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| Author: | Ronald Lenz [ Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | body woods for classical |
Does anyone have any experience in using bubinga for classicals? I'm in the early stages of learning this craft and I'm especially interested in the differences of tone related to wood choice. I happen to have some nice bubinga in my shop but I don't want to build a guitar just to practice my gluing - I would like the chance to end up with a good sounding instrument. I recently completed my second classical in cedar and mahogany (because I already had the stock). I would consider the tone to be "subdued". Am I right in generalizing that a harder, denser body wood produces a brighter tone? Any input greatly appreciated. |
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| Author: | PeterF [ Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Have a look at this paper by Trevor Gore. Very useful reading about wood selection. http://asadl.org/poma/resource/1/pmarcw ... ypassSSO=1 |
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| Author: | Michael.N. [ Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Bubinga is a very good choice for a Classical. Density and hardness approximates to that of Indian rosewood. As a wood for Back/Sides it isn't used very much. That's more to do with it being relatively cheap. Use it with confidence. Someone on another forum stated that Hauser thinks it is only second to Brazilian Rosewood. |
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| Author: | Jim Kirby [ Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
I'm building an elevated fingerboard guitar following Mick Lazar's approach, which has a Bubinga body. I got my Bubinga in a binge at the local Woodcraft about 5 or 6 years ago, when they brought in a stack of good-sized QS planks, some with decent figure and some plain. I have about 10 sets sawn and enough wood around to do another 6 or so. I think it should work out well. (I have a bunch of Padauk obtained the same way.) Attachment: back-5.JPG
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Mon Feb 25, 2013 8:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
I have used it for a classical guitar. It was fine. My take is that it is a bit less appealing than Indian Rosewood, sound wise. Somewhat thinner sound vs fat sound, if that makes sense. However the difference was slight, and could have been caused by other issues. Hard wood to work though. Tough on tools. It was my 3rd guitar. Shane's Lutz top.   
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| Author: | Herr Dalbergia [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Michael.N. wrote: Bubinga is a very good choice for a Classical. Density and hardness approximates to that of Indian rosewood. As a wood for Back/Sides it isn't used very much. That's more to do with it being relatively cheap. Use it with confidence. Someone on another forum stated that Hauser thinks it is only second to Brazilian Rosewood. Do you have any more info about this? Help me with my bad english, please. Does this mean, Mr Hauser thinks: - Bubinga is as good as BRW, or - Bubinga is not as good, only 2nd choice? I don`t get it... cheers, alex upppps..thats a little bit big... |
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| Author: | Ronald Lenz [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Waddy, when you say tough to work, can you offer me any advice on bending. Soak it, bend dry, steam? I really liked the rosette on your guitar with the double R motif - it would suit my long time business name (Raven River Timber Works) . Care to share where you got it? |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 1:21 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
I built 2 guitars out of Bubinga, and I love the way it looks compared to Indian rosewood. It's got a lot more character cosmetically, sonically I can't comment, but it is a bit harder to sand, plane, and scrape because it seems to be a harder wood overall. It also has a more interlocked grain making bending harder but having bent Padauk, Indian rosewood, and Bubinga, I can't say it's any harder as long as you exercise proper precaution and thin it properly. If you're put off by its relatively light color, it will look splendid under a red stain. I plan on (if I have extra money available) buying some more padauk and Asian bubinga locally when I get the chance... a lot cheaper than LMI but I have to resaw it myself. |
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| Author: | Michael.N. [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 2:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Herr Dalbergia wrote: Michael.N. wrote: Bubinga is a very good choice for a Classical. Density and hardness approximates to that of Indian rosewood. As a wood for Back/Sides it isn't used very much. That's more to do with it being relatively cheap. Use it with confidence. Someone on another forum stated that Hauser thinks it is only second to Brazilian Rosewood. Do you have any more info about this? Help me with my bad english, please. Does this mean, Mr Hauser thinks: - Bubinga is as good as BRW, or - Bubinga is not as good, only 2nd choice? I don`t get it... cheers, alex upppps..thats a little bit big... I take it as meaning that Brazilian Rosewood is his first choice and Bubinga would be his second, Bubinga being ahead of any other Back/side tonewood out there apart from Brazilian Rosewood. I can't remember where I read this but it's probably from one of the Luthiers on Delcamp. I've only ever used Bubinga once and it seemed perfectly good to my ears. . . but using it once is far too soon to make any sort of judgements especially where there are so many other variables. Just going by it's density and hardness I can't see a problem. |
