Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi all. I'm new to this site and new to guitar making. Actuallly I've never made one before, but I enjoy wood working, and I love to play my guitar. I would really like to try to make one and need all the help I could get. I used to flip houses and from one of my old houses I salvaged some sweetgum boards. They are almost a hundred years old and very beautiful. I was just wondering if Sweetgum is any kind of a tone wood?

I also found some old Black Walnut boards which are close to 150 years old. The Black Walnut is beautiful also, but almost petrified because of the age. I don't think I would start off using either wood on my first project, but would love to work up to it. Any suggestions advice etc.?

I don't know a thing about Sweet Gum.

Black Walnut is a fully qualified tonewood. You can use it for backs and sides, and it makes good necks as well - may as well go ahead and use it for the internal blocks too. Walnut bends well, and is a dream to work with. Take it to the saw and see how it goes.

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Walnut as mentioned will be fine for building with.

the Sweetgum wood can also be used but it would make better veneer head plates, banding and bridges. It takes black dies very well and is often used as a substitute for black ebony.


blessings

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.