Official Luthiers Forum!

Have any of you built with osage? How does it sound? I have heard of it being compared to Brazilian RW.

Yes. I finished a gypsy style guitar this last fall that had osage back and sides, as well as an osage neck, over a lutz top. I love how it sounds and looks.

Get a nice straight grained set if at all possible. It is not really a stable wood when cut flat or rift, at least that is what I hear.
Also, be careful of scorching when bending.

Good luck.

Does it season well? Im not a big fan of the light color.

I really don't know. My set was well seasoned when I purchased it.

I know what you mean by the color. I felt that way at first. The color becomes less flamboyant and more conservative over time. It has become a much more honey/amber type color over the last few months. I look forward to seeing how it continues to change over the next few years.

Hans

It starts out that garish bright yellow color... It slowly fades to a nice orange and eventually brownish orange after a *long* time....

I have a few sets that are calling my name... They ring like a bell!

Thanks

Who has it for sale? I have some boards but they aren't idea for this purpose. It's kinda like cherry, it darkens fast. I just like the wood and would love to make a personal guitar out of it. Not sure how flashy it would be up against other woods in a shop.

I am also looking for some osage orange sets. Anybody knows who sells them?

Does anyone know if there's a difference between the domestic Osage & the imported stuff that comes from Central or South America?

I've turned some domestic stuff that was sourced from a tree in my neighborhood & I've also seen the imported stuff at my local wood boutique. The two looked very different in color & somewhat different in texture although both were stiff, dense & took a good natural polish. I don't know if it was simply a difference between trees or if there is a botanical difference.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I have seen some billets on ebay.
'Cook Woods'
'Ohio woodlands'
MM

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Mike McNerney

There is plenty of osage orange where I live. However, in Kansas it does not grow in a way that would yield anything usable for instruments. You couldn't get a straight grained toothpick out of the stuff. They grow very twisted and craggy, and were used as fence rows by early ranchers (thus the term hedge row).

I got my sets from Don Madill at Buffalo Tonewoods. He's a great guy. His handle on ebay is osagewood. He also has a website. Tell him I sent you.

Hans

I have some logs I need to slice up in the backyard. They say the tap is as close to rosewood as one can get. Sadly, that wonderful color will fade overtime. You would think that with all of modern science, someone would invent an agent with uv blockers and antioxidants that would stabilize the color. Whaa.

I built one last year for a customer who supplied his own wood. I wasn't ideally suited for instrument building and I told him so.It started well quartered and transitioned to rift in the length of the body. He wanted it anyway so we built what turned out to be one of my best sounding instruments yet. It has well balanced sound great volume and he is now my biggest booster. I love this wood.

Cecil

I have a little bit of it laying around:







One of these days I'm going to list some sets in the classifieds.

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Regards,
Phillip Patton

http://www.pattonblades.com

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded.

https://hoosierbladesmith.wordpress.com

I would be interested in a reasonably priced set. If I'm going to spend a lot of money, would probably get something with more bling.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Try this guy, he says he has osage orange for necks, but he may have some for backs and sides too.
Phil Simmons.....Possum Tree Farms Hardwoods....
email.......sleighville@hughes.net Phone 530-289-3336

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com