Official Luthiers Forum!

I live in Louisiana and just found an ad for some cypress that had been salvaged from some really old houses. I was just curious as to whether or not these boards would be suitable for a guitar. Just a curiosity question.

_________________
"Measure once; curse twice."

Hey Cody,
Sorry I can't give you an educated and reliable answer to your question, I hope someone else will soon. I also live in Looweezeeana (I'm from TX originally, Cowboys Fan, Boo Saints !), in Bossier City. Now that I've probably irritated you, may I ask, where are you at?

Irritated? Ha! There's always next season.

I live near Hammond. (tangi parish). Actually just got back yesterday. Moved away for a while. How long have u lived in LA?

_________________
"Measure once; curse twice."

Yea I figuered you lived down south. I moved here from Abilene TX in 2003 when my new bride got so homesick I moved her back here. Now I'm homesick.

yea we were homesick too. So are you a working luthier or just a hobbiest like me? I'd like to meet a pro in the area and see how they do it. Building is an addiction for me and I haven't even finished my first yet. Haha

I thought this topic wouldve recieved a few more responses by now. Maybe salvaged wood isn't the best thing. Lol. I just thought it would be cool and since it's been drying for probably 100 years it might be ok for a guitar or uke back and side or maybe a neck.

_________________
"Measure once; curse twice."

Salvaged wood can be nice. I'd say go see if you can find some Q-sawn beams. Recycling is always good. And if you don't use if for guitars, use it for shop furnitures, or anything.

But, is wood really ''drying'' in Louisiana? Maybe it depends on the area that you are but, I went to New Orleans past summer, and it was always at 85-100% of RH. For sure, the wood is ''dry'' but I'd guess it would be still around 6-7% wet, even after 100 years.

By the way. Who dat?

Vive la Nouvelles-Orléans

Francis

_________________
Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

What sort of cypress? Swamp or Bald cypress is common to the SE. It really grows out of water, and the wood is water resistant, but I'm not sure it is not too spongy for guitar building. You should just go and check it yourself. I have a large number of these pretty trees in the park near me circling the lake and I asked about it on the OLF a few years ago. No encouraging response.

_________________
Build log

I think I'll check it out sometime soon. It's going cheap enough to play with, at least. I think it said there were 2x2s, 2x4s, 2x6s, and 7x7s going for $2.75 per bf.

Yea the rh here is rediculous. Is 6-7% good? I'm VERY new to all of this.

_________________
"Measure once; curse twice."

Not sure what kind. Here's a link. http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/mat/2149757678.html. Doesn't say much but worth checking into I guess.

_________________
"Measure once; curse twice."

Usually, in lutherie, we want the wood dry around 6-8% of humidity. It's about the lowest point that wood dries, naturally, after few years. It can go lower than this after many many many years in a dry place. After it is really dry, it can regain humidity, but not that much. Well, wood dry faster than it gains humidity. Your salvaged wood is surely dry enough for anything you want to do with it. It's just probably not as dry as 100yo wood can be, in ''normal'' climate. I was just kidding on the ridicoulus RH of louisiana, like you said.

_________________
Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Sounds like I may have to check it out. My creative wheels are always turning so I may not sleep well until I do (bugs my wife. Lol). Thanks for all the help.

_________________
"Measure once; curse twice."

IIRC, cyprus is or has been extensively used in classical guitars. I don't see why you couldn't use it in a steel string. As far as it being reclaimed wood, if you can get it in large enough sizes, I don't think you'd have a problem. If it's old wood from old houses, I'd think it would be as stable as it's going to get. I'd use it in a heartbeat.

_________________
Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

It is not the same species. Bald cypress, which is the native species in the SE US, is a denser, harder wood than most of the woods that are called 'cypress'. However, I see no reason that it could not be a good wood for backs and sides.
I have some 12" wide QS boards that were salvaged from an old house in SW Florida. I do intend to build with them one day.

_________________
John

cool. So it's not a bad idea then. I was thinking about using the 6" wide stock for a uke set. I started building with a uke and I want to do a few more before I graduate to a guitar. Intimidation I guess.

_________________
"Measure once; curse twice."

I've handled very little cypress.......but what I have been exposed to was brittle. Is this normal or just a property of the boards I've seen?

_________________
Formerly known as Adaboy.......

John, you might have some special old growth extra dense boards? I googled a bit and the specific gravity given about everywhere is 0.45 when dried, about the same as Sitka spruce. Mediterranean cypress is normally denser, somewhere around .55

_________________
Build log

Thanks for all the help. The wood is located about an hour from me so as soon as I make time to go check it out, I'll post pics. Sounds like a good deal.

_________________
"Measure once; curse twice."

This is my first post here but been lurking a while. I am a Cajun accordion builder, not a stringed instrument guy, but been soaking in the woodworking and finishing discussion.

From my experience with the salvaged cypress, you have to check it out. There is some great stuff out there, old growth solid stuff, and there is some junk, along with some semi rotten wood. I've gotten some that was too far gone and almost cork like in texture, and some that is tight grained and hard. Don't buy sight unseen.

Just a few years ago they were burning that stuff and giving it away, now people are starting to realize there is a market, and there are some out there that will take advantage.

Good luck.

Bryan Lafleur

_________________
Bryan Lafleur
www.lansegriseaccordions.com

Hi Bryan,
Welcome to the OLF. Have you thought about putting a guitar neck on one of your accordians? You can call it a Cajun Accordagit!

Nice work displayed on your site Bryan!
I've gotten to know some Accordion builders from the Eunice, LA area (Marc Savoy and Larry Miller) and can appreciate what goes into one. Marc's sons, Larry's grandson and my daughter play in the Cajun music scene in the Layfayette area. Coincidentally, the drummer and bass player in her band are LaFleurs from Rayne.

I found some Cypress lumber when I was last there that had been harvested out of the basin near Henderson after being buried in the mud for a long time. It has very tight (~40/inch) growth rings so it probably was part of the first harvest and was left behind by the early loggers. After seeing this thread here and on Uke Underground I'm interested in trying it out on some Ukes and not using it on the other projects I had planned for it. If it works I'll need to go by there next trip and buy a big section of a log, give it a good name and watch the price go through the roof.

That's a thought Rusty, then I could play my own rhythm and not be limited to 2 base notes.

Thanks, Tarhead. I know Larry and Marc, Larry helped me out quite a bit getting started. Both have incredibly talented families. Who is your daughter, if you don't mind me asking?

_________________
Bryan Lafleur
www.lansegriseaccordions.com

Beth Fogleman. Here she is playing her killer HD-28V with Kyle Huval/Dixie Club Ramblers on the main stage at this year's Festivals Acadien et Creoles in Lafayette:





Here with Brandon Moreau/Pain Perdu at part of this year's Piccolo Spoleto, Charleston, SC (96 degrees in the shade ):

Cool! I actually saw her perform with Kyle Huval for Festival Acadiens.

_________________
Bryan Lafleur
www.lansegriseaccordions.com

Hi guys,
I'm just across the river, into the promised land of Texas, and I have built an L-00 of Bald Cypress, though of new stuff, not the salvaged wood.

You can build a guitar of southern cypress, but it is pretty "not stable" so it moves around a lot. I built the top and neck even, of cypress, it was sort of a "local woods" project. As a top wood it is not very stiff and is pretty high in damping. It was a fun build, but not one I would repeat.

I say go for it, just don't expect a tight, snappy tone if you use it for a top. As a back and side wood, it would be close to one of the softer sets of Mahogany, without the stability.

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