Oak Sg

[gibsonsg26]

hey guys i just started working on an oak sg and i had a quick question has anyone here used oak for a body and how does it sound.

thanks in advance

[Acousticraft]

I believe Brian Mays Red Special was made of an old oak table?

[mikevirok]

I believe Brian Mays Red Special was made of an old oak table?

"...designed with his father, Harold May, and built with wood from a 19th century fireplace. His comments on this instrument, from Queen In Their Own Words (ed. Mick St. Michael, Omnibus Press, 1992, p. 62) are: 'I like a big neck – thick, flat and wide. I lacquered the fingerboard with Rustin's Plastic Coating. The tremolo is interesting in that the arm's made from an old bicycle saddle bag carrier, the knob at the end's off a knitting needle and the springs are valve springs from an old motorbike.' "

I was thinking of picking up some oak when I get back to my hometown in New Jersey and building a neck-through version of my personal design. It would be quite hard and heavy I assume, since oak is generally known for it's durability and longevity. I could be wrong though.

I know that OLP has used either Oak or Elm on one of their bass guitar models a few years back, but I cannot be certain. Go for it though, and post many pics!!!

Edited June 22, 2007 by mikevirok

[ihocky2]

Do a search for oak on the forum. It has been covered before. If I remember, it is not very highly regarded for guitars. I think the tone is not very good, and it is way heavy for the reduced tone. There are usually a lot better choices.

[Geo]

Don't know what kind of oak you're using, but I tried to make a guitar out of red oak when I was a teenager and it was bad. The wood is very hard, heavy, and splintery. If you suspend the wood and tap on it, you'll get an idea of the tone it'll give the guitar.

[gibsonsg26]

i did that already but i didnt realy know what i was looking for i kinda of got a ringing sound from it. thanks for the replies

[tubab0y]

I know that OLP has used either Oak or Elm on one of their bass guitar models a few years back, but I cannot be certain. Go for it though, and post many pics!!!

they're elm. i happen to own one. amazing bass.

[CrazyManAndy]

I believe Ben made a very nice guitar out of Oak. I'll look for the thread. Found it:

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...c=22843&hl=

CMA

Edited June 22, 2007 by CrazyManAndy

[PunkRockerLuke]

I believe he did as well. I believe it was a neck through

Edited June 22, 2007 by PunkRockerLuke

[PunkRockerLuke]

edit oops crazymanandy got it first

Edited June 22, 2007 by PunkRockerLuke

[gibsonsg26]

thanks guys i hope it ends up sounding good but it really doesnt matter i found the wood in my basement and its like 20 years old (guess its addapeted to the shop by now lol) so if it doesnt sound good ill just buy some mahogany and make a body.

[Geo]

thanks guys i hope it ends up sounding good but it really doesnt matter i found the wood in my basement and its like 20 years old (guess its addapeted to the shop by now lol) so if it doesnt sound good ill just buy some mahogany and make a body.

Well, the "guitar" I built (it was horribly built) actually sounded okay. I think the oak will impart a nice tone particularly for clean sounds. If I could describe the tone... it was "neck-pickup-like". I.e., some mids weren't as strong. The only reason I wouldn't use it again is because it was a pain to shape.

[gibsonsg26]

oh yeah ive run into that im semi carving the top and its been a nightmare lot of elbow grease and alot of tearout thanks for describing the tone i realy didnt want it to come out bad and from what you say it should sound alright thanks again

[Woodenspoke]

hey guys i just started working on an oak sg and i had a quick question has anyone here used oak for a body and how does it sound.

thanks in advance

Read or white oak two different sounds and properties. I have been planning a rift sawn white oak acoustic for some time, back and sides. the woods beautiful. but for a neck I would pass using it as the grain is just too open. Red oak is just boring, I have seen very few boards that I would consider using. Expect to fill the grain before finishing. As far as shaping it try wood working tools. LOL

Woodenspoke

[gibsonsg26]

hey guys i just started working on an oak sg and i had a quick question has anyone here used oak for a body and how does it sound.

thanks in advance

Read or white oak two different sounds and properties. I have been planning a rift sawn white oak acoustic for some time, back and sides. the woods beautiful. but for a neck I would pass using it as the grain is just too open. Red oak is just boring, I have seen very few boards that I would consider using. Expect to fill the grain before finishing. As far as shaping it try wood working tools. LOL

Woodenspoke

ya thats what im doing but it keeps splintering and it has been quite a pain i think its white oak im not positive though the grain has chevrone like patterns they look pretty nice. My sander mauled it yesterday though when i was leveling a area on the joint its an area that will be routed though so it wont affect the looks lol

[gibsonsg26]

oak sg pics

heres my thread with pics so you guys can see if someone could tell me what kind of oak it is i would be really happy im not 100% sure.

