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first commission
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=43628		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Tai Fu [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:57 am ]
Post subject:  first commission
I finally got my first commission!

The guitar will be a J-200 style, sitka top and mahogany backs and sides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and he wanted a Lotus flower fret inlay (the jury is still out on that...)

I will be ordering a redwood top in that material order, and build another guitar as an experiment concurrently with the commission, so that if I try something new I can try it on the experimental guitar first before I try it on the commission. It will have purpleheart back and side and be in OM shape.

Is there any recommendation as to the thickness of a redwood top compared to sitka spruce? Is it more or less stiff?
Author:  Colin North [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 11:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: first commission
[:Y:]
Author:  DennisK [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 12:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: first commission
Congrats!

Redwood is generally less stiff than spruce, so should be thicker. But how much thicker depends on the piece. Some is almost as stiff as spruce, some is almost as floppy as cedar. If you haven't ordered yet, I'd highly recommend Dave Maize. His stuff is more spruce-like stiffness, but with the light weight and vibrant clang tap tone of redwood. I haven't handled any sets from the famous lucky strike tree, but I'd be surprised if it's any better :)
Author:  Tai Fu [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 12:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: first commission
I am ordering fron LMI. I can't afford to order from different places, the shipping from all of them will add up. I am using the LMI kit wizard to put together the parts needed and I don't need a top for now, because I have plenty of sitka top. So I put redwood in the place for top since it's still required. Unless he also carries everything such as mahogany and others that is needed to go into a guitar, including tuners.
Author:  DennisK [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 12:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: first commission
Nope, all his stuff is salvaged American woods.

I haven't bought redwood from LMI, so I can't advise on thickness numbers for that. But since you'll have it side by side with the spruce, that will make a good reference, either for deflection testing or flexing it with your hands. Be careful if you flex it across the grain, though. It's quite brittle. Too stiff for its own good, really :) It snaps before you feel it move much.
Author:  Colin North [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 2:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: first commission
DennisK wrote:
Nope, all his stuff is salvaged American woods.

I haven't bought redwood from LMI, so I can't advise on thickness numbers for that. But since you'll have it side by side with the spruce, that will make a good reference, either for deflection testing or flexing it with your hands. Be careful if you flex it across the grain, though. It's quite brittle. Too stiff for its own good, really :) It snaps before you feel it move much.

Strange, I noticed that too..
oops_sign
Ah well, it was a freebie anyway, and not a particularily nice one either.
Author:  Hesh [ Tue Jun 10, 2014 3:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: first commission
+1 for what Dennis said.

If you do not have a database of deflection testing numbers that you populated yourself from experience I like to suggest to folks that they pick a number in between spruce and WRC. For example for say an SJ sized instrument which would be similar to a J200 if one would use the number of .115 in spruce and .130 in WRC go with .125ish for redwood.

My curly Redwood topped SJ that's now 8 years old is doing fine. Back then I did not have the database so I went with .125" for top thickness and it turned out fine (regardless of all of the curl).

Hope this helps and congrats Tai Fu! [:Y:]
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