Official Luthiers Forum!

Check out this ebay post. Awesome
http://cgi.ebay.com/Jacaranda-Rosewood-Back-Sides-dalbergia-species_W0QQitemZ110409614762QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item19b4ed05aa&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C293%3A2%7C294%3A50

Looks very unstable. Probably not Jacaranda the way we think of it. It wouldn't surprise me if it was indian rosewood.
Personally I wouldn't consider building with it.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I think you'll find it's slab sawn plantation Indian Rosewood. (as Peter stated)

Caveat emptor.

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

That stuff will make babies cry. Scary.
It is amazing figure and color. Someone is going to build with it, might as well be you!

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

Cracks looking for a place to happen........!

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I bought one of those "jacaranda" sets on ebay a couple of months ago. It was advertised as "a kind of Brazilian Rosewood". The set I bought was mostly quartersawn (plain grain) and had some interesting sapwood, but it was wet and started to warp almost immediately after I got it. I am almost dead certain that it is EIRW. I clamped it flat and dried it, and now I think it's gonna make a great guitar. I paid $150 for it and was refunded $50 because it was advertised as Dalbergia Nigra.

In case you decide to buy it: That seller doubled the prices on all his back/side sets recently, so you should be able to beat down the price a little....

Definitely not D.nigra. It's probably D.brownii or D.sissoo, I've seen the plantations when I went to Java to visit, and I'm no botanist but Brazilian does not smell, taste or look like this stuff....

I just fell in love with the figure - have enough wood to last me well into the years and with the zootman being close enough to visit from time to time I wasnt intending to make a buy - but so glad you guys pointed out these issues because I must admit I was tempted and have been known to react on impulse before.

What about laminating the back? You could have the figure and lessen the chances of it cracking.

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Aoibeann

I'm seeing a bit of crotch figure in the backs - that might warp or crack even when dry and seasoned. It is pretty stuff though.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

I'm in agreement with Peter and I wouldn't use it either.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Some of the stuff that seller has had looks amazing. I almost bought some back before they doubled their prices but think from what you guys are saying am glad I didnt.

I dunno guys, I kinda like it.
My thoughts were like Lillian's: it would probably be usable when laminated.
Just glad I'm broke, or I'd pull the trigger for sure....

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I bought one set of wood from this supplier last year (when they were $150 instead of $300) because of the interesting figure (although much plainer than this.)

The wood I bought was not D. Nigra, at least if smell is a determining factor. I can't say what it is. The seller maintains that it is indeed D. Nigra, and I don't have the botany chops to say for certain otherwise. The smell is not there. I don't think I got a bad looking set of wood for the price, though.

Jim

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu