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Has anyone used it for fretboards or bridges? Seems like a great selection for light colored wood there. It's also called ironwood. It doesn't grow very big, so fretboards or bridges would be all it could be used for. It grows in one of my woodlots, so i am concidering it.

Yes, I used it for a bridge on a super-pale flamenca blanca. For the figerboard, I used pale birds eye maple. The material works very, very well. I would use it again, if someone requested a pale look. That particular hornbeam was designated as "german hornmbeam" by the wood dealer, and I'm not sure it is the same stuff as what you got. One of the properties of this wood seems to be the fact that it hardly yellows with age. After several years, the wood is still quite pale. Here is the link to the guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACiu-8qm_r8

http://picasaweb.google.com/guitarsbype ... directlink

Take care,

Peter

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Flamenco and Classical Guitars
Maker and Restorer

I used some 'hornbeam' that I'm pretty sure was Eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) recently on one of ther 'Cherry Seven' guitars for the Montreal show. It was not as hard as persimmon, but acceptible for the fingerboard and bridge. I used a walnut hull tea to stain it brown, so that it would not show the dirt as much.

[quote="Peter Tsiorba"]Yes, I used it for a bridge on a super-pale flamenca blanca. One of the properties of this wood seems to be the fact that it hardly yellows with age. After several years, the wood is still quite pale.

That's good to know. I'd be using if for it's light color.I wouldn't want it to go dark. Thanks Peter!

Peter,
I love the look of "Bianca Blanca".

In American Lutherie #96, Tom Thiel lists "American or Eastern Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) in his rundown of non-tropical materials suitable for fretboards.

I too have been using a stain made from walnut hulls. And I now have some blackberry stain in the works; just some berries in a jar with Everclear added.
Walter

_________________
Walter Lay
"It's taken me so long, but now that I know
I can see. All that I do or say, is all I ever will be"
- Billy Joe Shaver

Here's a picture of a tree that I'm concidering for bridges& fretboards.Notice the light color. Also look at the bark. It has deep ridges along the lenght as well. This stuff is hard as a rock. I'll post pictures after it is resawn for those interested in seeing what it looks like when processed.