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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:19 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

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Personally -- I would check the density and stiffness (Ex) and then treat it like you would a similar spruce that shakes out with similar properties.... but I do that sort of thing anyway...

I don't believe that 0.100" is too thin for an OM top -- I did a Dread top at 0.103 in Sitka in the thick places... Came out great....

If the wood is well cut and well dried/seasoned -- what's the risk of using it? My vote is "Build It!" ... If you are worried about it... Feel free to mail it to me... I will build with it.

Thanks

John


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:32 pm 
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I bought a spruce top in the OLF Swap Meet that says Iron Spruce on it......wonder if it came from the same place?

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:33 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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for sure .100 is not too thin for an OM top if the piece is sufficiently stiff.

I'd never buy wood from the guy because of his over the top marketing as well as some personal stories I've heard about him. That doesn't mean, in the least, that the wood he is selling is not good I just don't want any part of it.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 4:59 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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I could be wrong on this Chris so maybe you should post a the question over on Mario's forum but I believe that log was named because it had some iron spikes in it as it was a salvaged bridge timber or something. If it came from the area from around here it is the hybrid Lutz Spruce. But at the end of the day, what "label" the spruce has is really meaningless (IMHO) as long as the piece of "spruce" displays the properties you look for it is going to do what you hope...I hope :D .

Shane

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 6:51 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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verhoevenc wrote:
PS: John, where's that curly PI uke you were gunna build with that stuff I sent ya??


Probably going to be with me at healdsburg this coming year

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 7:23 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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verhoevenc wrote:
YES! I have been intently awaiting that for YEARS now John, hahaha.
Chris



haha.. It will probably be a replica of a guitar I'm building. I'll sell the uke/guitar as a set.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:11 pm 
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Walnut
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If it is from the "early days" it's not the iron spike material. I think I recall a batch called Iron wood and I may have a set or two floating around, but at the same time I bought some of what Mario called "curly bear" and really liked how it worked and sounded. Just a personal preference but I bought a bunch of it and have learned it's subtleties. It is still my favorite top wood to use but that is probably more from familiarity than anything else. The iron spike was a bridge stringer and you will see streaks of gray iron deposits that have leached into the wood. You can't mistake it.

For as much fun that is made of the tree naming the idea seems to have done what it was intended to do. Years after a purchase was made a post can be tossed out asking if anyone has experience with a particular material and it is recognized quickly. I second the motion to post the question over at luthierforum and see if anyone can help you out or point you to someone who can.

Now, if any of you have anything marked "curly bear" and want to get rid of it please contact me directly. My stash is limited and when I run out that will be that...

Greg Nelson


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 9:34 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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As Greg mentioned... This may not really be the forum to get feedback on the various Trees that Mario sells...

If it's bridge stringer wood.... Well... I love bridge stringer wood!

Seems to me that I remember something called "Iron Spruce" and it was a different tree from "Iron Spike".... That Iron Spike wood had black streaks all through it from giant lag bolts running through it....

On Woodcutters being Guitarists or Builders... I guess I don't see how being good at one necessarily relates to expertise at another... They are totally different skills... Knowing how to evaluate and cut trees and process logs and dry/season wood to get the "Optimum" quality Tonewood is a set of skills that are quite separate from playing guitars or building instruments.... Almost none of the "Wood cutters" I have bought top wood from professionally build instruments.... I know of only a small handful of Professional Luthiers who harvest their own trees..... Most of those guys don't sell too much tonewood....

Thanks

John


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:17 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Filippo Morelli wrote:
John Mayes wrote:
verhoevenc wrote:
YES! I have been intently awaiting that for YEARS now John, hahaha.
Chris



haha.. It will probably be a replica of a guitar I'm building. I'll sell the uke/guitar as a set.


Wait. John ... PI guitar and PI uike set? Both in PI?

Chris ... did you explain to your parents that a graduation gift is in order?!!!

Filippo


Mmhmmmm......

Curly Pink ivory/European spruce. African Blackwood blindings, the guitar will be my new 15.5" Fingerstyle guitar, and the uke will be a concert size martin style.

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 12:43 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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I probably would not use a top that thin for a steel string guitar.

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 11:42 am 
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To answer the original question, it's Lutz Spruce, Chris. That's all he sells. Just ask him. I think Iron Wood is just one of his older tree names. Probably lots of it floating around. I have a bunch of his tops, and they come in all kinds of variables of thickness and size. Some are pretty nice, some I may never use. Inconsistent is the picture I have, though the good stuff looks really good, and has great tap and stiffness. You just never know what you'll get. One of the problems I've had with his tops, that I have not had from any of our vendors, is that they may not be dried all that well. Some have cupped pretty severely, even though they were stickered and weighted for months. I have never had that problem with wood from one of our sponsors. Shane's stuff stays flat as a pancake, no matter how you treat it.

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