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| Author: | Jim Kirby [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 2:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Ronald Lenz wrote: Waddy, when you say tough to work, can you offer me any advice on bending. Soak it, bend dry, steam? I really liked the rosette on your guitar with the double R motif - it would suit my long time business name (Raven River Timber Works) . Care to share where you got it? My sides for the ongoing build bent with no problem at all (I use a Fox style bender). Just a light spritz with water, bent at about the same temperature as EIR. I don't remember any special problems with it. |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 2:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Ronald Lenz wrote: Waddy, when you say tough to work, can you offer me any advice on bending. Soak it, bend dry, steam? I really liked the rosette on your guitar with the double R motif - it would suit my long time business name (Raven River Timber Works) . Care to share where you got it? The Tile is an artistic license WRT with a pair of opposing R's. I make them, and I'd like to keep it as my signature rosette tile, but I don't have it registered, so I probably wouldn't sue you if you copied it. Too expensive! |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 3:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Jim Kirby wrote: Ronald Lenz wrote: Waddy, when you say tough to work, can you offer me any advice on bending. Soak it, bend dry, steam? I really liked the rosette on your guitar with the double R motif - it would suit my long time business name (Raven River Timber Works) . Care to share where you got it? My sides for the ongoing build bent with no problem at all (I use a Fox style bender). Just a light spritz with water, bent at about the same temperature as EIR. I don't remember any special problems with it. I bent mine on a pipe, and had some problems. Every place there is figure, it wants to crack. Probably not a problem with support, but if I was going to bend a figured piece, I'd use SuperSoft 2 before bending. |
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| Author: | James Ringelspaugh [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 3:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
WaddyThomson wrote: Ronald Lenz wrote: Waddy, when you say tough to work, can you offer me any advice on bending. Soak it, bend dry, steam? I really liked the rosette on your guitar with the double R motif - it would suit my long time business name (Raven River Timber Works) . Care to share where you got it? The Tile is an artistic license WRT with a pair of opposing R's. I make them, and I'd like to keep it as my signature rosette tile, but I don't have it registered, so I probably wouldn't sue you if you copied it. Too expensive! At first I thought it was one of the space invaders from the old video game 
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| Author: | Clay S. [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 6:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Space invaders could make a cool rosette! |
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| Author: | mkellyvrod [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:27 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
My apologies for being slightly off topic, but I have admired Waddy's rosette tile ever since I first visited this site. I recognize it as the "Waddy Thompson" signature for a classical guitar. I even admire (envy) it more now, since I'm trying to work up a tile of my own; buying a pre-made rosette was so much easier. |
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| Author: | JSDenvir [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
With my limited experience, bubinga is an absolute b*tch to plane. Sanding is fine. I built a cradle for my brother's first child, and the end panels were bubinga. After getting incredible tear out (with a well-tuned L-N plane), I took it to the local cabinet shop to be sanded. Smartest move I ever made. Steve |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Yeah, but it dulls sandpaper fast too. Or it did in my case. I'd be sanding and realize that all of a sudden I wasn't doing anything except rubbing it. |
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| Author: | dpm99 [ Wed Feb 27, 2013 12:31 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
JSDenvir wrote: With my limited experience, bubinga is an absolute b*tch to plane. Sanding is fine. I built a cradle for my brother's first child, and the end panels were bubinga. After getting incredible tear out (with a well-tuned L-N plane), I took it to the local cabinet shop to be sanded. Smartest move I ever made. Steve I don't even try a plane on Bubinga anymore. It just rips up the wood more often than not. It may dull sandpaper, but I don't know a better way to work it. |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Wed Feb 27, 2013 12:55 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
dpm99 wrote: JSDenvir wrote: With my limited experience, bubinga is an absolute b*tch to plane. Sanding is fine. I built a cradle for my brother's first child, and the end panels were bubinga. After getting incredible tear out (with a well-tuned L-N plane), I took it to the local cabinet shop to be sanded. Smartest move I ever made. Steve I don't even try a plane on Bubinga anymore. It just rips up the wood more often than not. It may dull sandpaper, but I don't know a better way to work it. That may be why they are not commonly used compared to indian rosewood. |
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| Author: | Ronald Lenz [ Wed Feb 27, 2013 10:40 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: body woods for classical |
Back to Waddy's beautiful tile - since it is your signature piece, obviously I wouldn't think of using it. Thanks for all the info Ron |
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