I built a classical/flamenco style guitar from American sycamore in the early-1980's I thought it worked fine. It is very similar to soft maple.
Santa Cruz has used local California sycamore for some of their guitars.
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| Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=38736 |
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| Author: | PoppaWoodie [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I recently bought some quartered American Sycamore from a local dealer and sawed it up into back/side sets. It's beautiful looking stuff, but from the admittedly limited amount of info I've been able to gather online, doesn't have such a great reputation as a tonewood. Kind of a bummer, but I didn't pay too much for it, so if it ends up being better suited for practice, I won't be too disappointed. That being said, has anyone here built a guitar with the stuff before? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Would you do so again? Thanks! |
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| Author: | John Arnold [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I built a classical/flamenco style guitar from American sycamore in the early-1980's I thought it worked fine. It is very similar to soft maple. Santa Cruz has used local California sycamore for some of their guitars.
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| Author: | Bryan Bear [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 2:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I can't tell you too much but I am using it on my next instrument. Waddy made one from sycamore a while back, I'm sure he will chime in. I also hear Cumpiano speaks highly of it. . . |
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| Author: | ernie [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:56 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
+1 readily available, low $$, easy to work, /laminate sides,.Another potentially useful wood despite the naysayers.Sorry no pics , have used on guitars an ukes. |
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| Author: | Colin S [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I'm in the UK so don't have the wood that you call sycamore in the US (Sycamore in Europe is one of the maple family), but the European equivalent the London Plane, Platanus X hispanica is a wood that I have used very successfully. I've used it combined with WRC. I'd certainly use it again, I would place it in the Walnut/mahogany end of the spectrum  Colin |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:37 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I have, and I love it. Nice mellow sound. Still powerful, but more mellow than Rosewoods. Attachment: P1060818 (Large).JPG Attachment: P1060819 (Large).JPG Attachment: P1060825 (Large).JPG O'Carolan, "Separation of Soul and Body" - Played by my friend, Johnny May, who plays all my clips. |
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| Author: | Tony_in_NYC [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:45 am ] |
| Post subject: | Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
Those are all beautiful guitars. I want some sycamore now! Posted using letters to form words, sentences and thoughts. |
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| Author: | Steve Kinnaird [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
Wonderful examples,guys. Always good to see Colin's and Waddy's work. Moss does NOT grow on your efforts, gents. Our shop has built an OM out of Sycamore, and we loved the results. In particular, it came off the bending form with zero springback. Gotta love that. I found that it was abrasion resistant like maple, I.e. hard to sand. Though not really tough like maple. I would agree with the comment that it is, sonically, somewhat like soft maple. Which I like, by the way. You might find that finish can go right through your piece, and that you are trying to finish cheesecloth. Even though it is a closed pore wood. Or you might not (to hedge my bets). Undeniably pretty under finish. So go ahead...use it! Steve |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:53 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I finished mine with Tru-Oil, and what an easy job it was. Started coming to a mild gloss after only a few coats. Final finish had maybe 10 - 12. I quit counting. My experience on bending was a bit different from Steve's. I bend on a hot pipe, and when I set the bent side off to cool, and bend the second side, I looked back and it had continued to bend itself. I have never had spring-back problems, but this was new. Attachment: P1060094 (Large).JPG
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| Author: | Steve Kinnaird [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:55 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
Did you notice any bleed through on the inside, Waddy? Steve |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
No I didn't. But I sealed it with Birchwood Casey Sealer, then wiped it on in very thin coats, so I don't think it had a chance. |
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| Author: | Steve Kinnaird [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:03 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
Self-bending wood?! what's not to like about that? Steve |
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| Author: | Chris Pile [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
Always thought it was beautiful wood with figure as nice as lacewood. Both guitars show the grain to maximum advantage - they are lovely, guys! Well done. |
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| Author: | Herr Dalbergia [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:26 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I also like this stuff, but haven not finished one yet....    https://picasaweb.google.com/115793185519493121307 /FiguredPlaneTreeSnakeskinPlataneSchlangenhautElectricGuitarBodysAndTops |
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| Author: | mtracz [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 3:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I enjoy it as we'll! So much so I bought the rest of the tree... Baritone ukulele http://www.flickr.com/photos/mctracz/sets/72157632102196533/  Weissenborn style http://www.flickr.com/photos/mctracz/sets/72157627964237393/  _Mike |
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| Author: | Colin S [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 4:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
Steve, mine was also given a wipe on oil finish, with no bleed through. I pore filled and sealed with my usual egg white. And yes it bent perfectly without any springback. Colin |
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| Author: | mqbernardo [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
lovely guitars guys! i haven´t taken the plunge yet, but thought about using sycamore / plane tree often, as it is one of the few woods around here which: 1) looks good 2)is plentiful 3)is cheap 4) quartering is available as a side note, i remember i read somewhere that the turkish/caucasian plane tree and the hybrid london plane (the one in Colin´s pic) are being slaughtered by some kind of (new?) fungus, coming from eastern europe (when i read it it had made its way til France) - which is a tragedy, but might mean lots of tonewood in the near future. American sycamore/plane tree is, IIRC, resistant - can´t find the source of the info ATM, though. |
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| Author: | theguitarwhisperer [ Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I wonder if Sycamore is any relation to Lacewood? |
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| Author: | dberkowitz [ Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:03 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
Sycamore makes lovely guitars, and as shown by the photos posted, well quarter sawn samples have a lovely flecking similar to quarter sawn oak. It makes great sounding guitars. Treat it like maple, and you'll do fine. I built one made of spalted sycamore that John Calkin harvested from a tree that fell on his property. Huss & Dalton did a bunch of these guitars in the late '90's and they were great guitars. |
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| Author: | old man [ Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:24 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
I loved working with sycamore. Here is a link to my post on the one I built. viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=26696&hilit=sycamore Ron |
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| Author: | PoppaWoodie [ Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Anyone built with American Sycamore back/sides? |
Well, I guess that settles it, to say the least. Haha. Thanks a lot, everyone! Some BEAUTIFUL examples in here, I really appreciate it! Plus, how can I not be enthused about working with self-bending wood. Haha. It's a good thing, too, because these hands need all the help they can get. |
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