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anybody could tell me more about "premium cut". Well, it seem to be a slice cut, so that include heart and sapwood, I guess taken at the largest point, so, I suppose it's pretty Q-sawn, exept in the very middle... But, is it stable, strong, etc... The fact is that I have a 18'' (diam.) sugar maple felt down, and would like to get some good stuff out of it. Do you think a slice of "premium cut" could make one piece electric top or body? or what about bootmatch it?

Thanks!
Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Maybe I'm wrong, but that looks like five pieces of figured birds eye maple to me. If that came from your tree, you have some very nice wood once it's correctly sawed. I've never been lucky enough to have a birds eye maple go through my mill......I'm envious...

cheers

John

I don't think so . Luthier grade needs to be clean clear and without internal faults. The tree was too small. The wood you picture is not free of faults.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

"Premium cut" has no meaning. It is a sales pitch from whoever is selling the wood.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

The pictures are not from my tree. It jsut an example of what i found named as premium cut. My tree isn't resawn yet. I was just asking about the possibility to get some guitar stuff out of there.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Francis,

As Howard wrote, I would throw out the 'premium cut' description. When cutting for birds eye the best or premium cut would be flat sawn near the outside of the bole, not quarter sawn.

Your picture shows a beautiful cut of lumber, but it is not quartersawn; note the prominent cathedral grain in the back.

good luck.

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Chris Oliver
Infinity Luthiers
...in the shop.

live every minute...

Flat sawn would be the best for good figure when sawing birds-eye.Your tree might be big enough provideing it doesn't have those pitch pockets that the wood in your pic. has.And you won't know what you have intil it is milled.So go at it , then decide if it is usable for a guitar. I have gotten guitar wood from good trees that size before.You should at least get some nice neckwood and fretboards anyway.

Here is an example of one i milled up awhile ago from a sugar maple.Notice there isn't any darker heartwood in the center of the board, like your picture.Nor is there any black pitch pockets.This is what you should be looking for in guitar wood.

Thanks!

I'll probably take some quartersawn stuff for necks and FB, and if there's too much defects, i'll take it for anything else, it's free! Maybe i'll get some large flat or off quarter sawn... if there are nice figures or just not much defects, good be good for electric tops, and if not... we can do a lot more things than guitars with wood..!

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

First thing to do is seal the ends of the log with Anchorseal or paraffin.

Next thing is to rip the log in half as close to its center as you can.

Then you can get a look at the wood and decide how to continue.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.