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Does anyone have any experience in using bubinga for classicals? I'm in the early stages of learning this craft and I'm especially interested in the differences of tone related to wood choice. I happen to have some nice bubinga in my shop but I don't want to build a guitar just to practice my gluing - I would like the chance to end up with a good sounding instrument. I recently completed my second classical in cedar and mahogany (because I already had the stock). I would consider the tone to be "subdued". Am I right in generalizing that a harder, denser body wood produces a brighter tone? Any input greatly appreciated.

Have a look at this paper by Trevor Gore. Very useful reading about wood selection.

http://asadl.org/poma/resource/1/pmarcw ... ypassSSO=1

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

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Bubinga is a very good choice for a Classical. Density and hardness approximates to that of Indian rosewood. As a wood for Back/Sides it isn't used very much. That's more to do with it being relatively cheap. Use it with confidence. Someone on another forum stated that Hauser thinks it is only second to Brazilian Rosewood.

I'm building an elevated fingerboard guitar following Mick Lazar's approach, which has a Bubinga body. I got my Bubinga in a binge at the local Woodcraft about 5 or 6 years ago, when they brought in a stack of good-sized QS planks, some with decent figure and some plain. I have about 10 sets sawn and enough wood around to do another 6 or so. I think it should work out well. (I have a bunch of Padauk obtained the same way.)

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I have used it for a classical guitar. It was fine. My take is that it is a bit less appealing than Indian Rosewood, sound wise. Somewhat thinner sound vs fat sound, if that makes sense. However the difference was slight, and could have been caused by other issues. Hard wood to work though. Tough on tools. It was my 3rd guitar. Shane's Lutz top.

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Do you have any more info about this?
Help me with my bad english, please. Does this mean, Mr Hauser thinks:
- Bubinga is as good as BRW, or
- Bubinga is not as good, only 2nd choice?

I don`t get it...

cheers, alex


upppps..thats a little bit big...

Waddy, when you say tough to work, can you offer me any advice on bending. Soak it, bend dry, steam? I really liked the rosette on your guitar with the double R motif - it would suit my long time business name (Raven River Timber Works) . Care to share where you got it?

I built 2 guitars out of Bubinga, and I love the way it looks compared to Indian rosewood. It's got a lot more character cosmetically, sonically I can't comment, but it is a bit harder to sand, plane, and scrape because it seems to be a harder wood overall. It also has a more interlocked grain making bending harder but having bent Padauk, Indian rosewood, and Bubinga, I can't say it's any harder as long as you exercise proper precaution and thin it properly. If you're put off by its relatively light color, it will look splendid under a red stain. I plan on (if I have extra money available) buying some more padauk and Asian bubinga locally when I get the chance... a lot cheaper than LMI but I have to resaw it myself.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I take it as meaning that Brazilian Rosewood is his first choice and Bubinga would be his second, Bubinga being ahead of any other Back/side tonewood out there apart from Brazilian Rosewood.
I can't remember where I read this but it's probably from one of the Luthiers on Delcamp. I've only ever used Bubinga once and it seemed perfectly good to my ears. . . but using it once is far too soon to make any sort of judgements especially where there are so many other variables. Just going by it's density and hardness I can't see a problem.

My sides for the ongoing build bent with no problem at all (I use a Fox style bender). Just a light spritz with water, bent at about the same temperature as EIR. I don't remember any special problems with it.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

The Tile is an artistic license WRT with a pair of opposing R's. I make them, and I'd like to keep it as my signature rosette tile, but I don't have it registered, so I probably wouldn't sue you if you copied it. Too expensive!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I bent mine on a pipe, and had some problems. Every place there is figure, it wants to crack. Probably not a problem with support, but if I was going to bend a figured piece, I'd use SuperSoft 2 before bending.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

At first I thought it was one of the space invaders from the old video game

Space invaders could make a cool rosette!

My apologies for being slightly off topic, but I have admired Waddy's rosette tile ever since I first visited this site. I recognize it as the "Waddy Thompson" signature for a classical guitar. I even admire (envy) it more now, since I'm trying to work up a tile of my own; buying a pre-made rosette was so much easier.

With my limited experience, bubinga is an absolute b*tch to plane. Sanding is fine. I built a cradle for my brother's first child, and the end panels were bubinga. After getting incredible tear out (with a well-tuned L-N plane), I took it to the local cabinet shop to be sanded. Smartest move I ever made.

Steve

Yeah, but it dulls sandpaper fast too. Or it did in my case. I'd be sanding and realize that all of a sudden I wasn't doing anything except rubbing it.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I don't even try a plane on Bubinga anymore. It just rips up the wood more often than not. It may dull sandpaper, but I don't know a better way to work it.

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David Morris

That may be why they are not commonly used compared to indian rosewood.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Back to Waddy's beautiful tile - since it is your signature piece, obviously I wouldn't think of using it. Thanks for all the info
Ron