to chop up. You ought to see if he might be willing to part with a set(nice looking stuff).

Trust me, I already thought of that

Thanks for the info as usual.

[verhoevenc]

I told myself for while that I liked the sound of a cedar top better too. And then someone gave me some good advise (I think it was fryovanni up there):

When playing new guitars a cedar top will almost always sound better because WRC has it's "broken in" sound right off the bat, whereas spruce and stuff takes awhile to 'break in' and reach it's full potential. So if you're liking the sound of a cedar top based on what you're playing at your local music store, that may have something to do with it. Not to say that once you grab a good broken in spruce guitar and play it next to a cedar guitar you won't still like cedar better, I'm just sayin' that could be why.

Chris

[Daniel Sorbera]

Yeah I know what your saying, but I don't think thats the case. After playing some really nice spruce topped larrivee and taylor guitars that were played hours a day for 10+ years, and many cedar topped guitars, I've come to the conclusion that I really like the sound and look of the cedar, even more so than spruce. Spruce makes wonderful guitars for sure, but I just want something a little bit different on this one.

I've nailed down a few more specifies. I'm doing my own body shape, a little cross from all the grand auditorium size guitars I like, no radical departures here. It has a 15 3/8" lower bout and will have a cutaway that looks like the taylor X14 guitars. I'll use a rosewood fingerboard/bridge/headstock overlay instead of the ebony of the last one, and I'll be doing some sort of inlay on it, even if it's just a simple logo on the headstock.

I'm thinking of doing either a laminate neck of flame maple/ebony, or simply black limba to match the back. Seeing as I've never done a laminate neck before (and I love the look/feel of flame maple necks) I might give it a try. I'll probably also do a neck joint like Myka's where the neck continues as far as the fingerboard does and bolts on electric style. Mine will have a heel though, because I just like the look of it.

[verhoevenc]

Why not do a flamed maple and black limba lam neck? That'd look hot. Then you could match it with flamed maple binding.

Chris

[GoodWood]

Why not do a flamed maple and black limba lam neck? That'd look hot. Then you could match it with flamed maple binding.

Chris

How is your rosewood breaking in Godin? Notice any tonal differences in the past few months? I have to wonder if your gonna beat my first with your second, even though I have a headstart!

[Daniel Sorbera]

Why not do a flamed maple and black limba lam neck? That'd look hot. Then you could match it with flamed maple binding.

Chris

How is your rosewood breaking in Godin? Notice any tonal differences in the past few months? I have to wonder if your gonna beat my first with your second, even though I have a headstart!

It's turning out pretty good.

For sure there has been a quite drastic change. The treble is much more defined and prominent now and the bass is tight instead of flabby. It's much more balanced and sounds great plugged in. I agree with what Bob Taylor said about the GS, it has a really sweet midrange, much more so than say, a dread or similar.

I've decided I'm going to build another guitar on the shape I made along with the limba one. It will be figured mahogany back, WR cedar top (or maybe bearclaw sitka), and a rosewood neck

Man making guitars is so fun!!!!!!! I wish I had unlimited resources and time, I would just build guitars all day long and give them away ya know?

[GoodWood]

Why not do a flamed maple and black limba lam neck? That'd look hot. Then you could match it with flamed maple binding.

Chris

How is your rosewood breaking in Godin? Notice any tonal differences in the past few months? I have to wonder if your gonna beat my first with your second, even though I have a headstart!

It's turning out pretty good.

For sure there has been a quite drastic change. The treble is much more defined and prominent now and the bass is tight instead of flabby. It's much more balanced and sounds great plugged in. I agree with what Bob Taylor said about the GS, it has a really sweet midrange, much more so than say, a dread or similar.

I've decided I'm going to build another guitar on the shape I made along with the limba one. It will be figured mahogany back, WR cedar top (or maybe bearclaw sitka), and a rosewood neck

Man making guitars is so fun!!!!!!! I wish I had unlimited resources and time, I would just build guitars all day long and give them away ya know?

Yea, Ill say that when mine actually plays without going out of tune or exploding! =)

[verhoevenc]

Well feel free to build alot anyways and give them away. Just PM me for your address

hahahah

Chris

[GoodWood]

Well feel free to build alot anyways and give them away. Just PM me for your address

hahahah

Chris

Lol, well, I will be selling them at whatever I can get above cost to pay for my "education"...Put in 8 hours today, yea this is fun..!!