guitar_ed Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 Hi, I just talked to a friend of mine who has a (single) piece of walnut large enough to make a Tele from. Is there anything that I should look for in the wood that is a potential "gotcha". Thanks much. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 I would say age, since it was cut. That will tell you if it has had enough time to dry out properly. From what I have read, cupping and splitting can occur as the board dries out which would lead to a very warped body or neck if it was made from wood that is to freshly cut. Some people wax the ends of planks as well so they have time to cure properly without splitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 Some people wax the ends of planks as well so they have time to cure properly without splitting. I thought that waxing the ends was done for wood that was air dried, and that that sort of thing took 50 years or so. I don't have that much time to wait around. If the wood is kiln dried I would think that the plank should be usable. If the piece of Walnut is highly figured, it might not be suitable for a whole body. I thought that highly figured woods were slightly weaker, and that they were better off to be used as a laminate. Just my 2 cents. I really don't know much of anything about woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted January 11, 2003 Report Share Posted January 11, 2003 I thought that waxing the ends was done for wood that was air dried, and that that sort of thing took 50 years or so. I don't have that much time to wait around. Yes it is for the air dry cure and so far the only thing I have found was somebody told me the rule of thumb was 1 year for every 1" thickness if stored properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted January 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2003 Hi All, I got my slab of Walnut today. I put a picture of it on www.stormriders.com/guitar/telecaster. Heavy sucker. Later, Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted January 15, 2003 Report Share Posted January 15, 2003 That's a great lookin piece of wood wOOt I check the tone library over at Anderson Guitars, seems they have two listed with Walnut but nither give a discription of what to expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 Bumping this thread back up because I found this page on Warmoth's site which tell's a little bit about Walnut and a few other woods in regard's to finishing and tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 Hi guys, Brian, you are correct, allow one year for each inch of thickness. The wax is put on the end to stop the ends drying at a different rate to the centre of the board. End grain dries out a lot quicker, and when wood dries, it shrinks. I always store my guitar blanks prior to using them, just to be safe. If your going to do that, make sure they are stacked up on top of each other in a dry place, and use a 1/2" x 1/2" timber bearer at each end to keep the faces of the blanks (or planks) from touching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 does anyone know if oak can be used in a guitar body? im going to use oak(four 17mm laminations) with rosewood wings, will this work? any thoughts on this? john. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 oops, just found out that oak is no good! i bought some mahogany today and i must say its much lighter (in colour and weight) than the last piece is used. what does this mean? is the lighter shade less suitable for use in instrment making? any ideas appreciated! john. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 The shade or color in the wood only means it will look different when finished ummmmmmmm lighter I believe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted February 1, 2003 Report Share Posted February 1, 2003 thanks for the reply, what i actually meant was , would the lighter version have poor tonal characteristics? and do you know by any chance is oak suitable in any way? , because im getting conflicting reports about its resonant qualities. It would be a shame not to use it because its very old and beautiful oak. thanks, JD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 2, 2003 Report Share Posted February 2, 2003 I'm taking this from the link above: Looks & Appearances Each piece of wood is inherently unique. Even within a species, every piece is going to differ from each other. The grain pattern, color, shade, weight, and density are all subject to mother nature's whims. This does not necessarily make one piece better or worse than another. It means that they are simply different and unique. Choose the appearance that best suits your personal taste. If the sound of a particular wood is not as pleasing to your ear as the look is to your eye then think about a laminate top. A thin laminate top will give you the appearance you are looking for without overshadowing the tone of the core body wood. Sound and Weight The sonic properties of wood vary dramatically between species, weight and density. Generally speaking, the heavier woods sustain well and have a bright and articulate sound which are all good attributes for a bass guitar. Extra light weight woods, while a great complement for a bad back, can sound indistinct or muddy especially with humbucking pickups. Medium weight woods fall in the middle and are the traditional preference. Compromises may be found by chambering or hollowing the heavier woods. These bodies remain stiff but light weight for that fat, rich tone with great sustain. Finishing Characteristics How do you wish to finish your body? Do-it-yourself finishes such as tung oil or Danish oil are the easiest to apply and look best on darker woods such as koa, walnut and korina. Brightly colored dyes only work on white western maple like quilt and flame (fiddleback). Transparent colors look best on woods with distinct grain lines such as ash. Clear gloss finishes can be sprayed on any wood but are difficult to accomplish without professional equipment. So really every different piece of wood will have a different tone in the end without regard's to one specific characteristic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted February 2, 2003 Report Share Posted February 2, 2003 Oak is no good ? Brian May's guitar is made of Oak.(Brian May is the guitar player of the band Queen for any of you who might be too young to know who he is ) Takamine uses Oak for the back and sides of their Santa Fe acoustic. Some other popular acoustic maker made a whole acoustic with Oak, but I don't know if it sounded good enough to go beyond being just an experiment. Ok, there can be bad peices of Oak, just like with any wood and you want to avoid those (not dry enough, etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted February 2, 2003 Report Share Posted February 2, 2003 wicked ! if its good enough for brian may, its good enough for me! red special(may`s guitar) has a beautiful and distinct sound. excellent , thanks for your help guys! jd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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