Official Luthiers Forum!

ok... I've been on here for only a few weeks. I have to say that the help I have gotten here is great!!

so now for another question.

I'm finding certain woods that "I like" not just for aesthetics but for workability and tone. Now this may sound weird from a guy that has yet to finish his first guitar but, I love the things I have learned and will continue to learn. This is not just a "hey this is fun thing" I did that with photography, been published and all but this guitar building biz is every thing I have wanted to do.

so I guess the question is still to be asked.....

I have found myself in the hooks of spanish cedar. for some reason I love this wood. I'm still a novice so I know other woods will come along. Guitar building is a love not a biz.

So what is your favorite wood and why? What was your first love in wood?

May seem like a goofy question but for those of us new to this this is an expanse of the universe question...

So???

I have not built with it yet but aesthetically nothing beats Cocobolo for me. There are so many interesting variations, all beautiful. I have a wonderful looking set thats very orange with black streaks. I also love maple, it is such a versatile wood and many "flavors" to choose from, flamed, quilt, spalt, birdseye... etc

I have a hunch every response will be different.

This is why i asked the question. If every response was even near the same I guess the question would be point less...

Thanks Ed... I too love the looks of Cocobolo but have been quit unsuccessful in finding what I want.

I like them all....except purpleheart.

Aesthetically Cocobolo gets my vote. Madagascar Rosewood is not far behind. Dalbergia Granadillo (not Granadillo) is also quite nice. I like all rosewoods though, they all just "look right". Outside of rosewood...Ziricote, ebony and Koa.

So far I have only worked with EIR and Black Walnut but I have built up a nice stash of exotics. Black Walnut is a great wood locally available (and affordable) in the states.

In short...variety is the spice of life.

Haven't worked with it much yet, but have some that keeps calling my name...African Blackwood...beautiful under finish...not so much on the tools.

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Jamie M

You know I'm going to say it...white oak! It just gives (when combined with red spruce) the perfect blues tone for me and folks around here are really knocked out by the tone and the looks when properly dyed.
Sure, all those $$$ exotics are pretty to look at, easy to finish (no dyeing), and make good to great sounding instruments, but figured white oak is 10 bucks a board foot, bends like a dream, isn't oily (won't clog your drum sander), sands easily, OK, takes a lot to fill, and sounds terrific...
OK, I'll shut up now...back to exotics.

Nothing wrong with oak. I like the Beneteau mission.
http://www.beneteauguitars.com/guitr_pi ... ion_3.html

Nahhhh.... Haans, the question was never about exotics but about wood. Just keep wood on the table and were all fine.

I find white oak to have a very "exotic" look when quartersawn for sure.

Anyone else? There has to be a time when you said. I really like this wood.

Edward.... Now thats what I'm talkin' about!!

I love just plain old mahogany! Works great, sounds great, looks right to me. Some varieties may be nicer than others, but they all seem to let the guitar do what it's meant to do.....make music.

Joe

Yup, Joe, my second choice, especially for 12 strings. 'Course we'll see what white oak does for 12's!
Just kidding about the exotics, but there is a tendency to go for them. See above...

Cuban Mahogany (not plantation grown).

Yeah, good stuff. Remember this set Brad? I got this from you at the 2005 ASIA show.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I'm really getting into the figured mahoganies. Got an OM I did with this gorgeous Sapele that I just love. And Pau Ferro is one of my favorites, great for bridges and fretboards. Gotta get my hands on a back and sides set one of these days...

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Rob

Impressive!!

I would love to build up a wood stash

Then again 25 years ago and 1 ex, I had a stash but it wasn't wood...lol

Great looking guitar Brock. Next time I go to see my family in Ohio i'm going to have to stop by if thats ok.

I think I have the sister set to this. OLF auction after ASIA in MD.

I've only done one build so far, which I unfortunately haven't gotten around to uploading on the site, but I'm really digging the yellow cedar I used for the top. My dad just gave me a whole pile of pretty nice mahogany so buying wood right now isn't the best thing to do, but I'm really itching to build a whole guitar out of yellow cedar. Well that and one of those white oak guitars.

Yeah, absolutely!

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I have very little experience in working with wood and I haven't work with a lot of different species, but my favorite would have to be Black Walnut. I like the look of it and it's really nice to work with, plus I love the smell when you heat for bending... Spanish Cedar has a wonderfull smell too

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Olivier Gauthier
Montreal, QC

Well, that's a good question....

Of the woods I've worked with, there are several that I have a soft spot for.

Black Walnut - I like how it works - I like the smell, and I even don't mind how it stains my fingers when sanding, etc.

Amazon Rosewood (I haven't worked with Brazilian yet) - it's just so d*** beautiful under finish.

I like spruce - the smell, how you can shave a fine, curl like confetti under a sharp plane or scraper.

Etc.

maple!
i built a weissenborn style git box out of soft maple purchased at a hardwood store,
and found a piece of quarter sawn sitka with bearclaw, i love the wat tis git sounds, and looks.
kinda sloppy build, but it's for me, not for sale, ever!

Highly figured ebony, never worked with it, probably never will but when I see guitars made of it I drool. Close second is cocobolo or ziricote.

My current fave is Mun ebony. I broke the bank last winter, buying three sets. The first Mun guitar is well underway & it doesn't disappoint. Beautiful stuff!
Not the easiest wood to bend, but it made it... Tight waist & all. I admit to sweating bullets while cranking down the side bender.
Otherwise, Cocobolo & (of course) Brazilian rosewood. I take down a piece once in a while, just to smell it!
African blackwood is lovely too. Haven't built a guitar with it yet, but its great for bindings & trim.
Then there's plain old ribbon grain sapelle. Looks so ordinary, 'till you start buffing!
Oh & don't forget walnut. I would recommend walnut to anyone for a first guitar.
Only one mention of East Indian rosewood, so far... If it weren't so common & easy to acquire, it would be much more highly prized than it is... IMHO anyway.

I haven't worked with that many woods yet, but I love Australian/Tazmanian Blackwood/Black Acacia. This stuff works easy, bends easy, sounds great and is a good weight and density for a flamenco guitar (which is what I mainly build). Oh, and BTW, it can knock your eyes out.



Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan