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has anyone made an instrument out of this? I've seen it used as binding but never anything else. Does it grow big enough for a soprano ukulele? would it be suitable? I was thinking b/s pink ivory and a spruce top and maple neck thoughts?

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Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here

i have pics of guitars made from it and prosono sell back and side sets of the stuff but i have never used or cut it myself.
i would have thought it would have excellent properties for guitars as it is almost like cocobolo in texture and density.

my only worrie is that you may have a limited market for it as only people like my girlfreind would play a pink guitar.
That said you will probably have a million female uke players beating down your door a pink uke

Joel.

Hehehe Well I just finished my first and wasn't really satisfied by the way the pink sides came out. It was ok but if the wood was pink I think it would come out alot nicer under french polish.

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Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here

Doesn't pink ivory's colour fade when exposed to the light? You would have to consider a UV finish.

As for girls playing pink guitars...I wouldn't be seen dead with one....

Never worked with pink ivory, but its reported to be colorfast. It all not just pink, some of it is really red! Watermelon red! Here's some guitar pix.





Here's an urn done in pink ivory, shows it can be also quite red!



It's also quite pricey!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I made a bridge of pink ivory. I faded to a yellowish color after about a year. Perhaps it is like purpleheart - some pieces fade and some don't.

i think you are thinking about purple heart sam,

pink ivory is very color fast and does not dull at all.

i know my girlfriend is allways hassling me to make her a pi k guitar its a matter of tast i suppose.

as for sourcing pink ivory i can get loads of the dullish pink colored stuff big enough for guitar sets but the rich pink/red stuff seems a bit harder to get hold of.
It does often have some wonderfull curl as well.

zak if i come across any wood big enough for ukes i will pm you if you want a set,Its quite likely i can get some.

joel.

So how do you explain the chunk of Pink Ivory I have then? Had it for a year, and the pink is already fading.

I have the lighter shade; not the darker stuff.

Irrespective of that, it's still a lovely wood.

I read on a wood site that it does fade I will probably find a way to seal it from uv and see if that keeps it pink

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Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here

Red colors are supposedly the most "phantom" natural colors, and my search for a UV inhibitor a number of years ago to try to keep my new Chakte Kok trimmed furniture red was futile. Keep the wood out of UV exposure as much as possible, that's your best bet.

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

No wood is color fast. All wood surfaces are subject to natural photo degeneration...light woods darken and dark woods lighten. This process can be controlled somewhat, but not prevented by limiting exposure to UV. Pink Ivory darkens to a yellowish brownish reddish thing eventually so hopefully it's used for it's perceived tone attributes and not the pretty colors. Chake kok darkens as you watch it, but I've some acrylized blocks that have pretty good color after 5 years but it's never been out of the drawer.