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I was just at a local lumber store and they had some amazing looking hemclock, perfectly quartered, straight grain, and amazing bearclaw figure in it. Was wondering if this wood at all is used for soundboards out there. Thanks alot!

I have used western for dulcimers and feel it is passable. Compared to spruce it possesses less strength, higher damping, lower shock resistance, and loves to splinter. Probably passable for small guitars but like Doug fir likely to crack with age...

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

I think I heard somewhere that the Taylor "Pallet Guitar" may be made with a Hemlock top.
http://www.laguitarsales.com/pages/3157/Taylor_Custom_Shop_Pallet.htm

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Hemlock.... Likely if you select pieces carefully, you can get properties that are inline with every other soft wood out there.... (Spruce, cedar, pine, etc...) I think it could potentially make a fine top wood...

Unfortunately, the stuff is famous for wind shake and other structural defects inside the wood... In the old days - they were famous for cutting down the huge hemlock trees and just rolling them down the hills into ravines and such - as they couldn't get any lumber out of them.... The lumber would fall apart on the saw or split into toothpicks while drying because of the defects in the wood....

If it were me (And I am trying to get ahold of some Hemlock myself - as it grows in the area)... I would split out at least one of the straight grain boards to ensure it is free from defects, cracks, internal checking, wind shake, twist, etc....

Next - I would check the density and deflection test it and compare it to spruce/cedar/fir... Make sure it's in the right range for what you are using...

If it were free of defects, I would use it in a heartbeat....

Cool. And I've never looking into hecmlock, but this particular piece has bearclaw all over it, and all the way through the board. That's mainly why I asked, cuz that will look sweet under a finish. How is it's tap tone?

Cool. And I've never looking into hecmlock, but this particular piece has bearclaw all over it, and all the way through the board. That's mainly why I asked, cuz that will look sweet under a finish. How is it's tap tone?

Your question about tap tone.... Well... There's one way to find out.....
Just buy the board - If you don't use it for Guitars, you can use it for making a guitar stand or something cool....

I haven't ever actually gotten my hands on any yet.... so I am curious as well...

Thanks

I can say that without seeing it we are just guessing . but there are structural issues with this wood. As TruckJohn points out , Wind break and other internal problems plague this stuff . It is very subject to checking . What may look like a great top today may very well be a problem top tomorrow . Grain lines are prone to separate .
The wood is considered a dunage wood . and should not be used in building houses . In large sections it may be ok but I would suggest you rethink this wood . It is brittle and prone to sudden failure under load. Its sole purpose here in Pa is for skids and mine boards . and even then Miners will use it as a last resort. I have used in when I was young for making chests and other craftie things. All of them split but it did make a nice rustic panels for stockade panels for our old house .

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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

Western hemlock is not prone to ring shakes like Eastern hemlock. I made the doors of my shop from Western hemlock in 1982, and they have done fine.

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John

Eastern hemlock is used green & wet for supporting members in buildings around here, and has been for a long time. It is strong and plentiful. When green, nails and screws hold very well. When dry it will split and splinter. I know one luthier who used hemlock as a soundboard once. It needed to be CA'd constantly with cross-grain splits.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Jonh I have to respectfuly disagree western is very prone to ring shake; it is commonly assoiated with a condition called wetwood or sinker.

_________________
"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

I stand corrected. For the record, I have used both with no problems. The key is to select good examples.
Ted Davis cut some Eastern hemlock in 1982 (pictured below), and I would not hesitate to use it.

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John

I have some selected pieces myself
been pondering using for a 13" or so lower bout square neck
My gut wants to put it on a thin maple/hard wood laminate. (for any span larger than 6" or so in an effort aimed at longevity)...
or maybe light lattice bracing?


the top on the dulcimer I knew the longest was still in good shape at seven years (only 4" span though). It moved away and lost contact after that.

I think John Mayes said Dana Bourgeois made a hemlock topped git you might try emailing him...

It is one of the woods that I would never use as bracing...

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

I have no experience with western only eastern . Most of the hemlock in my area are about 20 to 24 inch specimens. I am sure there is always the one example that may work but knowing what I have seen with this wood from this area I will pass.

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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

Any particular reason?
Because of the small sizes I have obtained over the years, my main use for hemolck in guitars has been bracing. And it was my favorite wood for tone bars on the mandolins I have revoiced.

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John

We built a guitar when I worked at Bourgeois and the top was in question. It thought at first to be Adirondack, but after working it, ect I think Dana came to the conclusion it was Hemlock. I'm not sure if there was any real proof that it was, but Dana has seen and handled more spruce that me multiplied by 100 so I'll take his opinion as truth on this one.

When the guitar was done it sounded like.... well a spruce topped bourgeois guitar. That is to say, very good.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

So will I. One tip I can offer is that hemlock does not contain true resin canals, and is pretty much odorless when seasoned.
The logs are easy to distinguish because the bark is so different.
Hemlock trees in my area are often called 'spruce' by the uninformed, and I have had several opportunities to get free wood. On a couple of occasions, I traveled over 100 miles, just to be disappointed by a 'spruce' that turned out to be hemlock. With the internet and digital cameras, hopefully it won't happen again.

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John

TWO times I typed a repply and some auto log off ATE them &*^&^%%#$#^$^%#$^##@$%#

*()^&*(%&#@%$@#$*()*(&^
(*(*^&*(^&*%$^&%!!!!!!!!!!!

Will try agin later...

_________________
"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...