toddler68 Posted May 28, 2004 Report Share Posted May 28, 2004 I searched on 'redwood' and got no hits so I posted a new topic: Anyone have experience with redwood? I saw some cool figured redwood on eBay and wondered if it would be suitable as a top over alder or mahogany. I just wanted some advice before I bid. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEdwardJones Posted May 28, 2004 Report Share Posted May 28, 2004 Edited because I'm sleepy and even as I typed "redwood" I thought "rosewood." Ignore me, there's nothing to see here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted May 28, 2004 Report Share Posted May 28, 2004 This guy "nicneufeld" over on the USA Custom Guitars website made a redwood-on-mahogany tele that was just beautiful. Here's the link (although the pics don't show up anymore). scroll down I liked it so much that I decided to go with a figured redwood top for my archtop proj (which I probably won't get to for a year at least). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 PRS did a run of redwood tops if I remember right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truerussian558 Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 is redwood suitable for a body? since i live pretty close to the redwood capital of the world and they have some mills and such on the way there where i am thinking to stop and get a body blank to make the bass body im planing to do, are there any guitars that where made from redwood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens): We have a nice stash of interesting figured redwood. It is available only as thin bookmatched laminate tops on flat top solid bodies. While the figure is intense and reflective, the depth isn't as dramatic as figured maple. It is not suitable for hollow bodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 Botanical Name: Sequoia sempervirens, Family: Taxodiaceae. ( Other Common Names: Amerikansk sekvoja, California cedar, California redwood, Californische redwood, coast redwood, corla, giant-of-the-forest, Humboldt redwood, ledwood, Mexican cherry, palo colorado, pin rouge d'ambrique, pin rouge d'Amerique, pino rosso d'america, redwood, sequoia, sequoia de California, sequoia roja, sequoia rossa, sequoia toujours vert, sequoie, vavona, vavona burr.) Grows In: Redwood is native to the Pacific Coast region from extreme southwestern Oregon (Curry County) south to central California (Monterey County). Description: The genus Sequoia is represented by one species (S. sempervirens). A related tree, the giant sequoia (Sequoiadenrdon giganteum) is also called redwood, big tree or giant redwood. The Tree: Redwood trees reach heights of 200 to 300 feet, with diameters of 6 to 12 feet. The record is 376 feet tall, with a 20 foot diameter and an age of 2,200 years, and represents the world’s tallest tree. The sapwood of is white, while the heartwood is a dark reddish brown. The heartwood has no characteristic odor or taste. It has exceptionally straight grain, high dimensional stability and is resistant to warping. It is moderately strong in bending, strong in endwise compression, stiff, moderately low in shock resistance and holds paint well. Redwood works easily with both hand and machine tools, with little dulling effect on tools. It planes well, provided the cutters are sharp and it splinters easily when working on the end grain. It holds nails well, and paints and finishes satisfactorily. It also stains well, but glues best with alkaline adhesives. Hardness: Janka 480. (420 old growth), specific gravity 0.40 lb/ft3 - 0.35 ( old growth ). MOR 54000, MOE 7600. Stability: Average. Tonal Signature: Redwood responds to subtle playing with a crisp balanced sound. When used in conjunction with a harder body wood on a chambered body its bass response is particularly round and full with a piano-like crispnes. Somewhat similar to Sitka Spruce. High Velocity of Sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdog Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 I have used redwood burl for a few projects...it is a beautiful wood for a top wood....It should be fine used over a mahogany back....Here is a curly redwood bass made by Carey Nordstrand. http://www.nordstrandguitars.com/assets/im.../Hajime/hh1.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_M Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 I've ordered a bookmatched quilted redwood set (hasn't yet arrived) to use as a top for my first guitar project. Anyway, I'm curious about why Warmoth says it's "not suitable for hollow bodies"? I wasn't planning on making a proper hollowbody or anything, just chambering lightly, mainly for reduced weight - could this somehow be a problem? Also, since redwood is quite soft and dents easily, will binding the body practically be a must? (for protection against dings and dents) Also, is there any easy way (I'm more or less a complete newbie to woodworking and such) to treat the wood to make it more durable without taking away from it's looks or tone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 Not sure if I can be of much help but I'm using redwood on the back of my current hollow/chambered project. There are no sharp edges so binding isn't an option but it would be a good idea if they are more square. A good sneeze would dent my hunk of wood so I gave it a CA treatment. I think I would use epoxy next time but only because I had a hard time with the CA. Had to be user error because many people use it with no problems. I don't know if it would be a problem with a true hollow body but my walls are pretty thick so it's not really an issue on this one. I've seen plenty of redwood acoustics so it can be done. Warmoth gets pretty paranoid because of warranty issues so I take what they say with that in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 I asked my luthuier about redwood some time ago, and he said that he does not like redwood because it dents easily, that it is soft. From personal experience, it is easily dented and marked with a finger nail. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truerussian558 Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 but if i have acces to a boddy blank size of redwood, is it usefull to use as a body or only as a top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A_M Posted May 29, 2004 Report Share Posted May 29, 2004 but if i have acces to a boddy blank size of redwood, is it usefull to use as a body or only as a top I haven't ever built a guitar yet, nor have I played any redwood-bodied ones - so I can't comment on it's qualities. But I know it's been done before... Ellie Erickson from the MIMF forum has made a few: http://www.ellieguitars.com/content/finished/electrics.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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