Edited June 23, 2007 by gibsonsg26

[Woodenspoke]

oak sg pics

heres my thread with pics so you guys can see if someone could tell me what kind of oak it is i would be really happy im not 100% sure.

Your Picture is too far away to see the grain and the color of the picture does not help. If the wood color has any red to it is red oak. Red oak is a more common wood in general in most local lumber dealers. Workability is similar but white oak has a slightly larger open grain than red oak and is sutable for outdoor furniture. I guess if its white aok you can use the guitar as a paddle if you are ever up strem without one LOL.

Take a trip to your local wood store and see what it matches up to, even home depot has red oak in stock.

Woodenspoke

Edited June 25, 2007 by Woodenspoke

[gibsonsg26]

thanks i went up to lowes but i couldnt really tell i think it is red oak its got a golder tone to it and the grain is open so im not to sure ill post a better pic soon.

[!WOOD!!]

Don,t be afraid of using oak for a guitar.Have made a Bass and an SG.Oak is tough to work but is underated as a tone wood.

[gibsonsg26]

Don,t be afraid of using oak for a guitar.Have made a Bass and an SG.Oak is tough to work but is underated as a tone wood.

im really glad to see that pic because i am switching my design to a strat bridge because my other bridge had a piece missing hopefully i will have everything routed by next weekend thanks for the tip.

[SwedishLuthier]

I hope that you realize that you have to change the neck angle if you are switching from an TOM bridge to a strat style bridge. Just in case you hadn’t thought of it…

Oak is ok as a “tonewood”, whatever that might be. I have made two solid necks out of oak and some laminated necks with thin oak laminates in between other woods, but will not do it again. Reason? Oak is very tough to shape. It splits and dulls cutting tools in seconds. But otherwise the tone is really good. If you are to compare the tone to maple and mahogany (I have only made necks out of oak) I would say that it more resembles mahogany regarding tone but maple in attack, if that makes any sense at all. One neck is in a mahogany body strat and that tone is really warm. I have to make new pickups for that guitar to make it come alive and to do the neck/body combination real justice, but it was my main axe for a couple of years. And as everyone knows Brian May have used his oak guitar exclusively throughout his career, so I’m getting quite bored with all the comments about “oak is not a tone wood”. Please build a guitar out of it and try before commenting on different woods suitability for guitars. If the guitar has a tone, then the wood is a “tonewood”. Too many persons are too concerned with trivia like getting “the right wood” or “the right pickup” or “the right sonically transparent finish” or whatever. What’s the next big thing? Tone-enhancing pick guard material? Vintage correct guitar case lining that transfer tone to the guitar while it’s in the case? Use common sense and you will not get fooled by all those Ed Romans out there.

Sorry if I kept ranting about this, but seriously, some people get stuck on the wrong things about guitar building. Makes me wonder how many of them that has really built a guitar. Ever!

[gibsonsg26]

ya i considered the neck angle i havent routed it yet so i am going to rout it for the strat bridge i really liked the look of the dean v shaped string ferule but im going to save that for my next project.

[!WOOD!!]

The bridge I used is a stringthrough and really seems to help with sustain.This guitar plugged and unplugged sounds much better than my Epi SG.Making a Mahogany SG as well so I will see the difference in wood choice

[gibsonsg26]

i got my template off my fadded gibson and thats like my favorite guitar right now it plays really good but i want a more metal version but not death metal like a glam/80's so im going for dimarzios and stuff like that i hope it will scream. i drew out the grain with water and sanding then i might do the tripple step staining method prs uses on there flame tops to make the grain "pop" hopefully it will look good.