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Has anyone built in this wood. I have a set and am wondering what to do with it and what to pair it [top] with. I'd be interested to get opinions on it's personality say as compared to the "standard 3" [Rosewood/ Mahogany/ Maple].

Thanks

Mike

I have a bloodwood OM wedge pore filled and ready for finish. My only feeling against Bloodwood is it is quite brittle and cracks easily and the slivers are a ich to get out of the fingers. I will know how it compares with other woods in a month or so, there are some pictures on my web site under current builds.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

That looks great, Fred. Is the color accurate in your pictures? I would not have ever guessed bloodwood. It's much lighter than any I've worked with.

How was it to bend?

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

I'm presuming you're talking about the Brosimum Rubescens bloodwood. It bends like glass (have to get it really hot then it bends OK) but it "sets" very hard, so re-bends get very difficult.

It can be very dense (1000 kg/m^3), so if you want a live back, you have to thin it more than usual to get the mass down, then add bracing to get the stiffness back up. Because of the density, you tend to get a heavy guitar that projects well. It works very nicely for a bright red and white guitar. Think twice before you do a Venetian cutaway...

http://www.goreguitars.com.au/main/page_10929_55.html

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Here is a small guitar that my son Carey built with bloodwood back and sides. It's paired with a sitka top and has a lot of punch. He didn't have any trouble bending the sides in a Fox style bender at .085". It's an excellent tonewood.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Thanks guys. Fred.. nice looking and it looks like it bent okay for you. Ken.... nice, especially like the binding treatment.

Mike

It bent fine with Supersoft II and 300 Deg F. It is very prone to cracking along the grain direction, I sands well, and was about the same to work as ebony for the fingerboard and bridge. The use of it for these items was the clients idea so I hope he is happy with his ideas.

As of this time I have no plans to build with it again.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866