Well you can expect the following, don't mean it will all happen but this is common for fir.
These are all the things I have observed in tooling fir.
its heavy
it is prone to splintering...long nasty sharp splinters...especialy if there is runnout.
may have hidden pitch pockets
big contrast between hardness of the grain lines, the soft grain may sand out leaving the hard grain and a ripple corduroy effect. Best to be scraped, not sanded.
Water stains and water born finishes tend to accentuate this couduroying as well.
It does not take dark stain nicely...the hard / soft altering grains resist and or suck up the stain
Best to shellack it first and then tint the finish if you want to shift its colour.
Bends easy enough.
Me have used quartered, rift and flat sawn fir. Have used it for tops, backs sides and necks...have done complete builds with it, including a bowl back and a 2,600 sq ft. house, all the doors (raised panel) and trim work. Burns good too, keeping me warm in the winter.
For nice clear neck material, is best to look at the 2 x 12 x 14ft or longer stock...this is cut from lower down in the log and as such tends to be much clear.
After about a dozen or so builds with the stuff, my take for instruments is ... it makes for a good top and ok back and sides and necks. But it does get the job done and is a cheap or inexpensive wood.
blessings
the
Padma
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