Official Luthiers Forum!

This is a bit of a long story but I'll do my best to brief it up.

About 30 years ago my Father-in-law had designs on building a 30' Cruiser. He began sourcing and collecting "usefull" materials. As a Master Builder he used his connections in the timber supply industry to obtain some high quality Oregon. Oregon is the name used in Australia for several species of timber from USA but most commomly Douglas Fir.

These boards were / are what was known as A1 Clears.
They are quarter-sawn, dense, eveny ringed, NO knot boards. The best I've ever seen. He kept it, moved it from place to place and a couple of years ago broke his heart when he had to cut 1.2 meters off the 7.2 meter lengths to squeeze them into a 6 meter shed built just to house it. Needless to say the Cruiser never happened. The poor bugger now ends up with Renal Cancer and has had to move 1000 km interstate to undergo treatment and I have possesion of the boards. He's told me to use it as I see fit but I haven't been able to bring myself to use it around my home since timber like this deserves an appropriate use.

I'm wondering if Douglas Fir is usefull in luthiery. A quick look at the species search results informed that it was used as a substitute for Sitka Spruce in Aviation (timber planes) so I'm wondering if it's properties are similar in acoustics.

Does anybody have experience in using it and what parts of the guitar is it most suited to?

doug fir has been used for tops... I think someone even built an entire guitar from doug fir ... Jody

I use it for tops, braces and linings with fine success.

It isn't necessarily traditional, but there are some luthiers who do build with it. There's a stigma in the States about it being construction lumber, but in other places it might not have the same label. Whatever you build, if it sounds great, just call it an Oregon conifer and you'll be fine.

Dave

It was extensively used in construction here too. Not so much any more due to limited availability. The timber I used to see around was nowhere near the quality of this timber although some of the stuff used in Roof Truss construction about the same time (30 + yrs ago) was pretty good. I worked in a Mill / Framing and Truss plant where we used to break down the flitches and some of them were amazing. "Recycled Oregon" is now much sought after and a lot of cabinetwork is produced with "stressed oregon".

I don't really care about stigma and Brand Snobbing attached to things as long as the performance is there. I'm not thinking that it will rival the best AAAA or Master grade spruce sound boards or anything like that but as long as I know it can be used with some chance of success I'll give it a try. I intend on building an Acoustic instrument (possibly more than 1) and I was beginning to investigate the purchase of material when I thought about this stuff in my shed. There is quite a bit and this may be a worthy use for some of it. It is actually so good that I'm lothe to cut it up for any purpose but that begs the question; what else to do with it?

I realize there may be some sentimental issues here, but depending on how much you have vs how much you need, you may consider trading some of it for other varieties of wood you may also need for your instrument project.

This reminds me of a conversation where I asked a highly regarded professional luthier what forms of payment he accepted for his services. His answer... "Cash, Check, or Good Wood" .

Jim

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Jim Hansen

I know of at least one person on this forum who has built with it.

If he had to cut off 1.2 meters...just use the cut-off. That's plenty for sound board size.

Darrin

It's not so much a sentimental issue regarding my FIL. He's still alive and going quite well due to seaking alternate treatments, contrary to physicians beliefs that he should have left us 3-5 years ago. Stubborn bugger. I have his permission to use it however I like. It is more a matter of finding a use for it that is befitting the quality of the timber. It would make an excellent pergola for the backyard or a very straight chicken coop but I couldn't do it. Instruments seem a more lasting and meaningful use but I wouldn't be able to use all of it.

There is a lot of it. More than enough. The boards are mixed sizes from 5' x 1.25" up to 10" x 2" in cross section so it would require further milling etc. I wouldn't be touching any of the longer lengths. I didn't mention that there is also quite a lot of Western Red Cedar. Most of it is in the form of profiled moldings but there are some square dressed boards in amongst it. I'll probably use a bit of that as well.

I also had an old dresser in the shed that came from a deceased estate. It had weathered badly and turned grey. The top had been covered in stick on Contact but due to it's age I figured it was reasonable timber. It turns out that the top was a single piece and the drawer fronts and legs are all Australian Red Cedar. Beatiful stuff but again I'll have to investigate it's usefulness in luthiery.

Some of the Douglas Fir that shows up here in the states as dimensional lumber in lumberyards is enticing enough to use. (Western Red Cedar too - I have a set of tops that were cut from a lumberyard board that are as nice as anything I've seen.) Aside from the fingerboard and bridge, I think it would be a fine experiment to build an entire guitar out of it. I think it would work well.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

You might take a look at Larry Stamms site (larrystamm.com). He's got a lot of information about douglas fir and how it compares to spruce and cedar etc. regarding densities and such.
Warren.

Douglas fir is not now considered suitable for exposed outside use(despite extensive use in the past), being prone to rot in this situation, so not the best for a pergola.

I agree. It was used a lot here and in some situations as canterlevered decks. It causes some serious problems when they collapse.

BTW Glivo I am just across the lake from you at Caves Beach!
Jeff