Official Luthiers Forum!

I recently purchased two pieces of quartersawn Bubinga. It has a nice mottled appearance all over its surface. The photographs don't do the wood justice. The figure is way more intense than in the pictures. Is this some special figure to this wood or does all quartered Bubinga have this mottled look. Did I purchase a great find or is it regular ole Bubinga (if so, I really think it looks great and I like it).

Thanks
Ken

That is a very typical figure for Bubinga.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

This would be "nominal" or the norm. There is amazing figured (water fall) bubinga out there also. I am always on the prowl for it. You will be amazed at the depth when you finish it. It's all good.

Mike

Here are a couple of shots of the more figured variety. It is nice wood and is reported to bend quite well! (I might have a few more sets of this around...only a couple with sap left but about 70 sets in total!)





Shane

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Canada

Hi Ken,

I build a lot with bubinga. Indeed the wood you have shows some 'typical' figures of bubinga, although bubinga is one of the hard woods I know that show the most variety of figured from one tree to another. Most bubingas I saw are more lightly figured than what you have, although heavily figured bubinga, similar to yours, is quite comon.

Makes a great guitars in any case!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Alain, I took a look at your website. Very Nice. The Bubinga I have looks like that in your 005 picture. I really like it. If this figure is fairly common, that's alright with me. It is beautiful.
Ken

Shane what are you askin for one of those beauties !! preferebly with sap .

Also -was tapping on that Lutz you sent me through Stephen- sounds amazing and looks beautiful, will start to work on it next week.

Sorry for the side thread..
Lars.

Thanks!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Real fancy Bubinga is a thing of wonder, but you can also get very interesting stuff just out of regular runs of boards. This one (a guitar in progress) came from a Woodcraft board - I think I have $35 in the back and side set.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I agree!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

OK Shane, you dog. You have more of my money than my wife has. Send (and bill) me some sap and water fall bubinga (one back & side set)

Mike

(nice stuff friend)

Ok some prices because I have been asked a couple of times. The sapwood stuff is $225, the other set, lots of figure, no sapwood is $195 and I have some that does not have as intense of figure that I will sell for $135.

Sorry Ken, I don't want to hijack your thread so I will move this all if it gets in the way!

Thanks

Shane

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Canada

Hey Jim, that set is above nominal by a large bit. You will love finsihing it. Small pores. It is hard to sand though. Low oil. And the dust won't bother you much at all. Wait till you put your first finish coat on it. It gets about 1 foot deep! Pay special attention to the details when bending.

Mike

Mike - Thanks! I have seen it under naptha - can't wait for the first coats of shellac. Side bending went very well, actually - I can't say better than I expected, as it was my first try at this wood, but it was relatively straightforward.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

This wood will cup and facetize easily while bending. A scraper is your friend. But be patient. Work through it.

Mike