spindlebox Posted December 6, 2022 Report Share Posted December 6, 2022 Anyone ever use this beautiful wood for a guitar body? I'm seriously considering it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted December 7, 2022 Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 According to the Wood Database, it's regular Poplar that has grown in mineral rich soil. So many of us have been using it, mostly in the pale form. Poplar is also industrially used for guitars so it's perfectly acceptable but there's a couple caveats you might like to know. First, it grows quite fast which means the growth rings are pretty wide. The wider summer growth is much softer than the narrow winter rings which makes level sanding a bit difficult. The summer rings just seem to vanish! Second, the wood is quite fibrous and the fibres tend to get loose with the tiniest amount of moisture. So if you use the highly recommendable way to moist the wood to raise the grain you'll have to really let the wood dry. Otherwise you'll be ripping two inch long fibres off the surface instead of dust. For the same reason all blade tools have to be razor sharp or else the fibres don't cut! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindlebox Posted December 7, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2022 That's all great advice! I appreciate it. It is just such beautiful wood!! I had never known about it until I heard someone mention it. Definitely want to make a natural finish body out of some! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted December 13, 2022 Report Share Posted December 13, 2022 the only real down side to rainbow poplar imo is that any guitars built with it will only play old dio songs (lol, rainbow in the dark!). anyone ever build a guitar with it... no not myself... but only because you are kind of locked in to a natural finish. reg poplar soaks up stain fast but color is changed by the green. perfectly good wood for guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindlebox Posted December 13, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2022 HAHA. There could be worse things a guitar could play. I'm fine with the color, the finish is beautiful, pretty much why I bought it!! Thanks for your replies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.