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Hi all - Wondering whether anyone has worked with dogwood - perhaps not likely because it's usually insufficiently large to get a back out of two pieces. I have some that might make a back out of three pieces and wondering about it's proprties as a tonewood. One thing I'll say about it is that it is HARD. Stuff's almost like iron. Thanks for your help.

You hit on the three major problems. timber size available, density and workability.

It would make a really white guitar, too.

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Waddy

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Up here in the PNW theres alot of trees that have fantastic wood - but grow smallish for projects like guitar tonewood... dogwood is an example - yew another, laburnum, even ocean spray can grow large enough to use for small timber(rare) in fact ocean spray is one of the densest growing trees in N.A. - I have a bit of experience with dogwood - and I think really it would be a better bridge/fb/headplate material on acct of its available size and density... Im currently working with laburnum, which is much more colorful, generally a little bigger than you can usually find dogwood, and attainable in my area,(blowdowns not commercially), Im not sure if theres laburnum where you are - but its a great score if you can find it..
Cheers
Charlie

The "Lutherie Woods" book, published by GAL, I think, says dogwood makes an excellent fretboard. It is in the ebony family, I believe. Dye it black and it should work great for fbs.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

There was a guy from the NW building mandolins with dogwood at Healdsburg 4yrs ago.. He said it was great although difficult to source.

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